Hey everyone, it’s Amy from curiouspapaya! I’m excited to share a very special treat with you.
This popular dessert drink comes all the way from Taiwan, where my roots are from. Traditional Milk Tea consists of sweetened black tea mixed with milk and chewy tapioca balls, or what we call pearls. Nowadays, the flavors and toppings you can find are endless! From taro, to fruity flavors, to even salted cheese (okay don’t hate unless you’ve actually tried it), this sweet treat is perfect for every occasion.
So! The real question… are you team Boba or team Bubble Tea? Whatever you choose, I’ve got the perfect project for you!
You can find the pattern below for free or purchase a downloadable PDF here for a small fee!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Materials:
- Clover Amour Crochet Hook D (3.25 mm) – No 1042/D
- Any medium worsted yarn (here, I’m using Impeccable Solid Yarn by Loops and Threads in Heather and White)
- Mini Patchworks Scissors – No 493/CW
- Quick Locking Stitch Marker (Small) – No 3030
- Darning Needle Set (Bent Tip) – No 3121
- Natural Wool Roving (Brown) – Art. No 7931
- Pen Style Felting Tool – Art. No 8901
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Two 3 x 3 in. squares of scrap cardboard for each boba
- Hot glue gun
- Pipe cleaners for the straws
- Dark brown embroidery thread
- Optional if making for small children: Rattle insert
Terms
- CH – chain
- SC – single crochet
- ST – stitch
- DEC – decrease
- INC – increase
- SLST – slip stitch
- RND – round
- FLO – front loops only
- BLO – back loops only
- WS – wrong side
Pattern
Boba Cup
(in any flavor/color you choose – I recommend pastels!)
Rnd 1 : Make a magic circle and (SC) x6 [6]
How to: Making a Magic Circle Tutorial –
How to: Single Crochet in a Magic Ring Tutorial –
Rnd 2: (INC) x 6 [12]
Rnd 3: (SC, INC) x 6 [18]
Rnd 4: (2 SC, INC) x 6 [24]
Rnd 5: (3 SC, INC) x 6 *In the last SC on the last INC, SLST instead. Since we are working in a spiral, doing this will alleviate the jog that RND 6 will create. [30]
Rnd 6: BLO – SC all around [30]
Rnd 7: (9 SC, INC) x 3 [33]
Rnd 8-10: SC all around (3 RNDs total) [33]
Rnd 11: (10 SC, INC) x 3 [36]
Rnd 12-18: SC all around (7 RNDs total) [36]
Time to slap some personality onto these babies!
Facial Expressions:
Using dark brown embroidery thread and your needle, make whatever expressions your heart desires. I recommend leaving about 6 RNDs on the bottom of the cup for the needle felted boba pearls.
To make my smug faced boba, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Cut off about 15 inches of embroidery thread. Start from the inside of the eyebrow and create a diagonal line one ST above and two ST over.
Step 2: Come back out where we initially went in with the needle at the start of the eyebrow.
Step 3: Loop around one ST below where you came out in step 2 several times to create the eye.
Step 4: Create a straight line for the mouth one ST below the eyes and 3 ST wide.
Step 5: Flip your piece to the WS out (you will be able to tell because the tail of the magic circle will be visible) and tie the embroidery thread tails together to secure them in place.
Trace the base of the cup on cardboard and cut two circles out. Use hot glue to secure one of them onto the WS of the cup. Stuff it and add a rattle insert last. We don’t want to put it in first because it will get in the way of needle felting! We’ll save the other circle for the lid.
Now it’s time for the fun part! Get your forearms ready…
Lid
(in any color)
Rnd 1 : Make a magic circle and (SC) x6 [6]
Rnd 2: (INC) x 6 [12]
Rnd 3: (SC, INC) x 6 [18]
Rnd 4: (2 SC, INC) x 6 [24]
Rnd 5: (3 SC, INC) x 6 [30]
Rnd 6: (4 SC, INC) x 6 [36]
Rnd 7: FLO – (5 SC, INC) x 6 [42] *SLST into the last ST of the last INC to avoid the jog.
Fasten off, leaving a 15 inch tail. We will sew the lid to the cup using the back loops that were created.
Straw
(in any color)
Rnd 1 : Make a magic circle and (SC) x6 [6]
Rnd 2-6: SC all around (5 RNDs total) [6]
Fasten off, leaving a 6 inch tail.
Cut approx. 4 inches of pipecleaner and fold it in half. Insert it into the straw. Sew the straw onto the center of the lid. Tie the tails in a knot on the WS to secure it in place. Secure the other cardboard circle onto the WS using hot glue. (Yes, I cut up my Nintendo Switch box…)
Sew the lid onto the boba cup, going through the BLO we created and both loops on the cup.
Pearls:
Step 1: Take your wool and pull them apart with your fingers to make the texture more uniform.
Step 2: Cut your long strands into 2 inch chunks. Roll them up with your fingers into little balls.
Step 3: Position your pearls where you want them and gently begin to poke them in place with your needle felting pen. I like to poke about 5 times in one area before moving onto the next, rotating frequently for uniformity.
Step 4: Your pearls may look a little hairy. Thankfully, we’ve got a quick fix for that! Take your scissors and carefully graze over the loose strands to trim them off. It’ll be like you’re giving your boba a nice haircut.
*Be careful to not cut your yarn!
Repeat the process making your way around the entire boba cup, alternating heights for your boba pearls.
Your boba is now complete! Hope you enjoyed and I hope to see your creations if you tag me on Instagram. All this boba talk has gotten me craving some… I’m off to get my favorite drink! Until next time… stay safe!
This is a free pattern but you can also purchase a downloadable PDF here for a small fee!
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