Beginner Crochet Checkerboard Placemat – Free Pattern
If you’ve been crocheting for a little while and feel ready to move beyond basic dishcloths, this checkerboard placemat pattern is exactly the kind of project that will make you feel genuinely accomplished. It uses only the single crochet stitch, which you likely already know, but it introduces simple colorwork through a technique called tapestry crochet or color carry. The result is a graphic, modern checkerboard design that looks like it took a lot more skill than it actually did. You’ll end up with a sturdy, flat placemat that works beautifully on a dining table, as a trivet, or even as a decorative piece under a potted plant.
This post walks you through everything from the materials you’ll need, to how the colorwork method works, to the full written pattern with stitch counts for every row. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have everything you need to sit down and make one — or a whole set.
Why This Pattern Is Great for Beginners
Colorwork crochet can sound intimidating, but the checkerboard design is one of the most beginner-friendly ways to get into it. Here’s why this project works so well for newer crafters.
First, the stitch is simple. Every single stitch in this pattern is a single crochet. There are no increases, no decreases, no special stitches to learn. If you can chain, single crochet, and turn your work, you already know everything you need to make this placemat.
Second, the color changes happen at very predictable intervals. Because a checkerboard is a repeating grid, you’ll find yourself getting into a rhythm fairly quickly. After a couple of rows, you’ll be able to see the pattern forming in your work, which makes it easy to check yourself as you go.
Third, placemats are a satisfying finished size. They’re not so small that you don’t feel like you made something real, and they’re not so large that the project drags on for weeks. Most crafters finish a single placemat in a few evenings of casual crocheting.
Materials and Tools
Before you begin, gather everything you need. Having your supplies ready makes for a smoother, more enjoyable crochet session.
Yarn: You’ll want a cotton yarn in a worsted or DK weight. Cotton is ideal for placemats because it’s durable, washable, and lies flat without much blocking. It also holds color well, which makes your checkerboard design look crisp and clean. You’ll need two colors — a main color (MC) and a contrast color (CC). For a set of four placemats, plan on approximately 200–250 yards of each color. Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, Paintbox Simply DK, and Drops Safran are all excellent and very affordable options.
Hook: Use a 4.0 mm to 4.5 mm crochet hook depending on your personal tension. Since you’ll be carrying two strands at once, your gauge may run a little tighter than usual, so err toward the slightly larger hook if you tend to crochet tightly.
Scissors: Any pair will do.
Yarn needle: You’ll use this to weave in your ends at the end of the project. A blunt tapestry needle works best with cotton yarn.
Measuring tape: To check your gauge and your finished dimensions.
Understanding the Colorwork Technique
The method used in this pattern is often called tapestry crochet or yarn carry. It sounds complicated, but the idea is straightforward: rather than cutting your yarn and rejoining it every time you switch colors, you carry the unused color along inside your stitches. This means you crochet over the non-working yarn, trapping it inside each stitch so it travels along the row invisibly. At the end of the project, you have very few ends to weave in, and the back of your work is neat and finished-looking.
Here’s how it works in practice. Let’s say you’re working with your main color (MC) and you need to switch to your contrast color (CC) after four stitches. On the last stitch before the switch, you’ll work the single crochet almost all the way through, stopping just before you pull the final loop through. At that moment, you drop your MC, pick up your CC, and use it to complete the stitch. Your MC strand gets laid along the top of the row, and you crochet over it with your CC until you need to switch back.
It takes a little practice to keep your tension even while carrying the yarn, but by the end of the first row you’ll have the feel of it. The most common mistake is letting the carried yarn pull too tight, which puckers the fabric. Try to keep the carried strand relaxed and loose as you work over it.
Gauge
Gauge isn’t critical for a placemat the way it would be for a garment, but checking it will help you end up with a placemat close to the intended size.
Work a 4-inch by 4-inch swatch in single crochet with your chosen yarn and hook. You’re aiming for approximately 16 stitches and 18 rows per 4 inches. If your swatch is smaller than that, try going up a hook size. If it’s larger, try going down.
Finished Measurements
The pattern as written produces a placemat approximately 12 inches wide by 16 inches tall. This is a generous size that works well for a standard dinner plate with room to spare. If you’d like a smaller placemat, you can work fewer squares in the starting chain. Each square in the checkerboard is 4 stitches wide and 4 rows tall, so you can easily add or remove complete squares to adjust the size.
The Pattern
Abbreviations Used
Throughout this pattern, the following abbreviations are standard U.S. crochet terms.
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
st = stitch
MC = main color
CC = contrast color
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
Before You Begin
Cut a working length of both your MC and CC, or work directly from the ball as most crafters prefer. If you’re working from the ball, hold both balls in your lap or in a yarn bowl to keep them from tangling as you switch between them.
This placemat is worked in rows, turning at the end of each row. The checkerboard pattern is created by working 4-stitch blocks in alternating colors across the row, then shifting the color position every 4 rows so that each block sits above a block of the opposite color.
Foundation Chain
With your MC, chain 49. This gives you 48 working stitches plus 1 turning chain. You can check this by counting: 12 squares across the width, each 4 stitches wide, equals 48 stitches total.
Join your CC yarn by holding it alongside your foundation chain or by leaving a tail and introducing it on the first stitch of row 1 using the tapestry carry method.
Row 1 (RS)
Using MC, sc in the second chain from the hook and in the next 3 chains (4 stitches complete in MC). Switch to CC on the last pull-through of the 4th stitch. Using CC, sc in the next 4 chains, carrying MC along the top. Switch back to MC. Continue alternating 4 stitches MC, 4 stitches CC across the row, ending with 4 stitches in MC. Turn. (48 stitches)
Row 2 (WS)
Chain 1, turn. Continue in the established pattern, working each stitch in the same color as the stitch below it. This means you begin with MC and alternate every 4 stitches. Turn. (48 stitches)
Row 3 (RS)
Repeat Row 2. (48 stitches)
Row 4 (WS)
Repeat Row 2. You have now completed the first horizontal band of checkerboard squares. (48 stitches)
Rows 5–8
Now you shift the color pattern. Instead of beginning with MC for the first 4 stitches, you begin with CC. This shift is what creates the checkerboard offset. Work Row 5 with CC in the first 4 stitches, then MC in the next 4, alternating across. Work Rows 6, 7, and 8 to match Row 5. (48 stitches per row)
Rows 9–12
Return to the original color arrangement from Rows 1–4. Begin with MC for the first 4 stitches, then CC, alternating across. Work all four rows in this arrangement.
Continue the Pattern
Keep alternating the two bands of four rows, switching the leading color every 4 rows. The full color sequence is as follows.
Rows 1–4: Begin with MC
Rows 5–8: Begin with CC
Rows 9–12: Begin with MC
Rows 13–16: Begin with CC
Rows 17–20: Begin with MC
Rows 21–24: Begin with CC
Rows 25–28: Begin with MC
Rows 29–32: Begin with CC
Rows 33–36: Begin with MC
Rows 37–40: Begin with CC
Rows 41–44: Begin with MC
Rows 45–48: Begin with CC
Rows 49–52: Begin with MC
Rows 53–56: Begin with CC
Rows 57–60: Begin with MC
Rows 61–64: Begin with CC
Rows 65–68: Begin with MC
Rows 69–72: Begin with CC
Work through Row 72. This completes the full 18 horizontal bands of squares that make up the placemat (4 rows per band, 18 bands, equaling 72 total rows).
Fasten Off
After completing Row 72, cut both yarns leaving 6-inch tails. Pull the tails through the last loop to secure. Use your yarn needle to weave in all ends on the wrong side of the work, running each tail through several stitches in different directions to anchor it securely. Cotton yarn doesn’t grip as tenaciously as wool, so weaving in multiple directions is especially important.
Optional Border
Adding a simple single crochet border around the finished placemat gives it a polished, professional look and helps it lie even flatter. Once your ends are woven in, join your MC (or either color of your choice) to any corner of the placemat with a slip stitch.
Work 1 sc in each stitch along the top and bottom edges, and approximately 1 sc per row along the side edges (you may need to adjust this slightly to keep the edge flat — if it starts to ruffle, skip a spot; if it starts to pull in, add an extra stitch). Work 3 sc in each corner stitch to turn neatly. When you return to your starting point, slip stitch to the first sc, fasten off, and weave in the end.
If you’d like a slightly thicker border, work two rounds of sc rather than one.
Washing and Care Instructions
Cotton placemats are wonderfully practical because they’re fully machine washable. Wash your finished placemat in cold or warm water on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry on low, or lay flat to dry if you want to preserve the shape most precisely. Cotton does tend to shrink slightly on the first wash, which is actually useful — it can tighten up the stitches and give the fabric a denser, more durable feel.
If your placemat curls at the edges after washing, block it by pinning it to a foam mat or towel in a flat position while damp and letting it dry completely. Most cotton placemats lie flat without any blocking at all, but it’s good to know the option is there.
Tips for Success
Keep your tension consistent. The most noticeable beginner mistake in tapestry crochet is uneven tension when switching colors. Take a moment on each color switch to make sure the new yarn isn’t being pulled too tight or left too loose before you continue.
Count your stitches at the end of each row. It’s easy to accidentally gain or lose a stitch at the edges, especially when you’re also managing two yarn strands. Getting into the habit of counting every row will save you from having to rip back later.
Work over both strands on the turning chain. When you chain 1 and turn at the end of a row, make sure you’re crocheting over the carried yarn in the first stitch. This keeps the edges tidy and prevents the carried yarn from creating a visible loop.
Use stitch markers if you lose your place. If you’re not sure which color should come next or where your color block starts, place a removable stitch marker at the beginning of each color block. It’s a small step that can prevent a lot of confusion.
Don’t stress about the back of your work. The side with the carried yarn running through the stitches is the wrong side, and it will look different from the right side. This is completely normal and expected with tapestry crochet. The right side of the placemat will look clean, graphic, and intentional.
Making a Matching Set
One of the most satisfying things about this placemat is how quickly you can make a full set of four or six once you’ve completed the first one. By the time you finish your first placemat, you’ll have the pattern completely memorized and the subsequent ones will go much faster.
Consider mixing and matching your color combinations to create a coordinated but eclectic set. Navy and white, rust and cream, sage green and natural — all of these pairings make beautiful checkerboard placemats that work well together on a table even when they’re not identical.
You can also adjust the proportions. If you want a more square placemat, work only 48 rows instead of 72. If you want a very large, rectangular placemat or a table runner, simply extend the number of rows.
Sharing Your Finished Placemat
If you make this placemat, please share it! Tag your finished photos on Instagram or Pinterest so other crafters can find inspiration from your color choices and finishing work. Seeing what colors other people choose is one of the best parts of a free pattern community.
If you have any questions about the pattern or run into a snag at any point, feel free to leave a comment below. This pattern was designed to be as clear and beginner-friendly as possible, but crochet is one of those things where sometimes a fresh explanation makes all the difference.
Happy crocheting, and enjoy every stitch of your new checkerboard placemat.
