20+ Crochet Borders and Edgings for a Professional Finish

There’s just something about the perfect crochet border. You’ve worked hard on a crochet project, spent a lot of time on it—maybe it’s a blanket, or a scarf. It looks amazing as you finish it up, but something still seems like it’s missing…

Enter, crochet borders!

I know, sometimes after you’ve spent hours and hours on that blanket or that scarf, maybe the LAST thing you want to do is find a border and crochet that too (especially if it’s not included in the pattern).

But here’s the truth of the matter:

Not only does a crochet edging add a perfect finishing touch to your project…

But it also gives it a more professional look.

Trust me, I’ve neglected adding a border in the past because I was so tired of the project. But I always regret it! I always look at those projects and think “it would have looked so much better if I had just pushed through and added the edging.”

And that, my friends, is why I wanted to write this post in the first place!

Because sometimes, half the struggle is just finding the write border for your project. By the end of this post, I hope that problem will be solved!

I’ll show you over 20 crochet borders, and they will all separated into groups of different types. From easy borders, to advanced lace borders, to wide borders…there will be something here for everyone!

Before we dive into the list, let’s cover a few common questions about borders.

How do you crochet an easy border?

Crochet borders are made simply by working around the edge of a finished project. Usually, you will need to join on new yarn onto a portion of your project, and start working your way around with your chosen border.

The easiest type of borders you can crochet are ones made from simple stitches like single crochet and double crochet. If you want a simple edge, just start working one of these stitches around, spacing them out evenly.

If you are working around a project that has corners (like a blanket for example) you will want to put a few extra stitches in each corner. 1-3 extra stitches should do the trick. It will just depend on how pointed you want the corners to look.

Making Sure Your Border is Clean

If you choose to do any border that is more than one row, there are a few things you will want to do to ensure your border turns out clean.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Always do a row of slip stitches or single crochet BEFORE starting your border. This will ensure that the other rows of your border are evenly spaced out.
2. If you’re doing your first row and it starts to curl or ruffle, that probably means you are stuffing in the stitches too much. Try spacing them out a bit more. Your goal is to space them as evenly as possible.
3. Make sure to check your chosen border for a stitch multiple. For example, if you’re working shells over a multiple of 3 stitches, you need to make sure your first border row is that multiple.

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Over 20 of My Favorite Crochet Border Ideas

Overall, one of the best and easiest ways to turn a project from a simple, plain looking pattern to a professional and elegant design is to add a border. Let’s get straight to all the beautiful patterns!

Here are all the different categories we will be covering:

Table of Contents

1. Quick & Easy Borders
2. Wide Crochet Borders
3. Elegant Crochet Lace Edgings
4. Textured Crochet Borders
5. Unique, Lifelike Borders

Quick & Easy Crochet Borders

To start off, let’s first take a look at some of my favorite easy border patterns! All of these borders focus on the phrase “less is more.” They either use simpler stitches, or have short repeats so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Simple Border for Blankets and Afghans

First up is this Simple Border design by Sunflower Cottage Crochet. This pattern is a fun and simple way to finish off your blankets and afghans without getting overwhelmed. You can also have a lot of fun using different colors and customizing it! You can find the free pattern here.

Crochet Crab Stitch Border

Next up is the Crab Stitch Border pattern. This pattern is so unique and yet so simple. I just love the rope-like look of this one! It uses the unique backward single-crochet technique, but don’t let that scare you off! You can get the free pattern here.

Reverse Shell Crochet Border

Have you seen this pattern before? It’s called the Reverse Shell Border. Isn’t the overlapping shell pattern so beautiful and fun? You can get the free pattern here.

Picot Stitch Border

Picot stitches are an easy but amazing way to add life to a finished project! And the best part is, there are many variations of it. You learn 6 different ways make the picot stitch into a border, and also get tips for making up your own variations in this post right here.

Picot Shell Border

If you feel a little more adventurous, you can try adding picots into a shell! This border pattern gives you two different options for picot borders, and they’re both so unique! You can get the free pattern here.

Slip Stitch Edging

Last but not least is this quick and easy Slip Stitch Edging pattern! This design is so easy to recreate, and yet adds such a beautiful touch to any crochet project! The cool thing about this is that if you do it right, you can create a gorgeous, two-toned effect on your crochet project. You can find the free pattern here.

Wide Crochet Borders

Next, let’s take a look at some of my favorite wide crochet borders! Sometimes, wide borders seem to be the HARDEST to find, so I wanted to make sure I included some. These can make an extra-awesome statement on your projects.

Herringbone Crochet Border

The first design I’d like to introduce you to is this beautiful Herringbone crochet border. This pattern is very sturdy and is super easy to work up. It makes a great finish to any blanket. You can find the free pattern here.

Rib Crochet Pattern

Next, meet the Rib crochet border! This is cute border adds a traditional feel to any blanket or project, plus it’s a one-row repeat pattern so beginners can easily recreate this one! You can get the free pattern here.

Crochet Chain Border

Next, check out this gorgeous chain border designed by Arunima from Knitter Knotter. This pattern is so delicate and is great for any lace-lovers out there! You can find the free pattern here.

Whipsidery Border

Last but not least is this stunning Whipsidery crochet border. This design is absolutely gorgeous and makes any blanket look like it’s fit for a king! Dedri Uyes from Look At What I Made did such a great job with this one! You can get the free pattern here.

Elegant Crochet Lace Edgings

I don’t know about you guys, but I just love lace crochet! Lace edgings add such a beautiful and elegant touch to any crochet project. Here are a few of my favorites!

Field of Flowers Crochet Border

First up is this gorgeous Field of Flowers crochet border designed by Hannah from HanJan Crochet! This border is so unique and beautiful, and it gives any blanket a peaceful, meadow-like feel. You can find the free pattern here.

Cluster Lace Edging

Next, meet the Cluster Lace Edging pattern. Isn’t it so elegant? Adding this border is a great way to take crochet garments or blankets to the next level. You can get the free pattern here.

Vintage Fan Crochet Edging

Next up is the Vintage Fan Crochet Edging. This beautiful lacy border gives anything from a pillow case to a dress a very classic and elegant feel. You can find the free pattern here.

Peaked Group Crochet Border

Another one of my favorite borders is this Peaked Group Crochet Border pattern designed by Crochet ‘n’ Create. This border is so fun and unique, I just love how the little peaks resemble tiny mountains! You can get the free pattern here.

Crochet Big Shell Edging

This last edging pattern is absolutely gorgeous. This shell-like design is so beautiful, and would make a great addition to any blanket or garment. This is also a great way to add a a beachy feel to your projects! You can get the free pattern here.

Textured Crochet Borders

Another great way to customize your crochet projects is to add a raised, or textured border. Here are a few of my favorites!

Berry Stitch Edging

The first border I’d like to introduce you to is the Berry Stitch Edging. This pattern is a unique version of the puff stitch edging, and the little spheres at the edges remind me of little pearls or berries! You can get the free pattern here.

Bobble Border

I think crochet bobbles are so cool. But I loved them even more when I saw this unique Bobble Border designed by Alex from You Should Craft! This zig zag design is so fun and can be added to anything from a crochet top to a blanket. You can find the free pattern here.

Adventure Stitch Border

Next up is the Adventure Stitch Border pattern. Isn’t this design so pretty? This border mixes a lacy pattern with a peak-like edging to create this unique design that is hard to describe. This design will definitely add a fun touch to any crochet project! You can get the free pattern here.

Betty’s Beautiful Border

Another border pattern with lots of neat textures is Betty’s Beautiful Border. This pattern is so fun because you can play around with different colors and thicknesses of yarn. Another great thing about this pattern is that you can choose whether you’d like to stop at a certain row or if you’d like to continue adding on to it, it’s up to you! You can find the free pattern here.

Puff Edge Border

Last but not least is the Puff Edge Border designed by Tonya from Nana’s Crafty Home. Isn’t it just so pretty? This border is great because it adds a dramatic touch to any blanket or garment without being too frilly. You can get the free pattern here.

Unique, Lifelike Borders

The last few patterns I’d like to show you are some gorgeous life-like borders. These borders are so unique and beautiful, they can easily take a plain crochet project to the next level.

Crochet Hearts Border

First up is this elegant Hearts Border designed by Crochet Beja. This pattern is so beautiful and makes a fun way to dress up a girl’s garment, blanket, or bag. This would also turn any project into a great Valentine’s Day gift! You can find the free pattern here.

Tulip Border

Next up is this lovely Tulip Border. Isn’t it so pretty? I just love the tiny flowers! This border would add a great touch to a basket, garment, blanket, bag, etc.! You can get the free pattern here.

Bow Border

The next pattern I’d like to introduce to you is this fun Bow Border. I had a few cool ideas when I first saw this design. For example, you could dress up a little girl’s blanket or top. OR, you could make it into a fun garland for your home! Check out the free pattern here.

Rose Border

Next, meet the Rose Border designed by Dedri Uyes from Look At What I Made! This design is so elegant and unique, it makes me think of the Spring. You can use this border to add something extra to just about any project! You can get the free pattern here.

Criss-Cross Border

The last pattern I’d like to show you is this fun and festive Criss-Cross border. Although this pattern makes an particularly fun Christmas border (especially if you use red and white yarn to make it look like a candy cane), you can easily customize it for any themed-project by using different yarn weights and colors. You can find the free pattern here.

More Crochet Border Tips & Ideas

I hope you’ve found a perfect crochet border to give your project a professional finish! To wrap up, I just wanted to give you a few more tips and tricks when it comes to borders.

There may be times when you have projects that don’t exactly work with the borders shown above.

For example, granny squares are a little more tricky to work borders into because of the unique chain spaces they have. If you want to crochet a granny square border, check out this post with 5 patterns!

Another type of border technique is join as you go squares. It allows you to join crochet squares together without a ton of sewing. Check out tips on this technique here!

Last but not least, if you would like even more ideas on crocheting the perfect border, here are 5 more tips that should be helpful!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and found the perfect new border for your project. It was so much fun to put together this collection of patterns!

More Crochet Pattern Roundups:

• Ultimate List of Textured Crochet Stitches
• Crochet Top Patterns for Summer
• 24 Amazing Crochet Bag Patterns
• 15+ Crochet Sweater Patterns for Winter