How to Add Fringe to a Crochet or Knit Project

Adding fringe to a knitted or crocheted scarf, blanket, or poncho is easy and fun to do. Plus, it adds a finished touch to your project.

Steps

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    Start by choosing something to wind your yarn around. You can use a small book, a CD or DVD jewel case, a stiff piece of cardboard or an old address book. It should be something that is approximately 5x7", depending on the length you want the fringe.
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    Starting with your yarn at the top, begin winding the yarn around the book. Wind it several times, but not so many times that you won't be able to cut through all of it with a pair of scissors. End with the yarn at the top of the book.
    • Wind loosely enough that you can get scissors underneath it to cut.
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    Cut the yarn away from the skein.
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    Cut the yarn at the top of the book/item.
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    Now you have several pieces of yarn, all the same length.
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    Decide how many pieces of yarn you want to use together.
    • Two pieces together are being used in this example and for this scarf.
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    Fold your pieces evenly.
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    Always begin with the right side of your project facing up. The way to tell if it is the right side is to go back to your foundation chain, and position your piece so the beginning tail of yarn is on your left side. This makes the right side up.
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    Insert your crochet hook into the first loop from the bottom up.
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    Take the two pieces of yarn folded in half, hook them with the crochet hook and pull them through the loop.
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    Take the ends of the two pieces of yarn and push them through the loop made by folding the two pieces in half. You can also hook the free ends with the crochet hook and pull them through the loop you just made.
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    Pull on the free ends to draw them down snugly, but not too tightly. Pull on both ends evenly.
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    Continue in this way until you've added as much fringe to your project as you like. Trim the ends to even them up, if you want to.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Do I make fringes on both end of an afghan?
    Lily June Parvin
    Lily June Parvin
    Community Answer
    Usually, yes, it appears more balanced if fringe is added to both ends of an afghan, but it's really up to you, you're the creator of your project so you can decide for yourself.
  • Question
    How can I keep the fringes on a scarf from unraveling and falling apart?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If you're talking about the individual pieces of yarn, then there isn't really much you can do aside from dipping them in some sort of sealant (clear nail polish, hot wax, etc.), which you probably don't want to do as it will affect the texture of the yarn. If your problem is that the knots are coming undone, just make sure that they are nice and tight, and tighten them every once in a while.
  • Question
    Will both sides (front and back) of the fringe look the same?
    Michele
    Michele
    Top Answerer
    They're a little different since when making a fringe knot, one side will have the loop showing and the other won't. But the difference is negligible if using a single strand. The more strands you use for the fringe knot, the more noticeable the difference between the front and back. If you want, alternate the direction you knot from one stitch to the next. Then it won't matter which side you're looking at, they'll look the same.
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Things You'll Need

  • Something rigid that is approximately 5x7"
  • Crochet hook
  • Scissors
  • Coordinating yarn in the texture/color - at least 3 yards (2.7 m)

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 318,911 times.
76 votes - 93%
Co-authors: 14
Updated: September 3, 2020
Views: 318,911
Categories: Featured Articles | Knitting and Crochet
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