Free Crochet Pattern: Placemat with Scalloped Edging

There is something deeply satisfying about a handmade table setting. When you sit down to a meal and your eye catches the gentle curves of a scalloped edge peeking out from beneath a plate, you know that someone — or perhaps you yourself — put real care into making that moment feel special. Crocheted placemats have been a beloved home décor staple for generations, and it is not hard to understand why. They are practical, washable, endlessly customisable, and they bring a warmth to any table that no shop-bought alternative can quite replicate.

This free crochet pattern for a placemat with scalloped edging is designed with both beginners and more experienced crocheters in mind. The main body is worked in a simple, rhythmic stitch pattern that you will pick up quickly, and the scalloped border — while it looks impressively intricate — is far more straightforward than it appears. By the end of this post you will have everything you need to create a set of beautiful, durable placemats that will transform your dining table and make a wonderful handmade gift.

Let’s get started.

Why Crochet Your Own Placemats?

Before we dive into the pattern, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate what makes crocheted placemats such a worthwhile project. First and foremost, they are functional. A well-made cotton placemat protects your table from heat and scratches while also catching any drips or crumbs. Cotton yarn, which is ideal for this project, is machine washable and becomes softer and more supple with every wash, meaning your placemats will actually get better with time and use.

Beyond function, crocheted placemats offer creative freedom that is simply impossible to find in a shop. You choose the colour, the stitch texture, the size, and the edging style. Want a neutral linen-toned placemat for a Scandi-inspired table? Done. Fancy a bold terracotta and cream combination for a Mediterranean summer feel? Absolutely. The scalloped edging pattern in this tutorial adds a classic, cottage-style charm that works equally well in modern and traditional interiors.

There is also the joy of the making itself. This project is a wonderful one to pick up in the evenings, during a commute, or whenever you have a spare half hour. Once you are comfortable with the stitch repeat, it becomes a meditative, flowing rhythm of hook and yarn. Many crocheters find this kind of repetitive, structured work genuinely relaxing and restorative.

Finally, crocheted placemats make exceptional gifts. A set of four finished in a colour chosen specifically for the recipient shows a level of thoughtfulness that is almost impossible to convey with a purchased present. They are the kind of gift that gets used and loved for years.

Materials You Will Need

Getting your materials right is the foundation of a successful project. Here is everything you need to make one placemat with scalloped edging measuring approximately 30 cm x 40 cm (12 inches x 16 inches).

Yarn: 100% cotton DK weight yarn (also called light worsted or 8-ply in some countries). You will need approximately 150–180 metres (165–200 yards) per placemat. Cotton is the recommended choice because it is heat resistant, absorbent, and holds its shape well after washing. Mercerised cotton gives a slight sheen and is particularly lovely for a more elegant table setting.

Hook: 4.0 mm crochet hook (or the size needed to achieve your tension/gauge).

Notions: Scissors, a yarn needle for weaving in ends, and a ruler or tape measure.

Optional: Stitch markers are helpful for keeping track of your corner positions, especially if you are a beginner.

A note on colour: this pattern works beautifully in a single colour, but you could also work the main body in one shade and switch to a contrasting colour for the scalloped border. Classic combinations include white body with sage green edging, natural ecru with dusty rose edging, or navy with cream edging.

Tension / Gauge

Getting your tension right matters for this project because it determines the final size of your placemat. Before you begin, work a small tension swatch.

Using a 4.0 mm hook and DK cotton yarn, chain 20 and work in double crochet (UK terms) or single crochet (US terms) for 10 rows. Your swatch should measure approximately 10 cm x 10 cm (4 inches x 4 inches) over 18 stitches and 20 rows.

If your swatch is too large, try a smaller hook. If it is too small, try a larger hook. Adjusting your hook size is always the first step before adjusting your tension as a crocheter — it is far easier than trying to consciously tighten or loosen your yarn.

This pattern is written in UK crochet terms throughout. A US term conversion chart is provided at the end of the pattern.

Pattern Notes

This placemat is worked in rows from the bottom up. The main body uses a simple half treble crochet stitch (htr) with a neat turning chain, which creates a lovely dense, slightly textured fabric that is ideal for table use — firm enough to protect surfaces but soft to the touch.

The scalloped edging is worked in the round once the main rectangle is complete. It travels along all four sides of the placemat and produces the beautiful shell-like scallops that give this design its name. The edging is worked in two rounds: a foundation round of double crochet (dc) that creates a neat, even base, and then the scallop round itself.

Throughout this pattern, the following abbreviations are used:

ch — chain, sl st — slip stitch, dc — double crochet (UK), htr — half treble crochet (UK), tr — treble crochet (UK), sp — space, rep — repeat, beg — beginning, rem — remaining, RS — right side.

The Pattern

Foundation Chain

Using a 4.0 mm hook and your chosen DK cotton yarn, make a foundation chain of 73 chains. This gives you 72 working stitches, which produces a placemat approximately 40 cm wide (16 inches).

If you would like a smaller or larger placemat, simply adjust your starting chain. The stitch count works best in multiples of 2, plus 1 for the turning chain on the first row.

Main Body

Row 1 (RS): Starting in the 3rd chain from the hook (the skipped chains do not count as a stitch in this pattern), work 1 htr in each chain across. You should have 71 htr. Turn.

Row 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch), 1 htr in each stitch across (71 htr). Turn.

Repeat Row 2 until your work measures approximately 30 cm (12 inches) from the foundation chain, or until you are happy with the length. This will typically take around 35–38 rows depending on your tension.

The half treble crochet fabric grows relatively quickly and has a pleasing structure — a little like a fine woven cloth. You will notice a subtle horizontal ridge on each row, which adds texture and interest to what might otherwise be a plain rectangle.

When your main body is complete, fasten off and weave in your ends. If you are changing colour for the border, do so now.

Scalloped Edging: Round 1 (Foundation Round)

Before beginning the edging, it helps to place stitch markers at each corner of your rectangle. This makes it much easier to keep your stitch count even as you travel around the edge.

Join your yarn (or your contrast colour yarn if you are changing shades) to the bottom right corner of your placemat, using a slip stitch through both the foundation chain edge and the edge of the first row.

Round 1: Ch 1. Work dc evenly around the entire perimeter of the placemat. The specific stitch counts for each edge are as follows.

Along the bottom edge: work 1 dc in each of the 71 foundation chain stitches across.

At each corner: work 3 dc into the corner stitch. This creates a small pivot point that allows the edging to turn neatly without puckering or pulling.

Along the side edges: work 2 dc for every 3 rows along the side. Because rows of htr are slightly taller than they are wide, this ratio keeps the edging flat and even. Count your rows and work the dc accordingly — if you have 36 rows, you will work approximately 24 dc along each side edge, though a stitch or two either way will not significantly affect the finished result.

Along the top edge: work 1 dc in each of the 71 stitches across.

When you reach the starting point, join the round with a slip stitch into the first dc. Do not turn.

Before beginning Round 2, take a moment to check that your foundation round lies flat against the placemat and that the corner stitches are creating smooth right angles. If anything is pulling or puckering, it is easy to adjust your dc count before moving on.

Scalloped Edging: Round 2 (Scallop Round)

This is the round that creates the iconic scalloped edge, and it is worked directly into the foundation round of dc you just completed. The scallop pattern is based on a simple shell of 5 treble crochet stitches worked into a single stitch, separated by skip-2 and slip stitch anchors.

Do not turn. Continue working on the right side.

Round 2: Sl st into the next dc. Skip 2 dc, work 5 tr into the next dc (this creates one scallop), skip 2 dc, sl st into the next dc. Rep from all the way around the placemat.

At the corners: When you reach a corner, work the scallop into the centre stitch of the 3 corner dc from Round 1. This places a beautiful fan-shaped shell at each corner, which softens the angle and gives the finished placemat an elegantly rounded look.

Continue the scallop pattern all the way around until you return to the starting slip stitch. Join the round with a sl st.

Fasten off and weave in all remaining ends securely.

Finishing Your Placemat

Once your scalloped edging is complete and all ends are woven in, give your placemat a gentle block. Blocking is particularly important with cotton because it evens out the stitches, softens any slight inconsistencies in tension, and helps the scallops to open out into their full, pretty shape.

To block your placemat, wet it thoroughly in cool water, then gently squeeze out the excess (do not wring). Lay it flat on a blocking mat or a clean, dry towel and pin it into shape, paying particular attention to the scalloped edges. Pull each scallop gently outward and pin the tip in place. Leave it to dry completely before unpinning — this may take 12–24 hours depending on the thickness of your yarn and the temperature of the room.

The difference blocking makes to a crocheted placemat is genuinely remarkable. What looked slightly uneven and a little tight off the hook will open into a beautifully even, professional-looking piece once it has been blocked and dried.

Tips for Making a Matching Set

Most tables seat four to eight people, so you will likely want to make a set of placemats rather than just one. Here are some tips for ensuring your set looks cohesive and well-matched.

Try to use yarn from the same dye lot for all placemats in the set. Dye lots can vary slightly from batch to batch, and a difference that looks subtle in a skein can become noticeable when two placemats are placed side by side. Check the label on your yarn for the dye lot number and stock up accordingly.

If your yarn is not from a single dye lot, alternate skeins as you work — use a few rows from skein A, then a few from skein B — to distribute any colour variation evenly across all the placemats.

Work all the main bodies first, checking that they measure the same before adding the edging. Small differences in tension between your first and fourth placemat can add up over the course of a project, so measuring each piece before edging allows you to identify and adjust any discrepancies.

Keep a note of your row count for the first placemat so you can replicate it exactly for the rest of the set.

Variations and Customisations

One of the most exciting things about a pattern this versatile is how easily it can be adapted to suit different styles and occasions.

Colour blocking: Work the bottom half of the main body in one colour and the top half in another, then use a third colour for the scalloped edging. This creates a graphic, modern look that feels quite different from the classic single-colour version.

Textured main body: Instead of the half treble crochet body suggested above, try working the main rectangle in moss stitch (alternating dc and chain-1 spaces) or in a simple shell stitch for a more decorative fabric.

Larger scallops: For a more dramatic edging, try working 7 treble crochet stitches into each scallop stitch instead of 5, and skip 3 dc between scallops rather than 2. This produces a deeper, more voluminous wave that makes a real statement.

Table runner: Work a much longer foundation chain — around 150 stitches — and continue your rows until you have a piece approximately 30 cm wide. The scalloped edging looks spectacular on a runner, particularly if worked in a contrasting colour.

UK to US Crochet Term Conversion

Since crochet patterns can cause confusion depending on which terminology you are used to, here is a quick reference guide for US crocheters.

UK double crochet (dc) = US single crochet (sc). UK half treble crochet (htr) = US half double crochet (hdc). UK treble crochet (tr) = US double crochet (dc). UK slip stitch (sl st) = US slip stitch (sl st).

The structure of the pattern is identical regardless of which terminology you use — simply substitute the US terms wherever you see UK terms throughout.

Care Instructions

Cotton placemats are wonderfully practical because they can be laundered regularly without losing their shape or colour. Machine wash on a cool or warm setting (30–40°C) using a gentle cycle. Avoid tumble drying on high heat, as this can cause cotton to shrink. Either lay flat to dry or tumble dry on a low setting.

Iron on a medium-hot setting while still slightly damp for the crispest, neatest result. Ironing crocheted cotton really does give it a beautiful finish, particularly for special occasion table settings.

With proper care, a well-made cotton crocheted placemat will last for many years. The more they are washed and used, the softer and more beautiful they become — which is something no disposable or mass-produced table accessory can ever offer.

A Few Final Thoughts

This free crochet pattern for a placemat with scalloped edging is one of those projects that delivers a genuinely impressive result for a relatively modest investment of time and skill. Whether you are making your very first crocheted home accessory or adding another project to a long and experienced making history, there is real pleasure to be found in sitting down at a table you have dressed yourself with something handmade.

The scalloped edging, in particular, has a timeless quality that suits everything from a relaxed weekend brunch to a formal dinner party. Worked in cream or white cotton, these placemats feel fresh and elegant. In bolder or more earthy tones, they bring warmth and personality to a table setting in a way that no shop-bought linen ever quite manages.

If you make this pattern, we would love to see your finished placemats. Share your makes and tag us — there is always something wonderful about seeing how different yarn choices and colour combinations bring the same basic pattern to life in completely different ways. Happy crocheting, and enjoy every stitch.