Some Halloween costumes are finished at the sewing machine. The smart ones are finished at the crochet hook — after dinner, in one evening, with the yarn you already own. These candy corn earrings are exactly that kind of finish: two tiny flat triangles in yellow, orange and white, hung from simple fish-hook findings, ready to wear to the party by nine.
Each earring is a single flat motif, about three and a half centimetres tall, worked in single crochet with two decreases per side to shape the point. There is no stuffing, no sewing beyond weaving in ends, and the whole pair uses roughly five grams of yarn — the scraps at the bottom of your Halloween yarn bag, finally put to work. If you can chain and single crochet, you can make these tonight.
What You'll Need
- Yarn: sport or DK-weight (Category 3) cotton in yellow, orange and white — small scraps, about 5 g total per pair. Cotton is the honest pick for jewellery: it holds its shape, takes a light stiffening well, and the colours stay crisp wash after wash. The scraps left over from our No-Sew Candy Corn Amigurumi are perfect.
- Hook: 2.5–3.0 mm. A smaller hook gives tighter stitches and a firmer triangle — jewellery benefits from density, so do not be tempted to size up.
- Findings: 2 fish-hook earring hooks with small jump rings. Choose nickel-free hooks if you have sensitive ears.
- Tools: small flat-nose pliers for opening the jump rings, a tapestry needle, and scissors.
- Optional: fabric stiffener (or a little diluted white glue) for a crisp finish that hangs flat, and a small kraft earring card if you are gifting the pair or selling it at a craft fair.
No affiliate links in this post — this is a scrap-basket project. No safety eyes, no stuffing: these are flat appliqué-style drops, pure and simple.
Stitches You'll Use
Chain (ch), single crochet (sc), slip stitch (sl st), and single crochet decrease (sc2tog). That is the whole list — and the decrease is the only "new" move, worked at the start and end of the shaping rows.
The Motif: One Flat Triangle, Three Bands (Make 2)
Worked bottom-up in US terms: yellow at the wide base, orange in the middle, white at the point — classic candy corn order, miniature size.
- Ch 10 in yellow.
- Row 1 (yellow): starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc across. (9 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Rows 2–3 (yellow): sc in each st across. (9 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Row 4 (orange): sc2tog, sc 5, sc2tog. (7 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Row 5 (orange): sc in each st across. (7 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Row 6 (orange): sc2tog, sc 3, sc2tog. (5 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Row 7 (white): sc2tog, sc 1, sc2tog. (3 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Row 8 (white): sc2tog, sc 1. (2 sts) Ch 1, turn.
- Row 9 (white): sc2tog. (1 st) Fasten off and weave in the ends.
- Edging: join white at one bottom corner and slip stitch evenly all the way around the triangle, working 2 sl st into the tip point to keep it crisp. Sl st to the first sl st to join. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Count check: 9 → 7 → 5 → 3 → 2 → 1. If your triangle looks more like a blob, the decreases are landing mid-row instead of at the edges — the sc2tog always goes first and last in the shaping rows.
Attaching the Findings
This is the jewellery-making part, and it takes two minutes. Open a jump ring with the flat-nose pliers — twist it sideways, never pull it apart. Slip it through the very tip stitch of the white point, then close it flat with the pliers. Thread the loop of the fish-hook finding through the jump ring. That is it: one triangle, one ring, one hook, twice.
Finishing: Flat, Light, Party-Ready
Crocheted jewellery almost always wants one finishing step. Lay the triangles flat under a heavy book overnight, or brush on a light coat of fabric stiffener and let them dry — either way they will hang flat instead of curling. The finished earring is about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) tall and just over 3 cm wide at the base, and the pair weighs only a few grams: light enough for all-day wear, with a little handmade swing when you move.
Variations
- Pumpkin drops: work all nine rows in orange for solid pumpkin triangles — the easiest possible version.
- Black-cat appliqué: sew a tiny black-cat silhouette appliqué onto the same triangle base. Stated as an idea here — the base motif does the work.
- Brooch version: for non-pierced wearers, sew a small brooch pin to the back of the triangle instead of attaching a finding.
Where to Wear Them (and Who to Gift Them To)
These were designed for the last week of October: Halloween party outfits that need one handmade detail, teacher gifts that beat another mug, and teen gifts that actually get worn. Mounted on a kraft card, a pair also makes a sweet craft-fair listing — small, giftable, and clearly handmade. Style them with the Halloween garland behind them in party photos, and prop them next to the candy corn plush for a matching set shot. For more tiny makes to pair them with, our Halloween gift guide has eight.
Troubleshooting
- My triangle curls like a bowl: normal for fresh crochet. Block it flat under a book overnight, or use the fabric stiffener.
- The colour bands wobble at the joins: carry the yarn up the side neatly, or fasten off each band and weave in the ends for the cleanest edge.
- The earrings twist when worn: the jump ring is not sitting at the true point. Move it through the very tip stitch — the triangle should hang straight down.
- It looks too wide and stubby: your hook is too large or your tension is loose. Drop to 2.5 mm for a slimmer, sharper triangle.
One Evening, One Pair — Then Another
That is the whole project: one flat triangle, three colour bands, two findings, and an evening well spent. Make the candy corn pair tonight for the party — then make a second pair in pumpkin orange for the gift drawer. This morning's fall leaf coasters were for the table; tonight's make is for you. Happy crocheting — and see you tomorrow morning.