House or Dorm-Warming Free Crochet Pillow Pattern

Know someone who is headed off to college or moving away for a new adventure? This free crochet pillow pattern is the perfect way to give them a tangible reminder of your love (that they won’t be embarrassed to display in their dorm room!)

You know how there are some people who manage to do so much in a day that just talking to them makes you feel like you need an electrolyte drink and a nap? My sister, Jamie, is one of those people. She’s employed full-time as a nanny, she volunteers, she works out more in a day than I have in the past year (sadly, I am not kidding) AND she’s getting her master’s degree.

Nap, anyone?

So when Big Lots offered to help me set her up for back-to-school, I jumped at the chance to create a relaxing bedroom oasis that she might, unfortunately, use more for studying than sleeping.

When Jamie and I went to Big Lots, we were impressed to see how many hip housewares there were there. I wish Jamie had seven bedrooms we could outfit because it was hard to narrow it down to just one style and palette (said Jess 9,329 times in my lifetime and counting.)

We ended up going with a timeless black and white bedspread, which came with sheets, shams and a throw pillow. Seriously. I just kept pulling things out of the bag–there was so many pieces to the set! A storage ottoman made the perfect night stand that also serves a far more important purpose: craft storage.

We also picked up a portable speaker, some throw pillows and THE softest blanket anyone in our family has ever touched. Of course, no room is complete without some handmade touches, so I decided to make Jamie a modern crochet heart cushion to coordinate with her new room.

I think this crochet throw pillow pattern is the perfect way to give a college-bound friend or family member a tangible, huggable reminder of how much you love them.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I recently asked how people best like to follow crochet patterns: with videos, with charts or with written patterns. I was amazed to see that there was an almost mix of all three learning styles. So for the first time ever, I’ve created a chart for this pattern. I think it should help a lot in working the heart section of the pillow. Simply subscribe in the box at the bottom of this post and you’ll gain instant access to my library of free patterns and templates including this heart pillow chart!

I sincerely appreciate it when you share and pin my free patterns. When people visit the blog, it helps support my ability to create free patterns. As always, thanks so much for being awesome.

I Heart You Free Crochet Pillow Pattern

Supplies
• 1 skein Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn – clay
• 1 skein Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn – woodberry
• size J hook
• 16″ square pillow form
• scissors

Abbreviations – US Terms
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
sl st – slip stitch

Notes
• This pattern is worked in the round, so the right side should always be facing you.

• I used up just about every bit of my clay colored yarn to make this cushion. If you don’t want to risk needing to buy an extra skein, plan to crochet the two sides together with the pink yarn instead of grey or leave off the last round of both the front and the back of the pillow. It should still fit a 16” form.

• To switch colors between colors: complete the first part of the double crochet in the first color and the last yarn over and pull through in the second color. (With first color yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull yarn through, switch to second color, yarn over and pull second color yarn through to complete the double crochet.)

• I didn’t trim my strands as I switched between colors. I left them connected and made sure to allow for enough yarn in between each section that it wouldn’t pull too tight if the pillowcase was stretched a bit. See my note in the “finishing” section if you’re strands are showing through the spaces in the square.

How to Make the Square Heart Pillow – Written Instructions
Subscribe in the box below for instant access to the chart for this pattern. Begin with woodburry color and use only woodburry until round 7. Create a magic ring. (Or ch 6 and join with a sl st to first chain to form a ring.)

Round 1: ch 5 (counts as 1 sc and 2 ch sp), [3 dc in ring, ch 2] 3 times, 2 dc in ring, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round. (Each side = 3 dc)

Round 2: 1 sl st into the ch sp, ch 5, 2 dc in the same space, *1 dc in each dc to next sp, work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp; repeat from * twice more, 1 dc in each dc to next sp, 1 dc in same space as ch 5, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round. (Each side = 7 dc)

Round 3: Repeat round 2. (Each side = 11 dc)

Round 4: Repeat round 2: (Each side = 15 dc)

Round 5: Repeat round 2: (Each side = 19 dc)

Round 6: Repeat round 2: (Each side = 23 dc)

Round 7: Repeat round 2, adding clay colored yarn (noted in black text) midway as follows:
Side 1 (left): 1 sl st into the ch sp, ch 5, 2 dc in the same space, 1 dc in each next 21 dc, 1 dc in each next 2 dc
Side 2 (bottom): work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 2 dc, 1 dc in each next 19 dc, 1 dc in each next 2 dc
Side 3 (right): work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 2 dc, 1 dc in each next 21 dc
Side 4 (top): work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in each next 3 dc, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in same space as ch 5, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round.
(Each side = 27 dc)

Round 8: Repeat round 2 as follows:
Side 1: 1 sl st into the ch sp, ch 5, 2 dc in the same space, 1 dc in each next 21 dc, 1 dc in each next 6 dc
Side 2: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 6 dc, 1 dc in each next 15 dc, 1 dc in each next 6 dc
Side 3: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 6 dc, 1 dc in each next 21 dc
Side 4: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in each next 7 dc, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in same space as ch 5, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round.
(Each side = 31 dc)

Round 9: Repeat round 2 as follows:
Side 1: 1 sl st into the ch sp, ch 5, 2 dc in the same space, 1 dc in each next 21 dc, 1 dc in each next 10 dc
Side 2: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in each next 11 dc, 1 dc in each next 10 dc
Side 3: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in each next 21 dc
Side 4: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in each next 11 dc, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in same space as ch 5, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round.
(Each side = 35 dc)

Round 10: Repeat round 2 as follows:
Side 1: 1 sl st into the ch sp, ch 5, 2 dc in the same space, 1 dc in each next 21 dc, 1 dc in each next 14 dc
Side 2: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 14 dc, 1 dc in each next 7 dc, 1 dc in each next 14 dc
Side 3: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 14 dc, 1 dc in each next 21 dc
Side 4: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in each next 15 dc, 1 dc in each next 10 dc, 1 dc in same space as ch 5, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round.(Each side = 39 dc)

Round 11: Repeat round 2 as follows:
Side 1: 1 sl st into the ch sp, ch 5, 2 dc in the same space, 1 dc in each next 2 dc, 1 dc in each next 19 dc, dc in each next 18 dc
Side 2: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 18 dc, 1 dc in each next 3 dc, 1 dc in each next 18 dc
Side 3: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each next 18 dc, 1 dc in each next 19 dc, 1 dc in each next 2 dc
Side 4: work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] all in the next sp, 1 dc in each dc till end of round, 1 dc in same space as ch 5, join with a sl st to 3rd of 5 ch at the beginning of round.
(Each side = 43 dc)

Round 12: Repeat round 2 in clay color only. (Each side = 47 dc)

Round 13: Repeat round 2 in Clay color only (Each side = 51 dc) (Skip this round if you’re worried about running out of clay colored yarn to sew your squares together.)

Fasten off.

For second side: repeat same pattern using only Clay colored yarn. Leave yarn attached.

Finishing
If you are seeing a lot of your “cobwebs” showing through in the background of your design, you can use regular sewing thread to lightly attach any unruly strands to a place where they won’t show through to the front. I didn’t actually find that my strands were very visible once the form was inserted.

Place both squares together, right sides facing out. Line the stitches on each square side together. Insert hook through one stitch on one side of the pillow and all the way through to the corresponding stitch on the other side of the pillow and complete a sc. Repeat around three sides, working 3 sc in each corner space. Insert pillow form and work last side the same way. Fasten off and weave in ends.

If you loved working with this Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn as much as I did, you might like my free, beginner-friendly Suzette tote bag pattern using the same yarn!