How to Make Crochet Hooks

If you enjoy crocheting, you can add further dimension to your craft by creating your own crochet hooks. Using a few simple tools and materials, you can make crochet hooks of any size and length. You can decorate them if you wish, and if you get good at this new craft of yours, you might even be able to sell your creations to other crochet fanatics.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sharp knife
• Wooden dowel
• Waxed paper or fine sandpaper
• Clear coat spray

1. Take a wooden dowel (any size will do, depending on the hook size you want to make; see the Serendipity Crochet site in References for a list of dowel and hook size alignments) and cut an angled slot near one end, almost halfway through the width of the dowel.

2. Carve out the throat of the hook. Use one of your regular crochet hooks as a guide or pattern for this process.

3. Shape the sides of the hook, again using one of your own hooks as a pattern.

4. Shape the head and the tip of the hook. Make sure both are rounded and dull, to avoid snagging the yarn. Then cut the dowel to your desired hook length.

5. Rub down the hook with sandpaper or waxed paper until it is completely smooth. Test it out with some extra yarn by making a small swatch. If you notice any rough places as you work with the hook, go back and resand or smooth those spots.

6. Spray with several coats of clear coat spray enamel, allowing the coats to dry in between applications. You can also paint your hook before you do this, or carve a design in the bottom end.

Tips & Warnings

• Constantly check your hook against one that has been professionally made to be sure that you are making your hook in the proper shape and size.
• To avoid problems, be sure to crochet a test swatch using your hook and another one using a commercial hook in the same size. Compare to make sure your hook performs the way a professional hook would.

References

• Serendipity Crochet
• How to make a Wooden Crochet Hook