Checkered Holiday Pillow Crochet Pattern
The Checkered Holiday Pillow is a fun and festive, crochet Christmas pattern! This 18″ pillow consists of 18 – 6″ holiday themed squares: plaid, tree, and snowflake squares. Make your pillow unique with different colors and arranging your squares however you’d like! You can also use these squares for more projects, like blankets, bags, and sweaters!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Decorate your home with this festive, Christmas crochet pillow!
The Checkered Holiday Pillow features 18, 6″ squares that are joined together, then crocheted around a pillow insert. Each panel consists of 9 squares of plaid, trees, and snowflakes.
Make your pillow unique by using any combination of these squares, in any colors! I’ve included a printable coloring page below so you can design each of your squares!
In this pattern I’ll teach you how to crochet each of the 3 squares, then show you how to join them into 2 panels with an invisible join, and then how to seam those panels together to make a pillow cover!
Keep reading below to learn more about this pattern or scroll to the bottom for the free written pattern, graph, and video tutorial. You can also grab the ad-free, printable, PDF pattern on Etsy and Ravelry!
FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE AD FREE & PRINTABLE PDF PATTERN
FROM ETSY AND RAVELRY!
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Not ready to make just yet?
Save this pattern to Pinterest!
Follow along with the video tutorial on YouTube!
Try using different colors and different combinations of the squares to make your pillow unique and perfect for you!
For my pillow I made 2 different panels. One side had 4 trees, 1 snowflake, and 4 plaid squares. The other side had 1 tree, 4 snowflakes, and 4 plaid squares.
You can make any combination of these squares and arrange them however you’d like! Use the coloring page below to design your squares!
Check out these other checkered crochet patterns!
The Checkered Holiday Pillow is my second checkered pillow design!
Last year I made the Checkered Ghost Pillow using checkered and ghost squares!
These designs are both made with the same stitch counts and sizes so you can mix and match squares!
You could make one side of a pillow Halloween and the other Christmas so you only need one pillow for 2 holidays!
I plan on making more of these pillow for other holidays, seasons, and themes so as the designs grow you’ll have more options for mixing and matching! Let me know if there are any specific squares you’d like to see!
Yarn + Supplies
I used I Love This Yarn in the colors White, Forest, and Red. You’ll need less than 1 skein of each color.
You can use any medium 4 weight yarn and use any colors you’d like!
You will also need an 18″ pillow insert. You can find these at most craft stores, Amazon, or Walmart.
DIFFICULTY
Advanced Beginner / Easy
GAUGE
13 STs x 13 Rows – 4″ x 4″ in SC
Adjust hook size to meet gauge.
Notes
- This pillow consists of 18 squares (9 per side). Feel free to arrange them however you like or try making a different variety to get a unique design!
- This pattern includes both written instructions and graphs. You can follow along with one or both.
- At the end of each row, CH 1 & turn.
- Written Instructions: When working on the right side you will see ‘←’. When working on the wrong side you will see ‘→’. Make sure all loose ends are on the wrong side.
- Work a FSC for Row 1. From Row 2 on, only SC STs are used. This pattern is written in simplified terms. Each row will tell you the color and the number of stitches for that color. Ex. A5, B10, A5.
- Changing Color: change color on the last SC before a new color starts. Start your last SC as usual, before the final pull through, drop the current color pull through the 2 loops on your hook with the new color. The next SC you work will be the first of the new color.
- Carrying Yarn: I carried my nonworking yarn behind my square using floats. Feel free to use your favorite color work method.
SUPPLIES
- Medium (4) weight yarn in 2 contrasting colors.
I used I Love This Yarn in White, Forest, and Red.
Total yardage:- Color A – White – 260 yards + 8 yards for joining squares
- Color B – Green – 191 yards + 25 yards for the border
- Color C – Red – 136 yards
- 5.50mm (I) crochet hook
- 18″ Pillow Insert
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
ABBREVIATIONS (US TERMS)
CH(s) – Chain(s)
ST(s) – Stitch(es)
SL ST – Slip Stitch
SC – Single Crochet
FSC – Foundation Single Crochet
RS – Right Side
WS – Wrong Side
Checkered Holiday Pillow Pattern
Checkered Square 1 Pattern – Make 4
← Row 1 [RS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
→ Row 2 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
← Row 3 [RS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
→ Row 4 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
← Row 5 [RS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
→ Row 6 [WS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
← Row 7 [RS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
→ Row 8 [WS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
← Row 9 [RS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
→ Row 10 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
← Row 11 [RS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
→ Row 12 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
← Row 13 [RS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
→ Row 14 [WS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
← Row 15 [RS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
→ Row 16 [WS]: C4, B4, C4, B4, C4
← Row 17 [RS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
→ Row 18 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
← Row 19 [RS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
→ Row 20 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
Cut off yarn and weave in ends.
Checkered Square 2 Pattern – Make 4
← Row 1 [RS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
→ Row 2 [WS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
← Row 3 [RS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
→ Row 4 [WS]: A4, C4, A4, C4, A4
← Row 5 [RS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
→ Row 6 [WS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
← Row 7 [RS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
→ Row 8 [WS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
← Row 9 [RS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
→ Row 10 [WS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
← Row 11 [RS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
→ Row 12 [WS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
← Row 13 [RS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
→ Row 14 [WS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
← Row 15 [RS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
→ Row 16 [WS]: C4, A4, C4, A4, C4
← Row 17 [RS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
→ Row 18 [WS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
← Row 19 [RS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
→ Row 20 [WS]: B4, C4, B4, C4, B4
Cut off yarn and weave in ends.
Snowflake Square Pattern – Make 5
Make 1 of the 5 with Color C instead B.
← Row 1 [RS]: B20
→ Row 2 [WS]: B20
← Row 3 [RS]: B7, A2, B2, A2, B7
→ Row 4 [WS]: B7, A6, B7
← Row 5 [RS]: B3, A2, B3, A4, B3, A2, B3
→ Row 6 [WS]: B3, A2, B4, A2, B4, A2, B3
← Row 7 [RS]: B4, A3, B2, A2, B2, A3, B4
→ Row 8 [WS]: B2, A6, B1, A2, B1, A6, B2
← Row 9 [RS]: B2, A2, B2, A 2, B1, A2, B1, A2, B2, A2, B2
→ Row 10 [WS]: B7, A6, B7
← Row 11 [RS]: B7, A6, B7
→ Row 12 [WS]: B2, A2, B2, A2, B1, A2, B1, A2, B2, A2, B2
← Row 13 [RS]: B2, A6, B1, A2, B1, A6, B2
→ Row 14 [WS]: B4, A3, B2, A2, B2, A3, B4
← Row 15 [RS]: B3, A2, B4, A2, B4, A2, B3
→ Row 16 [WS]: B3, A2, B3, A4, B3, A2, B3
← Row 17 [RS]: B7, A6, B7
→ Row 18 [WS]: B7, A2, B2, A2, B7
← Row 19 [RS]: B20
→ Row 20 [WS]: B20
Cut off yarn and weave in ends.
Tree Square Pattern – Make 5
Make 1 of the 5 with Color C instead B.
← Row 1 [RS]: A20
→ Row 2 [WS]: A20
← Row 3 [RS]: A2, B16, A2
→ Row 4 [WS]: A3, B14, A3
← Row 5 [RS]: A4, B12, A4
→ Row 6 [WS]: A5, B10, A5
← Row 7 [RS]: A6, B8, A6
→ Row 8 [WS]: A7, B6, A7
← Row 9 [RS]: A4, B12, A4
→ Row 10 [WS]: A5, B10, A5
← Row 11 [RS]: A6, B8, A6
→ Row 12 [WS]: A7, B6, A7
← Row 13 [RS]: A8, B4, A8
→ Row 14 [WS]: A5, B10, A5
← Row 15 [RS]: A6, B8, A6
→ Row 16 [WS]: A7, B6, A7
← Row 17 [RS]: A8, B4, A8
→ Row 18 [WS]: A9, B2, A9
← Row 19 [RS]: A20
→ Row 20 [WS]: A20
Cut off yarn and weave in ends.
Joining the Squares
See the video tutorial for help.
Start by laying out your squares into 2, 3 x 3 panels. Join the squares together on the 1st panel, then the 2nd panel, then we will crochet them together around the pillow form.
To join all the squares we will use the mattress stitch (see instructions below). You will need a yarn needle and yarn color of choice. I will be using Color A.
Cut a strand of yarn that is 2 times the length of 3 squares. This is enough yarn to join 3 squares.
Joining order: it does not matter what order you join the squares. I started with the top left square and the one directly below it, then added the 2nd square on the top and the one below that, and then the 3rd square on the top and the one below that. Then I added the 3rd row, working all the horizontal joins first, then doing all the vertical joins after.
Mattress Stitch
Lay the first 2 squares beside each other, with the right sides facing up. Insert your needle into the 1st ST on the left square, working from the bottom of the stitch, up through the top, pull the yarn through, leaving about a 2” tail. Then repeat on the right square, insert your needle through the bottom of the first stitch and up through to the top.
*Next, insert your needle back through the first stitch on the left square, but go from the top of the stitch down to the bottom, then bring your needle up through the next stitch. Repeat on the right square, insert your needle through the first stitch, working from the top down, then bring your needle up through the next stitch.*
Repeat ** across. Every inch or so, stop and pull the 2 ends of the yarn strand tight to close the gap, then continue joining.
When you reach the end, keep the yarn strand attached and use to continue joining the next square in that line. Join more yarn strands as needed. Repeat for the rest of the squares.
Seaming the Pillow Cover
See the video tutorial for help.
After you have your 2 panels done, lay them on top of each other, with the rights sides facing out and the wrong sides facing each other.
With your crochet hook and desired yarn color (I used Color B), crochet the 2 panels together. Start in the top left corner, work 3 SC in each corner and 1 SC in each row on the sides and in each ST across the bottom and top. Insert your pillow form before crocheting across the top.
Cut off your yarn and weave in the end.
And you’re all done!
I hope you enjoyed the Checkered Holiday Pillow crochet pattern!
I can’t wait to see your finished creations, so be sure to tag @theturtletrunk on Instagram!
You are free to sell the items you make with this crochet pattern, and I’d love if you could please link back to this page. You do not have permission to republish or distribute this pattern in any way or claim it as your own. Do not use my photos in your sale listings or for any other purposes. Thank you.
