Crochet Heart Placemat Pattern (Free)

AI-generated illustration made from the pattern's own chart and checked against it (same hearts, same colors, same positions), not a photo of a finished placemat. Differences from our pattern: the scalloped edge looks finer and tighter than our 35 scallops of 5 dc, and the stitches look a little smaller than the suggested gauge. The hearts, their colors and their positions follow the chart.

This crochet heart placemat pattern turns a simple tapestry technique into a Valentine's table you will want to keep out all February. Hearts in cranberry red and rose pink sit on a cream background, in bands of three red hearts and two pink hearts set between them, and a red scalloped edge frames the whole mat.

It is worked flat in single crochet, row by row. The colors you are not using travel inside the stitches, so there is no sewing and no embroidery: every heart is made of stitches. Each row uses the cream background and at most one heart color, so you only hold two yarns at a time.

Everything on this page — the chart, the written rows, the color plan and the stitch counts — comes from one chart and was replayed by our stitch simulator. The placemat is 43 stitches wide and 58 rows tall, about 12 x 15 in. It has not been crochet-tested yet, so make a swatch first. Tick each row as you go — your progress stays saved in this browser.

Finished size: about 12 x 15 in (31 x 38 cm) with the edging — approximate, from the suggested gauge
Yarn: Worsted weight (#4) cotton in 3 colors
Hook: US G-6 (4.0 mm)
Gauge: 16 sc and 17 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in tapestry crochet — suggested, make a swatch
Level: Confident beginner to intermediate (tapestry crochet, 2 colors per row)
Time: about 6 to 8 hours — an estimate from the stitch count
Rows: 58 rows of 43 sc + 2 edging rounds

✓ CookZya original design · Stitch counts checked row by row — all 61 rows and rounds were replayed by our stitch simulator, and the written rows were rebuilt stitch by stitch to match the chart. This pattern has not been crochet-tested: tension, gauge and final size are up to your hands.

Materials

Color A — cream, about 120 yd
Color B — cranberry red, about 40 yd
Color C — rose pink, about 20 yd
Yardage is an estimate from the stitch counts (about 1.6 in of yarn per single crochet, tapestry crochet is dense), with a 15 % margin: it is for ONE placemat and has not been measured. Buy one extra skein of cream if you can.
Tapestry needle; stitch markers (optional) to mark every 10th stitch.

Notes

Worked flat in rows of single crochet (sc), 43 sc wide. The ch 1 at the start of a row does not count as a st.
Single crochet (sc): insert the hook in the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on the hook), yarn over and pull through both loops.
Odd rows are right-side (RS) rows: read the chart from right to left. Even rows are wrong-side (WS) rows: read it from left to right. The design is symmetrical, so both directions give the same picture.
Change color on the last yarn over of the stitch before the new color. Work over the yarns you are not using, so they travel with you along the row.
Join a color by laying its tail along the top of the row and working over it; when you cut a color, leave a 6-in tail and work over it on the next row.
Color plan — B (cranberry red): join for Row 3 only, then cut; join at the start of Row 20, cut after Row 27; join at the start of Row 44, cut after Row 51; join for Row 56 only, then cut.
Color plan — C (rose pink): join at the start of Row 8, cut after Row 15; join at the start of Row 32, cut after Row 39.
"Sc 3 in A" = 3 single crochet worked with color A. "[ … ] 2 times" = work the stitches in brackets twice.
Carry A (cream) along Rows 3 and 56, the two all-red rows: work over it and do not cut it. Red (B) and pink (C) are never carried across the rows they do not use: cut them where the color plan says, so they do not show through the cream. That means more ends to weave in (about 12 tails).
Abbreviations: ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, dc = double crochet (yarn over, insert the hook, pull up a loop, then [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] twice), st(s) = stitch(es), rep = repeat, skip = pass over a stitch without working it, RS / WS = right side / wrong side.
The chart is drawn with square cells; single crochet is a little wider than tall, so your hearts will look slightly wider than on the chart.
US crochet terms.

Chart

Exact stitch-by-stitch preview of the whole placemat, drawn from the chart — a computer render, not a photo.

Foundation and bottom border

Rows 1-5: two cream rows, a red line, two cream rows.

Foundation With A, ch 44. 44 ch
Row 1 (RS) With A, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 2 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 3 (RS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in B (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 4 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 5 (RS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc

Pink and red heart bands

Rows 6-29: a pink band of 2 hearts, then a red band of 3 hearts. Work these 24 rows once, then repeat them 1 more time (Rows 30-53). Follow the color plan in the Notes for joining and cutting B and C. Untick the boxes after each repeat (Crochet mode counts the repeats for you).

Top border

Rows 54-58: two cream rows, a red line, two cream rows.

Row 54 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 55 (RS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 56 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in B (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 57 (RS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc
Row 58 (WS) Ch 1, turn. Sc 43 in A (43 sc). 43 sc

Edging

Round 1 in cream, round 2 (scallops) in red, all around the placemat.

Rnd 1 With A, ch 1, turn. 3 sc in first st (corner), sc in each of next 41 sts, 3 sc in last st (corner). Rotate and work down the long side: sc in the end of each row (58 sc). Rotate and work across the foundation chain (the 43 ch that Row 1 was worked into; the first ch you skipped is not used): 3 sc in first ch (corner), sc in each of next 41 ch, 3 sc in last ch (corner). Rotate and work up the other long side: sc in the end of each row (58 sc). Join with sl st in first sc (210 sc). 210 sc
Rnd 2 Fasten off A. Join B with sl st in the first sc of Rnd 1, ch 1, sc in same st, *skip next 2 sc, 5 dc in next sc, skip next 2 sc, sc in next sc; rep from * around, ending the last repeat with skip next 2 sc. Join with sl st in first sc (35 scallops). Fasten off. 35 sc, 175 dc

Finishing

Weave in all the ends on the wrong side. Wet the placemat, pin it flat to size and let it dry — our advice, it evens out the colorwork and straightens the scallops.

Design notes

43 stitches wide: the first edging round then has 210 stitches, exactly 35 scallops of 6.
Each heart is 9 stitches wide and 8 rows tall, symmetrical, with its point at the bottom as you work upward from Row 1.
The pink hearts sit exactly between the red ones: their centers are at stitches 15 and 29 of 43, the same distance on each side of stitch 22, which is the center of the middle red heart.
The 35 scallops cannot be shared equally between the four corners (the sides are 44 and 61 stitches between corner centers), so the scallops meet the corners in slightly different places: two corners sit on a scallop, two beside one. That is normal for a scalloped edge worked in even repeats, and blocking evens it out.
Red hearts and pink hearts are in separate bands, so a row never needs both heart colors together.
The bottom border mirrors the top one: a red line between two cream rows on each side.

Tips for crisp hearts

Spread each finished stitch a little before you pull the next one: the carried strand stays relaxed and the placemat does not pucker.
Keep the carried yarn on top of the row below and work over it — it disappears inside the stitch.
Place a marker every 10 stitches on the first band; counting the chart in tens is much faster.
Check the heart after its 4th row: the two lobes should join in a straight line at row 3.
Block the finished placemat flat: scallops and hearts both look better after a gentle wet block.

Common mistakes

Changing color in the stitch itself instead of on the last yarn over of the stitch before: every outline shifts by one stitch.
Counting the ch 1 at the start of a row as a stitch: the row grows to 44 and the hearts drift.
Pulling the carried strand tight across the row: the fabric puckers and the edges pull in.
Carrying pink up behind the red band: it shows through the cream. The color plan tells you when to cut.
Crocheting the corners with 1 sc: they curl. Rnd 1 puts 3 sc in each corner stitch.

Make it your own

Classic Valentine colors: cream, red and pink, as written.
Winter blue: cream, navy and pale blue hearts for a table that works all winter.
Gold and white wedding set: white, soft gold and champagne hearts.
Mini runner or bread-basket mat: work only one band (22 rows with the borders), about 11 x 7 in: the edging has 138 sc = 23 scallops.
Set of 4 placemats: multiply the yardage by 4 — 480 yd cream, 160 yd cranberry red, 80 yd rose pink.

Care

Hand wash in cool water, or machine wash cold in a laundry bag.
Reshape while damp and dry flat; do not tumble dry.
Store flat or rolled, not folded, so the colorwork does not crease.

More views

Illustration — close-up of the hearts and the scalloped edge; the colors are a little deeper and the scallops larger than in our pattern.

More crochet patterns for your table

Crochet Daisy Placemat and Napkin Ring — a round placemat in spring colors, to mix with these hearts
Tulip Table Runner — the same tapestry method, for a runner down the middle of the table
Autumn Leaves Table Runner — a bigger color project once you know tapestry crochet

FAQ

Is this crochet heart placemat pattern beginner friendly?

It suits a confident beginner who knows single crochet. The only new skill is tapestry crochet: changing color and working over the yarn you are not using. Every row uses two colors at most.

How big is the placemat?

About 12 x 15 in (31 x 38 cm) with the edging — approximate, from the suggested gauge. A standard placemat is about 12 x 16 in, so this one fits a dinner plate with room for a fork.

How long does it take to crochet a heart placemat?

About 6 to 8 hours for the 58 rows and the edging — an estimate from the stitch count; your pace may differ.

How much yarn do I need?

About 120 yd of cream, 40 yd of cranberry red, 20 yd of rose pink of worsted weight cotton for one placemat, including a 15 % margin.

Can I make a set of placemats?

Yes. For a set of 4, you need about 480 yd of cream, 160 yd of cranberry red, 80 yd of rose pink. Make one first and check your gauge before you buy yarn for the rest.

What color yarn works best for Valentine's hearts?

Cranberry red and rose pink on cream, as written, because the strong contrast shows the heart shape clearly. Cotton gives the sharpest edges and also washes well.

Has this pattern been tested?

Every row's stitch count was replayed by our stitch simulator, and the written rows were rebuilt stitch by stitch to match the chart. It has not been crochet-tested, so make a swatch for gauge.

Can I sell the placemats I make?

Yes, you may sell the finished placemats. Please don't sell or repost the pattern itself — link to this page instead.

Crochet Heart Placemat Pattern for Valentine’s Day (Free, Scalloped)