Crochet Yip Yip Alien Plant Hanger: A Quirky Holder You Can Make in Three Sizes
Make a fuzzy alien plant hanger in three sizes, from a 9 inch small to a 3 foot mega version.
A crochet Yip Yip alien plant hanger is a fuzzy tube with two tall eyes and a wide mouth, and the small size works up in about two hours.
A crochet Yip Yip alien plant hanger is a fuzzy tube with two tall eyes and a wide mouth. The small size works up in about two hours.
You do not need much yarn. One skein of worsted weight covers the small and medium sizes with yarn left over. The large and mega versions eat more, so buy two skeins if you plan to go big.
This pattern makes a hanging alien holder in three sizes: small at roughly 9 inches tall, medium at about 16 inches, and large at about 24 inches, with notes for a 3 foot mega version. You work a tube in the round, add two eye stalks, then attach a pot ring at the bottom.
What you need
Worsted weight fuzzy yarn
One 200 yard skein covers the small and medium sizes. Buy two for large, four for mega.
Crochet hook
4.5 mm for worsted. Go down a size for thinner yarn, up a size for chunky.
Fiberfill stuffing
A handful is enough for the small size. Use a pipe cleaner inside the eye stalks for support.
Yarn needle
A blunt tip needle with a large eye. Fuzzy yarn needs a wide eye to thread.
Stitch marker
One is enough, but two makes counting easier on the larger sizes.
4 inch plant pot
Small size fits a 4 inch pot. Medium fits 6 inches, large fits 8 inches.
What the Yip Yip Alien Plant Hanger Actually Looks Like
The body is a closed tube that flares at the bottom into a small basket. Two eye stalks stick up from the top, each topped with a round eye. The mouth is a wide oval opening on the front, worked in a contrast color.
The whole thing hangs from a chain loop at the top. A 4 inch pot sits inside the bottom basket, so the plant looks like it is growing out of the alien's mouth.
If your tube leans to one side, you have added stitches at the same spot each round. Count every round and move your marker.
Choose Your Yarn and Hook Size
Worsted weight yarn in a fuzzy texture works best. A brushed or eyelash yarn hides small mistakes and gives that soft, slightly scruffy look the character has.
Use a 4.5 mm hook for worsted weight. If your yarn is thinner, go down to 4 mm. If it is chunky, go up to 5.5 mm.
- Small: about 9 inches tall, 4 mm to 4.5 mm hook
- Medium: about 16 inches tall, 4.5 mm to 5 mm hook
- Large: about 24 inches tall, 5 mm to 5.5 mm hook
- Mega: about 3 feet tall, 6 mm to 6.5 mm hook and doubled yarn
Gauge matters most at the bottom basket. If your basket is too loose, the pot will slip through. Work the first two rounds tightly.
Abbreviations You Will Use
These are the standard US terms. If you learned UK terms, remember that a US single crochet is a UK double crochet.
- ch: chain
- sc: single crochet
- sc2tog: single crochet two together (a decrease)
- sl st: slip stitch
- st: stitch
- MR: magic ring
- BLO: back loop only
Mark the first stitch of every round. Fuzzy yarn makes it hard to see where a round starts, and a missed marker turns a 30 stitch round into 31.
What You Need Before You Start
Gather everything first. Fuzzy yarn tangles if you stop and dig through a bag halfway through a round.
How to Crochet the Alien Plant Hanger
Work from the bottom up. The basket comes first, then the body, then the eyes, then the mouth. Joining happens at the end with a yarn needle.
Keep your tension even on the decreases. Loose decreases leave holes that show the stuffing inside.
Joining and Finishing
Sew the eyes on last, after you stuff the body. Place them about 1 inch apart at the top of the tube. If they sit too far apart, the face looks sad instead of surprised.
Weave in every end twice. Fuzzy yarn works loose in the wash, and a single pass will not hold.
Steam the finished piece lightly over a kettle, holding it 6 inches away. Do not touch the yarn to the heat or it will melt.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
The most common problem is a basket that is too wide. If your pot falls through, rip back two rounds and work them with a smaller hook.
The second problem is eye stalks that flop. Stuff them lightly with fiberfill and add a pipe cleaner inside for support. Do not overstuff, or the stalk bulges.
The third problem is a mouth that sits off center. Count the stitches on both sides of the mouth opening. If the numbers do not match, move the opening one stitch over.
Test your work: hang the finished piece with a full pot for ten minutes. If the chain loop stretches, add a second strand of yarn and re-knot it.
Step
Make the magic ring
Work 6 sc into a magic ring. Pull the tail tight. You should have a closed circle with no gap in the middle.
Build the basket bottom
Round 1: 2 sc in each st around for 12 sts. Round 2: sc in first st, 2 sc in next, repeat for 18 sts. Round 3: sc in first two sts, 2 sc in next, repeat for 24 sts. The circle should lie flat with no ruffles.
Work the basket sides
Rounds 4 to 8: sc in each st around in BLO for the first round, then through both loops after. Do not increase. You should have a straight-sided cup that holds a 4 inch pot without sagging.
Close the basket and start the body
Round 9: sc2tog around for 12 sts. Rounds 10 to 24: sc in each st around. The tube should stand up on its own and measure about 5 inches tall for the small size.
Shape the top
Round 25: sc2tog around for 6 sts. Fasten off, leaving a 12 inch tail. The top should close to a small opening about the width of your thumb.
Make the eye stalks
Chain 12. Work sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across for 11 sts. Fold the strip in half and sl st the edges together to form a tube. Make two.
Make the eyes
Work 6 sc into a magic ring. Round 1: 2 sc in each st for 12 sts. Round 2: sc in each st around. Fasten off. Make two, one in white and one in a contrast color for the pupil.
Attach the eyes and mouth
Sew each eye to the top of a stalk. Sew the stalks to the top of the body, 1 inch apart. Work the mouth as an oval of sc in a contrast color and sew it to the front, about 3 inches below the top.
Add the hanging loop
Chain 30 and sl st back along the chain. Sew both ends to the top of the body on either side of the eye stalks. Hang the piece and check that it sits level.
Ways to change it
Small 9 inch version
Uses one skein and about 2 hours. Good for a first try or a gift.
Medium 16 inch version
Fits a 6 inch pot. Add 8 rounds to the body before shaping the top.
Large 24 inch version
Fits an 8 inch pot. Use a 5.5 mm hook and add 14 rounds to the body.
Mega 3 foot version
Hold two strands together with a 6.5 mm hook. Expect about 10 hours of work and four skeins.
Plant-free version
Skip the pot and stuff the whole body. It works as a soft toy or a doorstop.
Seasonal color swap
Use orange and black for a fall version, or pastels for a nursery gift.
The short version
- The small size takes about 2 hours and one skein of worsted weight yarn.
- Work the basket bottom flat before starting the sides, or the pot will not sit level.
- Stuff eye stalks lightly and add a pipe cleaner so they stand up.
- Place the eyes 1 inch apart for the surprised look the character has.
- A 4.5 mm hook suits worsted weight; go up a size for the large and mega versions.
- Sew the hanging loop on last so you can balance the piece before knotting.
Questions people ask
How much yarn does the crochet Yip Yip alien plant hanger use?
The small size uses about 100 yards and the medium about 180 yards. The large takes around 300 yards, and the 3 foot mega version needs about 600 yards because you hold two strands together.
Can I make this with regular yarn instead of fuzzy yarn?
Yes. Smooth worsted weight works fine and is easier to see while you learn. You will see the stitch lines more clearly, so the finished alien looks a little less scruffy.
What size pot fits inside the hanger?
A 4 inch pot fits the small size, 6 inches for medium, and 8 inches for large. Check the pot before you sew the basket closed, since a heavy pot will stretch the bottom.
How do I stop the eye stalks from flopping over?
Slide a pipe cleaner inside each stalk before you sew it on. Stuff with a small amount of fiberfill around it, but leave the stalk slightly soft so it bends instead of breaking.
Can I hang this outside?
Indoor use is safer. Sun fades the colors in about a season, and rain makes the fiberfill hold water. If you hang it on a porch, bring it in during storms.
Pick your size, grab a skein, and start the basket round tonight.
Start with the small version to learn the shape. Once the basket holds a 4 inch pot without sagging, the medium and large sizes are just more rounds of the same stitch. Happy hooking!
