Cafe au Lait Crochet Curtain Free Pattern

Introduction

The Cafe au Lait Curtain is a beginner-friendly crochet project that brings a little Parisian café charm to any window. It's designed for anyone who has mastered single crochet and wants to make their first real home decor piece. Worked in crisp black and white cotton, the panel forms a classic checkerboard of 12-stitch squares that looks bold from a distance and neat up close. The dense single crochet fabric hangs with a soft, even drape and a slightly ridged texture that filters light beautifully.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (4) cotton yarn — 400 yards black and 400 yards white.
• Hook: 6.5 mm (K/10.5) crochet hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers (optional, for color changes).
• Finished size: 24 inches wide x 36 inches long.

Abbreviations

• ch — chain: make a loop of yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook.
• sc — single crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• st(s) — stitch(es).
• rnd — round (not used here, but listed for the border worked in the round).

Gauge

12 stitches and 12 rows = 4 inches in single crochet. Work a small swatch and measure a 4-inch section; if your stitches are larger, go down a hook size, and if smaller, go up.

Tips Before You Start

• Each checkerboard square is 12 stitches wide and 12 rows tall (about 4 x 4 inches). Count carefully at every color change so the grid stays square.
• Change color on the last pull-through of the stitch before the new color begins, so the color change sits cleanly at the square edge.
• Keep your tension even — single crochet in cotton can tighten up, so relax your grip slightly as you go.
• Use stitch markers at each 12-stitch boundary to keep track of where the next color block starts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Curtain Panel (make 1)

Row 1: With black, ch 73. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (72 sc).

Rows 2-12: Sc in each st across, working in black to complete the first 12-row square row (72 sc).

Rows 13-24: Sc in each st across, changing color as needed to maintain the checkerboard: work 12 sts black, 12 sts white, alternating across the row (72 sc).

Rows 25-36: Sc in each st across, alternating 12 sts white, 12 sts black across the row (72 sc).

Rows 37-48: Repeat Rows 13-24 color sequence (72 sc).

Rows 49-60: Repeat Rows 25-36 color sequence (72 sc).

Rows 61-72: Repeat Rows 13-24 color sequence (72 sc).

Rows 73-84: Repeat Rows 25-36 color sequence (72 sc).

Rows 85-96: Repeat Rows 13-24 color sequence (72 sc).

Rows 97-108: Repeat Rows 25-36 color sequence (72 sc). This completes 9 square rows (6 squares wide x 9 squares tall). Fasten off.

Border

Rnd 1: With white, join to any corner. Sc evenly around the entire panel, working 3 sc in each corner. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in all ends with the tapestry needle, working them into the wrong side of the fabric in matching colors. Block lightly by misting the panel and pinning it to the finished measurements (24 x 36 inches) on a towel or blocking mat; let it dry fully. To hang, attach the curtain to a rod with clip rings, or sew a rod pocket along the top edge if you prefer.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Make a wider panel by adding 12-stitch squares (each adds about 4 inches) and adjust the starting chain by 12 per square.
• Try a softer palette — cream and taupe — for a more subtle café look.
• Add a simple rod pocket by folding the top 2 inches to the back and slip stitching it in place before blocking.