Materials
6 cm [2½ inch] Christmas baubles with wire hangers
A few balls of yarn in pretty colours: fine baby yarn works well, or regular 8 ply [DK] is good too
2 m [2 yards] of ribbon (which will hang ten baubles)

Equipment
3.5 mm [Size 4] crochet hook
Wool needle
Scissors

Before you start
I have used Australian and UK crochet terminology, with US terms in square brackets.
For this project you’ll need to know how to do chain, slip stitch, double crochet (DC) and single crochet (SC).

1. Foundation ring
This is the ring that begins it all! Make a slip knot and put it on your hook. Pull it firmly (but not tightly). Chain 5 and then slip stitch into the very first chain you made to form a ring. Bravo!

2. Round one
Chain up 3 stitches to begin the next round. Now treble [double crochet] 15 times into the ring you made. You will now have 15 treble [double crochet] and the original 3 chain stitches you made. And you will have 1 loop on your hook. To close the round, make a slip stitch into the third chain you made (when you chained up) and fasten off.

3. Round two
Chain up 3 stitches once more to begin round two. Now treble [double crochet] 2 stitches into the very first of the chain stitches you just made. You have made a cluster! We’re going to crochet into the stitches of the round below now. Skip the stitch next to the cluster you just made (working anti-clockwise around the round). Treble [double crochet] 3 times into the next stitch (the stitch after the one you just skipped). You now have a cluster and a gap and a cluster! Continue around the circle with this pattern: skip 1, treble [double crochet] 3 times into the next stitch, skip 1, treble [double crochet] 3 times into the next stitch. When you have 8 clusters you are done. Slip stitch the round closed as before, by hooking into the top chain stitch (where you chained up for this round) and pulling a loop of that stitch through the loop that is already on your hook.

4. Round three
For this round we are going to make 8 clusters again: this time by hooking into the ‘gaps’ in the previous round. And we are going to have two chain stitches between our clusters, to allow for the round middle of our bauble. So here we go ... Chain up 3 stitches. Treble [double crochet] 2 into the closest ‘gap’ between a pair of clusters (in the round below!). Then chain 2 stitches. Treble double crochet] 3 into the next ‘gap’. Chain 2 stitches. Treble [double crochet] 3 into the next ‘gap’ once more. Continue around the circle until you have 8 clusters again. Chain 2 and slip stitch as before to close the round.

5. Round four
Chain up 3 stitches. Then repeat the exact same pattern as for Round 3. Chain 2.  treble [double crochet] 3 into the ‘gap’ below. Chain 2. Treble [double crochet] 3 into the ‘gap’ below. Do this all the way around until you have 8 clusters and gaps. Slip stitch closed as before.

6. Round five
Now you are going to start decreasing to shape the top of the bauble cosy, which is why we’re reverting to just 1 chain in each gap. Chain up 3 to start a new round. Treble [double crochet] 2 into the nearest gap. Chain 1. Treble [double crochet] 3 into the gap below. Chain 1. Treble [double crochet] 3 into the next gap below. Continue in this pattern until you have 8 clusters once more. Slip stitch the round
closed as before.

7. Round six
This is the same as round fi ve! So do that again – off you go!

8. Grab your tail
Now STOP! Have a look at what you did! You have made a cup-shaped bauble cosy, ready to have a bauble tucked inside! Before you do that, pull your loose yarn tail (from where you started your crochet) through to the outside of your work. You can just poke your hook in and pull it through.

9. Tuck your bauble in
Pull your yarn loop nice and long so you don’t lose it! You need it later to finish crocheting the bauble safely inside. Carefully put your bauble into the crocheted form, with the hanger at the top. Don’t let your work unravel or lose the loop that you are going to crochet with again in a minute.

10. Crochet your bauble closed
Put your hook back through your loosened loop and pull the yarn so that the loop is nice and firm once more and ready to crochet on with. Now you need to double crochet [single crochet] once into each ‘gap’ in the round below to secure your crochet and keep your bauble snug in its jacket. Pull your yarn nice and tight after each stitch to ensure a cosy fit. When you have worked all the way around, slip stitch into the nearest gap and snip your yarn off, leaving a tail of 20 cm [8 inches] or so.

11. Hide your yarn tails
Grab your wool needle and thread the top loose yarn tail through its nice plump eye. Carefully use the needle to weave the yarn tail in among the nearest cluster, first one way, then another for extra security. Pull the tail tight and snip it close to the work so that the tail disappears. Do the same thing with the tail at the bottom of the bauble. Thread a loop of ribbon through the hanger and tie the ribbon in a firm knot about 10 cm [4 inches] from where you threaded it through.

Variations
You could use this concept to crochet a cosy for a pet rock, an apple, an orange … for lots of things really! You could also make these with finer yarn for a lovely delicate doily kind of look.

From: Make Hey! While the Sun Shines: 25 crafty projects and recipes
By Pip Lincolne, Hardie Grant, RRP $45.00