7 Free Knitted Toilet Roll Cover Patterns | Video Showcase | The Knit Crew
There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a knitted toilet roll cover sitting on the back of a bathroom shelf. Once considered a staple of home décor, these charming little creations are making a serious comeback — and honestly, it is easy to understand why. They are quick to knit, use only small amounts of yarn, and they transform a functional household item into something that makes guests smile. Whether you are a seasoned knitter looking for a satisfying afternoon project or a beginner who wants to practice working in the round, a toilet roll cover is one of those perfect pattern picks that never disappoints.
At The Knit Crew, we have gathered seven of our favourite free knitted toilet roll cover patterns, each accompanied by a helpful video so you can follow along at your own pace. From whimsical animal designs to elegant textured covers that suit a modern bathroom, there is something here for every taste and every skill level. Grab your needles, pull out that stash yarn you have been meaning to use up, and let us get into it.
Why Knit a Toilet Roll Cover?
Before we dive into the patterns themselves, it is worth pausing to appreciate why so many knitters are returning to this humble project. First and foremost, toilet roll covers are a brilliant stash buster. Most designs call for less than 50 grams of yarn, which means you can finally put those odd balls sitting in your basket to good use. They also knit up quickly — many of the patterns below can be completed in a single evening — which makes them endlessly satisfying when you want a fast finish.
There is also a gifting angle worth considering. A hand-knitted toilet roll cover, tucked alongside a nice candle or a set of hand towels, makes a thoughtful and personal housewarming gift. People appreciate the time and care that goes into handmade items, and because these covers are so compact, they are easy to wrap and post.
From a decorating standpoint, a well-chosen toilet roll cover can tie together the colour scheme of a bathroom without requiring any major changes. Swap out the cover for a different colour or style with the seasons, and your bathroom gets an instant refresh for practically no cost. It is the kind of small, joyful craft that reminds us why we fell in love with knitting in the first place.
What You Will Generally Need
Most of the patterns in this collection share a similar materials list, so it is worth covering the basics before you start. You will typically need a small amount of double knitting or worsted weight yarn — the exact amount depends on your design — along with a pair of 4mm or 4.5mm straight or double-pointed needles, or a short circular needle if you prefer working in the round that way. A darning needle for weaving in ends and a basic understanding of knit, purl, and increase or decrease stitches will carry you through most of these projects.
For the novelty designs like animal covers, you may also want some small buttons or felt scraps for eyes, a little polyfill for any three-dimensional elements, and a crochet hook in case the pattern uses a simple chain for any embellishment. Beyond that, you are good to go.
The 7 Free Knitted Toilet Roll Cover Patterns
1. The Classic Hen Cover
There is no toilet roll cover more iconic than the hen. This design has been a feature of crafting magazines and pattern books for decades, and it continues to be one of the most searched toilet roll cover patterns online for good reason. The finished hen sits proudly on top of the roll, her rounded body fitting snugly over the cardboard tube while her head, beak, comb, and little wings give her a personality all of her own.
This pattern is worked mostly in stocking stitch with a few simple shaping rows to create the rounded body. The head and wings are knitted separately and sewn on at the end, and a bright red comb knitted in garter stitch adds that perfect finishing touch. Button eyes complete the look. It is a beginner-friendly project once you are comfortable with basic increasing and decreasing, and the video tutorial for this one walks you through every step — including how to stuff the head so it keeps its shape without looking lumpy.
Yarn suggestion: Any DK weight yarn in a warm brown, cream, or speckled tweed. This is a great pattern for using up small leftovers since the head and wings can easily be knitted in a contrasting colour.
2. The Daffodil Lace Cover
If your bathroom tends toward the elegant rather than the whimsical, this lace-inspired cover is the one for you. Worked in a soft yellow cotton yarn, the daffodil lace cover features a simple eyelet pattern that runs from the base all the way up the body of the cover. A small band of seed stitch at the top and bottom gives it a neat, tidy finish, and the overall effect is light and pretty without being fussy.
This pattern is worked in the round on double-pointed needles, which can feel a little intimidating if you have not tried them before. However, the video tutorial for this design takes a particularly thoughtful approach to teaching the technique, spending a good few minutes at the beginning just showing you how to cast on and join your stitches without twisting. Once you have that foundation in place, the rest of the pattern flows beautifully.
Cotton yarn behaves slightly differently from wool, tending to be a little less stretchy and a bit more prone to splitting if you are not careful. The video addresses this as well, showing you the best way to hold your yarn and manage your tension for a neat, even result.
Yarn suggestion: A light-fingering or DK cotton in pale yellow, soft white, or mint green. This cover also works beautifully in a variegated spring colourway if you want something a little more playful.
3. The Ribbed Cable Cover
Sometimes simple is best, and this ribbed cable cover proves the point beautifully. Worked flat on straight needles and seamed up the back, the design features a classic four-stitch cable running up the centre of a background of two-by-two rib. The result is a cover that looks polished and considered — something you might find in a boutique interiors shop rather than immediately recognisable as a craft project.
This pattern is ideal for knitters who have been wanting to try cables but have not yet taken the plunge. The cable repeat is simple enough that you will have it memorised after the first few rows, and the video demonstration shows you exactly how to use a cable needle (or a spare DPN if you do not own a cable needle) to create that satisfying twist.
The cover is worked in a single colour to let the textural detail shine, but you could absolutely experiment with a tweed or heathered yarn for added depth. It works equally well in a neutral like oatmeal, grey, or navy, and it is the kind of cover that suits a more grown-up, understated bathroom beautifully.
Yarn suggestion: A smooth worsted or DK in any solid or semi-solid colour. Avoid anything too fuzzy or textured, as it will obscure the cable detail.
4. The Bumblebee Cover
Children love this one, and honestly, so do most adults who encounter it. The bumblebee cover is worked in yellow and black stripes for the body, with a small pair of white or cream wings knitted separately and attached at the sides. A tiny smiling face embroidered on the front gives the bee its character, and two little antennae worked in black yarn complete the design.
Colour stranding is involved in this pattern, which means you will be carrying two colours across your work as you knit the stripes. The video tutorial covers this technique in detail, showing you how to manage your floats so that the inside of the cover stays tidy and the tension across the front remains even. It is a skill well worth learning, and this small project is an ideal place to practice it without committing to something larger like a Fair Isle jumper.
The bumblebee cover knits up very quickly because the stripe pattern keeps things engaging — you are never doing the same thing for too long before switching colour and moving forward. It is also a project that children enjoy watching come together, which makes it a lovely thing to knit in company.
Yarn suggestion: Yellow DK for the body with small amounts of black and white. This is the ideal stash-buster pattern for anyone with leftover bits of these classic colours.
5. The Mushroom Cover
The mushroom cover has become something of a modern classic thanks to the ongoing popularity of cottagecore and nature-inspired home décor. Worked in a warm red for the cap and cream or white for the stalk, it features simple spotted embellishment on the cap using Swiss darning or duplicate stitch — a technique the video explains wonderfully for those who have not tried it before.
The overall shape is achieved through a series of increases and decreases that create the distinctive mushroom silhouette, with a slightly domed top and a narrower body below. It is a more sculptural pattern than some of the others on this list, but the shaping instructions are clearly written and the video demonstration makes it very straightforward to follow along.
This cover looks particularly lovely displayed in groups of two or three in different sizes, which you can achieve simply by going up or down a needle size or two. A small mushroom trio on a bathroom shelf is an absolute delight and would make a wonderful gift set.
Yarn suggestion: Red or deep burgundy for the cap with cream, oatmeal, or soft white for the body. A pale peach or terracotta colourway also looks beautiful if you want something slightly more muted.
6. The Snowy Owl Cover
Perfect for autumn and winter decorating, the snowy owl cover is one of the more detailed patterns on this list but also one of the most rewarding to complete. The owl body is worked in white or cream with flecks of grey created through simple slipped stitch patterning, and the face is formed by a combination of increases that create a slight raised area around the eye region. Button eyes give the finished owl a wonderfully alert expression.
The pattern is worked in the round and includes some short row shaping for the beak and brow, which can feel a little tricky at first if you have not encountered short rows before. The accompanying video is particularly excellent on this point, walking you through the wrap and turn method slowly and clearly before showing you how to pick up your wraps on the return row so there are no holes in your work.
This is a pattern that rewards patience. Take your time with the finishing — especially around the face — and your owl will look truly impressive sitting on the bathroom shelf. It is the kind of project that draws comments from visitors who cannot quite believe it was handmade.
Yarn suggestion: Chunky or DK weight in white, cream, or soft grey. A small amount of yellow or orange for the beak, and two black buttons for the eyes.
7. The Simple Striped Cover with Pompom Top
We are closing the list with something joyful and accessible — a simple striped cover that is genuinely suitable for complete beginners. Worked flat in garter stitch and seamed up the back, this cover uses two or three contrasting colours in alternating stripes and finishes with a cheerful pompom on top. It requires only the most basic knitting skills: cast on, knit every row, cast off, and sew the seam.
The video for this pattern includes a bonus tutorial on how to make the pompom using two cardboard circles and a length of yarn, which is a technique worth having in your crafting toolkit regardless of what you are making. The resulting pompom is wonderfully full and fluffy, and it adds a pop of playful texture that lifts the whole design.
Do not be fooled by the simplicity of this pattern. A well-chosen colour combination — think bright mustard with deep teal, or soft blush with warm terracotta — can make this cover look every bit as stylish as the more complex designs on this list. It is also a brilliant project for teaching a young family member to knit, since the construction is straightforward enough to explain and finish in a single sitting.
Yarn suggestion: Any DK weight yarn in two or three complementary colours. Bold, contrasting combinations tend to look the most striking, but a tonal approach using shades of the same colour family is equally beautiful.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
A few general tips apply across all of these patterns and are worth keeping in mind as you work. Tension matters more than many knitters realise with covers like these, because the fit over the toilet roll tube needs to be snug enough that the cover stays in place without toppling over, but not so tight that you cannot get it on and off comfortably. Before you begin, it is always worth casting on a small swatch and checking your tension against what the pattern specifies.
Seaming is another area where a little care goes a long way. If you are working a flat pattern and seaming up the back, take the time to use a proper mattress stitch rather than rushing through with an overcast seam. The difference in the finished appearance is significant, and the video tutorials on this list all cover their respective seaming methods in detail.
Finally, think about blocking. Even a small project like a toilet roll cover benefits from a gentle wash and a careful shaping before it dries. This is especially true for cotton or linen yarns, which can look a little crumpled straight off the needles but become beautifully smooth and crisp once they have been blocked and dried flat.
Join The Knit Crew Community
All seven of the patterns featured in this post are completely free, and each video tutorial is designed to be clear and approachable regardless of your experience level. If you work up any of these designs, we would absolutely love to see them. Share your finished covers in our community group, tag us on social media, or leave a comment below with any questions you have along the way.
Toilet roll covers are one of those small projects that carry an outsized amount of charm. They take almost no time, use barely any yarn, and bring a genuine smile to anyone who encounters them. Whether you are a dedicated novelty knitter who lives for the animal designs or a minimalist who gravitates toward the cable and lace options, there is a pattern on this list waiting for your needles.
Happy knitting, and welcome to The Knit Crew.
