May
So You Wanna Make a Crochet Heart
Okay so the basic heart pattern is actually way simpler than it looks. I made my first one back in spring 2022 when I was binge-watching some terrible reality show and just needed something to do with my hands. The pattern I use now is kinda my own frankenstein version because I messed up someone else’s pattern so many times I just gave up and did my own thing.
You’re gonna need worsted weight yarn. I usually grab Red Heart Super Saver because it’s cheap and everywhere, but I’ve also used Caron Simply Soft when I want it to feel less plasticky. The Red Heart comes in like a million colors which is nice. For Valentine’s stuff I obviously go with reds and pinks but honestly any color works for different occasions.
What You Actually Need
- Size G/6 (4.0mm) or H/8 (5.0mm) crochet hook – depends on how tight you crochet
- Worsted weight yarn, maybe 20-30 yards
- Scissors
- Yarn needle for weaving in ends
- Stitch marker helps but you can just use a safety pin or whatever
The thing that really annoyed me when I was learning this is that the two bumps at the top of the heart never wanted to look even. Like one would be bigger than the other and it drove me crazy for weeks until I figured out it was a tension thing.
The Actual Pattern Part
Start with a magic ring. If you don’t know how to do a magic ring just make a regular chain 4 and join it into a ring, it’s fine. The magic ring is adjustable which is nice but not critical.
Round 1: Chain 1 (doesn’t count as a stitch), then work 6 single crochet into the ring. Pull the ring tight if you did the magic ring method. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.
Round 2: Chain 1, work 2 single crochet in each stitch around. You’ll have 12 stitches total. Join with slip stitch.
This is where it gets interesting because you’re gonna start shaping it into the heart instead of just a circle.
Making the Bottom Point
Round 3: Don’t join in a round anymore, you’re working back and forth now. Chain 1, single crochet in same stitch and next 5 stitches. So that’s 6 single crochets total. Turn your work.
Row 4: Chain 1, single crochet decrease over first 2 stitches (insert hook in first stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops). Single crochet in next 2 stitches, single crochet decrease over last 2 stitches. Turn. You should have 4 stitches.
Row 5: Chain 1, single crochet decrease, single crochet decrease. Turn. 2 stitches left.
Row 6: Chain 1, single crochet decrease. Fasten off and leave a long tail.
That’s your bottom point done. Now the top bumps are where people get confused or like me just make stuff up until it looks right.
The Top Bumps That Made Me Want to Quit
Go back to round 3 where you have those 6 unused stitches. Attach your yarn (or if you’re smart you didn’t cut it and can just continue but I always cut mine like an idiot). My cat keeps trying to steal my yarn balls while I’m working which is… anyway.
You’re making two bumps that’ll form the top curves of the heart. Each bump is basically a small circle worked in rows.
First Bump:
Row 1: Chain 1, single crochet in same stitch and next 2 stitches (3 stitches total). Turn.
Row 2: Chain 1, 2 single crochet in first stitch, single crochet in next stitch, 2 single crochet in last stitch. Turn. You have 5 stitches.
Row 3: Chain 1, single crochet in each stitch across. Turn.
Row 4: Chain 1, single crochet decrease, single crochet in next stitch, single crochet decrease. Turn. 3 stitches.
Row 5: Chain 1, single crochet 3 together (this is like a decrease but with 3 stitches – insert hook in first stitch and pull up loop, insert in second stitch and pull up loop, insert in third stitch and pull up loop, yarn over and pull through all 4 loops). Fasten off.
Second Bump:
Attach yarn to one of the remaining 3 stitches from the original round. Actually you should have exactly 3 stitches left if I counted right which honestly I might not have because I never count I just eyeball it.
Repeat the same thing as the first bump – Rows 1 through 5 exactly the same way.
The Edging That Makes It Actually Look Like a Heart
This is optional but it really helps define the shape. I learned this by accident in summer 2024 when I was making a bunch of these for my friend’s wedding decorations and one of them I decided to add a border and it looked so much better.
Attach yarn at the bottom point. Single crochet evenly all the way around the entire heart. When you get to the dip between the two bumps at the top, just skip a stitch or do a slip stitch there to keep it indented. The corners of each bump you can do 3 single crochets in one stitch to help it curve nicely.
I usually don’t measure this part, just work stitches until it looks right. If it starts getting wavy you’re doing too many stitches. If it’s puckering you need more stitches.
Variations Because the Basic One Gets Boring
Once you make like five of these you’re gonna want to change it up. Here’s what I do:
Granny Square Heart: Instead of single crochet, use double crochet and chain spaces. Start with the same magic ring but do (3 double crochet, chain 2, 3 double crochet) repeated around. It creates this lacey vintage look that’s actually really pretty.
Puffy Heart: Work the basic pattern but use half double crochet or double crochet instead of single crochet. Makes it thicker and more 3D. You can also stuff it lightly with fiberfill before you close it up.
Textured Heart: Work in back loops only for some rows and both loops for others. Creates ridges that catch the light differently.
Sizing Issues and Tension
The size of your heart depends on your hook size and tension. With a G hook and Red Heart Super Saver I get hearts that are about 3 inches across. If you want bigger, go up to an H or I hook. Smaller, try an E or F hook.
My tension is pretty tight naturally so I usually use a bigger hook than patterns call for. You might be the opposite. Just make one and see what happens. The first one is always gonna be a practice run anyway.
One thing I figured out is that if you’re making multiple hearts and want them all the same size, you gotta use the same yarn and hook for all of them. I made a garland once using different yarn weights and it looked ridiculous because some hearts were tiny and others were huge.
What to Actually Do With These Things
I mean obviously you can just make them and throw them in a drawer like I did with my first dozen. But here’s what actually works:
- Sew them onto a banner with other shapes
- Make a garland by chaining between hearts
- Sew a pin back on and make it a brooch
- Attach to a hair clip
- String on ribbon for a bookmark
- Applique onto a bag or sweater
- Make tiny ones for earrings if you use thin yarn and a small hook
I made a whole bunch in different colors last year and sewed them onto a throw pillow which sounds crafty and cute but really I was just trying to use up my yarn stash.
Common Problems I Had
The point at the bottom is too sharp or too round: This is about how many decrease rows you do. More rows = pointier. Fewer rows = rounder. Adjust based on what you want.
The bumps at the top are lopsided: Count your stitches. I know I said I don’t count but when this happens you gotta count because one bump probably has more stitches than the other. Also check your tension – if you’re pulling tighter on one side it’ll be smaller.
There’s a gap between the two bumps: Good, that’s supposed to be there. That’s what makes it look like a heart and not just a weird blob. If the gap is too big though, you might need to work tighter stitches in that area or add an extra row to each bump.
It’s curling up: You’re either working too tight or you need to block it. Blocking just means getting it wet, pinning it flat in the right shape, and letting it dry. I use a spray bottle and pin it to a foam board but you can also just dampen it and lay it flat under a book or something.
Yarn Choices That Actually Matter
Red Heart Super Saver is my go-to because it’s like $3 a skein and comes in every color. It’s acrylic so it’s not fancy but it holds its shape well and you can throw it in the washing machine.
Caron Simply Soft is nicer feeling, less squeaky. It’s still acrylic but softer. Comes in good colors too. I think it’s usually around $5-6 a skein.
If you want cotton, Lily Sugar’n Cream works but it has no stretch so your tension has to be really consistent or it’ll look wonky. Cotton hearts are good for coasters though because they absorb moisture.
I tried making one with Lion Brand Wool-Ease once and it was fine but seemed like a waste of nicer yarn for something this small. Save the good stuff for bigger projects.
The cheap acrylic yarn from craft stores that comes in those huge skeins works perfectly fine. I can’t remember the brand names but you know the ones I mean – they’re usually on the bottom shelf and come in bright primary colors.
Speed and Time
A basic heart takes me maybe 20-30 minutes now. When I first started it was more like an hour because I kept messing up and frogging it (that’s ripping it out, in case you don’t know the term). If you’re adding edging or making it bigger it might take longer.
They’re good mindless projects for when you’re watching TV or listening to podcasts. I made probably twenty of them while watching that entire season of… I can’t even remember what show it was now, something with cooking competitions.
Tips I Wish Someone Told Me
Use a stitch marker at the beginning of each round even if you think you’ll remember where you started. You won’t remember.
Weave in your ends as you go instead of saving them all for the end. I have a bag of finished hearts with ends hanging off them because I hate weaving in ends and keep putting it off.
If you’re making these for a specific date like Valentine’s Day, start way earlier than you think you need to. I thought I could make fifty hearts in a weekend and I absolutely could not.
The back of the heart looks different from the front because of how crochet stitches work. Pick which side you like better and make that your front. There’s no right answer.
If you’re giving these as gifts, people will ask if you followed a pattern and honestly you can just say you made it up. That’s basically what I did anyway after the first few attempts.
Take breaks. Your hands will cramp if you make too many in one sitting. I learned this the hard way making wedding decorations and my hand hurt for like three days after.
Don’t stress about making it perfect. It’s a small heart made of yarn, not a masterpiece. If it’s lumpy or weird-shaped it still looks handmade and cute. Some of my wonkiest hearts are the ones people complimented the most because they had “character” or whatever.
You can make these while sitting in waiting rooms, on car rides (not while driving obviously), during boring meetings if you’re on video calls. They’re portable and don’t require a lot of concentration once you get the pattern down.
