Halloween Table Runner Crochet Pattern: Ghosts & Pumpkins

Illustration — your runner may look slightly different. The exact design is in the chart below.

This Halloween table runner is worked in tapestry crochet: rows of single crochet where the colors you are not using travel inside the stitches. Three bands of dancing ghosts holding hands alternate with three bands of jack-o'-lantern pumpkins, separated by an orange line and a row of little white dots, and the whole runner is framed by an orange scalloped edge.

The faces are not embroidered: the eyes, the ghosts' mouths and the pumpkins' grins are simply stitches worked in the purple background color. That keeps every row to two colors at most, so you only ever hold the background and one motif color.

Everything on this page — the chart, the written rows, the color plan and the stitch counts — comes from one chart file and was replayed by our stitch simulator. Any number of bands keeps the edging even, so you can make it shorter for a centerpiece or longer for a big table.

Finished size: about 14 × 37 in (35 × 94 cm) with the edging — approximate, from the suggested gauge
Yarn: Worsted weight (#4) cotton in 4 colors
Hook: US G-6 (4.0 mm)
Gauge: 16 sc and 17 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in tapestry crochet — suggested, make a swatch
Level: Intermediate (tapestry crochet, 2 colors per row)
Time: about 8 to 10 hours — an estimate from the stitch count
Rows: 151 rows of 49 sc + 2 edging rounds

✓ CookZya original design · Stitch counts checked row by row — all 154 rows and rounds were replayed by our stitch simulator, and the written rows were rebuilt stitch by stitch to match the chart. This pattern has not been crochet-tested: tension, gauge and final size are up to your hands.

Materials

Color A — deep purple, about 190 yd
Color B — white, about 60 yd
Color C — orange, about 80 yd
Color D — green, about 10 yd
Yardage is an estimate from the stitch counts, with a 15 % margin.
Tapestry needle; stitch markers (optional) to mark every 10th stitch.

Notes

Worked flat in rows of single crochet, 49 sc wide. The ch 1 at the start of a row does not count as a st.
Odd rows are right-side (RS) rows: read the chart from right to left. Even rows are wrong-side (WS) rows: read it from left to right. The design is symmetrical, so both directions give the same picture.
Change color on the last yarn over of the stitch before the new color. Work over the joined colors you are not using, so they travel with you along the row.
Face stitches (eyes, mouths, grins) are worked in A (purple), exactly as the chart shows — nothing is embroidered afterwards.
Join a color by laying its tail along the top of the row and working over it; when you cut a color, leave a 6-in tail and work over it on the next row.
Color plan — B (white): join for Row 5 only, then cut; join for Row 27 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 33, cut after Row 47; join for Row 51 only, then cut; join for Row 75 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 81, cut after Row 95; join for Row 99 only, then cut; join for Row 123 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 129, cut after Row 143; join for Row 147 only, then cut.
Color plan — C (orange): join for Row 3 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 10, cut after Row 21; join for Row 29 only, then cut; join for Row 53 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 58, cut after Row 69; join for Row 77 only, then cut; join for Row 101 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 106, cut after Row 117; join for Row 125 only, then cut; join for Row 149 only, then cut.
Color plan — D (green): join at the start of Row 22, cut after Row 23; join at the start of Row 70, cut after Row 71; join at the start of Row 118, cut after Row 119.
"Sc 3 in A" = 3 single crochet worked with color A. "[ … ] 2 times" = work the stitches in brackets twice.
A color is only carried across 2 rows it does not use; otherwise it is cut and joined again. That keeps white and orange from showing through the solid rows, at the cost of more ends to weave in (about 46 tails).
The chart is drawn with square cells; single crochet is a little wider than tall, so your ghosts and pumpkins will look slightly wider than on the chart.
US crochet terms.

Chart

Exact stitch-by-stitch preview of the whole runner, drawn from the chart — a computer render, not a photo.

Foundation and bottom border

Rows 1-5: purple, orange line, purple and white dots.

Foundation With A, ch 50. 50 ch
Row 1 (RS) With A, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (49 sc). 49 sc
Row 2 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 49 in A (49 sc). 49 sc
Row 3 (RS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 49 in C (49 sc). 49 sc
Row 4 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 49 in A (49 sc). 49 sc
Row 5 (RS) Ch 1, turn. [Sc 4 in A, sc 1 in B] 9 times, sc 4 in A (49 sc). 49 sc

Pumpkin and ghost bands

Rows 6-53: a pumpkin band, then a ghost band. Work these 48 rows once, then repeat them 2 more times (Rows 54-149). Follow the color plan in the Notes for joining and cutting B, C and D. Untick the boxes after each repeat (Crochet mode counts the repeats for you).

Top border

Rows 150-151: two purple rows.

Row 150 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 49 in A (49 sc). 49 sc
Row 151 (RS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 49 in A (49 sc). 49 sc

Edging

Round 1 in A, round 2 (scallops) in C, all around the runner.

Rnd 1 With A, ch 1, turn. 3 sc in first st (corner), sc in each of next 47 sts, 3 sc in last st (corner). Rotate and work down the long side: sc in the end of each row (151 sc). Rotate and work across the foundation chain: 3 sc in first ch (corner), sc in each of next 47 ch, 3 sc in last ch (corner). Rotate and work up the other long side: sc in the end of each row (151 sc). Join with sl st in first sc (408 sc). 408 sc
Rnd 2 Fasten off A. Join C with sl st in the first sc of Rnd 1, ch 1, sc in same st, *skip next 2 sc, 5 dc in next sc, skip next 2 sc, sc in next sc; rep from * around, ending the last repeat with skip next 2 sc. Join with sl st in first sc (68 scallops). Fasten off. 68 sc, 340 dc

Finishing

Weave in all the ends on the wrong side. Wet the runner, pin it flat to size and let it dry — our advice, it evens out the colorwork and straightens the scallops.

Design notes

49 stitches wide: the first edging round then has 408 stitches, exactly 68 scallops of 6.
Ghosts and pumpkins sit in separate bands, so a row never needs white and orange together.
The bottom border mirrors the top one: purple, orange line and white dots.

Tips for crisp ghosts and pumpkins

Spread each finished stitch a little before you pull the next one: the carried strand stays relaxed and the runner does not pucker.
Keep the carried yarn on top of the row below and work over it — it disappears inside the stitch.
Place a marker every 10 stitches on the first band; counting the chart in tens is much faster.
Purple hides stitches: work in good light, or use a lighter background (see Make it your own).
Finish one full band before checking: hold it at arm's length and compare it with the chart.

Common mistakes

Changing color in the stitch itself instead of on the last yarn over of the stitch before: every outline shifts by one stitch.
Working the faces in white or orange: the eyes and grins are purple stitches inside the motif.
Pulling the carried strand tight across the row: the fabric puckers and the edges pull in.
Counting the ch 1 at the start of a row as a stitch: the row grows to 50 and the motifs drift.
Cutting a color you need again a few rows later — the color plan tells you when to cut.
Crocheting the corners with 1 sc: they curl. Rnd 1 puts 3 sc in each corner stitch.

Make it your own

Classic black background: use black for A — the ghosts and pumpkins pop even more.
Centerpiece: work only one repeat (Rows 6-53), then the top border — 55 rows, the edging has 216 sc = 36 scallops.
Long dining table: work 4 repeats instead of 3 — 199 rows, edging 504 sc = 84 scallops.
Only ghosts or only pumpkins: repeat the band you like; any number of 24-row bands keeps the edging even.
Fall table after Halloween: skip the ghosts and repeat the pumpkin band in cream and orange.

Care

Hand wash in cool water, or machine wash cold in a laundry bag.
Reshape while damp and dry flat; do not tumble dry.
Store rolled, not folded, so the colorwork does not crease.

More views

Illustration — close-up of a pumpkin band and a ghost band.

More crochet patterns for your table

Tulip Table Runner — the same tapestry method in spring colors
Crochet Pumpkin Coaster — quick matching coasters for your fall table

FAQ

Is this Halloween table runner crochet pattern beginner friendly?

It suits an adventurous beginner who knows single crochet. The only new skill is tapestry crochet: changing color and working over the yarn you are not using. Every row uses two colors at most.

How long does it take to crochet?

About 8 to 10 hours for the 151 rows and the edging — an estimate from the stitch count; your pace may differ.

How much yarn do I need?

About 190 yd of deep purple, 60 yd of white, 80 yd of orange, 10 yd of green of worsted weight cotton, including a 15 % margin. The list is in Materials.

Can I make it shorter or longer?

Yes. Add or remove whole 24-row bands: the edging still comes out even for any number of bands, and the Make it your own section gives the counts for a centerpiece and a long runner.

Do I have to carry all four colors?

No. Purple is used on every row; the color plan in the Notes tells you when to join and when to cut white, orange and green, so you never carry a color for long.

Has this pattern been tested?

Every row's stitch count was replayed by our stitch simulator, and the written rows were rebuilt stitch by stitch to match the chart. It has not been crochet-tested, so make a swatch for gauge.

Can I sell the runners I make?

Yes, you may sell the finished runners. Please don't sell or repost the pattern itself — link to this page instead.

Halloween Ghost and Pumpkin Table Runner