Adding a crochet border or edging is the perfect finishing touch for your blanket projects to give them a professional and polished look. What’s more, they can hide any imperfections in the project and make your blanket bigger in the process.
We’ve listed 30 great ways to add more stunning detail to your blanket, whether you are looking for a border that is simple to help bring emphasis to the blanket pattern or a decorative option to add more detail to your project. There are so many great ways to embellish your crochet blankets by adding a border!
What are Crochet Borders?
A crochet border is simply a set of crochet stitches worked around the edge of a finished project, typically used on flat projects like kitchen towels, dishcloths, coasters, throws, and blankets. Borders add a polished look to the crochet project by helping hide wavy edges created when you work a chain at the beginning of a row, and they give you a place to hide your yarn ends.
You can use any color you like to make your crochet blanket border, whether picking up a color you already used in the blanket pattern or adding a new one. Borders can be as simple as a round or two of single crochet, or intricate, lacy designs. It’s up to you and how you want your finished project to look.
While a border isn’t necessary, it does add a nice finished look to your project. They also add size and texture to your blanket, so they’re an easy way to jazz up a project that maybe isn’t as exciting as you’d hoped.
How Wide Should a Border be on a Crochet Blanket?
There’s no general rule on how wide you can make your crochet borders. As mentioned above, a crochet blanket border can be as simple as working a basic stitch for a couple of rounds to add a little more color.
If you need to make your blanket bigger or just want to add a fancy bit of flair, a deeper border is a fun option.
Do I Have to Use the Same Yarn for My Border?
No, you don’t need to use the exact same yarn for your border as the one you used for the blanket itself, but it’s a good idea to use the same yarn weight, and ideally the same brand (even if it’s a different color) so you can ensure you are getting the same gauge on your border as you were on your blanket.
If you want to use a different weight or gauge of yarn you might need to use more or fewer stitches than you would otherwise to get your border to look just right.
Why is My Crochet Blanket Border Wavy?
If you’ve worked a border on your blanket and it’s not lying flat, there are a few reasons it might be coming out wavy:
- Your border has too many stitches.
- Your border has too few stitches.
- Your stitches might have been worked too tightly.
- Your yarn did not have the same gauge as your original project.
But the great thing about crochet is that, if it doesn’t look right the first time you can easily rip it out and try again!
Stitches Used for Crochet Borders
There are many stitches you can use for crochet borders (as you will see in our list of 30 crochet border patterns) but the most used ones are single crochet (sc) and half double crochet (hdc) and stitches that build on these basic stitches.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for in the suggestions here, check out our Ultimate Crochet Stitch Library, which includes 45 different crochet stitches you can use for borders, blankets, or any other project you like.
Materials You Need to Crochet a Border
If you’ve already stitched up a blanket, chances are you already have all the supplies you need to add a border, but here are the essentials:
- Yarn: either choose the same yarn used in your project, or something with the same weight.
- Crochet hook: in the size that corresponds to the yarn you are using or what you used for the body of the blanket.
- Scissors: for trimming your yarn when finished.
- Yarn needle or tapestry needle: to weave in yarn ends
- Stitch markers: a stitch marker helps you find the end of the round when you are working a border, but you can also mark the center of each side of your blanket when you start your border to ensure you work the same number of stitches in each part.
30 of the Best Crochet Borders for Blankets
Complete your next crochet blanket with our collection of the best crochet borders. Whether you are looking for a simple and sturdy crochet border or a decorative and delicate one, you will surely find the perfect addition to finish your blanket here.
Solid Crochet Blanket Border Patterns
These easy crochet border patterns give a nice, chunky, and solid look to your border. They’re made with basic crochet stitches so they’re a great addition to your first blanket project, but you’ll come back to them again and again for their ease and effectiveness.
Single Crochet Edge Trim
Designer: Wool and the Gang
Yarn weight: (6) Super bulky
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand I Wanna Make a Blankie
This simple border is the perfect crochet border for a beginner, because you probably already know how to make single crochet stitches. The pattern includes a video tutorial to show you where to place your stitches, so if you’ve never made a border before, this is a great place to start.
Crochet Blanket Stitch Edging
Designer: Fiber Flux
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Take your single crochet border to the next level by using this crochet blanket stitch edging pattern! This is a great way to add a little color and interest to a plain blanket, and it’s still all worked in single crochet – the spike stitches are just worked a few rows below the edge.
Crochet Crab Stitch – Reverse Single Crochet
Designer: Joy of Motion Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Color Theory
Crab stitch is the name for when you work single crochet backwards around a project, and it’s a very popular way to finish all sorts of projects. A crab stitch border gives your edging a cool, twisted look and it’s really easy to do.
Camel Stitch Blanket Border Pattern
Designer: Winding Road Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Basic Stitch
This pretty pattern is made with half double crochet stitches, and you don’t have to pay attention to how many stitches you are working around the blanket to make it come out looking great because it works with any stitch count. This camel stitch border pattern includes a video tutorial.
Double Crochet Post Ribbing Border
Designer: Daisy Farm Crafts
Yarn weight: (5) Bulky
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Hue + Me
Ribbing is a classic border for all sorts of knitting projects, and it can be for crochet, too, when you know how to make post stitches. This post ribbing border is easy and effective, and the pattern includes a video tutorial if you need help making the post stitches.
Alpine Stitch Crochet Blanket Border
Designer: Winding Road Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Alpine stitch makes a fun textured border that’s pretty when worked in rounds of different colors. This version starts with a base of single crochet and requires an odd number of stitches on each side of the blanket to work.
Moss Stitch Border
Designer: Every Trick on the Hook
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Add a touch of soft texture to your crochet blanket with a moss stitch border! This border easily adds contrast and works like a frame on a more detailed blanket pattern. It works on an even number of stitches.
Herringbone Crochet Border
Designer: Winding Road Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Color Theory
This border, worked in herringbone half double crochet, adds a classic look to a blanket and can be worked on any number of stitches. A video tutorial is included if this is a stitch that is new to you.
C2C Afghan Block Border
Designer: Make & Do Crew
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice
Add a beautiful contrast to your C2C blanket with the C2C Afghan Block Border. This tutorial shows how to add borders to individual blocks before joining them into a blanket, but you can also work it as an edging to a full afghan if you like.
Rib Crochet Border
Designer: Winding Road Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Basic Stitch
This simple pattern can be worked on any number of stitches and gives a cute curved edge that would be great for a baby blanket. To keep it from curling it’s best kept to two to two and a half inches of depth on your project.
Linen Stitch Border
Designer: The Unraveled Mitten
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease
Linen stitch is another name for moss stitch, but we wanted to share this version, too, because it shows how effective it can be to work a border in several different colors. Pull colors out of the blanket or add more contrast with different colors in the border.
Grannie Patches Border
Designer: Cherry Heart
Yarn weight: (3) DK
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Truboo
This edging is perfect to add to a granny square project, because it has a similar look and feel. It’s a great way to make a patchwork project look more cohesive, and you can make it as wide as you like to make your blanket bigger.
Textured Stitch Crochet Blanket Border Patterns
If you’re looking for something a little fancier to add to your crochet blanket edging, these patterns might be just the thing. Here you’ll find bobbles, shells, and other stitches that add lots of texture and interest, perfect for when your finished blanket feels a little plain.
Simple Shell Border Pattern
Designer: Lullaby Lodge
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Feels Like Butta
A stunning shell border is a great way to finish off a crocheted blanket. This free pattern is perfect for adding to granny squares or a granny stitch blanket because you can work the shells right into the spaces you’ve already established.
Granny Blanket Edging
Designer: Attic 24
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
Add frills to your crochet granny square blanket with this granny blanket edging. Made in three rounds, it is an easy-to-follow pattern that creates a unique border design.
Cute Bobble Edging Crochet Pattern
Designer: Lullaby Lodge
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Feels Like Butta
These little bobbles aren’t really bobbles, they’re just double crochet stitch and slip stitch worked together to make a sweet and simple edging. It looks a little bit like piped icing on the edge of a cake.
Crochet Border Happily Ever Afghan
Designer: Crochet365KnitToo
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease
Originally designed as the edging for a afghan made of floral blocks, this sweet pattern is a little something different that can make a plain pattern a lot more interesting. Here it is shown in the same color that was used to join the blocks, but a contrasting color would be pretty, too.
Crochet Pom Pom Border
Designer: Daisy Farm Crafts
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice
The little pom pom style bobbles on this whimsical edging are made by working two sets of clusters that are slip stitched together to make the ball. This would be a fun addition to a baby blanket since kids will love the texture.
Cosy Blanket Edging
Designer: Attic 24
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
This little edging is sort of a picot border, and it’s really fun to stitch. It’s worked in four rounds, and if you’re adding it to a colorful blanket you can work each round in a different color to add to the fun.
Crochet Puff Stitch Border
Designer: Daisy Farm Crafts
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice
Soft and cute, the crochet puff stitch border is a great addition to any crochet baby blanket. And it’s perfect for beginners because it uses simple stitches like the single crochet stitch and the half double crochet stitch.
Simple Crochet Border
Designer: One Dog Woof
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease
This puff and cluster crochet border is a lovely and understated addition to any blanket pattern. It’s a five round repeat that you can work more than once if you’d like a deeper border.
Reverse Shell Crochet Border
Designer: Heart Hook Home
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice
Intricate and stunning, the reverse shell crochet border is deceptively easy to make. The pattern uses single crochet and the waving look of the shells is just so cute.
Arcade Waffle Crochet Blanket
Designer: Winding Road Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
This dramatic arched design is made with shell stitches and is easier than it looks! This pattern includes the instructions for the waffle stitch blanket, if you need a place to use this pretty border pattern.
Crochet Simple Shell Border
Designer: Daisy Farm Crafts
Yarn weight: (3) DK
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton DK
These dainty shells are so cute on a simple crocheted blanket. The instructions include a video tutorial for the border as well as the mesh stitch blanket it is shown on.
Crochet Lace
Designer: Lisbet Lücke Larsen
Yarn weight: (3) DK
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Feels Like Heaven
This crochet lace design is a great way to add a delicate and dainty crochet border to your blanket. You can create a ribbon strip and stitch it on the blanket, or crochet it directly on the blanket.
Crochet Ruffle Edge
Designer: Allison Murray
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
There is just something about crochet ruffles that adds such personality to any crochet project. This ruffled border uses a lot of yarn, but it’s super fun for a kid’s blanket.
Pumpkin Patch Crochet Edging
Designer: Jennifer Dickerson
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice
These pretty picots look a little like pumpkins, especially when stitched in a fall-colored yarn. This border looks great in a variety of yarn weights, and the pattern includes a video tutorial.
Crossed Double Crochet Border
Designer: Stitchery Projects
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
Add a unique finishing touch to any crocheted blanket with the Crossed Double Crochet Border. Use a single color, multiple colors or even a multicolored yarn to make this border pop.
Pompom Edging
Designer: Crochet with Clare
Yarn weight: (3) DK
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton DK
These delightful pompoms are made with cluster stitches. The written tutorial makes it look more complicated than it is, so check out the video and you’ll be making this border in no time!
C2C Triangle Border
Designer: Savanna Ashmore, via Ravelry
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Color Theory
After you’ve worked all those tiny squares to complete a corner to corner project, spice it up a little with an edging made of triangles. These little shapes are made to line up perfectly with your C2C blocks, but you can use it on other projects as well.
Candy Cane Crochet Border
Designer: Nana’s Crafty Home
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Basic Stitch
This eye catching, Christmas-themed border can be customized with any color combination you want, and wouldn’t have to be Christmasy unless you want it to be. Here it is worked in three colors, but you could also do it with two if you’d rather.
Are You a Beginner Crochet Who Would Like Some Extra Help to Understand How to Crochet?
Getting your project to look just like the photos you see online isn’t always easy. If you’re having trouble with the basics and want to step up your crochet skills, check out our Crochet Fundamentals workshop.
This class is full of information and skills you need to take your crochet to the next level. If you’ve ever wondered how to hold your yarn and hook, make stitches, increase, decrease, or other basic skills, this is the place to learn!
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