Medals can be costly, but crochet medals are easy and cheap! All you need is some yarn and a hook and you are good to go. The stitches used to make this are pretty basic and you get lovely results!

I made this in honor of the 2014 Winter Olympics, but you can use it for anything! Who wouldn't like getting a personalized crochet medal!

Step 1: Supplies

Supplies:

Main Yarn Color for medal - I used Caron Sunshine yellow - suggested hook size H/8 5mm
Optional Highlight Color for medal - I used Vanna's Glamour Topaz - suggested hook size G/6 4.25mm
Yarn colors for Ribbon: I used Red Heart Red, White, and Blue - suggests hook size I/9 5.5mm
Yarn Needle: I use a plastic canvas needle which is medal and sturdy
Crochet hook, I used E/4 3.5 mm which was smaller than any of my yarn called for, but I like a tighter look. I have this little awesome crochet hook kit because then I have ALL THE SIZES!

Step 2: Start Crocheting the Medal (crochet a Circle)

Okay, time to get started.

You are going to crochet a flat circle. Do as you want or follow these directions (it is altered from the normal crochet circle directions you will find online, but just a bit different with order of stitches).

Take your yarn and either start by making

Magic ring of 6 or...
Chain 6, attach to the beginning, and then stitch 6 single crochet stitches into the center

Increase (inc) around (12)
(Single Crochet (sc), inc): repeat around (18)
sc, inc, sc: repeat around (24)
inc, sc into next 3 stitches: repeat around (30)
sc in first 3 stitches, inc, sc: repeat around (36)
sc, inc, sc in next 4 stitches: repeat around (42)

This is the front of the medal as show in the images.

Next is the edge of the medal.

Step 3: Edge of Medal

So, normally when you crochet you go through both stitches (Photo 1)

To get this edge of the medal, we are going to to through the back stitch (Photo 3). Photo 2 just shows the front stitch so you can see the difference.

Single Stitch around (42 stitches) in just the back stitch. This is the top edge of the medal.

Now, do the next row in just the back stitch as well:

sc, decrease single crochet (dec), sc in next 4 stitches (36)

You can kind of see the edge of the disc you are making.

Step 4: Optional Outline in Another Color

This is the optional outlined edge you can chain stitch on. I like it because it helps define the top of the medal.

Here is what you do.

You are going to work around that first edge you created by working in just the back stitch.

Start with your yarn in the back of the circle (I doubled mine over because it was too thin to my liking). You can tie a knot to help hold it behind your work.
Bring the crochet hook through the front of your work to the back where the first stitch is that you worked in the back.
Using the hook, grab that new yarn and pull it through. You now have one loop on your hook.
Go through the next hole around and grab the yarn and bring it through again. Now you have 2 loops on the hook.
Bring that second loop through the first loop as you would for a chain stitch or single crochet (only difference from single crochet is you didn't yarn over and pull 2 loops through). You should now have just the one loop on your hook.
Repeat around until you get to about where you started. It won't match up perfectly because you are working in a spiral round.
To make the ends match, take your hook off but leave the loops. Cut your yarn.
Using a yarn needle, bring the yarn up through the loop that is just hanging there.
Thread the needle through the first loop you made in the second color.
Bring it around and go back down the same hole you came up.
Now you can just tie your ends together and you are done.
Trim a little, but these will stay in the medal so you won't see them.

Time to finish the back of the medal.

Step 5: Closing the Back of the Medal

Time to go back down.

Here is where you should be.

sc in first 3 stitches, dec, sc: repeat around (30)
dec, sc in next 3 stitches: repeat around (24)
sc, dec, sec: repeat around (18)
sc, dec: repeat around (12)
dec around (6)

I hate trying to close up these circles. Do the best you can to close it up. I use the yarn needle and try to go from one side of the opening to the other and pull it shut.

Optional: you can sew the front of the medal to the back if you don't want it possibly separating. Just go up the center and bring it back down and tie it.

Step 6: Ribbon

Time to crochet the ribbon to hang your medal on. I chose to do a red, white and blue ribbon in Double Crochet stitches. You can also do single if you would prefer it to not be so wide.

Chain enough stitches so you can easily hold the ends together and get it on and off your head.

Go back and double crochet stitch across.

Once you hit the end, switch to another color if you desire. To get the cleaner color change, when you go to bring that last yarn over through the two loops on your hook, yarn over with the next color instead. As shown. Now you have your new color started. Remember when you start rows with double crochet, you need to chain 3 as your first mock double crochet stitch, then go to the next loop and double crochet as normal.

Once you are done, hide your ends and trim.

Step 7: Attach the Medal to the Ribbon

I don't really have a method here.

Lay out the ribbon how you want it to sit on your neck. I overlapped the ribbons to connect behind the medal. If you have thinner ribbons you can put them side by side if you want.

I sewed it on with the yellow/gold using the yarn needle.

Done!