Herringbone Bath Mat Crochet Pattern: A Classic Stitch That Elevates Your Bathroom

If you’ve been searching for a crochet bath mat pattern that feels as beautiful as it looks, you’ve landed in the right place. This Herringbone Bath Mat pattern by Sincerely Pam combines the timeless elegance of the herringbone stitch with the practical durability you need underfoot. Whether you’re a seasoned crocheter or someone who’s been crocheting for a couple of years and wants to try something with a little more texture and visual interest, this pattern is the perfect next project.

The herringbone stitch has had a major moment in the crochet world, and honestly, it deserves every bit of the attention it gets. The interlocking V-shape design creates a dense, cushioned fabric that is ideal for bath mats. It’s thick without being floppy, sturdy without being stiff, and the finished surface has a subtle geometric elegance that makes your bathroom feel intentional and pulled together. Let’s walk through everything you need to know to make this beautiful project from start to finish.

Why Crochet a Bath Mat?

Before we dive into the pattern itself, let’s talk about why you should crochet your bath mats in the first place. Store-bought bath mats are often made with synthetic fibers and lose their shape after a few washes. They pill, they shed, and they rarely feel as substantial as a handmade version. A crocheted bath mat, on the other hand, gets better with washing. The fibers bloom slightly, filling in any gaps and creating an even denser surface over time.

There’s also the joy of customization. You can choose colors that match your towels, your tile, or your personality. You can make it any size you need — small enough for the space in front of a pedestal sink, or wide enough to stretch across a soaker tub. And because you made it yourself, you know exactly what it’s made of.

Cotton yarn is almost universally recommended for bath mats, and for good reason. It’s absorbent, it’s washable, it’s durable, and it softens beautifully over time. Cotton doesn’t trap mildew the way synthetic fibers can when left damp, which is an important consideration for anything that lives on a bathroom floor.

Materials You’ll Need

For this Herringbone Bath Mat pattern by Sincerely Pam, here’s what you’ll want to gather before you start:

Yarn: The pattern calls for a bulky or super bulky cotton yarn. A 100% cotton option like Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in a size 4 weight works beautifully if you want a lighter mat, but many crocheters prefer to use a size 5 or 6 bulky cotton for extra thickness. You’ll want approximately 400–600 yards depending on the finished size you choose. For a standard bath mat (roughly 17 by 24 inches), plan for around 400–450 yards.

Hook: A size 5.0mm to 6.5mm crochet hook is a good starting range. Because the herringbone half double crochet stitch is slightly tighter than a standard HDC, you may want to go up a hook size from what you’d normally use with your chosen yarn. Always swatch first and don’t skip it — gauge matters more in home goods than in garments, because you’re working toward a specific functional size.

Additional supplies: Scissors, a yarn needle for weaving in ends, and a ruler or measuring tape. A stitch marker can be helpful for keeping track of your turning chains.

Understanding the Herringbone Half Double Crochet Stitch

The star of this pattern is the herringbone half double crochet (HHDC). If you’ve never worked this stitch before, it looks more complicated than it is. The basic idea is that instead of completing your yarn over and pull-through in the standard HDC way, you redirect one of the loops differently to create a tighter, more interlocking stitch.

Here’s how to work the herringbone half double crochet:

Start by inserting your hook into the designated stitch. Yarn over and pull up a loop — you now have three loops on your hook, just like a standard HDC. Here’s where it changes: instead of yarning over and pulling through all three loops at once, you yarn over and pull through only the first loop on your hook. This threads the yarn through just that initial loop. Then you yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops on your hook to complete the stitch.

It sounds like a small change, but the result is dramatically different from a standard half double crochet. The stitch lies flatter, the fabric is denser, and that herringbone diagonal pattern appears naturally as you work row by row. The visual texture you get looks like it took far more effort and skill than it actually did, which is honestly one of the best feelings in crochet.

Take time to practice this stitch on a small swatch before you begin the mat. Work about 20 stitches across and 10 rows tall so you can get a feel for the tension and rhythm. Many crocheters find that after just one or two rows, the stitch clicks and becomes quite fast to work.

Pattern Notes and Stitches Used

Before beginning, review these abbreviations and notes:

Stitches and abbreviations:
ch = chain, st = stitch, sl st = slip stitch, HHDC = herringbone half double crochet, sp = space, RS = right side, WS = wrong side.

Turning chains: In this pattern, the turning chain does not count as a stitch. This is important for maintaining an accurate stitch count. If you’re used to patterns where the turning chain counts as the first stitch, you’ll want to pay close attention here.

Working in rows: This mat is worked flat in rows, which means you’ll be turning your work at the end of each row. The right side and wrong side will look slightly different, and both sides of the herringbone stitch are attractive in their own right. One side will show a more prominent diagonal texture, and the other will have a slightly smoother appearance.

Gauge: Approximately 13 HHDC stitches and 9 rows = 4 inches using a 5.5mm hook and worsted weight cotton yarn. Adjust your hook size as needed to achieve a fabric that feels dense and firm but not stiff or difficult to work with.

The Herringbone Bath Mat Pattern

Finished size: Approximately 17 inches by 24 inches (standard bath mat size). You can adjust by chaining more or fewer stitches to start, in multiples of two.

Chain 57 (or any odd number of chains that gives you the width you want, keeping in mind that you’ll lose a little width due to the density of the stitch).

Row 1 (RS): HHDC in the third chain from the hook and in each chain across. Turn. (55 stitches)

Row 2: Chain 2, HHDC in each stitch across. Turn.

Repeat Row 2 until your piece measures approximately 24 inches from the beginning, or your desired length.

Finishing: Fasten off and weave in all ends securely. Because bath mats get washed regularly, take extra time with your ends. Weave them in at least two different directions using your yarn needle to make sure they hold through repeated laundering.

Border (optional but recommended): Join your yarn at any corner, chain 1, and single crochet evenly around the entire mat, working 3 single crochets into each corner stitch to keep the corners flat. Slip stitch to join, fasten off, and weave in the end.

A simple single crochet border gives the mat a clean, finished look and helps it hold its rectangular shape over time. You can also use a slip stitch border for a subtler edge, or get creative with a contrasting color for a pop of visual interest.

Color Ideas and Inspiration

One of the joys of making your own bath mat is choosing exactly the colors that work in your space. Here are a few combinations that look especially beautiful with the herringbone stitch texture:

Neutral and natural: Off-white, cream, natural, or warm taupe are classic choices that work in almost any bathroom. The herringbone texture does all the visual work, so a single-color mat in a soft neutral feels sophisticated without trying too hard.

Earthy tones: Terracotta, sage green, dusty rose, or clay are having a major moment in home decor right now. A mat in any of these colors feels connected to natural materials and reads as modern and intentional in a bathroom setting.

Navy and white: If you have a more nautical or classic aesthetic, working the mat in navy or a deep ocean blue creates a mat that feels fresh and crisp against white tile or white grout.

Striped versions: Because this pattern works in rows, you can switch colors at the end of any row to create horizontal stripes. Even two-row stripes in alternating colors create a beautiful effect. Three or four colors in an irregular stripe pattern can feel more bohemian and playful.

Tips for Making Your Bath Mat Last

A handmade bath mat is an investment of time and materials, so it’s worth doing a few things to help it hold up for years.

Wash before first use. Cotton yarn shrinks slightly in the first wash and softens considerably. Pre-washing your finished mat will help it achieve its final size and texture before it goes on the floor.

Machine wash on gentle or cold. Most cotton bath mats can go in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold or warm water. Avoid hot water, which can cause cotton to shrink significantly.

Air dry when possible. Tumble drying on low is usually fine for cotton, but air drying extends the life of your mat and prevents any additional shrinkage. Lay it flat to dry so it holds its shape.

Use a non-slip mat underneath. Crocheted mats don’t inherently grip the floor, so for safety, place a non-slip rug pad or non-skid mat underneath. You can also apply lines of fabric puffy paint to the wrong side of the mat and let it dry completely — this creates a textured, grippy surface without needing a separate pad.

Rotate your mat periodically. If one end of your mat gets more foot traffic than the other (right in front of the shower door, for instance), rotating it 180 degrees occasionally will distribute the wear more evenly.

Gifting This Pattern

The Herringbone Bath Mat by Sincerely Pam makes a genuinely wonderful handmade gift. It’s one of those items that looks so thoughtful and beautiful that people are surprised to learn you made it yourself, and yet it’s functional in a way that means it will actually get used rather than sitting in a drawer.

Consider gifting it alongside a set of matching face cloths, a bar of handmade soap, or a bottle of nice hand lotion for a complete bathroom gift set. You could also customize the colors to match the recipient’s bathroom — just ask them ahead of time what their color scheme looks like, or choose a classic neutral that works in any space.

Wrapping a crocheted bath mat is easy: fold it neatly, tie it with a ribbon or piece of twine, and attach a small card explaining the care instructions. Including a handwritten note about what yarn you used and how long it took to make adds a personal touch that pre-packaged gifts simply can’t match.

Why This Pattern Works So Well

There are dozens of bath mat patterns available online, so what makes the Sincerely Pam Herringbone Bath Mat stand out? A few things work together to make this a particularly excellent pattern.

First, the herringbone stitch itself creates a naturally dense, structured fabric that is ideal for floor use. Unlike looser stitches that can feel a little flimsy underfoot, the HHDC locks together in a way that creates real substance. The mat has weight to it, which makes it feel luxurious.

Second, the simple row-by-row construction means there’s no complex shaping, no counting pattern repeats, and no confusing stitch placement to track. Once you learn the HHDC stitch, the entire body of the mat is one repeated action. This makes it an excellent project for listening to podcasts or watching television while you work, because the stitch becomes rhythmic and meditative.

Third, the rectangular shape is endlessly customizable. You can make it wider, longer, or both just by adjusting your starting chain and the number of rows. A single pattern works for every bathroom in your home, from the guest bath powder room to the main bath.

Finally, the finished look is genuinely impressive. The herringbone texture catches light differently depending on the angle you view it from, and the geometric quality of the stitch pattern makes the mat look like something you’d find in a high-end home goods store rather than something you made on your couch on a Sunday afternoon.

A Few Final Thoughts

Crochet home goods are one of the most satisfying categories of projects because you interact with them every single day. Every time you step out of the shower and feel that thick, textured surface under your feet, you get to remember that you made that. That combination of usefulness and beauty is what makes projects like this Herringbone Bath Mat by Sincerely Pam so rewarding to complete.

If you make this pattern, share your finished mat in your favorite crochet communities or on social media. Seeing how different crocheters interpret the same pattern with different yarns and color choices is one of the best parts of being in the crochet world. Tag your work and share what yarn you used — you might inspire someone else to pick up their hook and try it for the first time.

Happy crocheting, and enjoy the beautiful mat you’re about to make.