Superstitious Black Cat Wreath in Red Heart Super Saver Economy Solids - LW5376 - Downloadable PDF

Superstitious Black Cat Wreath Crochet Pattern – LW5376 by Red Heart

This free downloadable crochet pattern, designated LW5376 and designed by Sharon Mann, guides crafters through creating a striking Superstitious Black Cat Wreath measuring 18 x 25 inches (46 x 63.5 cm). The finished piece makes a bold Halloween or seasonal home decoration, combining two Styrofoam wreath forms into a whimsical cat silhouette complete with dimensional ears and a textured head panel. This is rated as an intermediate crochet project, making it a rewarding challenge for crafters who are comfortable with basic stitches and are ready to explore simple construction and assembly techniques.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a decorative wall or door wreath shaped like a black cat's head and ears. The design uses two different sizes of Styrofoam wreath forms — one 8-inch (20.5 cm) and one 14-inch (35.5 cm) — as the structural foundation. Crocheted fabric panels and tubular ear pieces are worked separately and then assembled over and around the wreath forms to create the cat's distinctive silhouette. The result is a large, eye-catching seasonal decoration with a handcrafted, textured appearance.

Garments and Design Components

The Cat's Head Panel

The main body of the cat's face is a rectangular crocheted panel worked in the Waffle Stitch. Using color A (312 Black), the crafter chains 17 and works 56 rows of Waffle Stitch to produce the textured head fabric. Once completed, the foundation edge is sewn to the final row to form a band, which is then inserted into the center of the smaller wreath form. The band is wrapped around the wreath until the sides meet on the outside, and sewing pins are used to hold it in place during assembly. A strand of color A is used to seam around the outside of the head for a neat, finished edge.

The Cat's Ears (Make 2)

Each ear is worked as a crocheted tube using continuous, unjoined rounds of single crochet. The ear begins with a chain of 4 joined into a ring, with 6 single crochet stitches worked into the ring in Round 1. Rounds 2 through 23 are worked as single crochet in each stitch around, creating a narrow cylindrical tube. A 12-inch (30.5 cm) piece of 12-gauge black floral wire is inserted into each ear tube to give it structure and allow it to hold its upright, pointed cat-ear shape. The wire is poked through the smaller Styrofoam wreath and bent to secure it, while the ear tube is folded in half over the wire. The two ears are positioned with a 2-inch (5 cm) space between them, centered at the top of the head. Yarn tails from the ear tubes are used to seam the tops of the head and sew the ears securely into place.

Techniques Used

• Waffle Stitch: The signature texture of the cat's head panel is created using the Waffle Stitch, worked over an even number of stitches on a foundation chain with an odd number of chains. Row 1 establishes the pattern by alternating single crochet and double crochet across the row. Row 2 and all subsequent rows repeat the same alternating sequence, creating a deeply ridged, grid-like fabric that adds visual interest and dimension to the finished piece.
• Continuous Rounds (Unjoined): The ear tubes are worked in continuous, unjoined rounds of single crochet, with a stitch marker moved up at the beginning of each round. This technique produces a seamless tube ideal for the narrow ear shape.
• Working into a Foundation Ring: Each ear begins by chaining 4 and joining with a slip stitch to form a ring, then working single crochet stitches directly into the ring — a standard technique for beginning small circular or tubular crochet pieces.
• Seaming and Assembly: The pattern involves sewing the crocheted panels and ear tubes onto the Styrofoam wreath forms using yarn tails, a yarn needle, and sewing pins. Wire insertion and bending are used to give the ears structural support.

Stitches Used

• Single Crochet (sc) – used throughout the