On March 13, 2026, we celebrate World Sleep Day, and the message chosen for this edition is as simple as it is powerful: “Sleep Well, Live Better”. Sleep well, live better. Because sleep is not a detail to leave at the bottom of the list, but a concrete part of our everyday wellbeing.

And yet, we often arrive at evening still switched on like a room with every light blazing: phone in hand, thoughts racing, skincare done in a hurry, hair pushed away from the face, a desire to rest but no real transition between day and night. The point, instead, is exactly this: sleeping well starts earlier.

The most reliable sleep hygiene recommendations insist on very clear habits: going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time, turning off screens at least 30 minutes before sleeping, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening, not eating heavy meals shortly before bed, and creating a calmer, cooler and more relaxing evening environment.

And this is where crochet comes in. Not as a magic formula, but as a small evening ritual. A repetitive, soft, tangible gesture that helps slow things down and shift attention away from the noise of the day toward something quieter. Sleep guidelines suggest using the time before bed for calm and relaxing activities, and for anyone who loves handmade creations, few things feel as natural as picking up a strand of yarn and dedicating time to a simple, comforting, unhurried project.

Before going to bed: the routine that truly prepares you for rest

A good evening routine does not have to be perfect. It has to be gentle. It can begin by dimming the lights, keeping the phone a little farther away, preparing a caffeine-free herbal tea, tying back your hair, washing your face slowly, choosing a moment of silence and perhaps working a few crochet rounds. They are small signals, but very clear ones: the day is winding down, and now you can slow down.

To celebrate this day in the way that feels closest to our creative world, I thought of a special project: a crochet skincare and goodnight kit, soft, useful and beautiful to make. A set designed to accompany your evening routine with practical, fluffy accessories full of personality.

To make it, I chose chenille, perfect for creating that feeling of comfort we look for in everything at night: in fabrics, in colours, in gestures.

For the full kit you will need:

• 2 balls of Avril Bordeaux
• 3 balls of Avril Pale Pink
• 1 bordeaux 21x8 bag base
• 1 bordeaux eco-leather drawstring
• 1 hair elastic
• 5 mm crochet hook
• yarn needle
• scissors
• avril avril fondo coulisse

The goodnight kit: four accessories and a beauty pouch to say that sleeping well starts earlier

This kit comes from a very specific idea: making those small gestures we do before bed more beautiful and more comfortable. They are not just accessories. They are parts of a handmade evening routine, made of useful details, softness and care.

Beauty pouch: the container for your evening self-care moments

Let us start with the piece that holds everything together, symbolically too: the beauty pouch. It is the container for the kit, the little evening treasure box where you can keep the hair band, wristbands, scrunchies, sleep mask and maybe even the skincare products you use every night. It is not just useful: it is the first object that tells the story of a routine created with care.

To make it, you start from the bordeaux 21x8 bag base.

Pass the chenille through the holes with the help of a crochet hook smaller than size 5 and work 1 chain stitch in each stitch; in the four corners, where the base curves, work 2 chain stitches in the same stitch. Close the round with 1 slip stitch.

At this point, work 1 round of 1 single crochet in each stitch. Then comes the most interesting part of the work: 4 rows in basket stitch, alternating a regular single crochet and an elongated single crochet taken into the stitch below on the next row. This step creates a richer, fuller, more substantial texture.

Then change colour to bordeaux and work 1 round of 1 single crochet in each stitch, then 1 round of 1 double crochet in each stitch. Go back to pale pink, work 2 chains and make 1 round of 1 double crochet in each stitch, closing with 1 slip stitch. Work 2 chains again and continue with 1 round in seed stitch, meaning one regular double crochet and one double crochet worked behind the double crochet below. Repeat the sequence once more from the bordeaux colour change through to the seed stitch.

Finally, change colour again to bordeaux, work 1 single crochet in each stitch, then make 5 double crochets in the same stitch, skipping the next one, to create a more fluttery and decorative effect along the opening of the beauty pouch. Lastly, attach the bordeaux drawstring and the beauty pouch is ready: soft, eye-catching and perfect for holding your whole evening routine.

Skincare wristbands: small, clever and absolutely worth trying

Among the accessories in the kit, the skincare wristbands are perhaps the ones that most easily make you say: “Why didn’t I make these sooner?” They are small, quick and incredibly soft, but above all useful. They are designed to solve one of those tiny annoyances that can ruin the moment: water running down your arms while you wash your face and ending up right at your wrists.

To make them, I worked as always with chenille yarn, starting with 11 chains. I skipped the first one and entered the second, working 1 single crochet, continuing like this for the whole row. At the end, I chained 1, turned the work and worked in the back loop, entering only the upper loop across the whole row, for a total of 10 single crochets.

From here you continue in exactly the same way: 1 chain, turn the work, 1 single crochet in the back loop, row after row, until you reach the right size. The important advice is this: keep checking the wrist measurement as you go, because the wristband should not be too loose, otherwise it will not do its job well. I worked 16 rows in total.

To finish, using the bordeaux chenille yarn, I worked 1 single crochet in each stitch on both edges, giving the project contrast and a more defined look. The result is simple but brilliant: a small accessory that makes skincare much more comfortable and, once tried, immediately becomes part of the routine.

Hair band for skincare: the easiest way to protect your hair and truly relax

Doing skincare with freshly cleaned hair can become a small source of anxiety. A little water during rinsing or a product getting too close to the hairline is enough to make us think straight away: now I’m going to mess up my hair. And it is exactly from this that the hair band for skincare is born: a practical, comfortable and soft accessory designed to keep hair away from the face and help us enjoy our evening routine more fully.

To make it I used 1 ball of Avril Pale Pink and a little Bordeaux. With the pale pink, I worked 60 chains + 2 to give height to the band. I skipped the first two chains, entered the third with 1 double crochet and continued like this for the whole row.

At the end, I worked 1 chain, turned the work, wrapped the yarn over the hook and started a stitch that is beautiful both to look at and to touch, a sort of half seed stitch in crochet. In practice, you alternate a regular double crochet with a front post double crochet, meaning it is worked by embracing the body of the double crochet from the previous row with the hook instead of entering only the top loop. This creates a slightly textured, full and tactile surface, with a visual effect that recalls a small regular grain.

I alternated this stitch with a regular double crochet for the whole row. Then I worked 1 chain, turned the work again, wrapped the yarn over the hook and made another row with the same alternation: one double crochet worked around the stitch below and one regular double crochet. At the end of the row, I closed with a chain and pulled the yarn to finish the work.

For the edging, I took the bordeaux chenille ball, inserted the yarn in a corner and worked 1 single crochet all around the perimeter of the band. In the 4 corners I worked 3 single crochets to follow the shape properly; in the last corner, where I had made only 1 single crochet, I added 2 more. Finally, with the help of a yarn needle, I sewed the two ends of the height together. And the band is ready: soft, comfortable, neatly finished and perfect for turning skincare into a much calmer moment.

Scrunchies: the softest and most satisfying detail in the kit

Among all the accessories in the kit, the scrunchies are probably the quickest to make, but also the ones that instantly give a sweet, useful and super pleasant result to wear. They are perfect for tying back your hair during skincare without pulling too tightly and, at the same time, they add a handmade touch to a very simple everyday gesture.

For this project we need a hair elastic, one strand of Avril Pale Pink and one of Bordeaux. You begin by covering the elastic with chain stitch, creating a first base all around the structure. You close with 1 slip stitch, work 1 chain and then enter each stitch with 1 single crochet, so as to cover the whole base well and give it structure.

At this point you change colour to bordeaux, work 2 chains and enter each stitch making 5 double crochets always in the same stitch. This is the step that creates the typical ruffled and fluttery effect of the scrunchie, making it full, soft and voluminous.

Once the round is completed, you close with 1 slip stitch, cut the yarn and hide the tail with the help of a yarn needle. The result is a simple but delightful accessory, perfect to match with the rest of the kit and also ideal for using leftover yarn in a useful and creative way.

Sleep mask: the sweetest symbol of a handmade goodnight

If there is one accessory that represents the spirit of World Sleep Day better than any other, it is the sleep mask. It is the piece that closes the kit in the perfect way, because it speaks directly of rest, comfort and that moment when we truly decide to leave the rest of the world outside.

Thinking about this occasion, this was exactly the piece that came to mind. To make it, start with 16 chains + 1 to give height, then work back with 1 single crochet in each stitch. Turn the work, make 1 chain and work 1 single crochet in the first stitch, then 1 single crochet in every stitch and, in the last one, 2 single crochets.

Turn the work again, work 1 chain, then enter the next stitch with 1 single crochet in every stitch. In the next row, work an increase in the first stitch and one in the last. From the fifth to the eighth row, simply work 1 single crochet in every stitch, with no increases.

On the ninth row, you begin shaping the first eye of the mask: do not work the chain when turning the work and make only 8 single crochets. On the tenth row, work decreases, skipping the second stitch at the beginning and, at the end, entering directly into the last stitch instead of the second-to-last, so that you work a total of 6 single crochets. On the eleventh row, work into the second stitch and skip the second-to-last, thus obtaining 4 single crochets. Cut the yarn and make the finishing touches with a yarn needle.

At this point, make the same shaping on the other side as well, inserting the crochet hook again and repeating the ninth, tenth and eleventh rows to form the second eye. Once both parts are finished, move on to the strap that goes behind the neck: insert the crochet hook, secure 3 stitches and then work 2 single crochets and 1 chain before turning the work. Continue like this until you reach the right size so the mask fits comfortably against the face. Finally, secure everything with the yarn needle, cut the yarn and hide the ends.

The result is a soft, useful, delicate accessory and perfectly on theme: the ideal conclusion to a kit that celebrates night-time as a moment of care.

Why crocheting before bed can become a small wellbeing ritual

Anyone who loves crochet knows it: there are moments in the day when making a few rounds is not just creativity, it is truly a way of coming back to yourself. In the evening, this effect feels even stronger. Not because crochet is a sleep therapy, but because it fits perfectly into that quiet time experts recommend before going to bed: fewer screens, fewer stimuli, more calm, more repeated and reassuring gestures.

Crocheting before sleeping can become a gentle threshold between day and night. Your hands move, your breathing becomes more regular, your mind focuses on something simple and tangible. Even better if you choose soft, small projects with not too much counting, just like the accessories in this kit. It is a lovely way to remind ourselves that sleep should not come after a rush, but can be prepared with care.

Sleeping well starts earlier

Perhaps this is the phrase that sums everything up best: sleeping well starts earlier. Before the light goes out, before the pillow, before goodnight. It starts with a quieter room, with a phone left on the bedside table, with skincare done calmly, with a soft hair band, with a sleep mask ready on the bed, with a few crochet stitches worked without rushing. Official sleep recommendations all point in the same direction: a more regular routine, fewer evening stimuli, a relaxing environment and time to decompress.

So for World Sleep Day 2026, let us celebrate rest the way it deserves: with a handmade kit, with a gentler routine and with the awareness that taking care of the night means, in the end, taking care of ourselves too.

PS. In the next few days you will find the video tutorials for the accessories on our YOUTUBE channel.

Happy World Sleep Day.

Rosaria Tessiland®

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