Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! 2025 is the Year of the Snake which is the 6th animal of the Chinese zodiac. Snakes are associated with wisdom, elegance, charm, and transformation. People born in the year of the snake are said to be “intuitive, strategic, and intelligent.” It’s a custom to hand out red envelopes (hong-bao) filled with money on this holiday to wish others good fortune. To help celebrate the occasion, today’s free pattern will show you how to make both! 

 

MATERIALS:

• • Clover Amour Hook (2.75 mm)
  • Clover Patchwork Scissors
  • Clover Yarn Needle
  • Clover Stitch Markers
  • Sewing Needle
  • Sewing Pins
  • UHU glue
  • red sewing thread
  • one 10cm gold button
  • #3 light worsted cotton yarn
    • red
    • green
  • DMC metallic embroidery thread
    • dark gold
    • optional: blocking board
  • tweezers (to work into narrow openings)
  • fiber fill stuffing
  • 3 pipe cleaners
  • two 8mm safety eyes

NOTES:

• Please do not copy/redistribute any part of this pattern as your own. This includes reposting/translating without permission. Feel free to sell your finished products in small quantities as long as you give credit to help support my work. Tag your creations with #curiouspapaya so I can feature you!
• The red envelope is made in rows and the snake is made in continuous rounds.
• This pattern is written in US terminology.
• difficulty: intermediate-beginner + 
• red envelope measurements: 3.25 in. x 4 in. [~8.3 cm x ~10 cm]
• snake measurements: 10 in. x 1 in. [~25.5 cm x 2.54 cm]

ABBREVIATIONS:

• blo: back loops only
• ch: chain
• dc: double crochet
• dec: (invisible) decrease
• sc: single crochet
• slst: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• rnd(s): round(s)
• [#]: stitch count
• (…) x #: repeat instructions the number of times
  

 

RED ENVELOPE PATTERN:

Use the 2.75 mm Clover Amour Hook + red yarn.

*Note: You will make two panels. The back panel will have extra steps to create the opening flap.

• Row 1: Make a slipknot and ch 15. Working into the 2nd ch from the hook, make 14 sc down the ch. [14]
• Rows 2-20 [19 rows total]: ch 1, turn. Make 14 sc. [14]

For the front panel, fasten off and leave a short tail for weaving in. 

Make a second piece for the back panel and do not fasten off. Continue onto the flap.

• Row 1: (blo) – ch 1, turn. Make 14 sc. [14]
  
• Row 2: ch 1, turn. Skip the first st and make 13 sc. [13]

 

 

In the next row, we will create the button loop.

• Row 3: ch 1, turn. Skip the first st, make 4 sc, ch 4, skip 4 sts, sc into the next st, make 3 sc [12]

 

• Row 4: ch 1, turn. Skip the first st and make 11 sc, working into the blo of the ch sts (for the button loop). [11]

Fasten off and leave a short tail to weave in.

GOLD COIN:

Use the 2.75 mm Clover Amour Hook + Dark Gold embroidery thread.

*Tip: Because this metallic embroidery thread unravels easily, a tip I have is to lightly coat it with UHU glue. This dries very quickly and will prevent the ends from fraying as you work with it!

• Step 1: Leave a short tail and create a slipknot.
• Step 2: ch 10, slst into the first ch to form a loop.
• Step 3: ch 2 (this will count as your first dc). Working into the center of the loop we just created, make 21 dc (modify if needed).
• Step 4: slst into the top of the first dc to join the rnd.
• Step 5: Fasten off and leave a short tail.
• Step 6: Secure the tail with the tail left from the starting ch.

ENVELOPE BORDER ASSEMBLY:

Using the 2.75 mm Clover Amour Hook + Dark Gold embroidery thread.

 

 

• Step 1: Position the front and back panels together with the remaining loops on the flap on the outside. 
• Step 2: Create a slipknot in the Dark Gold embroidery thread and leave a short tail for weaving in.
• Step 3: Insert your hook through the two layers and pull up a loop. Create the border by going through both panels.

• Step 4:
  • Left edge: Make 19 sc, *sc, ch 2, sc* into the corner
  • Bottom edge: Make 13 sc, *sc, ch 2, sc* into the corner
  • Right edge: Make 19 sc 
• Step 5: Fasten off and leave a short tail for weaving in.
• Step 6: Turn the envelope so that the back panel is facing you with the flap positioned on top.
• Step 7: Join new Dark Gold embroidery thread in the right hand corner and make 4 sc. *sc, ch 2, sc* into the corner, make 10 sc, *sc, ch 2, sc* into the corner, make 4 sc .
• Step 8: Fasten off and leave a short tail for weaving in.
• Step 9: Weave in all remaining tails.

BUTTON ASSEMBLY: 

Using a Sewing needle + Red sewing thread.

• Step 1: Thread your needle and leave a short tail for securing into a knot at the end.
• Step 2: Position the button onto the front panel, checking for alignment with the button loop on the flap. Mine was 2 rows below the top edge of the front panel but modify as needed.
• Step 3: Secure the button down by weaving through several times.
• Step 4: Secure the thread tails into a knot and cut the excess thread.

GOLD COIN ASSEMBLY:

• Step 1: Position the coin at the center of the envelope and secure it down using UHU glue. 
• Step 2: To create the inner square shape, place the envelope over something you can pierce through. It can be a blocking board or a cardboard box.

• Step 3: Use sewing pins to create the four corners while the glue is still wet. 
• Step 4: After fully dried, the shape should hold and you can remove the pins.
• Step 5: As the final step, I recommend wet blocking your envelope so that it lays flat on all the edges.

 

 SNAKE PATTERN:

Using the 2.75 mm Clover Amour Hook + green yarn.

• Round 1: Make a magic circle and (sc) x6 [6]
• Round 2: (inc) x6 [12]
• Round 3: (3 sc, inc) x3 [15]
• Round 4: (4 sc, inc) x3 [18]
• Round 5: sc all around [18]
• Round 6: (5 sc, inc) x3 [21]
• Rounds 7-8 (2 rnds total): sc all around [21]

Insert the safety eyes between rnds 5-6, 8 sts apart.

Lightly stuff the head.

• Round 9: (sc, dec) x7 [14]

Twist 3 pipe cleaners together and insert it into the body around rnd 15. Stuff around it and use tweezers to get into the narrow opening. Be sure to stuff as you work for the remainder of the body.

 

 

• Rounds 10-77 (68 rnds total): sc all around [14]
• Round 78: (5 sc, dec) x2 [12]
• Round 79: sc all around [12]
• Round 80: (2 sc, dec) x3 [9]
• Round 81: sc all around [9]
• Round 82: (sc, dec) x3 [6]
• Round 83: sc all around [6]

Fasten off and leave a tail for closing up the piece. Stuff one last time. Using your yarn needle, weave through the flo and pull the hole closed.

Lastly, bend the body so that the snake appears to be slithering.

 

 

You’re finished! We’d love to see your creations over on Instagram. Tag your creations with #cloversquad and #curiouspapaya to share your makes 🙂

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