How to Crochet Bobble Pixel Art: Stardew Valley Chicken Wall Hanging

A pixel chart becomes something tactile when each colored square is represented by a raised crochet bobble. This wall hanging uses that idea to create a Stardew Valley–inspired chicken against a blue sky and green ground.

The brown outline helps the chicken remain distinct from its background, while cream, yellow, orange, and red create the details within the silhouette. The bobbles add texture without requiring separate motifs to be joined.

The most important part of this project is understanding how the chart translates into stitches. One chart square is not one crochet stitch, and one chart row is not one crochet row.

Materials to Prepare

• Yarn in the colors shown on the chart.

• A crochet hook suited to your yarn.

• Scissors and a yarn needle.

• Stitch markers.

• The 24×24 chart.

• A dowel or hanging rod and cord for finishing.

• Optional yarn for fringe.

Choose yarns of similar thickness so the pixels remain consistent across color changes. A much thicker outline yarn can distort neighboring sections.

The exact finished dimensions depend on your yarn, hook, and tension. Make a small bobble sample before estimating the size of the wall hanging or choosing its rod.

How One Crochet Pixel Works

Each chart square occupies two stitches across and two crochet rows.

Crochet row Work across one pixel

Bobble row 1 single crochet + 1 four-double-crochet bobble

Return row 2 single crochets

Across those two rows, one pixel contains one bobble and three single crochets.

Follow the video for the bobble construction and closure. A bobble worked across several foundation stitches would change the width; here, it occupies one stitch position beside the single crochet.

Keep the textured face of the panel consistent as you work. Check that the bobbles project toward the intended display side.

Calculate the Working Width

The method uses:

Chart width × 2 + 2 edge stitches

For this 24-pixel chart:

24 × 2 + 2 = 50 working stitches

That gives 48 stitches for the pixels, plus one edge stitch on each side.

Keep the turning chain separate from the working stitch count. Follow the video for forming the foundation; do not assume that 50 working stitches automatically means chaining exactly 50.

Mark the two edge stitches. They sit outside the 24-pixel image and should not accidentally become part of the first or last pixel repeat.

Read the Chart from the Bottom Up

Begin with Chart Row 24 at the bottom and finish with Chart Row 1 at the top.

Complete two crochet rows for each chart row:

1. 1.Work the bobble row using that chart row’s colors.

1. 2.Turn and work the single-crochet return row over the same colored pixels.

Only then move upward to the next chart row.

The 24 chart rows therefore correspond to 48 crochet rows for the image, apart from any foundation or finishing work.

Reverse the Color Order on the Return Row

After turning, you approach the same pixels from the opposite direction. Reverse the sequence of color blocks while keeping each block above its matching section.

For example, a bobble row containing three blue pixels followed by two green pixels is worked back across those sections as two green pixels followed by three blue pixels.

Each pixel still occupies two stitches. Two green pixels require four green stitches on the return row, not two.

Use a row marker or a piece of paper to cover the chart rows you are not currently working. Mark a chart row complete only after finishing both crochet rows.

Change Colors at the Boundary

Change yarn during the final pull-through of the preceding stitch, as demonstrated in the tutorial. This brings the new color into position for the next pixel.

Check the boundary before working several more bobbles. An error near the chicken’s outline can become much harder to locate once the surrounding details are complete.

For a block of several identical pixels, count both the pixels and their stitch positions. Five pixels occupy ten working stitches.

Avoid changing color simply because you have reached a bobble. The chart controls the color of both stitches within each pixel.

Manage the Yarn on the Back

Keep unused yarn on the reverse side of the panel. Follow the video’s carrying or rejoining method for the area you are working.

Short carried sections should have enough slack to let the fabric lie naturally. Tight strands can pull distant color blocks together and make the panel curl.

For widely separated areas of the same color, separate small yarn supplies may be easier to manage than a long strand across the back.

Check the reverse side periodically for tangles and exposed loops. Weave ends into matching-color areas without drawing the fabric inward.

Check the Pixel Proportions

The formula defines the stitch layout, but your tension determines whether the pixels look approximately square.

Make a small sample using the same bobble and return-row method. Compare its width and height before starting the full chart.

Very tall bobble loops can stretch the image vertically. Conversely, tightly compressed stitches may make the texture difficult to form.

Aim for consistent loops and comfortable tension. Blocking can refine the finished shape, but it cannot correct uneven bobbles or misplaced color changes.

Check Your Progress at Recognizable Features

Pause when you reach the feet, lower body, wing, and head. Compare the completed color blocks with the corresponding chart area.

Look for small errors while they remain easy to undo:

• A color change shifted by one pixel.

• A missing bobble-and-single-crochet pair.

• An edge stitch counted as part of the image.

• A return row worked in the wrong color order.

• A chart row marked complete after only one crochet row.

Count the full working width whenever an edge begins to lean. It should remain at 50 stitches unless the instructions explicitly introduce a finishing change.

Finish the Wall Hanging

Secure the yarn ends on the back and inspect the front for contrasting tails showing between the bobbles.

Shape or block the panel using a method appropriate for the yarn. Preserve the raised texture rather than pressing it flat.

Attach the top edge evenly to the hanging rod. Support the width at several points so the panel does not gather at the center.

Add the hanging cord and test the arrangement on the wall before completing optional fringe. Trim the fringe while the panel hangs in its final position to judge the lower edge more easily.

Watch the Bobble Pixel Tutorial

The video demonstrates the pixel method, starting formula, tension, color changes, chart reading, and finishing.

Useful chapter points:

• 0:20: Bobble pixel method.

• 1:04: Materials and colors.

• 1:33: Starting-stitch formula.

• 4:06: Tension.

• 4:32: Color changes and yarn management.

• 5:19: Reading the chart.

• 6:40: Finishing.

• 7:20: Common mistakes.

Adapt the Method to Another Chart

For another rectangular pixel design, calculate the working width using the same formula and assign two crochet rows to each chart row.

Keep a strong contrast between the subject and background. Small color differences that are clear on a screen can disappear when translated into yarn.

Test the stitch proportions before committing to a larger design. More chart squares increase both the number of color decisions and the finishing work.

Care for the Finished Panel

Dust the wall hanging gently without pulling on the bobbles or fringe. Remove the rod before washing when practical, and follow the yarn’s care instructions.

Reshape and dry the panel completely before rehanging. Store it without heavy objects pressing directly on the textured surface.

This is an unofficial Stardew Valley–inspired fan project and is not affiliated with ConcernedApe. Crochet method, chart presentation, and video by Crochetnotes.