Quick and easy knitted boot toppers (or cuffs) with sweet scalloped edges are a great handmade gift, especially with the free printable wrap tag included!
I’m so happy to be able to share this great pattern I found for knitted boot toppers (also called cuffs) with you and the free printable labels that you can wrap them with to make a sweet gift!
I shared a picture of me knitting these on Instagram and Facebook when I made my first set and realized how easy – and fun – they were, and a number of you agreed with me. I then went on to make many of these for family and friend gifts – and they LOVED them.
Aren’t they cute? I adapted the pattern (find the link below) to have a slightly smaller scallop like the boot cuffs/toppers I have seen for sale and I love how they turned out with a fun, but subtle edge.
To be honest, I had never even thought to knit boot toppers (because my calves are huge and who needs more attention drawn to them, really?) until a friend of mine asked me to knit some for her – and I was just so happy with the outcome that I started thinking of all the people I could give them to! One of the reasons I was so happy with these is that I can finish one in the time it takes to watch a movie with my family – I love it when I can feel productive while sitting in front of the TV, ha!
So, here’s the secret to a boot ‘topper’ – it’s just an illusion of a thick sock, so there’s no bunching up in your actual boot. I’ve found that they stay in place without any problems. One person on a knitting site I was on asked what you do when you need to take your boots off at someone’s house and you don’t want to walk around with the cuffs on the outside of your pants (ha!). The answer? Just take the toppers off, too, and set them in your boots.
How to Make Knitted Scalloped Edge Boot Toppers
(Note: Read through my pattern adjustments first before heading to the pattern, if you want them to look like mine!)
Materials: about 130 yards worsted weight yarn (depending on how long you make the toppers), size 7 circular needles (12″ to knit in the round, larger for knitting flat – or can use straight needles if knitting flat), yarn needle if knit flat to sew seam.
Free pattern here: Feather Lace Boot Topper by Paula McKeever
Pattern Adjustments for boot toppers:
- Use size 7 needles for both the lace top and the ribbing.
- Use a worsted weight wool yarn.
- Knit the topper flat and then stitch the seam closed (I didn’t have 12″ circular needle- you may prefer knitting in the round).
- Knit only 2 lace pattern repeats before changing to rib pattern.
- Make the cuffs 6 inches long total.
- Use a regular, but loose, bind-off.
Note: sometimes when I finished the lace pattern I had lost stitches (I know, but it happens to the best of us!) and didn’t need to knit stitches together 3 times on the row before starting the ribbing – sometimes it was only 2, or 1, or even none. It seems to be a pretty forgiving pattern since I just proceeded, making sure I had 60 stitches for the ribbing section, and everything turned out.
To make these into a fun gift (and to let your recipient know what the heck these are!), download and print out the gift labels I created below. Then cut out, wrap around your finished cuffs, and staple or tape it closed.
The printable is dark brown and sepia colors if printed in color, but comes out black and gray if printed in black and white. Print out on card stock for the best results.
Click on the image below to open in a new window {then click on the download arrow at the top to save to your computer}:
PS: I purposely made these with the word ‘handmade’ instead of ‘hand knit’ so that you could use them even if you were making toppers from old sweaters or something!
Do you wear boot toppers? And do you call them cuffs or toppers?
Oh, and make sure to let me know if you make these and how you like them!
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Carrie Krumrie says
November 11 at 4:04 pmLove the boot topper!!!! I bought some of the socks that had a cute cuff! Worn once, hole in stocking!!!
Can hardly wait to begin!
Sandy says
December 19 at 10:45 amHi, I don’t get how you yarn over at the end and beginning of the lace pattern rows, any hints???
Jami says
December 20 at 3:53 pmI always check YouTube for videos for knitting tutorials, Sandy – they’re very helpful. It’s hard for me to describe (I’m a very basic knitter, ha), but it’s a matter of looping the yarn over the needle which creates a hole but with a loop that you can knit into the next row.
TammyD64 says
January 22 at 4:12 amI have tried several times to download this pattern and it comes up gibberish? Can you send me the pattern to my email? It is so cute. I don’t know what I am doing wrong on ravelry.com, but would really like to try the boot cuff! Thank you.
Ann Swanson says
December 30 at 7:24 amWhere do you find the pattern instructions for the scalloped boot cuffs? Thank You!
Jami says
December 30 at 9:46 amScroll down to the part I’ve titled How to Make Knitted Scalloped Edged Boot Toppers, Ann. The link is right after “free pattern here:” – just click the highlighted, underlined ‘Feather Lace Boot Topper’ 🙂
Annette Taylor says
December 1 at 10:52 amI just love these cuffs and labels. Can you tell us how you made the labels? I would like to be able to change the words to encompass various items such as gloves, hats, baby outfits …? Thank you.
Jami says
December 1 at 11:27 amThank you, Annette – I’m glad you like them! I used PicMonkey to make them, though it’s a little involved to explain unless you are familiar with the program. I used the design function, rounded rectangle overlay and then made straight lines, erasing the area of the rectangle to create the ‘wrap’ before adding the font. Does that help?
mb welch says
November 28 at 6:12 pmWOW!!! so glad you sent the lost letters! these are a great idea! I will be looking through my stash to figure out which yarns to start with!!
Thanks for all your great ideas
Sakura says
November 19 at 4:39 pmThose are so cute. I taught myself to knit in 2013, but switched to crochet because I felt the projects were faster. Now I have to practice knitting again so I can make these, they are so cute. Thanks for the labels, I’m going to make these as gifts for a few friends!!! I hope you post more knitting patterns in the future, working with yarn is very relaxing for me.
Mindy says
November 19 at 1:06 pmThose are awesome. Dang I wish I could knit.
Jami says
November 19 at 4:04 pmSure you don’t want to learn? 😉
jane a fennell says
January 8 at 3:06 pmI cannot find the Knitted scallop edged boot topper pattern… when I click on the pattern and it takes me to ravelry, it is not the pattern for the knitted scallop edged boot topper… it is a complete different pattern….. HELP!!!!
Jami says
January 8 at 9:10 pmThat is the pattern, Jane – I just clicked on it to double-check that it still worked. I made some adjustments to the pattern when I knitted them (listed under how to make them) – I only made 2 rows of lace and used a wool yarn, both of which make them look different from the pictures on ravelry. I promise it’s the same pattern, though. 🙂