One element of the cozy handmade life that I really enjoy is making my own custom wardrobe. So when summer rolls around, I find myself longing to explore lighter yarns and lacy stitches. And crochet tank tops are the perfect warm-weather project!
But with the huge selection of crochet tank top patterns out there, it’s easy to feel spoiled for choice. Which patterns will actually work and create pieces that you can wear again and again? Well, I haven’t tried them all. But I’m excited to share five great patterns that I’ve made and added to my closet!
No AI-created patterns or images here! Just a real human being, making crochet clothes that I love and sharing the results. Here, you’ll find:
- Budget-conscious tips for making and wearing crochet tank tops
- Honest reviews of crochet tank top patterns I’ve actually made
- Unfiltered photos showing how these crochet tank tops look on a middle-aged, midsize body
- Links where you can find the patterns and make them yourself!
When you start with a great pattern, it serves as a canvas for your creativity. From that jumping-off point, you can make your own mark with color choices, embellishments, and fit adjustments. The end result is a one-of-kind crochet tank top that’s perfectly suited for you!
How to Crochet Tank Tops on a Budget
Admittedly, crocheting garments can be an expensive hobby. Yarn can cost a lot, especially when you’re making garments and want breathable natural fibers. And high-quality crochet patterns are not always free. However, there are ways to cut costs, one or more of which I’ve used on nearly all of these garments. You can:
- Use yarns you already have in your stash. Yes, you may have paid a considerable sum in the past, but you’ve already spent it. So before spending more, use what you have. With a little careful planning, you can use up even the tiniest bits of yarn in garments.
- Take advantage of sales. Actually, this is where most of my stash has come from. Back when I had more discretionary funds, I couldn’t resist a yarn sale. And I picked up some of these skeins for a steal—many for less than $2 per skein. Now, I shop more thoughtfully but will still pick up a few discounted skeins if I know I can use them.
- Buy from reputable local sellers. When you are going to invest in a luxury skein or three, make sure you get the most for your money by buying from a local seller that’s known and respected. This way, you know you’re getting a quality yarn and you’re supporting a small business at the same time. These small retailers sometimes run sales, too.
A Word About Paid Versus Free Patterns
Paid patterns from trusted designers can truly be worth the spend. They’re usually just a few dollars each and buying them is a great way to support independent designers. If you love a pattern but can’t afford the full price, you can always add it to your favorites on Etsy and grab it when the designer runs a sale. But when every penny counts, many of these patterns are also free on the designers’ blogs!
If you’re going to use a free pattern, please stay on the site and view the pattern there, rather than printing or copying it elsewhere (unless the designer explicitly offers a free PDF). Designers work hard to bring us free patterns. For many, it’s more than a full-time job! So tolerating a few ads is the least we can do to support their work and allow them to continue bringing us free content.
What to Wear Underneath Crochet Tank Tops
The nature of crochet fabric, especially the airy stitches common in summer garments, means sometimes it’s a bit holey. So what do you wear underneath your crochet tank tops? In summer, I’ll often choose a bra that matches my skin tone or the color of the yarn. That’s it! Everything important is covered and the sheer look is trendy right now. This obviously won’t work with the more open, lacy designs.
For the designs with more open stitches, or if you prefer a little more coverage, a lightweight tank goes a long way. I’ve picked these up from Walmart on clearance near the end of the season. Look for cotton or rayon/bamboo/Tencel/lycocell (these last four are somewhat interchangeable, as I understand it). Often, they’ll have a little spandex for stretch, which doesn’t affect the breathability too much. But I do not recommend polyester at all for summer wear! You will roast!
For the halter or tops with thinner straps, you could also try a tube top or belly band to cover up any extra skin around your middle that you don’t care to show. I have a stretchy skirt that I use under some of my crochet skirts (more on those later!), but if I wear it up higher, it also makes a perfect belly cover.
Crochet Tank Top Styling Tips
When you spend hours crocheting a handmade garment, you should feel good wearing it. If your garment came out larger than expected, your weight has changed, or you just prefer a different look, you may avoid wearing it. And that’s sad. Don’t let your hard work sit unused in a drawer! Instead, try these styling tips to wear your tank tops confidently!
- Need more structure? If your stitch pattern allows, weave a thin belt through the stitches at waist level. This will cinch the garment in and add structure and proportion. It also helps support the weight of the fabric in lower rows. For stitch patterns with smaller openings, try making a long chain to use as a drawstring. I used a drawstring in the Sarasota Tank below.
- Want more coverage? Wear a little shrug or bolero with your crochet tank tops for modesty, in buildings with cold AC, or for more professional/formal settings.
- Want to wear your tank tops year-round? Add a jacket or cardigan and keep on wearing your crochet tank tops all year long!
Yarn for Crochet Tank Tops
I use and recommend natural fibers for garments, especially summer crochet garments. For all of these crochet tank top patterns, I used blends of cotton and/or bamboo. Although I haven’t worked with linen yarn, it would also be a good choice. I don’t prefer acrylic for summer tops. However, one of these yarns is a cotton/acrylic blend. If your shoulders and back are uncovered, you may even get away with straight acrylic!
For summer garments, sport (#2) or fingering (#1) weight yarns will yield lighter fabrics and often create a nicer drape. But I’m all about using what you have, and there’s so much you can do with thicker yarns! In fact, two of the tank tops in this collection are made with worsted weight (#4) yarn! With an open stitch pattern and a natural fiber, you can still make a cool and comfy tank top from worsted yarn.
But let’s face it, you’re here for the patterns, right? So let’s get on with it!
5 Crochet Tank Top Patterns I’ve Made and Love
Sarasota Tank
by Two Brothers Blankets • free pattern on the blog or $8.00 on Etsy
Although you can now find this tank top pattern for free on the site, I picked up the pattern on sale a few years ago and I feel it’s worth it! It’s well-organized and the instructions are very clear. This top has a pretty and unique lace stitch pattern with lots of open spaces, which gives it a gorgeous drape and lots of breathability.
I lost about 20 pounds after making this and it’s huge on me now. It’s almost long enough to work as a mini dress, but I’m not comfortable with that length. Instead, I made a long chain (about 2-3 times my waist circumference) and single crocheted in each stitch across to make a drawstring. I threaded it through the stitches of one round and made it into a blouson top. I may also consider shortening the straps at some point for an even better fit.
My least favorite part of my finished tank is a mistake I made—not the designer’s fault at all! I wanted more room in the hips. So I tried to do a weird increase where I worked two repeats in one stitch. They are not evenly spaced around the garment and just look bizarre. But I have no desire to frog it back to that point and start over. And wearing it blouson style covers it anyway. So it is what it is.
But if you make this (or any garment, really), learn from my mistake! Just go up a hook size in areas where you need more room, rather than trying to work an increase in the pattern stitch. It will make a much smoother transition.
I made my tank using some sport-weight yarn I got on sale from Hobby Lobby. I have managed to lose the labels for every single skein. So I don’t know what it’s called but it’s a bamboo/cotton blend and has a shiny thread twisted in that makes it look a little dressy. With the right styling, this one could probably go out to dinner in the evening. There are some other patterns in this collection that would also be fabulous for summer: a drapey kimono-style cardigan and a swimsuit coverup.
The free pattern includes instructions for sizes XS-3X.
Sweet Tea Tank
by The Turtle Trunk • free pattern on the blog or $5.00 on Etsy
This tank is probably the quickest one I’ve made, worked with worsted weight yarn and a size M hook. It has a flattering V neckline both in front and in back. Actually, the front and back panels are identical. I can’t tell which is which. So if you spill on the front, just turn it around and throw a cardigan over the back! 😆
It’s surprisingly cool for worsted weight garment because the larger hook creates a loose tension and more open stitches. This is a very wearable design and a good basic shape to have in your wardrobe. I’d definitely make this one again in a different color.
As an added frugal win, I bought this yarn on clearance at Walmart, the Mainstays 100% Cotton. It’s sooo soft. It feels a lot like I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby if you’re familiar with that brand. This stuff is normally $3.48 per 3.5 oz skein, when you can find it in stock. Since there are no yarn or craft stores within an hour of me (that I know of), I love that Walmart offers this option. It took just over 2 skeins (I think). The only caveat with this yarn is it tends to shed a lot. So just be aware that for your first few washes, you may have a lot of lint to deal with.
The free pattern comes with instructions for sizes XS-5X and cropped or full length. It also includes a full video tutorial!
Summer House Tank
by Briana K Designs • free pattern on the blog (DK weight only) or $15.00 on Etsy (four yarn weights)
I love the versatility of this pattern. The paid version offers stitch counts for four different yarn weights, from superfine to worsted. For this particular tank, I used the sport weight version. You could do the math to convert to different yarn weights. But I appreciated having this done for me.
This is a fun pattern to work. At its core, it’s a simple tank. But it has some cute details that make it extra special, like the puff stitch “braids” on the sides and straps. Incidentally, those first puff stitch rows are also the most challenging part of the pattern (especially working into the chain). But I’d encourage you to stick with it! Watch the video if you need to. I’m a fan of written instructions but I needed a visual for those first few rows. Once you get the hang of it, the puff stitches are fun to work and almost become meditative.
My color choices are a little crazy on this one, but I love it! Several years ago, I won a gift card to Hobby Lobby and it just so happened that I found a Stone Washed/River Washed Color Pack from Scheepjes on sale for $12.49. At the time, it retailed for $49.99! This yarn is a beautiful cotton/acrylic blend, with a base color and a fuzzy halo of a second color—either white (Stone Washed) or a contrasting color (River Washed).
This was maybe the best yarn deal I’ve ever gotten but I had no idea what to do with it. I’ve made a handful of small projects with these mini skeins, like Christmas ornaments. But as part of my ongoing destash process and my self-imposed restriction on buying more yarn, I wanted to use these up in a single project. So I used egg cartons to arrange the mini skeins in a sort of gradient. As I worked, I alternated colors every two rows, adding in the next color when one ran out.
Oh, and I still didn’t use all the mini skeins. My color choice probably detracts from the puff stitch details, so I’d love to make it in a solid or even an ombre sometime. And there are 3 more yarn weights to try so this is a distinct possibility!
To keep the straps consistent, I made them both with the same color of Premier Cotton Fair, which is also a cotton/acrylic blend. I don’t love acrylic for summer wear, but since these yarns are majority cotton and the top leaves the back and shoulders exposed, that helps you stay cool. Also, the stitch is dense enough that you don’t need another cami underneath, which also makes a huge difference to me. However, I cut it a little close on gauge and my top turned out shorter than expected, so I may end up wearing a tube top or belly band underneath for a little extra coverage.
The pattern for the DK-weight version, in sizes XS-5X, is available for free on the blog and also includes a full video tutorial! Or you can buy a pattern bundle with all four yarn weights on Etsy. $14.99 sounds a bit spendy, but when you think of all you’re getting, it’s actually a great deal. This is a really classic garment that you can make again and again. And it frequently goes on sale, so watch for that, too.
Gaia Halter Top
by Mermaidcat Designs • $5.55 on the designer’s site
I used a paid pattern for this top and I think it was well worth it. This is a well-written pattern, with color coding for each size, which I found very helpful. You can do similar on your own by using a highlighter (or markup on the PDF version). But it was an extra bonus to have that done already, and also ensures I don’t accidentally highlight the wrong thing.
The pattern provides stitch counts for several sizes but explains how to further customize at different points to modify the size and length, which I did a lot of. I added extra length to cover my belly. I also wanted to eliminate large gaps in the back so I could wear it with a strapless bra. So instead of the corset style laces, I extended the back pieces to overlap and added buttons. Since the sides and back are worked side-to-side, it’s very easy to adjust the width.
The yarn itself is a beautiful bamboo cotton blend from the FiberLady, a local(ish) shop that specializes in bamboo yarns! If you’re going to splurge on yarn, this brand is worth it and I love supporting a small business when I can! However, I bought this yarn under different financial circumstances and I know that it’s a lot to spend on yarn at once. LionBrand Coboo or Truboo also would be solid choices, as would a DK weight cotton.
Waterlily Lace Top
by The Snugglery · free pattern on the blog
This top worked up relatively quickly, over a few evenings. It probably took longer because I used several pieces of leftover dishcloth cotton from my stash, some of them scrap length. So I had a lot of yarn changes and ends to deal with. The lace stitch pattern of shells and V-stitches is really lovely and beginner-friendly, although the garment itself requires some intermediate skills to adjust.
This one is offered as a free PDF download, which I appreciate. However, to get the most out of this pattern, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial, as it contains information (like the stitch multiple) that’s not included in the written version.
I wasn’t able to meet gauge as listed in the PDF, even after going down two hook sizes. Part of this could be that I used worsted weight yarn. The pattern calls It calls for a heavier #3 (DK) or lighter #4 (worsted). I used Dishie from Crochet.com, which is a pretty standard #4. However, I really loved the look of this one so I forged ahead anyway. Interestingly, when I followed the stitch counts for my size, it came out correctly.
Several crocheters have commented on the YouTube video that they made this successfully and are even working on a second one. So it may be just me. But if you find your gauge swatch is not working out, I’d recommend just working a few rows of the garment and trying it on as you go. That’s a good practice to follow when making garments anyway.
Try it on every few rows to ensure that it fits correctly and has the length you want before you add the mesh and ties. Make sure you do this periodically, because the weight of the fabric will pull it down and stretch it longer as it grows. If it doesn’t fit as written, you can always adjust it using the stitch multiple given in the video tutorial.
All in all, this top uses a really beautiful lace stitch pattern that’s easy to work, once you get going. Working in a spiral is great because you avoid seams, which can be unsightly. I just wouldn’t recommend this pattern to beginners, as you will likely need to make adjustments. So familiarity with crocheting garments would be helpful here (this article has some great info if you’re new to garments). I applied what I learned from the Sarasota Tank and changed my hook size to narrow the top at the waist and I love the way this one fits!
So what do you think? Which one of these tank tops do you want to crochet? Or have you made any of them before? If so, comment below and share your thoughts!
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