This stitch is a 3D puff-ball (popcorn bubble) crochet stitch, often used for blankets, scarves, or cushions. I’ll show you exactly how to make it, step-by-step.
🌟 3D Bubble Crochet Stitch — Ultra Detailed Tutorial
✔ Looks identical to your picture
✔ Uses tall repeated loops to form round “balls”
✔ Works row by row
🧶 MATERIALS
- 3.0 mm hook (shown in your picture)
- Soft acrylic or baby yarn
- Scissors
🔰 BEFORE STARTING
This stitch uses a tall Puff Stitch:
👉 “YO, insert hook, pull up a tall loop” done 8–10 times.
This gives the large sphere shape.
🧵 STEP 1 — FOUNDATION
You need a chain in multiples of 2.
Example:
Chain 22 (20 + 2 turning chain)
🧵 STEP 2 — BASE ROW
This row keeps your bubbles from stretching.
- Insert hook in 2nd chain from hook
- SC across the whole row
- CH 1, turn
🧵 STEP 3 — FIRST PUFF-BALL ROW
This is where the bubbles appear.
📌 PUFF-BALL (one bubble) — EXTREMELY DETAILED
In the next stitch:
- Yarn over (YO)
- Insert hook into stitch
- Pull up a tall loop (same height as a DC)
- Repeat YO + insert + pull up loop 7–9 more times
- Total loops on hook: around 16–20
- Pinch the yarn slightly to hold loops
- Yarn over
- Pull through all loops on the hook
- Chain 1 to lock the bubble
Your bubble is done.
📐 SPACING (VERY IMPORTANT)
After each bubble:
- Skip 1 stitch
- Make next Puff Ball in following stitch
Repeat (bubble, skip, bubble, skip) to the end.
At the very end:
- Make 1 SC to stabilize the row.
- CH 1, turn.
✔ Now you completed Bubble Row 1.
🧵 STEP 4 — SINGLE CROCHET ROW (ROW BETWEEN BUBBLES)
This row stabilizes the fabric and pushes bubbles forward.
- SC in each stitch across
(including the chain-1 locks between bubbles) - CH 1, turn
🧵 STEP 5 — SECOND PUFF-BALL ROW (OFFSET)
To make the soft round pattern like your photo, you must shift the bubbles.
Start with:
- SC in the first 2 stitches
Then:
- Puff Ball in next stitch
- Skip 1
- Puff
- Skip
- Puff
- Skip…
End the row with:
- SC in the last stitch
- CH 1, turn
✔ Now bubbles sit in the “holes” of the row below → giving the honeycomb look.
🧵 STEP 6 — REPEAT THE PATTERN
Repeat:
ROW A: Bubble Row
ROW B: Single Crochet Row
Always alternate.
This builds rows of beautiful rounded bubbles.
🌼 IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE NOTES (TO MATCH YOUR PHOTO PERFECTLY)
✔ Use 8–10 pull-up loops
This makes the bubble tall and round (like yours).
✔ Pull loops evenly
All tall loops should be the same height.
✔ Tighten the closing chain
This seals the bubble so it stays round.
✔ Use soft baby yarn
This gives the smooth, puffy texture exactly shown.
