Twin Fan Pom-Pom Edge Basket Free Crochet Pattern: Art Deco Chocolate & Caramel

Twin Fan Pom-Pom Edge Basket: A Beginner's Art Deco Masterpiece

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first big project for you. The Twin Fan Pom-Pom Edge Basket is built from nothing but simple single crochet rectangles that get seamed into a sturdy little box, then crowned with ten tiny fan shapes in alternating chocolate and caramel. It is worked in super bulky chenille yarn, which means your hook is big, your stitches are easy to see, and the whole basket comes together in a weekend. The finished piece is a firm, ridged, 10 x 6 x 6 inch organizer with a soft matte finish and a 1.5 inch fan crown that stands up like a little Art Deco tiara. Fill it with yarn, mail, remotes, or plant pots, and everyone who sees it will assume you have been crocheting for years.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Super bulky (weight 6) chenille-style polyester yarn, approximately 220 yards total:
  • 150 yards chocolate brown (Color A) for the basket body and side panels
  • 40 yards caramel (Color B) for 5 fan appliqués
  • 30 yards chocolate brown (Color C) for 5 fan appliqués
• Hook: K/10.5 (6.5 mm) crochet hook
• Stitch marker (one is enough, but a few are handy)
• Tapestry needle (a large-eye, blunt-tip needle for seaming and weaving in ends)
• Scissors
• Finished size: 10 inches wide x 6 inches deep x 6 inches tall (25.5 x 15 x 15 cm), plus a 1.5 inch fan crown

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every single term used in this pattern is explained below. If you only read one section before you start, read this one.

• ch – chain. Make a loop with the yarn on your hook, wrap the yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop. That is one chain. A row of chains is your starting line, like the foundation of a house.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the next stitch, wrap the yarn over the hook, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on your hook), wrap the yarn over again, and pull it through both loops. One single crochet made.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. It makes a nearly invisible joining stitch.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together (a decrease). Insert your hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert your hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap the yarn over, and pull through all 3 loops. Two stitches become one. Note: this pattern does not use sc2tog, but it is listed here so you recognize it in other patterns.
• st(s) – stitch or stitches. The little V-shaped bumps you work into.
• RS – right side. The side of the fabric that faces out and that people will see.
• WS – wrong side. The back side of the fabric.
• 2 sc in next st – work two single crochets into the same stitch. This is an increase and it makes the fan wider.
• Foundation chain – the very first row of chains you make before working your first real row.
• Turn – flip your work over like a pancake so you can work back across the row you just finished.
• Fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work, then pull the tail all the way through the last loop to lock it.
• Whipstitch – a simple seaming stitch. Bring your needle up through both layers, over the edge, and back down, repeating in small even stitches along the seam.
• Gathering stitch – a running stitch (in and out) worked along an edge, then pulled tight like a drawstring to cinch the fabric.

Gauge

Gauge: 4 single crochet stitches and 4 single crochet rows = 1 inch.

Gauge means how big your stitches turn out. If your stitches are bigger than mine, your basket will be bigger than 10 x 6 x 6 inches; if they are smaller, it will be smaller. Because this basket is seamed from flat panels, a different gauge will throw off how the panels line up, so please check it first.

How to make a gauge swatch: Chain 17. Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across (16 stitches). Work 16 rows of single crochet, turning at the end of each row. Lay the swatch flat and measure a 4 inch section in the middle. Count how many stitches and rows fit in 4 inches. You want 16 stitches and 16 rows. If you have more stitches than that, your stitches are too tight, so go up one hook size. If you have fewer, your stitches are too loose, so go down one hook size. Then begin the basket.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count every row. Single crochet rows all look alike, so place your stitch marker in the first stitch of each row as you work. It saves you from accidentally adding or losing stitches.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Chenille yarn is fluffy and wants to be worked loosely. If your stitches squeak or the yarn sheds, you are pulling too hard. Relax your tension.
• Keep your turning chain small. The "ch 1, turn" at the start of each row is just a little step up. Do not count it as a stitch, and do not work into it on the way back.
• Work into both loops of the V. When you single crochet, go under both the front and back loops of the stitch below. This keeps the fabric firm and even.
• Leave the long tails the pattern asks for. The 24 inch and 20 inch tails are your sewing thread for assembly. Do not trim them short.
• Make one fan first as a test. The fans are quick. Crochet one, cinch the base, and see how it looks before you make all ten.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Basket Body (worked flat in chocolate A)

Row 1 (RS): Ch 41. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (40 sc)

Rows 2–24: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (40 sc) You will have 24 rows total, which at 4 rows per inch gives you the 6 inch height of the basket.

Do not fasten off yet. Leave a long 24 inch tail for seaming.

Side Panels (worked flat in chocolate A, make 2)

Row 1: Ch 25. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (24 sc)

Rows 2–24: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (24 sc) Each panel is 24 rows tall, matching the 6 inch height of the body.

Fasten off, leaving a 20 inch tail on each panel.

Fan Appliqués (make 10: 5 in caramel B, 5 in chocolate C)

Each fan is worked in rows into a single foundation chain, then gathered at the base. The narrow end is the fan base; the wide scalloped end is the top.

Row 1: Ch 9. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (8 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first st, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the last st. (10 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the last 2 sts. (12 sc)

Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first 3 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the last 3 sts. (14 sc)

Row 5: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the last 4 sts. (16 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a 12 inch tail. The piece will look like a small trapezoid.

Fan Shaping

Thread the 12 inch tail onto your tapestry needle. Run a gathering stitch along the foundation-chain edge (the narrow end) by passing the needle in and out of the edge every few stitches. Pull gently to cinch the base into a rounded fan shape. Secure with 2–3 small stitches through the gathered fabric. Do not cut the tail yet; you will use it to attach the fan.

Attaching the Fans

Step 1: Mark 10 evenly spaced points around the top rim of the basket, about 1 inch apart on the long sides and 1 inch apart on the short sides.

Step 2: Using the remaining tail on each fan, stitch each fan base to the rim, alternating caramel and chocolate fans. Position each fan so the wide scalloped edge stands upright above the rim like a crown.

Step 3: Work a slip-stitch border in chocolate A around the entire top rim, catching the base of each fan as you go to reinforce the join. To do this, join the yarn at any point on the rim, then work one slip stitch into each stitch around the rim, sliding your hook under the fan bases as you pass them.

Step 4: Weave in all ends.

Assembly and Finishing

Seaming the box: Lay the large rectangle flat with the right side facing you. Fold up 6 inches at each short end to form the front and back walls; the center 10 inch section becomes the base. Thread the 24 inch tail onto your tapestry needle and whipstitch the short side edges of the folded walls to the long side edges of the base, working small even stitches through both layers. This forms a shallow U-shaped trough.

Adding the side panels: Place one side panel against each open end of the trough, aligning the 6 inch height. Whipstitch the panel edges to the basket walls and base, again working through both layers with small, even stitches. You now have a rectangular box measuring 10 x 6 x 6 inches.

Weaving in ends: Thread each remaining tail onto the tapestry needle and run it back and forth through the inside of the fabric for about 2 inches, then trim close to the surface. Never knot your ends; weaving hides them securely.

Blocking: Steam-block lightly to relax the chenille and encourage the fans to stand upright. Hold a steam iron an inch or two above the fabric (never press it down, as chenille can crush) and let the steam settle into the fibers. Shape the basket walls with your hands and let it dry completely before using.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the chocolate and caramel for any two-tone palette you love, such as cream and sage or charcoal and mustard. Keep the main basket in the darker color so the fans pop.
• Resize the basket: To make it wider or deeper, add or remove chains in multiples of 4 in Row 1 of the body and side panels. To make it taller, add rows in multiples of 4. Your gauge of 4 stitches and 4 rows per inch makes the math easy.
• Substitute the yarn: Any super bulky (weight 6) yarn works, but choose one with a little body. A fluffy chenille gives the soft matte look shown here; a smooth acrylic will give crisper corners.
• Add the pom-poms: For extra deco flair, make a tiny pom-pom (about 1 inch across) and stitch one to the tip of each fan. Alternate the pom-pom color opposite the fan color for a bold contrast.