How to Crochet a Sun Pillow with Bernat Blanket Yarn
There is something so cheerful and inviting about a sun-shaped pillow sitting on a couch, a reading chair, or a child’s bed. It adds warmth to a room in a way that goes beyond the physical comfort of the pillow itself — it brings a little burst of personality and handmade charm that no store-bought cushion can replicate. If you have been looking for a fun intermediate crochet project that works up quickly and makes a stunning finished piece, this sun pillow tutorial using Bernat Blanket yarn is exactly what you need.
This guide will walk you through everything from choosing your materials to finishing your pillow with a polished, professional edge. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter looking for a satisfying weekend project or someone who has recently graduated past beginner scarves and dishcloths, you will find this pattern approachable, rewarding, and genuinely fun to make. Let’s get started.
Why Bernat Blanket Yarn Is Perfect for This Project
Before we dive into the pattern itself, it is worth talking about why Bernat Blanket yarn is the ideal choice for a sun pillow. If you have never worked with it before, you are in for a treat.
Bernat Blanket yarn is a super bulky (size 6) chenille-style yarn that is incredibly soft and plush. It has a velvety texture that makes the finished fabric look almost dimensional, with a lovely loft that gives your pillow a full, squishy look. Because it is so thick, it works up much faster than worsted weight yarn, which means you can finish an entire pillow in a single weekend — sometimes in a single dedicated afternoon.
The color range for Bernat Blanket yarn is extensive, which matters a lot for a sun pillow. You want a golden yellow that reads as warm and sunny rather than greenish or pale. Colors like Sunshine, Gold, or Harvest look beautiful for the main sun body. For the rays, you can stay in the same color family for a monochromatic look, or choose a slightly deeper shade like Pumpkin or a contrasting color like Burnt Orange for a more layered, artistic effect. Some crocheters even make the rays in a variegated Bernat Blanket yarn that transitions through warm tones, which creates a stunning gradient effect as the rays fan out from the center.
Another practical advantage of Bernat Blanket yarn is that it is machine washable and dryer friendly, which makes your finished pillow genuinely functional and not just decorative. A pillow that can be tossed in the wash is a pillow that will actually be used and loved.
Materials You Will Need
Getting your materials together before you start will make the whole process much smoother. Here is what you will need for this project.
For yarn, you will need approximately 300 grams of Bernat Blanket yarn in your main sun color, which we will call yellow throughout this tutorial. If you plan to make your rays in a contrasting color, pick up an additional 150 grams in your accent color. The exact amount will vary slightly depending on the size of pillow you want to make, but these quantities are enough for a finished pillow that measures approximately 18 inches from tip to tip across the widest point of the rays.
For your hook, a size 9mm crochet hook is the standard recommendation for Bernat Blanket yarn. Some crocheters go up to a 10mm if they tend to crochet tightly, and that is perfectly fine — just make sure to do a quick gauge check if the size of your finished pillow is important to you.
You will also need a pillow form. A round 14-inch pillow insert works beautifully inside this pattern, giving the sun body a full, plump shape while leaving the rays as flat, decorative extensions that fan out around the edge. Alternatively, you can stuff the pillow with polyester fiberfill if you prefer to stuff it as you close it up rather than inserting a pre-made form.
Beyond that, you will need a large yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming, scissors, and stitch markers if you like to keep track of your rounds. That is genuinely all you need — this is one of those projects where the simplicity of the materials list is part of its charm.
Understanding the Construction
The sun pillow is made in three main parts: the front panel, the back panel, and the rays. Understanding the construction before you start helps you see where the project is headed and makes each step feel purposeful rather than mysterious.
The front and back panels are both worked in the round, starting from a magic ring at the center and expanding outward in a classic flat circle. The rays are made separately as individual pointed or rounded triangular shapes and then assembled around the perimeter of the pillow before the two panels are seamed together.
This construction method, where the rays are made separately rather than crocheted as part of the main circle, gives you much more control over the final look. You can make the rays longer or shorter, pointier or rounder, and you can adjust the number of rays to suit your aesthetic preference. Once everything is assembled, the pillow is seamed around the edge with the rays sandwiched in between, so they fan outward from the finished pillow in a clean, sturdy way.
Pattern Abbreviations
Throughout this tutorial, the following abbreviations are used. These are standard US crochet terms.
Magic ring = MR, chain = ch, slip stitch = sl st, single crochet = sc, half double crochet = hdc, double crochet = dc, treble crochet = tr, increase = inc (two stitches in the same stitch), stitch = st, stitches = sts, round = rnd.
The Sun Pillow Pattern
Making the Front Panel
Begin with a magic ring.
Round 1: Work 6 sc into the magic ring and pull the ring closed. You will have 6 sts. Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Round 2: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each stitch around. You will have 12 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 3: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in the next st. Repeat this sequence around. You will have 18 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 4: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 2 sts. Repeat around. You will have 24 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 5: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 3 sts. Repeat around. You will have 30 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 6: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 4 sts. Repeat around. You will have 36 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 7: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts. Repeat around. You will have 42 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 8: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 6 sts. Repeat around. You will have 48 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 9: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 7 sts. Repeat around. You will have 54 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 10: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 8 sts. Repeat around. You will have 60 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 11: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 9 sts. Repeat around. You will have 66 sts. Join with a sl st.
Round 12: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 10 sts. Repeat around. You will have 72 sts. Join with a sl st.
Fasten off and leave a long tail for seaming. You now have a flat circle that measures approximately 14 inches in diameter.
Make a second identical circle for the back panel. Fasten off and set aside.
Making the Sun Rays
Each ray is made individually. This pattern calls for 10 rays total, which creates a classic, well-spaced sunburst shape. You can make 8 rays for a more open look or 12 for something more dramatic and layered.
For each ray, work in rows using your yellow yarn or your contrasting accent color.
Ch 10.
Row 1: Sc in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across. You will have 9 sts. Ch 1, turn.
Row 2: Skip the first st, sc across to the last 2 sts, sc2tog. You will have 7 sts. Ch 1, turn.
Row 3: Skip the first st, sc across to the last 2 sts, sc2tog. You will have 5 sts. Ch 1, turn.
Row 4: Skip the first st, sc across to the last 2 sts, sc2tog. You will have 3 sts. Ch 1, turn.
Row 5: Sc3tog. You will have 1 st remaining. Fasten off, leaving a tail.
This gives you a neat, slightly tapered triangular ray. The base of the ray is the foundation chain edge, and the point is the single remaining stitch at the top. Make 10 of these, or however many you have chosen for your design.
If you prefer a more rounded, petal-like ray shape instead of a sharp point, you can substitute the decrease rows with half double crochet stitches and finish the tip with a slip stitch instead of sc3tog. Both approaches look wonderful; the triangular tips read as more graphic and modern while the rounded tips look softer and more whimsical.
Assembling the Sun Pillow
This is the step that brings everything together, and while it requires a little patience, the result is so satisfying that you will not mind taking your time with it.
Lay your front circle flat on a clean surface with the right side facing down. Arrange your 10 rays evenly around the edge of the circle. The base of each ray should be pointing inward toward the center, and the pointed tip should be facing outward. Space the rays as evenly as possible around the perimeter — with 10 rays and 72 stitches around the edge, you will be placing a ray base approximately every 7 stitches. Pin the rays in place with locking stitch markers or safety pins to hold them secure while you work.
Now place the back panel on top of the front panel with right sides facing each other and wrong sides facing out. The rays are now sandwiched between the two circles. Using your yarn needle and a length of yellow yarn, begin whip stitching or single crocheting through both layers around the entire outer edge, catching the base of each ray securely as you work past it.
Leave a gap of about 5 to 6 inches unsewn when you are approaching the end of your seam. This gap is where you will insert your pillow form or add your fiberfill stuffing.
Insert the 14-inch round pillow form through the opening, or stuff with polyester fiberfill until you achieve your desired level of plumpness. The pillow should feel full and firm but not so overstuffed that it distorts the circular shape.
Once you are happy with the stuffing, continue seaming the gap closed. Weave in all remaining ends securely, burying them inside the pillow so they will not be visible or come loose with use.
Turn the pillow right side out. The rays will now fan outward in a beautiful sunburst arrangement around the central pillow body.
Tips and Troubleshooting
One of the most common issues with crocheted circles is curling or cupping, where the circle starts to bowl upward or the edges roll inward. This usually happens when you have not increased enough in each round. The formula used in this pattern — adding one extra stitch per segment with each new round — is mathematically designed to keep the circle flat. If you find your circle cupping, try going up a hook size or loosening your tension slightly.
On the other side of things, if your circle is ruffling and waving at the edges, you have increased too much, usually because your tension is very loose. Try going down a hook size.
Working with super bulky yarn can also feel unfamiliar at first if you are used to lighter weight yarn. The stitches are large and there are fewer of them to manage in each round, which some crocheters find freeing and others find slightly awkward. The key is to make sure each stitch is fully seated before moving on — with chenille-style yarn like Bernat Blanket, stitches can sometimes look like they are in the right place but are sitting slightly off center on the hook. Take a breath and work at a deliberate, comfortable pace.
If you are adding a face to your sun pillow for a child’s room, you can embroider eyes and a smile using black or brown yarn and your yarn needle before you close up the pillow. Alternatively, you can use safety eyes, though make sure to choose a size that is proportional to the large scale of this pillow — 30mm to 40mm safety eyes work best here. Always keep safety eye guidelines in mind for children under three years old, as they are a choking hazard.
Customization Ideas
One of the great joys of making your own pillow from scratch is the almost infinite room for personalization. Here are a few ideas to make this project uniquely yours.
Consider playing with color in a way that reflects the vibe of the room where the pillow will live. A pastel yellow with soft coral rays would feel sweet and vintage-inspired. A bright golden yellow with deep orange rays would feel bold and Southwestern. An ombre effect, made by using two different Bernat Blanket yarns in adjacent shades and switching between them at strategic rounds, gives the pillow an almost painterly quality.
You can also vary the size of the pillow by simply continuing the increase rounds beyond Round 12. Each additional round adds approximately one inch to the diameter. If you want a giant floor pillow, keep going until your circle measures 18 to 20 inches and use a corresponding pillow insert or extra stuffing.
Adding a small embellishment to the center of the front panel — like a crocheted button cover, a pompom, or a cluster of surface slip stitches worked in a contrasting color — can give the pillow a charming focal point that ties the whole design together.
Caring for Your Finished Sun Pillow
Bernat Blanket yarn is machine washable on a gentle cycle with cold water, and it can go in the dryer on a low heat setting. However, to help your pillow maintain its shape and keep the rays looking neat and evenly fanned out, you may want to reshape it by hand while it is still slightly damp and then let it finish air drying.
If your pillow loses some of its plumpness over time, it is easy to open a small seam with your scissors, add a bit more fiberfill, and close it back up with a few hand stitches. The nature of the bulky yarn means that re-seaming is quick and the repair is virtually invisible.
Final Thoughts
A crocheted sun pillow made with Bernat Blanket yarn is one of those projects that delivers a disproportionately impressive result for the effort required. Because the yarn works up so quickly and the construction is straightforward once you understand the logic of it, you can go from a skein of yarn to a finished, beautiful pillow in a surprisingly short amount of time. And because handmade items carry so much warmth and intention with them, the finished pillow has a quality that you simply cannot buy.
Whether you are making it for your own home, as a gift for a new baby, as a cheerful accent for a playroom, or just because you wanted a fun project to work on while watching your favorite show, this sun pillow is guaranteed to bring a little brightness into the world. Crochet has a wonderful way of doing that — turning something as simple as yarn and a hook into something that people will touch, use, and smile at for years to come.
Gather your Bernat Blanket yarn, get your hook ready, and let the sunshine begin.
