Sand Dollar Crochet Pillow Cover Pattern

Everyone says that changing up your throw pillows is a great way to update your living room look. I must admit, I don’t often do this so when we received a rich deep teal wool from Topsy Farms I was determined to make a crochet pillow cover to showcase the gorgeous colour and texture.

As we’ve written in recent weeks, wool has a number of unique benefits as compared to other fibers including excellent moisture absorbancy and temperature regulation properties. You can read more about the 100% Canadian, non-chemically processed, pure wool yarn available at Topsy Farms here.

In addition to our recent Sand Pebbles Diamond Crochet Afghan Square and our Simple Sunrise Shrug Knitting patterns, we’re happy to share this new Sand Dollar Crochet Pillow Cover pattern with you.

To Make your Own Sand Dollar Crochet Pillow:

This pattern makes a round throw pillow, approximately 16” in diameter when completed.

Supplies:

• 3 skeins of 2 ply wool yarn (100g each). We used Topsy Farms’ Teal 2-ply fine wool yarn which comes in generous 100g skeins (double the size of usual wool skeins you may find in the store). If you are in the downtown Toronto area you can also stop by Yarns Untangled, the only Toronto distributor of Topsy Farms yarn.
• Crochet hook (USN/9.0mm)
• Pillow insert (such as the 16” pillow form from Amazon (affiliate link) or make your own using an old standard pillow like we described here)
• Darning needle

Crochet Pillow Cover Pattern (make two):

dc, double crochet; bp, back post; fp, front post; sl st, slip stitch; sts, stitches

Round 1: dc magic ring 12 (leave long tail for attaching button and pulling in to pucker later) 10-12 inches tail. Sl st to top of starting chain 2. (12 sts)

Round 2: chain 2, dc fp same dc from round 1,

(2dc bp next dc, 2dc fp next dc) 5 times,

2dc bp next dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (24 sts)

Round 3: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 2 dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 5 times,

dc bp next 2dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (24 sts)

Round 4: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(2dc bp next 2 dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 5 times,

2dc bp next 2dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (36 sts)

Round 5: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 4 dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 5 times,

dc bp next 4 dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (36 sts)

Round 6: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(2dc bp next 4 dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 5 times,

2dc bp next 4 dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (60 sts)

Round 7: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 3 dc, 2dc fp next 2 dc together, dc bp next 3dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 5 times,

dc bp next 3 dc, 2dc fp next 2 dc together, dc bp next 3dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (60 sts)

Round 8: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 3 dc, dc fp next 2 dc, dc bp next 3dc, dc fp next 2dc) 5 times,

dc bp next 3 dc, dc fp next 2 dc, dc bp next 3dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (60 sts)

Round 9: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next dc, 2dc bp next dc, dc bp next dc, dc fp next 2 dc, dc bp next dc, 2dc bp next dc, dc bp next dc, dc fp next 2dc) 5 times,

dc bp next dc, 2dc bp next dc, dc bp next dc, dc fp next 2 dc, dc bp next dc, 2dc bp next dc, dc bp next dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (72 sts)

Round 10: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 4dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 11 times,

dc bp next 4dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (72 sts)

Round 11: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(2dc bp next 4dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 11 times,

2dc bp next 4dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (120 sts)

Rounds 12: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 3 dc, 2dc fp next 2 dc together, dc bp next 3 dc, dc fp next 2 dc) 11 times,

dc bp next 3 dc, 2dc fp next 2 dc together, dc bp next 3 dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (120 sts)

Round 13: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 3dc, dc fp next 2dc) 23 times,

dc bp next 3dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (120 sts)

Round 14: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 3dc, dc fp next 2dc) 23 times,

dc bp next 3dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (120 sts)

Round 15: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next dc, 2dc bp next dc, dc bp next dc, dc fp next 2dc) 23 times,

dc bp next dc, 2dc bp next dc, dc bp next dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (144 sts)

Round 16-20: chain 2, dc fp next dc,

(dc bp next 4dc, dc fp next 2dc) 23 times,

dc bp next 4dc, sl st (back to front) to starting chain 2. (144 sts)

Each of the completed crochet pillow round panels will have a distinctive front and back side. You can choose whether to finish the throw pillow with two of the same patterns on the outside or one of each finish on either side. Then just flip the pillow over for a different look each day 🙂 .

Assembling the crochet pillow:

I chose to finish the pillow with a pucker in the center, which is optional. To make the pucker:

1. Measure the pillow form and mark the center with a pencil or pen.

2. Thread the long starting tail that you had left when making the crochet pillow round onto the darning needle, and poke through the center of the pillow form.

3. Line the starting yarn tail of the second crocheted pillow round with the yarn tail you had just pulled through the pillow form. Tie the ends by pulling them together. The tighter you pull them, the deeper the pucker will be.

4. Line up the “lines” or rays of each of the crochet rounds and slip stitch them together from the outside all the way around. Fasten off and weave in the leftover yarn tail.

There you have it: a beautiful round DIY crochet pillow reminiscent of a sea urchin or sand dollar! If you are looking for more DIY throw pillow inspiration, check out this customizable “quote pillow” by Brooklyn Berry designs, this lovely felted sweater woven throw pillow by Life is a Party, or this upcycled vintage wool blanket throw pillow by Vin’yet Etc.

Even the baby likes our new crochet pillow!

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