Toilet Roll Cover Crochet Pattern by Eline Oftedal: A Complete Guide to This Charming Home Accessory
There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a handmade toilet roll cover sitting prettily on the back of a bathroom shelf or toilet cistern. Once a staple of decorated homes throughout the mid-twentieth century, these small crocheted figures have enjoyed a genuine revival in recent years, and it is not hard to understand why. They combine practicality with personality, they make excellent gifts, and they offer a satisfying project for crocheters of every level. Among the most beloved designs in this category is the Toilet Roll Cover pattern by Eline Oftedal, a Norwegian designer whose work has found a devoted following in the international crochet community. If you have been searching for a pattern that is both charming and achievable, this guide will tell you everything you need to know.
Who Is Eline Oftedal?
Before diving into the pattern itself, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate the designer behind it. Eline Oftedal is a Norwegian crochet and knitting designer whose patterns are characterised by their warmth, whimsy, and technical clarity. Her work spans everything from amigurumi figures to home accessories, and she has built a reputation for writing patterns that are approachable without sacrificing the delightful details that make a finished object feel truly special.
Her toilet roll cover design reflects these qualities perfectly. It typically takes the form of a doll or character whose skirt conceals a toilet roll standing upright, transforming an ordinary bathroom necessity into a decorative feature. The design draws on a long tradition of similar figures while adding Oftedal’s own distinctive sense of craft and charm.
Her patterns are available through platforms such as Ravelry and her own website, and they come with the kind of clear, step-by-step instructions that make even relatively new crocheters feel confident tackling a new project.
What Is a Toilet Roll Cover and Why Make One?
A toilet roll cover is exactly what it sounds like: a crocheted or knitted cover that slips over a toilet roll, typically concealing it beneath a decorative figure or design. The most classic version features a doll whose full skirt is crocheted to the right dimensions to sit over a standard toilet roll, turning the practical object into something ornamental.
These covers serve several purposes beyond the purely decorative. They keep a spare toilet roll dust-free and discreetly hidden while remaining accessible. They add a handmade, personal touch to a bathroom that might otherwise feel purely functional. And they make genuinely thoughtful gifts, the kind that people tend to keep and use for years rather than setting aside.
There is also the satisfaction of the craft itself. Toilet roll covers like Eline Oftedal’s design offer a contained, manageable project that can usually be completed in a few evenings of comfortable crocheting. For those who love making amigurumi or doll figures, this type of pattern scratches exactly the same itch, with the added bonus of producing something genuinely useful.
Materials and Tools You Will Need
While the specific requirements will depend on the exact version of the pattern you are working from, toilet roll cover patterns of this style typically call for a relatively consistent set of materials. Here is a general guide to what you can expect to need.
Yarn: Most versions of this pattern are worked in a DK or worsted weight yarn, though some designers use 4-ply or sport weight for finer detail. You will typically need several colours: one for the doll’s skin, one or more for her dress or skirt, and additional shades for hair, facial features, and any accessories or decorative elements. Acrylic yarn works well for bathroom accessories because it washes easily, though cotton or cotton blends are also popular choices for their durability and gentle sheen.
Crochet Hook: The hook size will depend on your yarn weight, but a 3mm to 4mm hook is typical for this type of project. Always check the pattern’s recommended hook size and adjust based on your personal tension.
Stuffing: The upper body and head of the doll figure are usually stuffed with polyester fiberfill to give them shape and substance.
Safety Eyes: Many versions of this pattern use plastic safety eyes, typically in a size between 6mm and 10mm, for the doll’s face. If you are making the cover for a household with young children, you may prefer to embroider the eyes instead.
Yarn Needle: For weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.
Stitch Markers: Helpful for keeping track of rounds, particularly in the skirt section.
Scissors: An obvious but essential inclusion.
A Toilet Roll: You will want to have a standard toilet roll on hand while you work so you can check the fit of the skirt as you go. Standard rolls vary slightly by brand and region, so fitting as you work is always a good idea.
Understanding the Pattern Structure
The Eline Oftedal toilet roll cover pattern is typically divided into several components, each worked separately and then assembled. Understanding how these pieces fit together before you begin makes the whole process feel much more manageable.
The skirt is the foundational piece and the most structurally important part of the design. It needs to be wide enough to slip over a toilet roll with ease while maintaining its shape when sitting over the roll. The skirt is usually worked in rounds from the hem upward, starting with a wider circumference and decreasing gradually to create a fitted waist.
The bodice continues upward from the waist, typically worked in a contrasting colour or with a decorative stitch pattern to suggest a fitted top or blouse. The shaping here becomes tighter and more doll-like.
The head is usually worked as a separate piece, often in a round or slightly oval shape, stuffed firmly, and attached at the neck. Facial features are added at this stage, whether embroidered or using safety eyes.
The arms are small, simple tubes or shaped pieces attached on either side of the bodice. Depending on the design, they may be posed in various positions or left to hang naturally.
Hair is typically crocheted or fashioned from yarn lengths attached directly to the head. This is often where makers inject the most personal creativity, choosing colours and styles that give their doll a distinctive personality.
Additional accessories and details, such as a hat, apron, collar, belt, or small decorative elements, are added last and represent the finishing touches that elevate the finished object from charming to truly delightful.
Tips for Crocheting the Skirt Section
The skirt is the section that most directly determines whether your toilet roll cover will work as a functional item, so it deserves particular attention. A few practical tips will help you get this section right.
Always work a tension swatch before you begin. Even a small difference in tension can significantly affect the final dimensions of the skirt, and a skirt that is too tight will not fit over the roll while one that is too loose will fall over rather than standing upright.
Check the fit frequently as you work the skirt. Slip the crocheted piece over your toilet roll every few rounds to monitor how it is developing. The finished skirt should slide over the roll without stretching but should feel snug enough to stand steadily.
Pay attention to the stitch count and shaping rows. The pattern will specify exactly where increases and decreases occur, and following these carefully is the key to achieving the gentle flare of a doll’s skirt. Rushing through this section is a common source of frustration, so take your time.
If you are substituting a different yarn than the one recommended in the pattern, be especially vigilant about tension and dimensions. Even within the same weight category, different yarns behave differently, and what works perfectly in one brand of DK may need adjustment in another.
Colour Choices and Personalisation
One of the great joys of making a project like this is the freedom to personalise it according to your own taste or the preferences of whoever you are making it for. The pattern gives you a structure, but the colour palette is entirely your own.
Classic versions of this type of doll tend to feature pastel shades, soft pinks, lilacs, and mint greens, in keeping with the vintage aesthetic that inspired the design. But there is absolutely no reason to stick to tradition. A doll in rich jewel tones can look striking and contemporary. A version worked in shades of navy and white takes on a nautical character. A doll crocheted in autumn colours of rust, mustard, and brown feels perfectly at home in a cosy, earthy bathroom scheme.
Hair colour is another place where you can have enormous fun. Give your doll a wild copper mane, sleek black lengths, a silver bob for an elegant older character, or a rainbow of brightly coloured strands for something joyfully eccentric. The beauty of working in yarn is that the options are essentially limitless.
You can also add small crocheted accessories to give your doll extra personality. A tiny crocheted book, a small bunch of flowers, a miniature apron, or even a little crown can transform a straightforward pattern into something truly one of a kind.
Skill Level and Who This Pattern Is For
Eline Oftedal’s toilet roll cover pattern is generally considered suitable for crocheters with some basic experience, though it is by no means out of reach for beginners who are comfortable with the fundamental stitches. If you can work in the round, increase and decrease, and join yarn in a new colour, you have the core skills this pattern requires.
The techniques used are drawn from the amigurumi tradition, which relies on working in continuous spirals rather than joined rounds. If you have made amigurumi figures before, you will feel immediately at home with the way this pattern is constructed.
For absolute beginners, this might be a project to work toward after completing a few simpler rounds-based projects first. A sense of familiarity with how tension affects size and how pieces are assembled will make the whole experience more enjoyable.
More advanced crocheters will find plenty of satisfaction here too. The pattern provides a solid framework within which experienced makers can exercise considerable creativity, adding stitch texture, colourwork, or embellishment to produce a highly individual result.
How to Find the Pattern
The Eline Oftedal toilet roll cover pattern can typically be found through Ravelry, which is the most comprehensive platform for knitting and crochet patterns worldwide. Searching for her name or for the specific pattern title will bring you to the relevant listing, where you can purchase and download a PDF copy.
It is also worth checking Eline Oftedal’s own website and social media channels, as designers sometimes offer patterns directly through their own platforms or provide updates and additional resources there.
Ravelry also hosts a community of makers who have completed this pattern, and browsing through their project pages can be enormously helpful. Seeing finished objects in different colours and yarns gives you a realistic sense of what the completed pattern looks like and often surfaces helpful notes about tension, yarn substitutions, and modifications that other makers have found useful.
Caring for Your Finished Toilet Roll Cover
Because a toilet roll cover will live in the bathroom, it will inevitably be exposed to moisture and will need washing from time to time. The best yarn choice with this in mind is one that handles washing well and retains its shape after drying.
Acrylic yarns are machine washable and generally resilient, making them a practical choice for this project. Cotton and cotton blends are also excellent options, as they wash beautifully and tend to last well over time.
Hand washing in cool water with a gentle detergent is safe for virtually any yarn fibre and will always be the kindest treatment for a handmade object. Lay the cover flat to dry rather than hanging it, which can distort the shape of the doll’s figure.
Avoid placing the finished cover in direct, sustained sunlight, as this can cause colours to fade over time, particularly with lighter, more delicate shades.
Making It as a Gift
A toilet roll cover worked from the Eline Oftedal pattern makes a wonderfully personal and practical gift for a wide range of occasions. Housewarming gifts, birthday presents, and Christmas gifts are all natural fits. The project is compact and contained enough to complete in a reasonable timeframe, making it an achievable gift-make even when time is short.
When making this as a gift, consider the recipient’s bathroom decor and personal taste. A gift that coordinates with their colour scheme feels especially thoughtful, and a doll designed to reflect the recipient’s own hair colour or style adds a delightful personal note.
Finishing the gift with a handwritten note about how to care for it adds a professional touch and ensures the recipient knows how to look after their new handmade treasure.
The Enduring Appeal of Handmade Home Accessories
Patterns like this one speak to something deeper than mere decoration. They represent a tradition of making the domestic environment more personal, more beautiful, and more reflective of the people who live in it. In an era when so much of what fills our homes is mass-produced and interchangeable, a handmade object carries weight and meaning that purchased items simply cannot replicate.
A crocheted toilet roll cover by Eline Oftedal is not just a cover for a toilet roll. It is a record of time spent, a demonstration of skill and care, and a small but genuine act of making a space feel more like home. That is a lot of significance for a small doll made of yarn, but then, that is precisely what handmade objects have always carried.
Whether you are making this for yourself, for a friend, or as part of a broader project of filling your home with handmade things, the Eline Oftedal toilet roll cover pattern offers a genuinely rewarding experience from start to finish. Pick up your hook, choose your colours, and enjoy every stitch.
