If you have ever wondered why some crochet home décor items feel so different from others, the answer often comes down to the yarn. The type of yarn used in a crochet piece directly affects how it looks, how it feels, how it washes, and how long it lasts. Two of the most commonly used yarn types are cotton and acrylic. Here is everything you need to know about both.
Cotton Yarn for Crochet Home Décor
Cotton yarn is the gold standard for home décor crochet items. It is natural, breathable, and has a beautiful soft sheen that makes finished pieces look polished and elegant. Cotton holds its shape well, which is especially important for items like doilies, tablecloths, and cushion covers where structure and drape matter.
Cotton is also easy to wash and maintains its colour well over time. It does not pill or fuzz up with use, which means your cotton crochet pieces continue to look great wash after wash. For anything that will be displayed on a table or used daily, cotton is by far the superior choice.
The one consideration with cotton is that it can be slightly stiffer to work with when crocheting, and it is generally more expensive than acrylic yarn. However, the quality and longevity of the finished piece more than justify the cost.
Acrylic Yarn for Crochet Home Décor
Acrylic yarn is synthetic, affordable, and comes in an enormous range of colours. It is soft, lightweight, and easy to find. Many beginners start with acrylic because it is forgiving and widely available.
However, for home décor specifically, acrylic has some drawbacks. It tends to pill over time, especially on pieces that are handled regularly. It is also less breathable than cotton and can feel slightly plasticky compared to natural fibres. Acrylic may not block as well as cotton, which can make it harder to achieve a neat, flat finish on doilies and lacework pieces.
Which Should You Choose?
For most crochet home décor — tablecloths, doilies, cushion covers — cotton is the clear winner. It is durable, beautiful, and feels luxurious against the skin. At RavelBerry, we exclusively use premium cotton yarn for all our handmade pieces, precisely because we know that quality materials make all the difference in a handcrafted home décor item.
