How to Learn Crochet!

If you've ever considered learning how to crochet, I highly recommend it. It's a fun, rewarding hobby to watch your hard work go from a little ball of yarn to a new, cute, or beautiful creation.

My biggest advice?

Stick with it.

It's hard at first. When I first started, I couldn't remember the names of the loops or figure out how to make a hat that actually looked like a hat. But with hard work and practice, soon you'll be making beautiful pieces of art all on your own.

How to Crochet a Coaster

These are the steps for getting started on your first crochet project. Making coasters is simple, easy to learn, and teaches you basic techniques that you'll need for more complex projects later.

Supplies You'll Need

Yarn: Any color you want! Use medium, cotton yarn.

Hook: 4.0-5.0mm.

Scissors

We’ll mostly use:

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
st = stitch

Step 1: Make a slip knot and chain

Make a slip knot on your hook.
Chain 13:
Yarn over, pull through the loop on your hook — repeat until you have 13 chains.

This will give you about a 4" coaster with worsted yarn. If you want bigger, chain more; if smaller, chain fewer.

Step 2: First row of single crochet

Skip the chain closest to the hook (the first chain from the hook).
Insert your hook into the second chain from the hook.
Yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook).
Yarn over, pull through both loops – that’s 1 single crochet (sc).
Repeat a single crochet in each chain across.

You should end with 12 sc in this row.

Step 3: Build the square

Now we repeat rows of single crochet until it looks like a square.

Chain 1 and turn your work.
Single crochet in the first stitch (not in the chain you just made).
Single crochet in each stitch across (12 sc total).
Repeat steps 1–3 until your piece is as tall as it is wide – roughly 12 rows total for a 12-stitch-wide piece, but you can eyeball it: when it looks like a square, you’re good.

Step 4: Add a simple border (optional but makes it look finished)

When your square is the size you like, don’t fasten off yet.
Chain 1, do not turn.
Single crochet evenly around all four sides:
- Work 1 sc into each stitch along the top and bottom edges.
- For the sides, insert your hook into the edge spaces and work 1 sc per row (it doesn’t have to be perfect).
At each corner, work 3 sc into the same spot so the border turns nicely.
When you get back to where you started the border, slip stitch into the first border sc to join.

Step 5: Finish off

Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 4–6 inches.
Yarn over and pull the tail all the way through the loop on the hook to fasten off.
Thread the yarn tail into your yarn needle and weave it back and forth through the stitches until it feels secure.
Do the same with the starting tail on the other side.
Trim the extra yarn.