Free Knitting Pattern: Faux Fur Heart Pillow
There is something deeply satisfying about making a pillow from scratch. It starts as a ball of yarn, becomes something tangible and soft under your hands, and ends up as a piece of your home that you made yourself. When that pillow is shaped like a heart and covered in the most irresistibly touchable faux fur texture, the satisfaction doubles. This free knitting pattern for a faux fur heart pillow walks you through every step of the process, from materials to finishing, so that whether you are a confident beginner or an experienced knitter looking for a fun weekend project, you can create something genuinely beautiful.
This pattern makes a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, a housewarming, a new baby, a best friend, or really any occasion where you want to give something handmade and heartfelt. It also makes a wonderful addition to your own living room or bedroom, tucked into a reading chair or layered on a bed. The faux fur effect is achieved through a simple looping technique that even newer knitters pick up quickly, and the heart shape is worked flat in two identical pieces that are seamed together and stuffed. Let’s get into it.
Why Knit a Faux Fur Pillow?
Before we dive into the pattern itself, it is worth talking about why this particular project is so worth your time. Knitted faux fur has been having a long and well-deserved moment in the crafting world. The texture mimics the look of real fur without any of the ethical concerns, and the effect you get from the looping stitch is genuinely plush and dimensional. Run your hand across a finished faux fur knit piece and it feels completely different from a standard stockinette or garter stitch fabric — it is lush, it is soft, and it looks like something you might find in a high-end home décor store.
The heart shape adds another layer of charm. Hearts are universally beloved, instantly recognizable, and endlessly versatile in terms of color. You can knit this pillow in a classic deep red for a romantic Valentine’s gift, a soft blush pink for a nursery, a rich burgundy for a sophisticated living room, or even a bold black for something dramatic and modern. The shape works in essentially every color you can imagine, which makes it one of those patterns you will come back to again and again.
Beyond aesthetics, this is also a genuinely practical project. It uses a moderate amount of yarn, it works up relatively quickly once you have the faux fur stitch down, and the finished pillow is sturdy and durable. With the right yarn choice, it is also washable, which matters a great deal when you are putting something on a couch or giving it to someone with kids or pets.
Materials You Will Need
Getting your materials sorted before you start is one of those small habits that makes knitting so much more enjoyable. Here is what you need for this faux fur heart pillow.
Yarn: You will need approximately 200 to 250 yards of a bulky or super bulky weight yarn, depending on the size of pillow you want to make. For the faux fur effect, look for a yarn with some texture or loft — a thick and thin single-ply yarn, a bouclé, or a chunky wool-blend all work beautifully. You can also use a standard smooth bulky yarn if you prefer a slightly less furry texture and more definition in the loops. One popular and widely available choice is Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, but any bulky yarn you love will work.
Needles: US size 10.5 (6.5mm) straight or circular needles. You can use whatever style you are most comfortable with. The pillow pieces are worked flat, so straight needles work perfectly well.
Additional supplies: A tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, stitch markers if you find them helpful, a heart-shaped pillow insert or polyester fiberfill stuffing, and scissors.
Gauge: Approximately 12 stitches and 16 rows over 4 inches in the faux fur stitch. Gauge is not critical for this project since the size is forgiving, but if you want a specific finished size, work a small swatch first and adjust your needle size accordingly.
Finished size: The finished pillow measures approximately 14 inches wide at the widest point and 12 inches tall, which is a lovely, substantial size. If you want a smaller or larger pillow, simply adjust your cast-on numbers proportionally.
Understanding the Faux Fur Stitch
The magic of this pillow lies entirely in one stitch: the loop stitch. It sounds intimidating if you have never done it before, but it is actually straightforward once your fingers understand the motion. The loop stitch creates long, individual loops on the surface of your fabric that, when they pile up together, create that gorgeous fur-like texture.
Here is how to work the loop stitch:
Insert your right needle into the next stitch as if to knit. Before pulling the yarn through, wrap the yarn around your left thumb to create a loop — the size of the loop determines how long your “fur” will be, so aim for a loop about 1.5 to 2 inches long. Now bring both strands of yarn (the loop strand and the working yarn) through the stitch and slip the original stitch off the left needle. You will have two strands on your right needle. Pass the first strand over the second strand to secure the loop. That is one loop stitch complete.
The loop stitch is worked on wrong-side rows in this pattern, which means the loops appear on the right side of your fabric as you work. It does slow things down compared to plain knitting, but the effect is absolutely worth it, and most knitters find they get into a satisfying rhythm with it fairly quickly.
If you have not worked loop stitch before, it is genuinely worth taking ten minutes to practice on a small swatch before starting the actual pillow. Once you have done it a dozen or so times, it becomes almost automatic.
The Pattern
Abbreviations
CO: cast on
K: knit
P: purl
LS: loop stitch (as described above)
K2tog: knit two stitches together
SSK: slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease)
BO: bind off
RS: right side
WS: wrong side
St(s): stitch(es)
Rep: repeat
Shaping the Heart
The heart shape is created by knitting two identical panels. Each panel starts at the bottom point of the heart, increases outward to form the widest part, then splits to form the two rounded lobes at the top.
Make two panels.
Bottom point: CO 2 sts.
Row 1 (RS): K2.
Row 2 (WS): LS across all sts.
Row 3 (RS): K into the front and back of each stitch — 4 sts.
Row 4 (WS): LS across all sts.
Row 5 (RS): K into the front and back of the first st, K to last st, K into the front and back of last st — 6 sts.
Row 6 (WS): LS across all sts.
Continue in this manner, increasing 1 stitch at each end on every RS row and working LS across every WS row, until you have 40 stitches. This will take you through approximately 20 RS rows of increasing.
At this point you should have a wide diamond shape forming, with the loops creating that textured, furry surface on the right side.
Shaping the Two Lobes
Now you will split the work to create the two rounded top sections of the heart.
Left lobe:
Next RS row: K20, turn. Leave the remaining 20 sts on a holder or on your needle to be worked later.
Working on these 20 sts only:
WS: LS across all sts.
RS: K across, working K2tog at the end of the row — 19 sts.
WS: LS across all sts.
RS: K across, working K2tog at the end of the row — 18 sts.
Continue decreasing 1 stitch at the end of every RS row (the center of the heart) in this way until you have 12 stitches remaining.
Now shape the outer curve of the lobe by also decreasing at the beginning of RS rows:
Next RS row: SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog — 10 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog — 8 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog — 6 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: SSK, K2, K2tog — 4 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: K2tog twice — 2 sts.
BO remaining sts.
Right lobe:
Rejoin yarn to the remaining 20 stitches with RS facing.
RS: K across, working SSK at the beginning of the row — 19 sts.
WS: LS across all sts.
RS: K across, working SSK at the beginning of the row — 18 sts.
Continue decreasing 1 stitch at the beginning of every RS row (the center of the heart) until you have 12 stitches remaining.
Next RS row: SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog — 10 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog — 8 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog — 6 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: SSK, K2, K2tog — 4 sts.
WS: LS across.
Next RS row: K2tog twice — 2 sts.
BO remaining sts.
Repeat all of the above to make your second panel, which will be identical to the first.
Finishing the Pillow
Once both panels are complete, weave in all your yarn ends on each piece before seaming. It is much easier to deal with ends now than after the pillow is stuffed.
Block both pieces lightly if desired. You do not need to aggressively wet block a chunky faux fur piece — a light steam or simply laying the pieces flat and letting them rest into shape is plenty.
Place the two panels with wrong sides together (so the loopy, furry sides face outward on both sides of the pillow). Using your tapestry needle and a length of matching yarn, seam around the entire heart using mattress stitch or whip stitch, leaving an opening of about 4 to 5 inches along one straight section for stuffing.
Turn the pillow right-side out through the opening. If you are using a heart-shaped pillow insert, insert it now. If you are using loose fiberfill, stuff the pillow firmly and evenly, taking extra care to fill the bottom point and the two upper lobes completely so the shape is well defined and plump.
Once stuffed to your satisfaction, close the opening using the same seaming stitch. Weave in the final end securely and trim.
Give the pillow a good fluff and run your fingers through the loops to make sure they are all facing outward and the texture looks even.
Tips for the Best Results
A few things will make a meaningful difference in how your finished pillow turns out.
Keep your loops consistent. This is the single biggest factor in how professional the finished faux fur texture looks. Some knitters find it helpful to wrap the yarn around a pen or a finger of a consistent width to ensure each loop is the same length. The more consistent your loops, the more evenly plush the surface will appear.
Do not skip the WS rows. It can be tempting when you are eager to see the shape develop to rush through the plain wrong-side rows, but each loop stitch row is building the texture you came here for. Give those rows the same attention as the shaping rows.
Choose your color thoughtfully. Lighter colors tend to show the loopy texture more dramatically and look more authentically fur-like. Deeper colors are stunning and dramatic but the texture can get a little lost visually. Both are beautiful — just something to keep in mind as you choose your yarn.
Use a yarn with good stitch definition or a slight sheen for a more polished look, or go with a matte, woolly yarn for something more rustic and cozy. Both approaches are lovely; it just depends on the aesthetic you are going for.
Stuff generously. A slightly overstuffed pillow always looks better than a flat, limp one, especially in a shaped design like a heart where you want the silhouette to be crisp and full.
Yarn Substitution Ideas
While this pattern works beautifully with many different yarns, here are a few specific options to consider if you are shopping for this project.
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick is a classic choice — widely available, machine washable, comes in dozens of colors, and has a lovely loft that suits the faux fur stitch well. Bernat Blanket Yarn is another popular option with an exceptionally soft hand. For a more luxurious version, look into chunky merino options from smaller indie dyers, which often come in gorgeous, unique colorways. If you want to really lean into the faux fur effect, some knitters use a brushed mohair-blend held together with a smooth bulky yarn — this creates an exceptionally fluffy texture that is extremely striking.
Variations to Try
Once you have made one faux fur heart pillow, you will almost certainly want to make more. Here are some ways to vary the pattern and keep things interesting.
Try a striped version by switching yarn colors every few rows, which creates a beautiful ombre or striped effect within the faux fur texture. You could also knit one panel in the loop stitch and one panel in plain garter or stockinette for a two-texture pillow that shows off both sides differently. Embellishing the finished pillow with a simple I-cord stem or small crocheted leaves at the top center can give it more of a decorative charm. For a smaller version, simply reduce your cast-on increases and stop at 28 stitches instead of 40 before splitting for the lobes.
A Note on Gifting This Pillow
If you are making this pillow as a gift, consider packaging it with a handwritten tag that describes what it is made of and any care instructions. Knowing that something was handmade specifically for them makes the gift even more meaningful, and people generally appreciate knowing how to care for a handmade item so they can keep it looking beautiful.
This pillow makes a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift, but do not limit yourself to that occasion. It is equally perfect as a housewarming gift, a “just because” gift for someone who needs a little extra love, a Mother’s Day present, a new baby gift, or a treat for yourself. The universal language of the heart shape means it fits just about any context.
Making something with your hands for someone you care about — or for your own home, for your own joy — is one of the most meaningful things you can do with a spare afternoon. This faux fur heart pillow is that rare project that looks impressive, uses a satisfying stitch, has a beautiful finished shape, and comes together faster than you might expect. Pick up your yarn, cast on those first two stitches at the tip of the heart, and enjoy every loop along the way.
