Crochet Smart Cookie

The Crochet Smart Cookie is an adorable and quick project that makes for a great graduation gift complete with its own mini-graduation cap and diploma! 😁 Of course, you can make this cookie project without those details and gift it to someone who you are proud of. I love using velvet yarn to create little stuffed crochet projects with cutesie eyes and other fun embellishments. The velvet yarn makes the finished project very soft and adds great texture to the simple stitches.

(This post includes affiliate links. To read our full disclosure policy, click here)

The Phrase “Smart Cookie” = American Slang

Did you know that the phrase “smart cookie” has been around since before the 1940’s? Many believe that it is very American to use various food items as fun nicknames for people and a long time ago the word “cookie” started being used for a person you are fond of or admire. At some point people added the word “tough” to mean you are a strong person and can handle a lot of challenges well. And then later “smart” was added to mean you not only are a delightful person (just like a cookie is) but also intelligent. Last year I saw a few images on-line of hand drawn chocolate chip cookies with the phrase, “Smart Cookie” written above and thought it would make a great crochet project.

Stitches Used in the Crochet Smart Cookie

The Crochet Smart Cookie uses mainly the single crochet stitch with 2 simple variations of this stitch to help your project look its best. These 2 variations are the “invisible increase” and the “invisible decrease” – I found that these easy techniques are good to use with amigurimi-style projects especially when you want to add facial features. I explain these techniques below in the section titled, “Special Stitches and Abbreviations”.

Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

Now there is a step-by-step video tutorial available for this project in which I explain all of the supplies, show you how to crochet the cookie with thick rope-like yarn and with the velvet yarn, and demonstrate how to put it all together including how to add all of the fun details. Click here or on the image below to watch the video. Plus, there is a list of time stamps in the description so you can skip ahead to the sections you need help with and save time. 🙂

Skill Level: Confident Beginner

Measurements:

Approximately 3 1/2″ across

Get Access:

Did you know that subscribers to our newsletter get notified of new patterns each week and get access to our Crochet Resource Library full of FREE pattern PDF’s, diagrams and other useful printables? Click the image below to get access and become part of our community – it’s FREE!

Supplies:

Click on the supply name to purchase

(Please note this post contains affiliate links which earns this blog a small commission at no extra cost to you – it’s a win-win! Thank you for your support so I can continue to offer free patterns like this one)

**To see all of the supplies, make sure to watch the beginning of the video tutorial here**

Velvet yarn – tan – (Click here to purchase the EXACT yarn that I used for my cookie) – It took me a while to find the right color!

I/5.5mm hook

E/3.5mm hook

Cotton Size 3 yarn – black (Click here to purchase the EXACT yarn that I used for the cap and mouth) – I love to use this yarn for facial features

Acrylic dark brown yarn – medium weight (I used Red Heart Soft yarn in dark brown – click here to purchase)

Googly safety eyes (or regular googly eyes) – 15 mm (Click here to purchase the EXACT eyes that I used – I LOVE these!)

Stitch marker

Yarn needle

Small amount of fiberfil stuffing

Measuring tape

Black pipe cleaners (2) and pliers

Black sewing thread and needle

Optional: Small black button; Thin red ribbon and white felt; Yellow embroidery thread; Thin pink ribbon

Special Stitches and Abbreviations:

Adjustable Ring = Wrap yarn around hand to create a loop; pull working end of yarn through lp with hk; ch 1

*Watch a short video tutorial of this technique here*

Invisible increase = When working 2 stitches into 1 stitch work first stitch in back loop only and then work second stitch in both loops (This helps prevent large holes in your work from the increases)

Sc2tog =Insert hook into next st, YO, draw up a loop; insert hook into next st, YO, draw up a loop; YO, pull through all 3 loops on hook (This is the traditional way of doing a decrease with sc)

Click here to watch a short video tutorial on this technique

Invisible decrease = (Insert hook into front loop of next stitch) twice; YO, pull through first 2 loops on hook; YO, pull through 2 loops on hook

Click here to watch a short video on this technique

Back bar of the Chain = When looking at the right side of a chain, you see many “V’s” and the chain looks like a braid. Turn the chain over and you see a series of bumps – it is in these bumps that you will work across the chain to produce a cord with even edges along both sides Click here to watch a short video tutorial on this technique

YO (yarn over)

Hk (hook)

Lp (loop)

Ch (chain)

St (stitch)

Sp (space)

Notes:

First 2 circles are crocheted

Some details are added and then the circles are joined together

Lastly a few other embellishments are added

Instructions for the Crochet Smart Cookie by Jennifer Ryan:

Cookie Front:

**In the video tutorial here I show you how to work these stitches with rope-like yarn and then a second time with the velvet – simply select which version you would like to watch in the time stamp list in the video description**

Round 1:

6 sc in an adjustable ring – do not join. Mark 1^st sc with a stitch marker and work in a spiral throughout.

Round 2:

2 sc in each st around (12 sc)

Optional: Work an “invisible increase” method for the 2 sc in each st for this round and throughout

Round 3:

(2 sc in next st, sc in next st) around (18 sc)

Round 4:

(2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts) around (24 sc)

Round 5:

(2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 3 sts) around (30 sc)

Round 6:

(Sc in each of next 4 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts) around. (25 sts – this stitch count is not super important because the back circle of the cookie will be smaller with a different stitch count but the 2 pieces still should fit together nicely)

Optional: Work “invisible decrease” for each sc2tog

Fasten off.

Cookie Back:

Work Rounds 1- 4 of Cookie Front. Fasten off.

Graduation Cap:

(In order to see some of the stitches better, some of these photos show a dark pink cap)

Band:

With smaller hook and black yarn ch 17

Row 1:

Working in the back bar of the chain, sc in 2^nd ch and in each ch across. Turn. (16 sc)

Row 2:

Ch 1, sc in each st across. Fasten off.

Sew short ends of band together

Top Square:

With smaller hook and black yarn, ch 9

Row 1:

Sc in 2^nd ch from hk and in each ch across. Turn. (8 sc)

Row 2:

Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn.

Rows 3 – 8:

Repeat Row 2

Edging:

Ch 1, work sc evenly around next 3 sides of square adding a ch 1 at each corner; sl st in 1^st st of last side. Fasten off with long tail for assembly.

Sew small button to center of square

Tassel:

Wrap embroidery thread around 2 fingers 2-3 times

Wrap short piece of thread around all strands just below top fold and tie in tight double-knot

Trim bottom of tassel to remove other fold and make all lengths even

Add a thread hanger by inserting sewing thread through top fold of tassel and tying in a double-knot making sure the length matches the top of cap and where you would like the tassel to hang

Diploma – optional:

Cut white felt to a 1 ¼” square

Roll felt and tie small red ribbon around it

Arms & Legs – Make 2 of each:

Cut 4 pieces of pipe cleaners to 3 ½” long

Fold over one end of each length to create hands and feet

Finishing and Assembly:

**Make sure to watch the video tutorial here to help you with these steps!**

Add eyes using photo as a guide

Add mouth with yarn needle and black yarn

With yarn needle and brown yarn add chocolate chips to Front and Back of cookie

Using photo as a guide insert arms and legs between Rounds 5 & 6 on front of cookie making sure to bend excess pipe cleaner into a 90 degree angle on inside of cookie – sew this excess to inside of cookie with thread and sewing needle

Sew on cookie back with yarn needle and velvet yarn tails – when halfway around, insert small amount of fiberfil

(For the cap you can use the yarn tails or use sewing thread)

Sew on band of cap on top side of cookie

Sew on cap square to top edge of band

Secure tassel hanger around button

Sew tassel in place to hang in front of square when on cookie using photo as a guide

Bend one arm and insert diploma – you may want to sew the diploma in place

Optional:  Sew a 6” length of velvet yarn folded in half to back of cookie to use as a hanger

Your Crochet Smart Cookie is Complete!

Your Crochet Smart Cookie is complete! I hope you enjoyed making this project. Let us know in the comments below who you made it for – I would love to hear about it. 🙂 I think that whomever you make it for is guaranteed to smile when they see your creation.

This project can be fun to personalize as well. You could add the year or decorations to the top surface of the cap (like many graduates do now). You could change the color of the cap to match your graduate’s color or you could also write out a message on cardstock and roll it up for the diploma detail.

Check out my other patterns using Velvet yarn here.

Click here to see ALL of my FREE crochet patterns.

Don’t forget to pin the image below so you remember where you found this pattern!

Thank you for visiting! Happy crocheting!

Jennifer

Copyright – Jennifer E Ryan- www.celticknotcrochet.com- all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher but please do link to this page to share this pattern with others.

If you wish to make items for sale from this pattern, please see our About page for details.