Looking for a free crochet placemat pattern? Here are 24 of them, and each full written pattern is free on the designer's own site, with no sign-up. There are Christmas and Thanksgiving placemats for the holiday table, easy rectangles for beginners, round and doily-style mats, and modern textured placemats in washable cotton. A set of four or six is one of the nicest handmade gifts you can give a host.
For each pattern I've listed the yarn, hook and finished size the designer gives, plus the detail that makes it special. Placemats are a friendly project: they're flat, they don't need a perfect fit, and once you've made one, the next three go much faster.
A quick guide to choosing: if you're new to crochet, start with the easy rectangles, which mostly repeat one or two rows. If you're dressing the table for December or November, jump straight to the first two sections. And if you want something that looks like it came from a boutique, the round and textured groups are where to look. Plan on about one evening per mat for most of these.
Christmas and winter placemats
Red, white and a little holly for the Christmas table.
Crochet Christmas Placemat — Fosbas Designs. Worked in rows of crossed double crochet in DK cotton-bamboo on a G/4mm hook, with a contrast stripe band. The clever part is a separate "belt" worked in the round and sewn across the mat, so each place setting looks like a wrapped present. Intermediate.
Holiday Placemat — The Purple Poncho. A 14-by-19-inch mat in white and cherry red scrubby-style worsted yarn on an H/5mm hook. The body is herringbone half double crochet with red mesh bands, finished with a two-round border. It started life as a Christmas crochet-along, so the steps are very clear.
Cookies for Santa Placemat — Clover. A small 12-by-10-inch mat for the plate of cookies left out on Christmas Eve. Half double crochet rows change color every three rows for candy-cane stripes, and crocheted holly leaves with pom-pom berries sit in the corners. Lovely to make with or for kids.
Christmas Placemat with Holly — VendulkaM. A round, beginner-level mat about 31 cm across in worsted cotton on a 5mm hook. Solid double crochet rounds alternate with eyelet rounds. The holly leaf and berry appliqué pins on, so you can take it off after the holidays and use the mat all year.
Fall and Thanksgiving placemats
Warm colors for harvest dinners and the Thanksgiving table.
Sunflower Placemats — Crafty Kitty Crochet. A round sunflower with a brown center and 12 golden petals. Made with one strand of worsted on a 5mm hook, it's about 9 inches (a nice charger or bread mat). Hold two strands on a 9mm hook and it grows to 13.5 inches, a full placemat.
Plaid Placemat — Nicki's Homemade Crafts. An 18-by-13.5-inch Thanksgiving plaid in brown, red and orange worsted acrylic on a 5mm hook. The plaid comes from color changes inside double crochet rows, and a crab stitch border finishes it off. There's a video, too.
Ribbed Placemat with Pumpkin — Winding Road Crochet. A 15.5-by-13-inch mat in single crochet with back-loop ribbing on all four sides. A little orange pumpkin is worked into the center, written out row by row, and there's a plain version for the rest of the year.
DIY Autumn Placemats — Olives & Okra. A beginner round mat, 15 inches across, in an autumn-leaves ombre cotton held double on an I/5.5mm hook. It's just increasing double crochet rounds, and the two strands blend into a marled fall look on their own.
Easy beginner placemat patterns
Simple rectangles with one or two rows to repeat.
Basic Rectangle Placemat — Crochet Spot. The simplest one here: rows of half double crochet, 12 by 9 inches, using about 100 yards of medium-weight yarn on an I/5.5mm hook. A true first project, with an optional shell edging if you want to dress it up.
Easy Placemat — Jo to the World Creations. An 18-by-12-inch mat in moss stitch (just single crochet and chain 1) on a 4.25mm hook, with tassels on the short ends. Moss stitch lies very flat, which is exactly what you want under a plate.
Sagebrush Placemat and Coaster Set — Ambassador Crochet. An 11-by-14.5-inch placemat plus a matching 4.25-inch coaster in worsted cotton on an H/5mm hook. It's an easy two-row repeat of mesh rows and shell rows, so you get a light, lacy look without counting much.
Farmhouse Placemat — The Turtle Trunk. About 18 by 12 inches in worsted dishcloth cotton on an H/5mm hook. Alternating slip stitch and half double crochet gives a bumpy, woven texture that looks harder than it is. Advanced beginner.
Granny's Scrappy Placemat — EyeLoveKnots. Seventy tiny one-round granny squares joined as you go, written in three sizes. The sample is red, royal blue and white, but red, green and white makes an instant Christmas version. A great scrap-buster.
Round, doily and mandala-style placemats
Circles and ovals that look lovely on a wood table.
Oval Placemat — Crafting Each Day. About 16 by 13 inches in worsted acrylic on an H/5mm hook. Twelve rounds of double crochet are worked around both sides of a chain, with two V-stitch eyelet rounds for lacy bands. Ovals fit a narrow table better than circles.
Easy Round Placemat — Fosbas Designs. Fifteen rounds of half double crochet in worsted cotton on a 4mm hook, then a contrast edge of popcorn stitches. Simple, sturdy and very washable.
Easy Round Placemat — Jewels and Jones. Continuous single crochet spiral rounds in light linen yarn on a 4.5mm hook, with no joins to line up, and a rope-like crab stitch border. Linen softens with every wash.
Round Placemat — Jo to the World Creations. A 14-inch petal-lace mat in worsted yarn on an H/5mm hook. Cluster stitches build a flower pattern out from a magic circle. Easy to intermediate.
Secret Garden Round Placemat — Kirsten Holloway Designs. The most doily-like of the group: rounds of clusters, shells, chain loops and crossed double crochet in sport cotton on a 4.5mm hook. Written in three sizes, 7.5, 12 and 16.25 inches, so the small one doubles as a coaster.
Round Placemat — Stitching Together. About 16 inches across in worsted cotton on an I/5.5mm hook. Solid single crochet rounds are broken up by lacy rings of "spider stitch." Easy, and very clean and modern.
Textured and modern cotton placemats
Stitch texture for everyday meals.
Crossed Stitch Placemat — HandmadebyRaine. Worsted cotton on a 4mm hook in a crossed half double crochet stitch that looks woven, with contrast stripes at each end. The designer made hers for holiday dinners; it's shown in green and cream, and also in beet red.
Making Waves Placemat — Handmade by Stacy J. A 19.5-by-12.5-inch ripple of shells and front-post ribs in DK cotton blend on a G/4mm hook. Two colors carry up the side, and the beaded fringe is optional. Easy.
Primrose and Proper Rectangle Placemat — Kirsten Holloway Designs. Ribbing from half double crochet in the third loop, alternating with lacy rows, in worsted cotton on a 4.5mm hook. Written in four widths from 12 to 18 inches, so it fits any table.
Diamond Shells Lace Placemat — Krissy's Over the Mountain Crochet. An 18-by-11-inch beginner mat in worsted cotton on an H/5mm hook. A four-row repeat of shells and V-stitches makes a diamond lace, and you can weave a ribbon through for the holidays.
Two-Tone Cotton Placemat — Sweet Bee Crochet. About 17 by 12 inches in two shades of worsted cotton on a 4mm hook. The body is extended single crochet, with a contrast band of clusters at each end. Calm, neutral and grown-up.
Tips for crochet placemats
- Use cotton. Cotton or a cotton blend handles hot plates and the washing machine much better than acrylic, and it lies flatter.
- Block every mat the same way. Pin them all to the same measurements so your set matches. A light spray of starch helps lace patterns keep their shape.
- Check your gauge on mat one. It's easy for a set of four to drift in size. Measure the first one, then match the others to it.
- Plan your yarn. Most rectangles use 150 to 250 yards each, so a set of six can take five or six balls of cotton. Buy one dye lot.
- Add a holiday touch. A removable appliqué, like the holly on the VendulkaM mat, turns an everyday placemat into a Christmas one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best yarn for crochet placemats?
Worsted-weight (#4) cotton is the best all-round choice. It's washable, absorbs spills, and doesn't melt under a hot dish. Sugar 'n Cream, Dishie and Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton are used in many of these patterns. Linen and cotton-linen blends are lovely too.
How big should a crochet placemat be?
A standard rectangle placemat is about 12 by 18 inches, and a round one is about 15 inches across. A small mat, like the Cookies for Santa one or the small sunflower, works as a bread mat or a kids' place setting.
How much yarn do I need for a set of placemats?
Plan on about 150 to 250 yards per rectangle, or roughly one to two balls of worsted cotton. A set of four usually takes 600 to 1,000 yards. Round mats with lots of lace use a bit less.
Can you wash crochet placemats?
Yes. Cotton placemats can go in the washing machine on a gentle cycle. Lay them flat to dry and reshape them while damp so they stay square or round. Skip the dryer for lace patterns.
More crochet for the holiday table
Pair your placemats with a matching crochet table runner, then add a lacy crochet doily under the centerpiece. For November, our Thanksgiving table decor and Thanksgiving centerpiece roundups have pumpkins and turkeys to set on top. Finish with a set of holiday coasters and mug rugs, and a few crochet poinsettias for napkin rings.
