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How to make a hacky sack

Hacky Sack - a free crochet pattern from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Now that summer’s rolling around, I bet you’re looking for excuses to get you (and your kids) outside! How about making a hacky sack? (Don’t know what playing hacky sack looks like? It’s worth having a look on YouTube!)

how to crochet a hacky sack

If you can single crochet, you can make a hacky sack! I’ll show you how!

Hacky Sack Materials

To make 1 hacky sack, you’ll need:

  • 30 yards of dk-weight, cotton yarn
  • a size G (4.0mm) crochet hook
  • a fist-full of poly-pellets
  • a nylon knee-high sock

cotton yarn for hacky sack

Crochet Hacky Sack Pattern

Rusty on your crochet? Check out my tutorials for how to single crochet, increase and decrease.

Start with a sloppy slip knot.

Ch 2.

Round 1: Sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook. (6)
Round 2: Sc twice in each st. (12)
Round 3: *Sc twice in next st, sc in next st. Repeat from * 5 times. (18)
Round 4: *Sc twice in next st, sc in next 2 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (24)
Round 5: *Sc twice in next st, sc in next 3 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (30)
Round 6: *Sc twice in next st, sc in next 4 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (36)
Rounds 7-12 Sc in each st. (36, 6 rounds)
Round 13: *Sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (30)

Remove hook…

how to crochet hacky sack

Place a handful of poly-beads in the nylon sock and sew it up. Your goal is to create a ball that will fill your hacky sack about 90% full:

poly pellets

Place your stuffed stocking inside your crochet.

how to fill a hacky sack

Continue crocheting…

Round 14: *Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (24)
Round 15: *Sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (18)
Round 16: *Sc2tog, sc in next st. Repeat from * 5 times. (12)
Round 17: *Sc2tog. Repeat from * 5 times. (6)
Round 18: Use the drawstring method to fasten off, and weave in the end!

how to make a hacky sack

Variations

Want to use a thicker yarn, like Lily’s Sugar & Cream? Simply skip rounds 6 & 13 (working fewer increase rounds), and use a size H (5.0mm) hook.

For more fun, add stripes of color! There’s a video here showing how to change colors with single crochet.

Happy stitching!

48 COMMENTS

  1. Joan SAYS...

    Sooo much funtimes with this hacky sack pattern, thank you. That’s a nice color you made.

    • Jane SAYS...

      Why not your hacky sack into a personal shower scrubby? Just add hanging loop to dry it after use.

  2. Jacey SAYS...

    Oh my gosh, what a great idea! This is going on my immediate to-do list so that we have plenty to play with this summer!

  3. Donna SAYS...

    Maybe you can help me? I’m trying to figure out how I can crochet a design into a hacky sack. I’m worried about how off it would look if I used a graph. I’ve only ever used a graph with filet so I still consider myself a beginner.
    Thank you for the pattern, even if I can’t get a design in it, this is a great pattern. 🙂

    • You could certainly experiment with some colorwork!

  4. Jared SAYS...

    Hi, I just wanted to add that, when making a hacky-sack for kicking around (Not a stress ball that you squeeze with your hand) you don’t want to use the sock filled with the poly pellets. You want to just make the stitches a little tighter than normal and put the pellets inside the hacky sack itself. I’ve been using hacky sacks for the last 16 years and I actually still have one of my first ones. The reason you don’t want to use the sock is because with time and use, the hacky sack will stretch a little bit and some of the beans will come out but not all of them. And the hacky sack will get much better with age, or (broken-in) as I like to call it. This pattern is great tho.

    • Oooh, that’s great to know! Thanks for writing in! (you can probably tell I’m not a real hacky sack user 😉 )

      • Thanks for this great post! My grandson asked me to make him a crochet hacky sack so I had to go on a hunt to find all the right materials. I’d never even thought of making one before! Now I know what to do!

      • Jared SAYS...

        Hii have you made any refinements to this since the last time I wrote in?

    • Diana Hatch SAYS...

      I am afraid I am confused. If the the hacky sack will give a little over time, isn’t it better to USE the stocking so that you DON’T lose any of the pellets???

      • Anonymous SAYS...

        Hacky sacks work much better if they are a little saggy and not tightly stuffed. That way they ‘settle’ on your foot better to do tricks. If they are tightly stuffed they are very bouncy. So a Crochet hacky stretches over time and looses some pellets and then ‘settles’ better. It gives you those great tricks where it pauses on your toe or the bill of your cap etc.

    • Anonymous SAYS...

      👍

    • Lacey SAYS...

      I just made one last night without the sock on the inside. When my son uses it the pellets keep falling out. Any advice? Thank you!

      • Alexis SAYS...

        You just need to make the stiches tighter.

      • Jared SAYS...

        Make stitches a little bit tighter and use bigger pellets. Over time the yarn will get more malleable and stretched a little. Never ever let the hacky sack get wet or it will not be the same ever again. Also make sure you fill the hacky sack between 1/2 and 2/3. The best way to break it in is the throw it at a hard surface over and over or on concrete you roll it under your shoe. It helps break it in and make not bounce when it lands. In case the user wants to do what’s called “stalling” where the hacky sack lands on your head or foot and it conforms to where it lands so that it doesn’t bounce.

      • Aimee SAYS...

        If you want to keep the pellets loose. My thought would be to step down a needle size or two to help tighten your stitches. I have been having a bit of trouble getting one right for my nephew. I searched hackysack fillers. I found one that is basically spherical shaped chain mail links. I think it was 20 bucks. It’s supposed to alleviate the problem of fall out and be a spot on weight for a hackysack. Best of luck!

      • Anonymous SAYS...

        Tighter Stiches:)

    • Joshua Taylor SAYS...

      Yep I agree! I’ve been hacky sacking since the early 90s…tight stitches no nylon. One of the true joys of the game is getting the sack broken in just right. Also, when not playing, handle it with your hands as much as possible. The oils from you hands will help protect the yarn some.

    • Aimee SAYS...

      Thank you so much!!!! Tiny key piece of info I needed.

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  6. Trixie SAYS...

    What does sc mean?

    • Anonymous SAYS...

      Read the abbreviations that are in a book that you have or if you dont have a book you can look at the top of the pattern lol🙃🙃🙃

    • Aimee SAYS...

      Single crochet stitch

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  8. Patty Nickolaus SAYS...

    Make it out of wool and half again as big as you want it to be. Make the bead filled sock a
    little smaller than you want the finished sack to be and insert it before you finish off the sack. Wash it in the washing machine in hot soapy water and dry in a hot dryer. Your sack will shrink and tighten up, and it will be very durable.

  9. Debra Lambert SAYS...

    Round 13: *Sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts. Repeat from * 5 times. (30)

    I do not understand what this means. I tried to google it and could not find it. Im guessing it would want me to skip stitches?

    Also, this is quite large. The other balls I looked up are much smaller. What are the dimensions on this supposed to be?

    Thank you,
    Debra

    • Sc2tog is single crochet 2 stitches together, or decrease. Sc in next 4 sts is single crochet in next 4 stitches. Then repeat that whole sequence 5 more times. I don’t have my sample anymore so I can’t give you exact dimensions, but (when made with the yarn and hook size specified) it’s maybe 2 to 2 1/2 inches across – a pretty standard hacky sack size. You can make it smaller by using thinner yarn and a smaller hook.

    • Anonymous SAYS...

      Sc2tog = single crochet 2 together (there are YouTube videos if you are unsure how to do this)

      Sc in next 4 sts = single crochet in next 4 stitches

      You are going to do this 5 times for a total of (30) stitches

  10. this is amazing keep posting thanks alot…

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  14. Jane D SAYS...

    Hi question, pretty new to crochet .. still learning to reading patterns. *Sc twice in next st, sc in next st. Repeat from * 5 times. (18)
    Do you mean 5 more times meaning there would be 6? If I repeat what is in the ** I would end up with more then 18?!? I confused?? TIA

    • It means repeat that section after the asterisk five more times for a total of 6. Sc twice in next st, sc in next st. is a total of three stitches. When you repeat that five more times you have a total of 18 stitches in that round.

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    • Single Crochet 2 Together. It’s a more specific way of saying decrease. 🙂

  21. Anonymous SAYS...

    Awesome! Love the feel of this hacky sack. Filled mine with rice instead and is working perfectly. Thank you for this pattern!!!

  22. Dawn SAYS...

    When doing the SC am I going into the front loop the back loop or through both? I know different patterns call for different methods.

      • Anonymous SAYS...

        Thank you

  23. This is such a fun tutorial! I can’t wait to try making my own hacky sack. The step-by-step instructions are super clear, and I love the idea of customizing it with different colors. Thanks for sharing!