There is something about a lace skirt that no solid skirt can quite match, and it is the way it moves. Air passes through it, light passes through it, and every step you take makes the openwork shimmer a little differently, whether you are heading to a beach lunch or a summer wedding. So I have gathered twenty of my favourite crochet lace skirt ideas for you, spanning thigh-length minis through knee and midi lengths right up to sweeping maxis, in fan lace, mesh, shell clusters, floral motifs and charted thread lace. Fourteen of these are written patterns and six are video tutorials, each marked as a video, and every single one is genuinely free.
Before you pick, let me be honest about the mix, because lace skirts are not all lace in the same way. Some of these are openwork from waistband to hem, while others carry their lace in the lower half or in flower-lace panels against a plainer upper section, and I have said so plainly in each description so you know exactly what you are making. Lengths are stated honestly too, from a sixteen-inch beach mini to skirts that fall past eighty centimetres, plus several adjustable designs where you choose the length yourself. A few of the sheerest styles are happiest worn over a slip, leggings or swimwear, which only makes them more versatile. Choose the length and the lace that suits your summer, and let us hook something beautiful.
1. Lady Lace in Soft Merino, Falling Long
We are starting with the grandest silhouette in the whole collection, a long DROPS skirt worked top down in their smooth Merino Extra Fine with double crochet and charted lace patterning. Five lace diagrams carry the design from the waist down to a hem that finishes somewhere between seventy-five and eighty-four centimetres depending on your size, so this is a true below-knee to maxi length rather than a flirty knee skirt. The size range runs from S all the way to XXXL, and the waist is finished with buttonhole loops and a twined string tie that lets you cinch it exactly where you want it. Because the lace is charted rather than written row by row, it suits a crocheter who enjoys following a diagram and watching openwork grow. In a soft natural white or a muted sage it is the skirt I would wear to every summer evening that calls for something a little special.
Pattern: Lady Lace (DROPS 165-33) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
2. A Lacy Skirt and Belt Set for Everyday Summer
Caron's Lacy Days set is the kind of practical pretty I reach for again and again, because it pairs a knee-length lacy skirt with a matching medallion belt that ties in a soft bow at the waist. The skirt itself is worked in airy chain and split single crochet stitches in Caron All Day Cotton with a five-millimetre hook, and the finished length runs about twenty-four to twenty-six inches, which sits right at the knee to midi zone on most figures. Sizes run from XS/S up to a generous 4/5XL, and the pattern is a free download from Yarnspirations with no sign-up needed. The belt is what lifts it from a simple skirt to a styled outfit, since the medallion and bow give your waist a finished, intentional look. Wear the set together for a put-together summer outfit, or wear the skirt alone with any tucked-in tee.
Pattern: Lacy Days Skirt and Belt by Caron at Yarnspirations — Get the free pattern
3. Two Layers of Lace, One Beautiful Maxi
Kate Kosenko Veselunka's Twinlace design is clever in a way I adore, because it gives you two skirts in one: a soft underskirt and a lace overskirt, both worked from the same waistband so they move together like a single garment. The overskirt carries a light open texture that is slightly sheer, which is exactly why the designer styles it layered, and you work top down and simply stop at the length that feels right for you. Sizes run from one to seven with waists from sixty-six to one hundred and seven centimetres and finished lengths from seventy-six to eighty-eight centimetres, so this is a long, graceful maxi. The yarn pairing is dreamy too, a Unicorn and Diablo mohair combination on six and nine-millimetre hooks with an elastic ribbon waist for comfort. If you love the look of sheer lace but want the coverage of a lining built right in, this two-layer construction solves it elegantly.
Pattern: Twinlace Skirt by Kate Kosenko Veselunka — Get the free pattern
4. Fan Lace That Falls Just to the Knee
Rosalina is a DROPS fan-pattern skirt that proves lace does not have to mean maxi length to feel romantic, since it finishes at a neat knee length of about thirty-eight to forty-eight centimetres depending on size. It is worked top down, first back and forth until the side vent is done and then in the round, in DROPS Muskat cotton with a four-millimetre hook, and the fan diagrams give the fabric a scalloped, almost seashell rhythm. A buttonhole loop edge with a button folding band closes the vent beautifully, and the size range runs from S to XXXL so plenty of figures can enjoy it. Because the fan lace runs through the skirt rather than sitting only at the hem, it reads as lace from every angle. In a bright coral or a classic white it is the knee skirt I would pack for a holiday where one skirt has to do everything.
Pattern: Rosalina (DROPS 190-28) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
5. A Beach Skirt With Lace in the Lower Half
Here is an honest entry, and I want to be clear about its construction before you fall for it: the Beach Rendezvous skirt works its upper body in plain treble stitches with gentle increases, and saves its lacework for the lower half, where two lace diagrams open the fabric out beautifully. The skirt body itself measures about fifty-two to sixty-two centimetres, which puts it in the knee to midi range, and then a separate ten-centimetre double crochet waistband with button loops and a button band finishes the split waist. It is worked in the round top down, turning after each round, in worsted weight yarn, and the lace sections are classified by the designer as lace pattern rather than a mere lace edge. Please note the DROPS number here, 239-36, because a Beach Rendezvous dress with the nearby number 239-35 already exists elsewhere and this skirt is a different pattern. Worn over swimwear at the beach or with a simple camisole in town, that plain-to-lace gradient is genuinely flattering.
Pattern: Beach Rendezvous Skirt (DROPS 239-36) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
6. Treble Body, Lace Hem, Knee Length
Primrose follows a similar honest formula to the skirt above it, and I am flagging the shape of its lace for the same reason: a plain treble body with increases carries you from the waist down, and then a lace diagram section opens up the lower half of the skirt for about twelve centimetres at the hem. Worked top down in DROPS Muskat cotton with a four-millimetre hook, first back and forth from a side vent and then in the round, it finishes at about forty-six to fifty-six centimetres, which is a comfortable knee to midi length. A buttonhole loop edge with a button folding band closes it neatly, and the pattern is completely free on the Garnstudio site. Again, mind the number: this is Primrose Skirt, DROPS 190-27, not the Primrose dress numbered 186-2 that belongs to a different garment. In a soft butter yellow or dusty pink it is a sweet, wearable knee skirt with just enough lace to catch the light.
Pattern: Primrose Skirt (DROPS 190-27) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
7. A Sixteen-Inch Mesh Mini for the Beach
If your summer lives at the beach, this little mesh mini deserves a place in your bag, because it is short, breezy and unapologetically made for warm days. The full pattern text is published on FaveCrafts from Red Heart Yarn, worked in the round from the waist down: solid half-double rounds shape the waist and hips first, and then an open mesh repeat of chain-seven spaces and chain-three spaces takes over from round six all the way to the hem. The finished length is sixteen inches, a true mini, in sizes from S to 2X with hips and waists from thirty-six to fifty-two inches, worked in a bamboo-blend yarn with a six-and-a-half-millimetre hook. Because the upper section is solid and only the lower section turns to mesh, it stays wearable without a lining while still feeling deliciously airy. Throw it over your swimsuit with a straw hat and you are beach-ready in the prettiest way.
Pattern: Florida Beach Skirt by Red Heart — Get the free pattern
8. Mesh Grid and Picot Lace Layers, Mini Length
Jane Green at Beautiful Crochet Stuff builds this mini skirt the way I like my summer layers built, with structure first and lace second: a mesh grid body worked for twenty-six rounds, then picot lace layers added over it with a grid round skipped between each layer, and a front-post waistband to finish. The yarn is a sport-weight cotton-acrylic blend on a tiny two-millimetre hook, which gives the lace a fine, almost thread-like delicacy, and the size is made to measure because you simply chain according to your own measurements. The sample length is a mini, and the pattern itself tells you to add more grid rounds if you want it longer, so the length is genuinely in your hands. Please do not confuse this one with the ruffle-layered mini later in this collection: that one is a different designer with two ruffle layers, while this one is Jane's mesh grid with picot lace layers. In the sample's sunny yellow it is pure holiday joy, but it would be just as lovely in white over a tan.
Pattern: Layered Crochet Skirt by Jane Green at Beautiful Crochet Stuff — Get the free pattern
9. A Thigh-Length Lace Mini, Free on Ribblr
Crochetstopshop's Thigh Lace Skirt does exactly what its name promises, with a thigh-length mini silhouette worked in open lace that is made for confident summer styling. The pattern is free on Ribblr as an interactive ePattern, which means you follow it row by row in the app with stitch tutorials, US and UK term switching and centimetre to inch conversion built in, rather than downloading a PDF. It is rated intermediate and worked with a six-millimetre hook, using one ball of accent yarn and one to two balls of main yarn depending on your size, and makers who have tried it rate it highly for ease of following. Because the name itself gives you the length, I will not invent a centimetre measurement the designer does not publish: this is a thigh-length mini, styled best with a longer top or a light layer for balance. In a soft cream or a bold coral it is a fun, flirty addition to a summer wardrobe.
Pattern: Thigh Lace Skirt by Crochetstopshop — Get the free pattern
10. The Skirt Version of a Ballet-Inspired Lace Design
Knotsof_luv's Sylphide design is a generous one, because a single pattern teaches you how to make it as a dress, a top, a skirt, or a matching set, and for this collection we are counting only the skirt version. The stitch is a lacy star flower worked in basic single and treble stitches, inspired by the ballet Sylphide, and the whole design is made to measure so you choose the length that suits you rather than following a fixed size chart. It is rated beginner friendly and free on Ribblr, where the interactive ePattern lets you track your rows and switch between US and UK terms as you work. The designer suggests a mohair-style yarn for softness and even notes that you can wear a tank top underneath if you prefer more coverage through the see-through sections. That honesty about sheerness is part of the charm: make the skirt length you love, layer it as you like, and let the star-flower lace do the talking.
Pattern: Sylphide Lacey Topskirt Dress by Knotsof_luv — Get the free pattern
11. Charted Motifs in a Single Classic Size
Angelica Schmitt's Gaby skirt is a different kind of lace experience, because it is worked from charts rather than written rows, with motifs forming the whole fabric in a classic, elegant rhythm. The Ravelry page carries a clear free pattern label for this advanced design, which is written in a single size six and worked in Circulo Charme sport-weight cotton with a three-and-a-half-millimetre hook, six skeins in total, plus lining fabric and an elastic cord for the finish. I should be upfront about one gap: the finished length is not published on the pattern page, so I am not inventing a number for it, and the honest way to describe it is a charted-motif skirt whose length follows the motif layout you work. If you enjoy chart reading and want a skirt with a more tailored, boutique feel, this one rewards patience beautifully. Make it in a natural ecru and it will go with everything in your closet.
Pattern: Gaby Skirt by Angelica Schmitt — Get the free pattern
12. Fine-Thread Charted Lace From Pierrot
Pierrot's 370la lace skirt is the most delicate entry in this collection, worked in fine thread on Japanese lace hooks in sizes zero and two, which are one-and-three-quarter and one-and-a-half millimetres. The Ravelry page offers the pattern as a free download, with both English and Japanese versions fully charted in standard crochet symbols, so this one is for crocheters who are comfortable following a chart rather than reading rows. As with the skirt above it, no finished length or size range is published on the pattern page, so I will describe it honestly as a fine-thread charted lace skirt whose length follows the chart you work. That delicacy is the whole point: in a fine white or ivory thread, blocked gently, it has the airy precision of heirloom lace. Layer it over a simple slip and it becomes the most refined piece in your summer wardrobe.
Pattern: 370la Lace Skirt by Pierrot — Get the free pattern
13. Flower Lace Panels and a Boho Spirit
Sandnes Garn's Cahla skirt brings a lovely boho spirit to this collection, worked from the waist down in their soft Tynn Line cotton-linen blend with a folded double waistband for a clean finish. The construction alternates a flower diagram with a second textured diagram, working back and forth first for a slit at the middle back and then in rounds, with buttonhole slit bands and buttons closing the back and a picot edging finishing the hem. The Ravelry page offers it as a free download, and the length is adjustable by design: you simply work more or fewer rounds of the flower diagram until the skirt suits you, measuring it in its hanging position since it can relax a little when worn. Because the flower lace sits in panels against the textured sections rather than covering every row, I am describing it as a flower-lace panel skirt, which is the honest shape of its openwork. In a sandy natural shade it is the skirt I picture on a balcony in summer, barefoot and completely at ease.
Pattern: Cahla Skirt by Sandnes Design — Get the free pattern
14. Stripes and Open V-Stitches at the Knee
Sonja Otto's Capri skirt is my honest wildcard in this collection, because its design intent is stripes and a pleat look rather than pure lace, and I am including it for the openwork that runs through it. The skirt is worked top down in DK yarn with a three-and-three-quarter-millimetre hook, with waistband rows and then rounds of front-post columns and V-stitches worked in horizontal colour stripes, which creates vertical lines that resemble stitched-down pleats. The finished length is twenty-one to twenty-two inches, a comfortable knee length, in five sizes with waists from twenty-six to forty-two inches, and the full pattern text is free on the I Like Crochet site. My honest framing is this: it is a striped skirt whose V-stitch rounds keep the fabric open and breathable throughout, so it earns its place here as an openwork design even though stripes lead the look. Please credit only this original Capri from early 2018 if you make it, since a separate lakefront version of the same name exists elsewhere. In a navy and cream stripe it is crisp, coastal and endlessly wearable.
Pattern: Capri Skirt by Sonja M. Otto — Get the free pattern
15. Heritage Pleats From Croatia, Taught by Video
This one is a video tutorial, and it is worth your time precisely because it teaches something no written row list quite captures: a lace skirt made in parts and sections, inspired by the traditional pleated skirts of Croatia and the wider continental European style. The designer's Ravelry page points to the video as the crocheting guidance for the project, and the tutorial walks you through building the skirt section by section rather than in one continuous round. Two colour styles are shown, a soft Bleached Sand and a bolder High Risk Red, which tells you how differently the same lace can feel depending on your palette. Because no finished length is published for this design, I will describe it honestly as a made-in-sections heritage lace skirt whose length is shown in the tutorial rather than stated in numbers. If you love folk-inspired craft with a story behind it, this video-led make is a beautiful weekend project.
Pattern: Croatia Lace Skirt by Susan’s Family — Get the free pattern
16. A Body-Hugging Lace Base, Taught by Video
This one is a video tutorial too, and I want to be upfront about its pricing before you click: the written version of Shylercrochets' Skirt with Lace Trim is sold for five dollars, so I am counting it here only as a video tutorial, which is free to follow. The design itself is a body-hugging skirt with a crochet lace base and a block-design top section, worked in four-ply acrylic yarn with a four-millimetre hook, three to four balls depending on your size. That close fit is what makes it different from the flowing maxis elsewhere in this collection: the lace hugs rather than flares, so it pairs beautifully with a looser top for balance. Follow the video row by row and you will have a skirt with real shape and a lovely open texture. In a deep jewel tone it is a striking evening piece that still breathes in warm weather.
Pattern: Skirt with Lace Trim by Shylercrochets — Get the free pattern
17. Two Ruffle Layers, Made to Your Measure, Taught by Video
This one is a video tutorial from ABoC Studio, and it answers a question I know some of you were already asking: how is this different from Jane Green's layered skirt earlier in the collection. The answer is in the construction and the designer: this is a two-layer ruffle lace mini skirt, made to measure, where two ruffle layers create the volume and the movement, while Jane's design is a mesh grid body with picot lace layers. The video tutorial walks you through the made-to-measure shaping step by step, and the designer notes that you are welcome to share the video and sell your finished hand-crafted pieces with credit to ABoC Studio. Because you measure as you go, the length is yours to choose, though the design itself sits at mini length. In a soft white or cream it is a sweet, swishy little skirt that looks wonderful with sandals and a simple top.
Pattern: Layered Ruffle Skirt by ABoC Studio — Get the free pattern
18. Flower Lace and a Fitted Waist, Maxi Length, Taught by Video
Our second Shylercrochets entry is also a video tutorial, and it carries the same honest pricing note as the first: the written pattern is sold for seven dollars, so this one counts here only as a video tutorial, which is free to follow. The design is a flower lace stitch beach skirt with a fitted waistband and a maxi length, worked in four-ply DK yarn, about six hundred yards across four balls, with a four-millimetre hook. That combination of a fitted waist and a long, flowing flower-lace body is what makes it so flattering: the waist stays neat while the lace moves freely below it. Follow the video at your own pace and you will have a beach-to-dinner maxi that feels special without feeling fussy. In a variegated yarn the flower lace picks up colour changes beautifully, but a solid shade shows the stitch pattern most clearly.
Pattern: Floral Lace Beach Skirt by Shylercrochets — Get the free pattern
19. Shell Clusters in a Wrap You Tie Yourself, Taught by Video
This one is a video tutorial from MJ's Off The Hook Designs, and it is the most size-inclusive skirt in this collection, running from XS all the way to 5X with hips from thirty-three to sixty-two inches. The design is a wrap, worked as a simple rectangle and tied at the waist for an adjustable fit, in fingering-weight cotton-acrylic yarn with three-and-a-half and four-millimetre hooks, and the shell cluster stitches create a lovely openwork fabric that feels airy and sophisticated. The full step-by-step video tutorial walks you through the skirt in a medium size, and the construction starts with a ribbed band at the hemline before the lace rows build the body up to whatever length you choose. For full honesty: the ad-free PDF of this pattern is sold, and the written rows on the designer's blog unlock with a free Grow account, while the video tutorial itself is free. Wear it as a beach cover-up over swimwear or styled with a tank or crop top for an easy resort outfit.
Pattern: Caribbean Seashell Skirt by MJ’s Off The Hook Designs — Get the free pattern
20. Puff and V-Stitch Lace, Maxi Length, Taught by Video
We are finishing with a video tutorial that is pure summer ease: Pepe's lacy maxi skirt, worked in a simple repeating pattern of puff stitches and V-stitches that gives the fabric a beautiful, airy texture and lets it breathe in warm weather. The tutorial is beginner friendly, using only basic stitches, and the length and width are fully customizable, so you can shape it as a straight maxi, add increases for flare, or even work it toward a pencil or mermaid silhouette. Pepe's own suggestion is to sew in an elastic waistband to secure the fit, with yarn-based alternatives if you prefer not to sew, and the skirt layers beautifully over biker shorts, leggings or a lace-weight underskirt. Because the pattern repeats so simply, it is an ideal relaxing project for evenings at home. In a soft sage or a warm sand shade it is the kind of maxi you will reach for all summer long.
Pattern: Lacy Maxi Skirt by Pepe at Crochtart — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty lace skirts, my friend, from a sixteen-inch mesh beach mini to sweeping maxis past eighty centimetres, in fan lace, mesh grids, shell clusters, floral motifs, charted thread lace and video-taught ruffles. If you are new to lace garments, start with the mesh mini, the knee-length fan skirt or one of the video tutorials where you can watch every stitch form; if you are ready for a showpiece, the two-layer maxi or the fine-thread charted skirt are calling your name. One practical tip before you begin: block your finished lace gently, because blocking is what opens the openwork up and lets the pattern show itself properly, and keep a simple slip or pair of leggings nearby for the sheerest styles so you can wear them anywhere with confidence.
Now tell me, are you team breezy beach mini or team sweeping lace maxi, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
