FREE PATTERN: Crochet Cherry Car Hanger
There is something undeniably charming about a handmade accessory dangling from your rearview mirror. It moves with the car, catches the light, and tells everyone who climbs into your passenger seat that you made something with your own two hands. If you have been looking for a small, satisfying crochet project that comes together quickly and makes a genuinely adorable finished piece, this crochet cherry car hanger is exactly what you need.
This free pattern is beginner-friendly, uses only a small amount of yarn, and produces the cutest pair of cherries you have ever seen. Whether you are making it for yourself, gifting it to a friend, or selling it at a craft fair, this little project delivers maximum charm for minimal effort. Let’s get into everything you need to know.
Why Crochet Car Hangers Are Having a Moment
Crochet car hangers have become one of the most popular small crochet projects circulating on social media, and it is easy to understand why. They are quick to make, they require very little yarn, and they give your car a personalized touch that you simply cannot buy at a big-box store. The cherry design in particular has taken off because cherries are one of those timeless, universally loved motifs. They show up in vintage diners, cottagecore aesthetics, retro Americana, and Y2K fashion all at once. A pair of crocheted cherries manages to feel both nostalgic and completely on-trend.
Beyond the aesthetic appeal, making a crochet car hanger is a fantastic way to use up yarn scraps. If you have been crocheting for any length of time, you almost certainly have small balls of red, green, and brown yarn sitting in a bin somewhere. This project will put them to excellent use and give you a finished object you will actually enjoy displaying.
Materials You Will Need
Before you begin, gather everything together so your work session flows smoothly. The beauty of this project is how little you actually need.
Yarn: You will need a small amount of red yarn for the cherries, green yarn for the leaves, and brown or tan yarn for the stems. Worsted weight yarn (size 4) works beautifully and is the easiest to handle if you are newer to crochet. If you want smaller, more delicate cherries, you can use fingering weight yarn with a correspondingly smaller hook.
Crochet Hook: A 3.5mm or 4mm hook pairs well with worsted weight yarn for amigurumi-style pieces. Because you are stuffing the cherries, you want a tighter tension than usual so the stuffing does not show through the stitches.
Polyfill Stuffing: Just a pinch per cherry is all you need. You can also use yarn scraps as stuffing if you do not have polyfill on hand.
Stitch Marker: This project is worked in continuous rounds, so a stitch marker helps you keep track of where each round begins.
Tapestry Needle: For weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.
Scissors: A sharp pair makes clean cuts and tidier finished edges.
Thin Ribbon, Twine, or a Small Swivel Hook: To hang your finished cherries from your rearview mirror. A swivel hook from a craft store works wonderfully because it prevents the hanger from tangling over time.
Optional: Black embroidery floss or a black safety eye (4mm) for adding a decorative dot to each cherry.
Abbreviations and Stitch Guide
This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology.
MR — Magic ring (also called a magic circle)
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
sc2tog — Single crochet two together (decrease)
inc — Increase (two single crochets in the same stitch)
FO — Fasten off
BLO — Back loop only
If you are not familiar with working in continuous rounds, it simply means you do not join at the end of each round with a slip stitch. Instead, you keep crocheting in a spiral and use your stitch marker to note the beginning of each round. This technique creates a seamless sphere, which is exactly what you want for the cherry bodies.
Pattern Instructions
Part One: The Cherry (Make Two)
Using red yarn and your 3.5mm or 4mm hook:
Round 1: Start with a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring tight. (6 stitches)
Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 stitches)
Round 4: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches)
Round 5: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches)
Round 6: [Sc 1, sc2tog] repeat around. (12 stitches)
At this point, stuff your cherry firmly with polyfill. You want it to hold its round shape without being so overstuffed that the stitches pull apart.
Round 7: [Sc2tog] repeat around. (6 stitches)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use your tapestry needle to weave through the remaining 6 stitches and pull them closed, then weave in the end securely. Your cherry should be a tight, firm little sphere. Make two.
If you would like to add a decorative dot to each cherry for a more illustrated look, use a small dab of black embroidery floss stitched in a star shape at the center front, or simply glue on a 4mm safety eye before closing up the opening in Round 7.
Part Two: The Leaves (Make Two)
Using green yarn:
Foundation: Ch 8.
Row 1: Starting in the second chain from the hook, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 2, hdc 1, sc 1, then work 3 sc into the very last chain (this creates the rounded tip of the leaf). Now rotate your work and crochet back along the other side of the foundation chain: sc 1, hdc 1, dc 2, hdc 1, sc 1. Slip stitch into the first stitch to close.
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
The leaf shape should be a pointed oval, wider in the middle and tapered at both ends with a slight roundness at the tip where you worked the 3 sc. If you would like your leaves to have a bit more dimension, you can lightly stiffen them with a spritz of fabric starch or a very light application of watered-down white glue once your project is complete.
Part Three: The Stems
The stems are simply crocheted chains. Using your brown or tan yarn:
For each stem: Ch 15 (or longer if you want your cherries to hang lower and swing more freely). Fasten off, leaving long tails on both ends for attaching.
You will make two stems of equal length. If you prefer, you can make one longer chain and split it so that both cherries share a single branching stem. To do this, chain 20, then slip stitch back 5 chains to create a branch point, chain 10 more, fasten off. This gives you the classic cherry-on-a-branch silhouette.
For the branching stem version:
Foundation Chain: Ch 25 with brown yarn.
Branch Split: At the 15th chain from your hook, slip stitch into that stitch to anchor. Then ch 10 going back in the other direction to create the second branch. Fasten off. You will have one long central stem and two shorter branches dropping down from it, ready to attach to each cherry.
Part Four: Assembly
This is the most satisfying step, where your little pile of crocheted pieces becomes an actual cherry hanger.
Start by attaching the stems to the tops of the cherries. Thread the tail end of each stem onto your tapestry needle and stitch it securely into the top center of a cherry, going through several stitches to create a firm hold. Knot it off on the inside of the cherry so the knot is hidden.
Next, position a leaf at the base of each stem where it meets the cherry. Stitch the leaf down using its tail, anchoring it flat against the cherry so it lies nicely. You can also position the leaves slightly up the stem rather than at the very base if you prefer that look.
If you made the branching stem version, attach both cherries to the two lower branch ends, then let the long central stem hang free at the top. This is the end you will use to attach your hanger loop.
At the very top of the stem (or the central branch stem), tie a small loop of ribbon, twine, or elastic cord. This is what you will loop over your rearview mirror. Alternatively, thread the stem through a small swivel hook and secure it with a few tight knots. The swivel hook is particularly nice because it allows the cherries to spin and sway without the cord knotting up over time.
Give your finished piece a gentle fluff and shape. The cherries should hang slightly apart from each other, each one turned outward at a slight angle so both are visible from the front. If they are pressing together too tightly, you can adjust the length of the stems or the point at which the branch splits.
Tips for a Perfect Finished Piece
Tension is everything with amigurumi. A tighter tension produces a firmer, rounder cherry that holds its shape better over time. If your stitches look loose or you can see the stuffing through them, try going down half a hook size.
Weave in ends very securely. A car hanger is subject to constant gentle movement, which means ends that are not properly secured will work their way loose over time. Weave each end in at least twice in different directions before trimming.
Choose your yarn thoughtfully. Cotton yarn produces a crisper, more structured cherry, while acrylic yarn gives a softer, more pillowy result. Both are beautiful. Acrylic is slightly more durable and holds its color better in sunlight, which matters for something hanging in a car window. If you live somewhere with intense sun, consider using UV-resistant yarn or treating your finished piece with a fabric UV protectant spray.
Blocking the leaves (even just a light damp blocking) helps them lie flat and look tidy rather than curling at the edges.
For a more polished look, trim all ends as close as possible without cutting through your weave-in, and give the whole piece a very light steam with an iron held a few inches away (skip this step if you are using acrylic yarn, as it will melt or distort).
Variations to Try
Once you have made the basic version, there are so many fun directions to take this pattern.
Strawberries: Work the same basic sphere in red yarn, add tiny yellow seed details with embroidery floss, and top it with a small green calyx instead of leaves.
Apples: Two round spheres in red or green with a tiny brown stem and a single leaf works perfectly as a rearview mirror apple hanger.
Lemons: Yellow spheres with slightly textured surface stitching (try working in back loops only on a couple of rounds for a bumpy effect) make an adorable citrus hanger.
Mushrooms: A red or orange cap worked flat on top of a white sphere creates an unmistakably charming mushroom. Add white dots with a few French knots in white embroidery floss.
Color variations on the cherries themselves: Deep burgundy cherries look sophisticated and elegant. Yellow cherries with a blush tint are a sweet nod to Rainier cherries. Black yarn produces a moody, witchy aesthetic that is gorgeous paired with gold or silver cord for hanging.
Making These to Sell
If you are a crafter who sells at markets or in an online shop, crochet car hangers are one of the best small items to add to your lineup. They are quick to produce, easy to photograph, light to ship, and priced accessibly enough that people buy them as impulse purchases. A single cherry hanger can comfortably retail between eight and fifteen dollars depending on your market, your materials, and your audience.
This pattern is free to use for personal use and for making items to sell. If you do sell items made from this pattern, there is no need to credit the pattern, though it is always appreciated when makers share where they found a pattern they love.
If you are selling at a craft fair, displaying your car hangers hanging from a small wooden rod or dowel at the front of your table makes them irresistible to passersby. The movement of them swaying in the air draws the eye from across the aisle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this project take? Most crocheters with basic experience complete the full hanger in under two hours. If you are new to amigurumi or working in rounds, give yourself three to four hours without rushing.
Can I make this without a magic ring? Yes. You can substitute a starting chain of 2 and work 6 sc into the second chain from the hook. The magic ring creates a tighter, neater center, but the chain start works fine too.
My cherries keep unraveling at the top. What am I doing wrong? Make sure you are weaving the closing tail through all 6 remaining stitches before pulling tight, and then weave that tail in at least twice before trimming. The top of an amigurumi piece is the most vulnerable spot.
Can I use this as a keychain instead of a car hanger? Absolutely. Simply swap the hanging cord for a split ring keychain hardware piece. The cherries are the perfect size and weight for a keychain.
What if I want bigger cherries? Use bulkier yarn (size 5 or 6) with a correspondingly larger hook. Everything else in the pattern stays the same.
Final Thoughts
This little crochet cherry car hanger is proof that the best projects do not have to be complicated or time-consuming to be completely satisfying. In a couple of hours, you can have a handmade accessory that brings a smile every time you get into your car. It is the kind of project you will want to make in every color variation, and it makes a thoughtful handmade gift that feels personal without requiring weeks of work.
Save this pattern, share it with a crafty friend, and make sure to show off your finished cherries. There is genuine joy in small handmade things, and this one is worth celebrating.
Happy crocheting.
