Rainbow Cascade: a Crochet Fish Wall Hanging

Rainbows and the ocean are both filled with vibrant colors and graceful movement, and Rainbow Cascade brings these two inspirations together in a single crochet project. This wall hanging features seven crocheted fish, each representing one of the seven colors of the rainbow. Every fish is designed with a dominant rainbow color, while complementary shades are added to the fins, tail, and other details to create contrast, depth, and a more playful appearance without taking away from its primary color.

The fish are arranged in the natural order of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—so the overall composition clearly reflects the spectrum. Suspended at different heights, they create a cascading display with a gentle wave-like flow, giving the impression of a colorful school of fish swimming together through the water.

This project combines simple crochet techniques with thoughtful color placement and assembly to create a decorative piece that is both vibrant and elegant. In this Instructable, I'll show you how to crochet each fish and assemble them into a rainbow-inspired wall hanging that celebrates color, creativity, and the beauty of handmade art.

1. 4-ply milk cotton yarn (or similar cotton yarn) in:

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet/Purple

White (for stripes and details)

Small amounts of contrasting colors for accents (optional)

1. 2.5 mm crochet hook (or the size suitable for your yarn)
2. Polyfill stuffing
3. Safety eyes (6 mm) or black yarn for embroidered eyes
4. Yarn needle (darning needle)
5. Stitch marker
6. Scissors
7. Measuring tape (optional)

For Assembling the Wall Hanging

1. Wooden dowel (approximately 30–40 cm long)
2. Fabric glue (or craft glue) to secure the yarn onto the wooden dowel

Abbreviations for Crochet

Ch: chain

SC: single crochet

Hdc: half double crochet

DC: double crochet

Tr: treble crochet

Sl st: slip stitch

MR: magic ring

Inc: increase (2 SC in one stitch)

R: round

Choose one rainbow color as your main color (MC) and a contrasting color (CC) for the stripes, tail, and fin. For this fish, I used yellow as the MC and white as the CC.

Fish Body

Rnd 1: With MC, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed.

Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: (2 sc, inc) around. (18 sts)

Rnd 4: Change to CC and work (3 sc, inc) around. (24 sts)

Rnd 5: Change back to MC and work (4 sc, inc) around. (30 sts)

Rnd 6: Change to CC and work (5 sc, inc) around.

Rnd 7: Change to MC and work (6 sc, inc) around.

Rnd 8: Change to CC and work (7 sc, inc) around.

Rnd 9: Switch back to MC, fasten off the CC, and work (8 sc, inc) around.

Rnd 10: Work (9 sc, inc) around until you have 36 stitches.

Stuff the fish firmly with polyfill. Continue working single crochets to close the opening, then crochet one final round of sc to neatly finish the body. Fasten off, leaving a short tail for weaving in.

Tail

Join the CC at the bottom of the fish. Count 6 stitches across the back edge.

Ch 3.

Dc in the same stitch.

Work 1 dc in each of the next 5 sts.

Ch 3 and sl st into the last stitch.

Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Fin

Using the CC:

Make a magic ring.

Ch 3.

Work 4 dc into the ring.

Ch 3 and sl st into the magic ring.

Tighten the ring and fasten off.

Sew the fin securely to the side of the fish.

Eyes

Finish your fish by attaching 6 mm safety eyes or embroidering the eyes with black yarn or embroidery thread.

Repeat the pattern from Step 1 to crochet the remaining six fish. Simply change the main color for each fish and choose a contrasting color for the stripes, tail, and fin to create a vibrant rainbow collection.

I made the fish in the following rainbow order:

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Indigo

Violet

Once all seven fish are complete, weave in any loose ends and attach the eyes. Arrange the fish in rainbow order to check the color flow before moving on to assembly.

Tip: Try to maintain the same stitch tension and stuffing amount for every fish so they all have a consistent size and shape, giving your finished Rainbow Cascade a clean and balanced look.

Start by taking a wooden dowel or a natural branch and wrapping it completely with white yarn. This not only gives the dowel a neat and uniform appearance but also helps it blend beautifully with the white hanging cords. Continue wrapping until the entire dowel is covered, then secure the ends of the yarn with a small amount of fabric glue.

Next, braid a long strand of white yarn and attach both ends securely to the dowel to create a sturdy hanging loop. This loop will allow the finished wall hanging to be easily displayed. Once the dowel is wrapped and the hanging loop is attached, the base of your Rainbow Cascade is complete and ready for the rainbow fish to be arranged and hung.

Now it's time to bring the wall hanging together. Start by cutting seven pieces of white yarn to the desired lengths and attach one piece to each crocheted fish. The different thread lengths will create the cascading effect.

Begin by hanging the red fish on the far left side of the dowel and the violet fish on the far right side. Adjust the threads so both fish hang at the same height, creating a balanced outer frame for the wall hanging.

Next, attach the orange fish on the left and the indigo fish on the right, positioning them slightly lower than the first pair.

Repeat the same process with the yellow fish on the left and the blue fish on the right, hanging them a little lower to continue the flowing arrangement.

Finally, place the green fish in the center of the dowel. This fish becomes the focal point of the composition and completes the rainbow sequence. Take a few moments to adjust the spacing and thread lengths until the fish form a smooth, balanced cascade. Once you're happy with the arrangement, tie the threads securely to the dowel and trim any excess yarn.

Rainbow Cascade: A Crochet Fish Wall Hanging is now complete! Hang it in your favorite space and enjoy the graceful flow of the seven rainbow-colored fish. The cascading arrangement creates the illusion of a colorful school of fish swimming together, bringing movement, color, and a touch of the ocean into your home. Whether displayed in a nursery, children's room, craft room, or any cozy corner, this handmade wall hanging adds a cheerful and artistic touch to any space.