Crocheting a phone case (not an ad thread)

Hi everyone!

I’m new here and a total beginner. But I’ve read up extensively on crocheting, watched various videos, and practiced.


I’d like to crochet a cell phone case, but for an older model that isn’t as narrow as the newer ones.
There are soooo many ways to do this (oval base, working in the round, etc...)

I’d like to start with a rectangular base made of single crochet stitches and then “crochet up” the sides (sorry if I’m using the wrong terms).

My actual question is: what exactly do I need to keep in mind? So that the edge curves upward? Do I need an edge? Can I just crochet single crochet stitches “in the round”? In the online videos, everyone does it differently, and no one explains WHY one method is better than another.

I hope I explained this reasonably clearly, and thank you in advance for your answers!

Hi Natalie, and welcome :)

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way here—it’s just a matter of personal preference. Of course, you can simply start with a rectangular base, as you described, and then crochet the sides up. I’d recommend that in the first “upward row/round,” you insert the hook into only one loop of the previous round (the one that will end up “on top”)—that way, you’ll get a neater edge

Alternatively, there’s also a very simple method that even a complete beginner can do with absolutely no trouble: Crochet a foundation chain that’s slightly wider than your phone (if the phone is relatively thick, add a few more chain stitches), then crochet upward in rows (single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet—whatever you like) until the rectangle is a little more than twice as long as the phone. Then simply fold it over once, sew or crochet the sides together—and you’re done! :)

If you crochet the rectangle a little larger, you can leave a bit of overlap and add a clasp :) 

Thank you very much for the quick reply!

Unfortunately, I’m just a bit confused about crocheting upward.
On the sides, I don’t know exactly which stitches I need to insert my hook into. Also, it’s often said that you should mark the beginning of a row and then crochet a slip stitch, or that you should insert your hook through only one side of the stitches.
I just don’t know what the advantages of the different methods are and what difference each one makes...

I’ll just give it a try

Hi Natalie,

before we confuse you with even more possible methods ;-)—as Tina already said, there’s no real right or wrong; there are just different ways to achieve the same goal.

The difference between the methods is really just which one is easiest for you to understand and which one you’re most comfortable with.

For example, the slip stitch at the end of a round: if you don’t really like that, you can also just crochet in spiral rounds (until the case is big enough for your phone).

Maybe you could just pick one or two of the videos you’ve watched and try crocheting exactly as described there… then you might end up with one more phone case than you need (they’re relatively quick to make), but that would have the advantage of letting you figure out for yourself which method you like best—or what you might not like at all.
That way, you’ll gain experience and become more confident with the stitches at the same time.

As I said, there’s usually no concrete advantage to one method over another—it’s just a matter of personal taste ;-)

I wish you the best of luck and hope you have fun trying it out!
And if you’d like, I’d love to see your first result or success :-D

Best wishes, Stefanie

Thank you so much!

So, if I understand correctly, there are only visual differences?

I’ll just give it a try and hope that the “why” becomes clear on its own.

Don’t overthink it too much—actually trying it out really is better than overthinking here. And the advantage of crocheting is that you can quickly see if you’ve made a mistake; you just have to unravel a few stitches, and no stitches will fall off like they do when knitting.
Just go for it! Your project also isn’t so complicated that you couldn’t try several methods. And as Stefanie says, you’ll notice for yourself which one you like best. Good luck with your first project!

Oops, part of my comment got cut off...

So, to start out and practice, I’ll crochet a rectangular base using single crochet stitches and then keep going “in a circle” without a border or anything like that. I can build on that from there.

Yeah, exactly—that sounds like a good plan!

Good luck :-D

I’ve started a promotional thread for phone cases here:
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/31376/handyhuellen-haekeln-stricken-und-naehen
Have fun discovering or promoting suitable patterns!