Leaf Drop Top Crochet Tutorial: How to Make a Stunning Boho Summer Top Step by Step

If you’ve been scrolling through crochet content lately, you’ve probably noticed that the Leaf Drop Top has taken the crafting community by storm. With its delicate leaf-inspired texture, breezy fit, and effortlessly bohemian aesthetic, this top is one of those projects that looks incredibly complex but is surprisingly achievable once you break it down. Whether you’re a confident beginner or an intermediate crocheter looking for your next obsession, this post is your complete companion to the Baecrochet Leaf Drop Top tutorial — the one that’s been filling up feeds and inspiring makers all over the world.

Pull up the YouTube tutorial, grab your hooks and yarn, and settle in. We’re going to walk through everything you need to know, from the materials list and stitch breakdown to helpful tips for sizing, customization, and finishing your top beautifully.

What Is the Leaf Drop Top?

The Leaf Drop Top is a crochet garment characterized by its leaf stitch patterning, which creates a raised, dimensional texture that mimics the overlapping shapes of real leaves. The “drop” in the name refers to the dropped shoulder design — a relaxed, wide-shouldered silhouette that drapes naturally on the body and works beautifully for warm weather. The result is something that looks like it belongs at a music festival, on a beach boardwalk, or layered over a bralette for a casual brunch.

What makes the Baecrochet version of this top so special is the thoughtful construction. Rather than stitching flat panels together and calling it a day, the pattern uses strategic shaping and stitch placement to create a garment that actually flatters the body while still being beginner-accessible. The tutorial on YouTube walks through each section in real time, which is incredibly helpful for visual learners who need to see the stitches form before they feel confident continuing on their own.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you start, let’s make sure you have everything on hand. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting three inches into a project and realizing you’re short on yarn.

For this top, you’ll want a lightweight yarn — something in the DK or fingering weight range works best. A cotton or cotton-blend yarn is highly recommended because it gives the fabric the drape and breathability that makes this top so wearable in warmer months. Cotton also shows the leaf stitch beautifully because it doesn’t have the fuzz or halo that can obscure stitch definition in something like a mohair blend.

Popular yarn choices among makers who’ve completed this project include Paintbox Yarns Simply DK Cotton, Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, and Drops Safran. If you want a little stretch and softness, a cotton-acrylic blend like Paintbox Yarns Simply DK will give you a bit more forgiveness. For a more luxurious drape, 100% mercerized cotton is stunning.

You’ll need approximately 400 to 700 yards depending on your size, so make sure to check your gauge swatch before committing to a yardage estimate. Grab a few extra skeins if you’re working a larger size — running out of yarn mid-project is a heartbreak nobody needs.

For hooks, most versions of this pattern call for a 4mm or 4.5mm crochet hook, though again, your gauge swatch will tell you if you need to size up or down. A tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers to mark your rounds or pattern repeats, scissors, and a measuring tape round out your toolkit.

Understanding Gauge and Why It Matters for Garments

If you’ve been crocheting for a while and skipping gauge swatches on your blanket and home decor projects, you might be in the habit of treating gauge as optional. When it comes to garments, that habit will cost you. A top that’s meant to fit a 36-inch bust will fit very differently if your tension runs loose or tight, so this is one project where swatching is genuinely non-negotiable.

The Baecrochet Leaf Drop Top typically calls for a gauge of around 16 to 18 stitches and 10 to 12 rows per 4 inches in the main stitch pattern, though you should always refer to the specific numbers in the tutorial since these can vary between versions. Work your swatch in the leaf stitch itself rather than a basic stitch, because the texture and density of the leaf pattern will behave differently than a plain single crochet or half double crochet.

Block your swatch before measuring it. Cotton, in particular, will relax and open up after washing and blocking, which means your measurements will shift. Getting a true post-blocking gauge will save you from a top that fits in the living room but suddenly becomes enormous after the first wash.

Breaking Down the Leaf Stitch

The star of this pattern is, of course, the leaf stitch — and if you haven’t worked it before, let’s demystify it. The leaf stitch is a combination stitch that uses multiple yarn-over increases and decreases worked into the same base point to create a rounded, petal-like shape. It sits raised on the surface of the fabric, giving that gorgeous three-dimensional quality that photographs so well.

In most versions of this stitch, you’ll be working a combination of double crochets, yarn-overs, and cluster stitches that come together to form each individual “leaf.” The stitches are worked in a staggered pattern across rows or rounds, so each leaf falls between the leaves in the previous row, like natural foliage overlapping on a branch.

If the leaf stitch is new to you, it’s worth practicing it on a small swatch for 20 or 30 minutes before you begin the actual garment. The first few leaves will feel awkward and slow — that’s completely normal. By the time you’ve worked a full row of them, your hands will start to find the rhythm and your speed will pick up significantly. By the second or third pattern repeat, most crocheters find the leaf stitch meditative and satisfying rather than challenging.

The Baecrochet YouTube tutorial does an excellent job of showing this stitch from multiple camera angles, pausing to show where the hook goes in and counting stitches out loud so you can follow along without getting lost. If you’re a complete beginner to this stitch, consider watching the section of the tutorial covering it once all the way through before you pick up your hook, so you have the full motion stored in your visual memory.

Construction Overview: How the Top Is Built

One of the best things about this pattern is that the construction is logical and clear. Here’s a broad overview of how the top comes together so you have a roadmap before you dive in.

The top typically begins at the bottom hem and works upward, though some versions start at the shoulder and work down. If you’re following the Baecrochet tutorial specifically, pay attention to the starting method she uses, because the direction of construction will affect how you read your stitch counts throughout.

The body is worked in rows or joined rounds to form the front and back panels. The leaf stitch creates the main fabric, and the construction includes bust shaping through strategic increases and decreases that keep the leaf pattern intact visually while changing the width of the fabric. This is one of the trickier aspects of the pattern — maintaining stitch pattern continuity while shaping — but the tutorial walks you through each shaping row explicitly.

The shoulders are worked with a dropped shoulder design, meaning the armhole shaping is minimal. Rather than complex raglan increases or set-in sleeve calculations, the dropped shoulder just leaves a wider top to the bodice that falls off the shoulder naturally. This not only simplifies construction but creates that relaxed, flowy fit that makes the top so wearable.

Straps are added after the main body is complete. Depending on the variation you’re following, these might be simple chains, braided cords, narrow rows of single crochet, or decorative twisted straps. This is a lovely opportunity to personalize your top — a contrasting color strap, a macramé-style twisted cord, or adjustable ties all look beautiful.

Finishing involves weaving in your ends, blocking the finished top, and optionally adding any edging. Many crocheters add a simple round of single crochet or slip stitch along the neckline and hem to give a clean, polished edge. Some add a shell stitch or picot border for a more decorative finish.

Sizing and Adjustments

The Baecrochet Leaf Drop Top is typically offered in multiple sizes, ranging from XS through 3X or beyond in some versions. Because this top has a boxy, relaxed silhouette, it accommodates a wider range of measurements than a fitted garment might, and many crocheters find they can work the size that matches their bust without needing significant adjustments.

That said, if you have a fuller bust or prefer more coverage, there are a few tweaks worth considering. Adding an additional pattern repeat to the front panel before the shoulder shaping begins will give you more length in the torso. You can also adjust the strap placement — moving the attachment points slightly wider or narrower — to change how the neckline sits.

For length adjustments, since the fabric is worked in repeating rows of the leaf stitch, adding or subtracting length is simply a matter of working more or fewer leaf stitch rows before beginning the top shaping. Keep in mind that adding length will increase your yarn usage, so if you’re working a longer version, calculate accordingly.

If you’re working a size not listed in the original pattern, the key numbers you need are the stitch count for your starting chain and the total width of each panel. The leaf stitch repeat is a fixed number of stitches, so your starting chain needs to be a multiple of that repeat plus any turning chains or border stitches. The tutorial will give you that magic repeat number, and from there you can calculate a custom size with basic math.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced crocheters run into trouble with new patterns. Here are the mistakes that come up most often with the Leaf Drop Top and how to sidestep them.

Losing the stitch count inside the leaf stitch is probably the most common issue. Because the leaf stitch involves working multiple times into one stitch and then closing those stitches together, it can be easy to lose track of where you are mid-stitch. Slow down on your first several repeats and count each yarn-over and each loop on your hook as you work. Using a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each row will help you keep your row count accurate.

Tight tension around the base of the leaf is another frequent issue. If your leaves are puckering or the fabric is pulling inward, your tension on the yarn-overs may be too tight. Consciously try to work those yarn-overs a little looser and see if the fabric evens out.

Forgetting to block is a mistake that shows up in the finished photos of many first-time garment makers. Blocking a cotton crochet top is the difference between a stiff, uneven textile and a draped, professional-looking garment. Wet blocking — soaking the finished top in cool water, gently pressing out the excess water in a towel, and then pinning it to your measurements on a blocking mat — is worth every minute of the wait.

Styling Your Leaf Drop Top

Once your top is blocked and your ends are woven in, the fun part begins. The Leaf Drop Top is incredibly versatile in terms of styling, which is part of why it’s become such a popular project.

For a classic boho look, pair it with high-waisted wide-leg linen trousers and sandals. For something more casual, it looks great over swim bottoms as a beach cover-up or tucked loosely into denim shorts. Layering it over a simple fitted bralette or bandeau lets the leaf texture take center stage while keeping the look put-together.

In terms of color, earthy neutrals like cream, terracotta, sage, and oatmeal are perennially popular for this design and photograph beautifully. But don’t shy away from a bold color choice — a deep cobalt blue or burnt orange Leaf Drop Top is genuinely stunning and shows off the leaf texture in a different way than a neutral does.

Why the Baecrochet Tutorial Stands Out

There are a lot of crochet tutorials on YouTube, and what sets the Baecrochet channel apart is the level of care and clarity in the instruction. The pacing is thoughtful — not rushed, not so slow that you lose momentum — and the explanations assume that you’re a capable adult who can follow along without being talked down to or overwhelmed with jargon.

The camera work is well-considered, with close-up shots of the hook and yarn at critical moments so you can see exactly what’s happening at the stitch level. Written stitch counts are shown on screen as they’re discussed, which is helpful if you’re the kind of learner who needs both visual and text reinforcement at the same time.

If you get lost at any point, the comment section of the tutorial is a genuinely warm and helpful community space. Many of the questions you might have will already be answered in the comments, and Baecrochet is known for engaging with her audience and clarifying any points of confusion. Following along on Instagram or joining relevant crochet communities on Reddit (r/crochet is a welcoming space) will also connect you with other makers working the same pattern who can offer encouragement and advice.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Make This Top

The Leaf Drop Top is one of those projects that earns its place as a favorite for good reason. It’s beautiful, it’s wearable, it teaches you a gorgeous stitch that you’ll want to use again and again, and the finished object is something you’ll genuinely be proud to wear or gift. It strikes that ideal balance of being challenging enough to hold your interest through the entire project while being clear enough that you’re never frustrated to the point of giving up.

Whether this is your first crochet garment or your fifteenth, the Baecrochet Leaf Drop Top tutorial is worth every hour you’ll spend on it. Set up a comfortable spot, cue up the YouTube video, pour yourself something you enjoy, and start swatching. Your new favorite summer top is waiting.