How to Crochet Stripy Coasters | Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial

If you’ve been looking for a beginner-friendly crochet project that’s both practical and satisfying to make, stripy coasters are exactly what you need. These little workhorses of the craft world come together quickly, use up yarn scraps brilliantly, and make thoughtful handmade gifts that people actually use. In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn everything you need to know to crochet your own stripy coasters from scratch, even if you’ve only just picked up a hook for the first time.

Why Crochet Stripy Coasters?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about why this particular project deserves a spot on your to-make list.

Stripy coasters are small, which means they work up in an hour or less once you get into the rhythm. That makes them ideal for evenings on the sofa, commutes with an audiobook playing, or any time you want to crochet without committing to a big project. Because they’re square or circular and flat, there’s no shaping, no increasing around difficult curves, and no complicated stitch combinations to wrestle with. The stripe effect is created purely by swapping yarn colours at the start of a new row or round, which is one of the easiest techniques in all of crochet.

They’re also wildly practical. Coasters protect your table surfaces from hot mugs and cold glasses. Unlike shop-bought versions, handmade crochet coasters have a soft, grippy texture that keeps cups in place rather than sliding around. And because you’re choosing your own colour palette, they can be tailored to match any kitchen, living room, or interior scheme you can imagine.

Finally, they’re brilliant stash-busters. That ball of yarn you bought for a hat you never finished? Perfect. Those three leftover metres of cotton from a dishcloth project? Great. Stripy coasters welcome scraps with open arms.

What You’ll Need

Getting your materials together before you start makes the whole process much smoother. Here’s what you’ll need for this project.

Yarn: Cotton yarn works best for coasters because it’s washable, heat-resistant, and holds its shape well. Look for a DK or worsted weight cotton. Popular choices include Paintbox Simply DK, Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, or any supermarket own-brand cotton that catches your eye. You’ll want two to four colours for a stripy effect, but even two contrasting shades will look striking. Aim for roughly 15 to 20 metres per coaster if you’re using DK weight, or 10 to 15 metres if you’re using a chunkier worsted cotton.

Crochet hook: A 3.5mm to 4mm hook is ideal for DK cotton, and a 4mm to 5mm hook suits worsted weight. If you’re unsure, check the label on your yarn because it will usually recommend a hook size range. Using a slightly larger hook than the label suggests often gives a softer, more flexible coaster, which is a nice quality to aim for.

Scissors: Any pair will do, though small embroidery scissors are handy for snipping ends neatly.

Tapestry needle: You’ll use this to weave in your yarn ends once the coaster is finished. A blunt-ended tapestry needle with a large eye is easiest to thread.

Stitch markers (optional): These are helpful for marking the beginning of a round if you’re making circular coasters. A simple loop of contrasting yarn works just as well as a proper stitch marker.

Understanding the Basic Stitches

This tutorial uses just a few simple stitches. If you’re already familiar with them, feel free to skip ahead. If you’re newer to crochet, here’s a quick refresher.

Chain stitch (ch): This is the foundation of almost every crochet project. To make a chain, start with a slip knot on your hook, yarn over, and pull the yarn through the loop. Repeat for as many chains as the pattern requires.

Single crochet (sc) / Double crochet (UK): Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over again and pull through both loops on your hook. This is the most compact of the standard stitches and creates a dense, sturdy fabric, which is exactly what you want in a coaster.

Half double crochet (hdc) / Half treble (UK): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all three loops. This creates a slightly taller, softer stitch.

Double crochet (dc) / Treble (UK): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the remaining two loops. Taller than single crochet and gives a slightly more open fabric.

For the classic stripy coaster in this tutorial, we’ll primarily use single crochet (US terms) because it gives the most defined stripes and the densest, most durable fabric. I’ll note when we switch stitches for variation.

Pattern One: Classic Square Stripy Coaster

This is the most beginner-friendly version, worked in rows. The finished coaster measures approximately 10cm x 10cm (4 inches x 4 inches) using DK weight cotton and a 3.5mm hook.

Colour Setup

Choose your two main colours and label them Colour A and Colour B. For the most classic stripe look, use colours with strong contrast, like cream and navy, terracotta and sage, or mustard and charcoal.

Foundation Chain

With Colour A, make a slip knot and chain 21. This gives you a foundation chain of 20 stitches plus one turning chain.

Row by Row Instructions

Row 1 (Colour A): Starting in the second chain from the hook, single crochet across the entire row. You should have 20 single crochet stitches. Chain 1 and turn.

Row 2 (Colour A): Single crochet across all 20 stitches. Chain 1 and turn.

Changing to Colour B: At the end of Row 2, when you come to the last stitch, work the single crochet until you have two loops left on your hook. Drop Colour A to the back of your work (don’t cut it yet, just leave it hanging), pick up Colour B and pull it through the final two loops. This is your colour change. Now chain 1 with Colour B and turn.

Row 3 (Colour B): Single crochet across all 20 stitches. Chain 1 and turn.

Row 4 (Colour B): Single crochet across all 20 stitches. Chain 1 and turn. At the end of Row 4, change back to Colour A using the same technique.

Continue alternating two rows of each colour until your coaster is as tall as it is wide, roughly 20 rows in total, though this can vary slightly depending on your tension. When you finish your last row, fasten off by cutting the yarn and pulling the tail through the final loop to secure it.

Finishing the Edges

For a polished look, you can add a simple border. Join either colour to any corner stitch, chain 1, and single crochet evenly all the way around the edge of the coaster, working three single crochets into each corner to keep things neat and flat. When you reach your starting point, slip stitch to join and fasten off.

Weaving in Ends

Thread your tapestry needle with each yarn tail and weave it through the stitches on the back of the coaster in a zigzag pattern. Weave in at least three or four centimetres to make sure the ends are secure, then trim the excess. Do this for every tail, including the ones from your colour changes.

Pattern Two: Round Stripy Coaster

If you prefer a circular coaster, this version is just as achievable and has a lovely organic look. It’s worked in the round using single crochet, with the stripes created by changing colour at the start of each round.

Starting Ring

With Colour A, make a magic ring (also called a magic circle). If you’re not comfortable with the magic ring yet, chain 4 and slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring instead.

Round 1: Chain 1, work 6 single crochets into the ring. Pull the magic ring closed. Slip stitch to the first single crochet to join. You now have 6 stitches. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round.

Round 2: Chain 1. Work 2 single crochets into every stitch around (this is called an increase). You now have 12 stitches. Slip stitch to join.

Round 3: Chain 1. Alternate one single crochet and one increase (2 single crochets into the same stitch) all the way around. You now have 18 stitches. Slip stitch to join.

Round 4: Before joining at the end of Round 3, change to Colour B by pulling it through the final two loops of your last stitch. Chain 1 with Colour B.

Work one single crochet in the first two stitches, then an increase in the third. Repeat this pattern all the way around. You now have 24 stitches. Slip stitch to join.

Round 5 (Colour B): Chain 1. Work one single crochet in the first three stitches, then an increase in the fourth. Repeat around. You now have 30 stitches. Slip stitch to join.

Round 6: Change to Colour A. Chain 1. Work one single crochet in the first four stitches, then an increase in the fifth. Repeat around. You now have 36 stitches. Slip stitch to join.

Round 7 (Colour A): Work one single crochet in each stitch with no increases. This keeps the coaster flat while adding a solid stripe of colour.

Continue in this manner, adding one more plain single crochet between each increase point as you go and changing colour every two rounds, until your coaster is the size you want. A finished diameter of around 10cm is perfect for standard mugs.

Fasten off and weave in ends as described above.

Tips for Perfect Stripy Coasters Every Time

Even a simple project benefits from a few insider tricks, and coasters are no exception.

Keep your tension consistent. Tension in crochet refers to how tightly or loosely you hold your yarn and hook. If your tension is uneven, your coaster may end up wavy or curled at the edges. Try to keep your grip relaxed and consistent throughout. If your coaster curls, it often means your tension is too tight, and going up a hook size may help.

Don’t cut your yarn at every colour change. If you’re alternating two colours every two rows, you can carry the unused colour up the side of your work rather than cutting and reattaching it every time. This saves you from having a mountain of ends to weave in later. Simply lay the unused yarn along the side and crochet over it as you go.

Block your finished coasters. Blocking sounds intimidating but it’s simply the process of wetting your finished piece, reshaping it, and leaving it flat to dry. For cotton coasters, you can just dampen them with a spray bottle, smooth them into shape, pin them to a foam mat if you have one, and leave them to dry overnight. The result is a much neater, flatter finish.

Make a swatch first. If you want your coasters to be a specific size, crochet a small test swatch before you start the full project. This helps you check whether your tension matches the pattern’s gauge.

Use stitch markers generously. Especially on the round version, it’s easy to lose count of where your round starts. Stitch markers are inexpensive and save a lot of frustration.

Colour Combination Ideas

One of the most enjoyable parts of making stripy coasters is choosing your colours. Here are some palettes to spark your imagination.

Classic nautical works beautifully in any home: navy blue and crisp white, or navy and red for something a bit bolder. Earthy and natural looks stunning in terracotta, cream, and sage green, especially if you add a third colour stripe every few rows. For a modern Scandi feel, try a very pale grey with a deep charcoal. Rainbow stripes using a different colour for each pair of rows make for cheerful, maximalist coasters that are brilliant for children’s rooms or kitchen tables. And for something subtle and sophisticated, try tone-on-tone stripes using two shades of the same colour, like dusty rose and deep blush.

Making a Set as a Gift

Stripy coasters make wonderful gifts, particularly when made as a set of four or six. If you’re making them as a present, consider coordinating the colours with the recipient’s kitchen or living space. A set in a matching cotton bag or tied with a length of ribbon looks beautiful and feels genuinely luxurious despite how quickly and economically they come together.

You could also mix shapes within a set, making two square and two round coasters using the same colour palette, which gives the set visual interest while keeping it cohesive.

Caring for Your Crocheted Coasters

Cotton coasters are wonderfully practical because they’re machine washable. Simply pop them in the washing machine on a cool or warm cycle (check your yarn label for specifics), reshape while damp, and leave to dry flat. Avoid tumble drying on high heat, as this can cause cotton to shrink.

Over time, cotton crochet fabric softens beautifully with washing, which actually improves the texture and grip of the coaster.

Adapting the Pattern

Once you’ve mastered the basic stripy coaster, you can adapt the pattern in lots of ways. Try using three colours instead of two and changing colour every row instead of every two rows for a more intricate stripe effect. Experiment with different stitch heights: a coaster worked in half double crochet has a softer, slightly thicker texture than one worked in single crochet. You could also add a pop of texture by working one row of spike stitches between your colour changes, which creates a zigzag effect within the stripe.

If you’d like a larger coaster, simply add more chains to your foundation row (for the square version) or more rounds (for the circular version). The structure of the pattern scales up easily.

Final Thoughts

Crochet stripy coasters are one of those projects that manage to be both beginner-friendly and endlessly satisfying for more experienced makers too. They’re fast, they’re functional, they use up scraps beautifully, and they let you play with colour in a low-stakes, low-commitment way. Every time you set down your morning coffee on a coaster you made yourself, there’s a small but genuine sense of pride that shop-bought versions simply can’t replicate.

Whether you’re crocheting your first-ever project or adding to a long history of finished makes, grab your cotton yarn, choose your favourite colour combination, and give these a try. You’ll probably find, as so many crocheters do, that you can’t stop at just one set.