Mastering the Boxed Bead Stitch for Unique Crochet Creations

Crocheting the Boxed Bead Stitch can be a fun and creative way to add some texture and visual interest to your projects! This stitch creates a unique beaded effect that resembles little boxes. It's a great technique to incorporate into your patterns, whether you're making blankets, scarves, or even decorative items. With a bit of practice and patience, you'll be able to master this stitch and use it to enhance your crochet pieces with a charming touch. Happy crocheting!

First, you’ll need easy-to-use yarn in a color of your choice. I recommend that beginner crocheters use a medium weight yarn in one solid color, and this is also helpful advice for learning a new stitch—especially a stitch pattern like this where being able to see your stitches will be important. Yarn that is too fine would make learning the Boxed Bead Stitch unnecessarily difficult, and using very thick yarn can create beautiful results with this stitch, but is probably better saved for later because for most people it will be a bit harder on the hands.

In addition to some suitable yarn, you’ll also need a medium-sized hook (whatever size works best with your yarn of course). Anything too small or large will be difficult to work with. To make my textured pumpkins using the Boxed Bead Stitch, I used a H/5.00mm hook along with some aran weight yarn.

Once you have these supplies, you’re ready to start learning!

The Boxed Bead Stitch Step-by-Step

The basic stitches used in the Boxed Bead Stitch are chain stitches (ch), single crochet stitches (sc), and double crochet stitches (dc). These are all pretty common, but if you are a beginner wanting to learn how to do the Boxed Bead Stitch, make sure you are confident with these before going any further.

There are also two less common stitches used. The extended single crochet stitch is made by starting a single crochet, but adding another chain stitch in the middle of it before closing the stitch. Trust me, it’s not as confusing as it sounds. The result is a smooth knit-like stitch that creates the sides of the “boxes” in our Boxed Bead Stitch.

The other less common crochet stitch you will encounter is the slanted cluster stitch. This is done by first crocheting a double crochet stitch, and then wrapping the yarn around it several times. Each one of the “beads” in our Boxed Bead Stitch is made with a slanted cluster stitch.

Written Directions

The only other abbreviation that you need to know here is simply yo, which stands for yarn over. All together, the written directions for the entire stitch pattern look like this:

Ch25

Row 1: Skip a ch and sc into the second ch from the hook. Sc, esc. *sc2, esc*. Repeat for the rest of the row. Ch2 and turn (24sts)

Row 2: Skip the esc from the previous row.

*In the next stitch (which should be a single crochet), work a dc and then work a slanting cluster stitch around it [(yo, bring hook around and under the dc, working between the dc and the previous stitch, yo again and bring the hook back to the front of the work. Repeat 2x.) yo again and draw that loop through 6 loops on your hook. yo once more and draw the yarn through the last remaining 2 loops to complete the slanting cluster]. Skip a stitch and work an esc into the next esc from the previous row.*

Repeat across the row, finishing with an esc worked into the end of the row. Ch2 and turn.

Row 3: Skip the esc from the previous row. *Sc2, esc into the next esc from the previous row* Repeat across the row, finishing with an esc worked into the end of the row. Ch2 and turn.

Repeat rows 2-3.

Doesn’t it come out beautifully? After doing a few repeats, your work will have that nice effect of having all the slanted cluster stitches line up neatly.

Making Adjustments

If you’re working on a crochet project and you need to adjust the size, there are a few things you can do. First, you can change the size of your yarn and hook. This will affect the gauge of your stitches, so it’s important to keep that in mind.

You can also try experimenting with different colors. Within the Crochet Makers Vault, I also have an exclusive video for members about how I change between colors with this stitch in certain places and avoid cutting the yarn.

However, just doing each row in a different color will create a beautiful result.

If you’re using a light-colored yarn, trying a color combination that includes a dark color can help to make your stitches pop. Finally, considering how this denser stitch will work for you in different projects. If you’re working on a garment, for example, you might want to use a slightly larger hook so that your stitches don’t pull too tight. These are just a few things to keep in mind when adjusting the size of your project.

In this sample of the Boxed Bead Stitch, I used the same hook size as my other swatch (H/5.00mm) but the yarn is a lighter worsted. The result is a slightly more subtle bumpy texture and just a little bit of space between the stitches.