Free crochet rainbow pattern for beginners to make today. The rainbow has become a symbol of support for health care workers and a bright message of hope. I know there’s already a load of free crochet rainbows patterns available however I wanted a fun to make boho style rainbow wall hanging for the sun to shine through, just like a sun catcher.
Boho Crochet Rainbow Pattern
The free Boho Crochet Rainbow can be made using any weight yarn. I used DK weight cotton for the rainbow and Aran weight cotton for the sun. All yarn was from my stash.
The free crochet rainbow pattern below is written in both UK and US terms.
Want to PRINT this pattern? An inexpensive printable pdf is available from Etsy and Ravelry.
The free pattern is written for both adventuruous beginners and more experienced crocheters to enjoy.
Construction
The Boho Crochet rainbow pattern is a sampler style pattern where each row is a different stitch. You will be using chains, single crochets (US), double crochets (UK, US), treble crochets (UK), V-stitches, clusters, popcorns and half double crochets (US)/ half treble crochets (UK).
All stitches used are described below.
The crochet rainbow is made starting from the bottom row. In rows 1, 2, 4-9 you start the row on the right side, joining your yarn to the top of the first stitch, In rows 3 and 10 you start the row on the wrong side. You can finish your rainbow with tassels, pom poms, fringing, applique clouds and a sun, whatever you want!
Let’s Talk About Colours
A traditional rainbow consists of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. You can substitite any of these colours for whatever colours you have available.
If you don’t have all the colours of the rainbow, feel free to substitute or double up. For example, the first row could be a favourite colour, as you can see in the sample below I have used pale pink. The last two rows could be worked in the same colour.
I would recommend for Row 7 that you use a green, aqua or teal colour if possible, as this row makes the stems or leaves of the “flowers” in row 8. Subsequently, Row 8 is suited to yellow or a similar colour such as gold, lemon, camel, mustard. You could also use cream, pale pink, pale lilac or similar.
Materials
Yarn
7 colours scrap yarn
Hook
Use a hook size suitable for your yarn, leaning towards a smaller hook size, especially if you have loose tension.
Gauge
Not essential for this project.
Notes
In row 10 you will be working in the front bar.
Take care to notice which side you need to start the new row.
Pattern is written in both UK terms and US terms. Check you are following the pattern for the crochet terms you usually use.
US terms Instructions
US Abbreviations
Chain ch
Double crochet dc
Back loop only BLO
Front loop only FLO
Half double crochet hdc
Repeat rep
Right side RS
Single crochet sc
Space sp
Stitch st
Stitches sts
Wrong side WS
Yarn over yo
US Special Stitches
3 double crochet cluster 3dcCl
(Yo, insert hook into st or sp indicated, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops) a total of three times into the same st or sp indicated, yo and pull through 4 remaining loops.
V- stitch V-st
(dc, ch 1, dc) into st or sp indicated.
Popcorn stitch popcorn
Double crochet 3 times in st or sp indicated, take hook out leaving a large loop, and insert into top of first dc and loop, pull loop through the first stitch, close popcorn with a chain. (In this pattern, you will be chaining an additional 2 ch after each popcorn st as indicated in the pattern, except for the last popcorn st where you will chain an additonal 1 ch. )
Start Crocheting
Row 1 (RS): With colour A, chain 10, work dc in 4th ch from hook (counts as 2 dc), 2dc in each st across, turn. (14 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 1 (not a st), sc in BLO of first st, (ch 3, sc in BLO of next st) across. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (13 ch3 loops, 14 sc)
Row 3 (WS): With WS facing, working into the unworked front loops of Row 1, join colour B to the FLO of first st, push ruffle foward to continue working in FLO, ch 2 (counts as hdc), (ch 1, hdc) across. Turn. (14 hdc)
Row 4 (RS): Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), (ch 1, 3dcCl in ch1-sp in row below) across, dc in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (13 dcCl)
Rows 5 (RS): With RS facing, join colour C, ch 3 (counts as first dc), (2 dc in ch-sp, dc in top of dcCl) across, dc in last st. Turn. (41 sts)
Rows 6 (WS): Ch 1 (not a st), sc in first st and each st across. Fasten off and break yarn. Turn. (41 sts)
Row 7 (RS): With RS facing, join colour D, ch 3 (counts as dc), skip next st, (V-st in next st, skip next st) across, dc in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (19 V-sts)
Rows 8 (RS): With RS facing, join colour E, ch 3 (counts as first dc), ch 1, (popcorn, ch 2) in each V-st across, ending last popcorn with 1 ch, dc in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (19 popcorn sts)
Rows 9 (RS): With RS facing, join colour F, ch 2 (counts as first hdc), hdc in ch-sp, (skip popcorn, 3 hdc in ch-sp) across until last ch-sp, 1 hdc in last ch-sp, 1 hdc in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Turn. (58 sts)
Rows 10 (WS): With WS facing, join colour G in FLO, Ch 1 (not a st), sc in FLO first st, (ch 3, sc in FLO next st) across. Fasten off and break yarn. Turn. (58 sts).
Applique Sun
To begin, chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to make a ring, alternatively, work into a magic loop. You are working in the round, do not turn your work. Join each round with a slip stitch into the first st.
Round 1: Make 8 sc into the ring, join with a slip stitch.
Round 2: ch 1 (not a st), make 2 sc in each st, join. (16 sts)
Round 3: ch 1 (not a st), make (1 sc in next st, 2 sc) in next st around, join. (24 sts)
Round 4 (change colour here if you want): ch 1 (not a st), [1 sc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, (1 dc in next st, ch 3 and slip stitch into top of dc, 1 hdc in same st)}] repeat around, join. Fasten off and break yarn. (36 sts)
Finishing your Crocheted Rainbow
Weave in all your ends. Finish your rainbow with tassels, fringing, pom poms or applique (sun, clouds).
To make tassels or fringe:
Cut strands of yarn equal lengths. Make the strands twice the length you want the tassels to be, plus half an inch / 1 cm. With desired number of strands, fold in half to form a loop, insert hook from wrong side of fabric into row end and into the loop, drawing the loop through. Draw the yarn ends through the loop and tighten. For fringe, attach fewer strands close together, and for tassels, make the group of strands thicker and space out further apart.
To hang your rainbow: Choose a yarn colour and chain approx 80 chains, depending on the length you want to hang it. Fasten off and break yarn. With WS facing, attach and end to the 7th and 13th popcorn st. Weave in ends.
UK Terms Instructions
Abbreviations
Chain ch
Double crochet dc
Back loop only BLO
Front loop only FLO
Half treble crochet htr
Repeat rep
Right side RS
Treble crochet tr
Space sp
Stitch st
Stitches sts
Wrong side WS
Yarn over yo
3 treble crochet cluster 3trCl
(Yo, insert hook into st or sp indicated, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops) a total of three times into the same st or sp indicated, yo and pull through 4 remaining loops.
V- stitch V-st
(tr, ch 1, tr) into st or sp indicated.
Popcorn stitch popcorn
Treble crochet 3 times in st or sp indicated, take hook out leaving a large loop, insert into top of first tr and loop, pull loop through the first stitch, close popcorn with a chain. (In this pattern, you will be chaining an additional 2 ch after each popcorn st as indicated in the pattern, except for the last popcorn st where you will chain an additonal 1 ch. )
Start Crocheting
Row 1 (RS): With colour A, chain 10, work tr in 4th ch from hook (counts as 2 tr), 2 tr in each st across, turn. (14 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 1 (not a st), dc in BLO of first st, (ch 3, dc in BLO of next st) across. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (13 ch3 loops, 14 dc)
Row 3 (WS): With WS facing, working into the unworked front loops of Row 1, join colour B to the FLO of first st, push ruffle foward to continue working in FLO, ch 2 (counts as htr), (ch 1, htr) across. Turn. (14 htr)
Row 4 (RS): Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr), (ch 1, 3trCl in ch-sp) across, tr in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (13 trCl)
Rows 5 (RS): With RS facing, join colour C, ch 3 (counts as first tr), (2 tr in ch-sp, tr in top of trCl) across, tr in last st. Turn. (41 sts)
Rows 6 (WS): Ch 1 (not a st), dc in first st and each st across. Fasten off and break yarn. Turn. (41 sts)
Row 7 (RS): With RS facing, join colour D, ch 3 (counts as tr), skip next st, (V-st in next st, skip next st) across, tr in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (19 V-sts)
Rows 8 (RS): With RS facing, join colour E, ch 3 (counts as first tr), ch 1, (popcorn, ch 2) in each V-st across, ending last popcorn with 1 ch, tr in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Do not turn. (19 popcorn sts)
Rows 9 (RS): With RS facing, join colour F, ch 2 (counts as first htr), htr in ch-sp, (skip popcorn, 3 htr in ch-sp) across until last ch-sp, 1 htr in last ch-sp, 1 htr in last st. Fasten off and break yarn. Turn. (58 sts)
Rows 10 (WS): With WS facing, join colour G in FLO, Ch 1 (not a st), dc in first st, (ch 3, dc in FLO next st) across. Fasten off and break yarn. Turn. (58 sts).
Finishing your Crocheted Rainbow
Weave in all your ends. Finish your rainbow with tassels, fringing, pom poms or applique (sun, clouds).
Applique Sun
To begin, chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to make a ring, alternatively, work into a magic loop. You are working in the round, do not turn your work. Join each round with a slip stitch into the first st.
Round 1: Make 8 dc into the ring, join with a slip stitch.
Round 2: ch 1 (not a st), make 2 dc in each st, join. (16 sts)
Round 3: ch 1 (not a st), make (1 dc in next st, 2 dc) in next st around, join. (24 sts)
Round 4 (change colour here if you want): ch 1 (not a st), [1 dc in next st, 1 htr in next st, (1 tr in next st, ch 3 and slip stitch into top of st, 1 htr in same st)}] repeat around, join. Fasten off and break yarn. (36 sts)
To make tassels or fringe:
Cut strands of yarn equal lengths. Make the strands twice the length you want the tassels to be, plus half an inch / 1 cm. With desired number of strands, fold in half to form a loop, insert hook from wrong side of fabric into row end and into the loop, drawing the loop through. Draw the yarn ends through the loop and tighten. For fringe, attach fewer strands close together, and for tassels, make the group of strands thicker and space out further apart.
To hang your rainbow: Choose a yarn colour and chain approx 80 chains, depending on the length you want to hang it. Fasten off and break yarn. With WS facing, attach and end to the 7th and 13th popcorn st. Weave in ends.
Make sure you add it to your ravelry queue, and tag My Crochet Makes @mycrochetmakes or @thestitchfoundry on instagram.
Thank you for this pattern, I’ve added it to my LOCKDOWN “To Do” List. Stay well.
You’re welcome, so happy you like it!
Thank you for your pattern! May I share a picture of my finished rainbow on Facebook if I reference your ravelry page? These are addictive stash busters!
Hi Amber, yes feel free to share your rainbow and I appreciate you asking.
Nearly finished this now, in sparkly pastels. Thanks for sharing, it’s given me the opportunity to try some different stitches and i’ll no doublt be making more 🙂
Sparkly pastels sound amazing!
Hello
Love this rainbow.
Mine isn’t ending up with a flat bottom, it’s seems to be going out diagonally from the centre (either side) I’m getting all the stitch counts correct so I’m not adding any in by mistake. It looks like I am however as it’s not the flat bottom. If that makes sense.
I’ve just finished row 5.
Is my tension too tight? Should I use an larger hook?
Currently using a 3.5mm for a Dk
Hi Becky, I would go up a hook size as it could be your tension. I have loose tension and used a 4mm hook with DK yarn. I know some people have gone with the curve and added the sun or made clouds to cover it.
Thank you for this lovely pattern. I made this and hung it in my son’s room and he loves it.
Thanks for letting me know! I’m happy he likes it x
Had fun making this for granddaughter but was flimsy have to use thick wool or starch it!!
Thank you, I know some people have coated the back with glue that sets to stiffen it x
Hola ¡¡ ?Soy d Argentina.
Hermosas ideas ¡¡ ???
Puede ser q esten en castellano ? No encuentro el traductor ?
Hello! It’s only in English I’m sorry x
Thanks so much. Mine will be hanging in my window shortly too. Keep safe.
Glad you like it!
I don’t understand row 4. If you chain and then work the 3dcCl into the chain space each time, you’re not joining into the row 3 stitches except at the beginning and end of the row. Am I missing something? I’m new to reading patterns.
Thank you for your question.
In row 4 you are working the 3dcCl into the ch1 space from row 3. I will amend the pattern to make it clearer that it is the ch1 sp from the previous row. I hope this helps, if not, please do let me know.
Love this pattern and how it turned out. Do you have any recommendations/pattern for a mini version of the rainbow??
Thank you! I’ll have a think about it and work something up, sounds like a good idea x
This look amazing! I’m a beginner and have made the first colour, but am already stuck on row 3 ? how do you get 14 htr by the end of that row?
Ignore me, I literally just worked out I was trying to do it from the chain stitches, not the first row. Duh! Told you I’m a beginner! Ha ha!
I was going to apologise for not replying sooner but I love that you worked it out yourself!
Hi, really sorry but row 4, 3 treble cluster, no matter how many times I try I always have 4 stitches left on my hook. My daughter in law also had the same problem. Any idea what we are doing wrong please? Thanks for your time
Hi, you are correct! I apologise and have fixed the pattern. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Thanks for sharing this pattern! Easy and fun to do and it looks great. Love it!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this beautiful pattern! It’s my first one following just a written pattern and not a video. It came up so well! I’d class myself as an adventurous beginner.. only been crocheting for 8 weeks! I made one in the standard colours and also one in pastels for my niece. Thank you again & take care x
Hi Chelsy, that makes me so happy! Thanks for letting me know x
Am I missing a button to be able to print this pattern? I’m an on-the-go crocheter, so I like to have a print pattern to throw in my bag. To print the page is 22 sheets.
Hi Colleen, I don’t have a print button because some of my patterns have an inexpensive printable pdf. I didn’t want to charge for this pattern at all. You could copy and paste the pattern into a word document and print that. Hope that helps!
Hi. I’m a beginner but can granny square and make rainbows. But I just can’t understand how to begin? I’ve tried but I’m really struggling with the pattern. Any tips would be hugely appreciated!
Hi, for the first row you are working into the chains to make your stitches. Which part specifically are you getting stuck on so I can expand further?
Hey! For some reason on row 3 my rainbow keeps becoming more circular instead of like an arc?! I’m counting the stitches and they’re all okay. What am I doing wrong?!
Hi Beth, it’s possible your tension is a bit looser so maybe try a smaller hook for that row? Let me know if that helps!
Hi i just finished my rainbow and am wondering if I can make one bigger by doubling up everything. Thanks for the pattern
Hi, thanks for your question. You could double up the yarn to make it bigger, is that what you mean? x
Thank you so much for this pattern. I am on my 17th now. I absolutely love it!!
Wow that’s incredible! Thanks so much for letting me know.
Hi Sharon. I have made a number if these with slightly different colourways for our offices at work. Your pattern is just lovely. I had angled sides like some other peeps so I added clouds. Thank you for posting the pattern. It is, in my opinion, the nicest I have seen.
Thanks so much for letting me know! The clouds sound like a lovely idea.
Thank you for the lovely rainbow pattern. Love it.
I butchered this pattern. Is there a video?
Sorry there is no video. I had meant to make one actually but have been recovering from covid. What part are you having trouble with?
Hi there! I have made 4 more. These are better than the first one I did. The trouble I am having now is that the rainbow looks like its turning into s circle instead of half circle. I think I might either be joining a new colour in the wrong place and I am maybe not counting the right stitches?
Thank you for letting me know.If you count your stitches and they are correct it could be your hook is too small for your yarn. Hope this helps!
Thank you for such a beautiful rainbow pattern.
Thank you, so happy you like it!
Hello Sharon. I made this lovely rainbow and have hung it in the window. A passerby actually knocked on my door as she loved it so much and asked me to make a couple for her to buy. She suggested that I make them to sell. I said I’d have to check with the designer first. What do you think? Can I ask for your permission to either sell on a stall or online? I’m not a professional, I just love crochet as a hobby. Thanks.
Hello Sharon,
Lovely pattern, I made this up and it’s sitting proudly in my window. I wondered if I could get your permission to sell rainbows made from your pattern? I’ve had a request from a lady who saw it in my window and I said I’d check with you. Either at a market stall or online. Thanks
Hi Mandy,
Thank you for your kind comments. That is such a lovely story. Yes you can sell the rainbows you make from this pattern.
Just to be clear for anyone else reading this, you may sell the items tkh make from all my patterns without a link or credit. You can’t sell or distribute the actual pattern in any way.
Hi Mandy, I’m so sorry I’ve only just seen your comment! I think I may have replied on instagram but if not, yes you can sell the rainbows you make, absolutely fine. A credit to me as the designer or the Stitch Foundry is appreciated but not required.
Thank you for the beautiful pattern ? surely my nephew would love it.
Hello! So beautiful. Just finished my first. I just wanted to say 1 small thing. In row 10 I messed up and didn’t realize I had until I was done and looked at your pic. In row 10, the pattern call for joining in FLO however, unlike row 3, it then doesn’t specific to continue working in FLO but its clear based on the picture that that was what your supposed to do. Row 3 not only mentions joining in BLO but it also specifics to continue working in BLO. Row 10 does not and therefore I assumed you didn’t until I looked at the picture!
Thanks so much for this beautiful project!
Thanks so much for letting me know. I’ve edited the pattern now.
Happy crocheting!
Thank you for supplying a video. Very much appreciated!
You’re welcome!