The Hearthside Poinsettia Coaster is a round holiday coaster with a solid cream center, a ring of ten pointed red petals and a scalloped green ring that peeks out between the petals like leaves. It looks layered, but you crochet it as one single piece with no sewing.
The colors are classic Christmas: creamy off-white, deep cranberry red and pine green. The cream center is worked in tight single crochet rounds, so it shows neat concentric rings and stays firm under a mug. Each petal has a sharp tip and a small gap down the middle that looks like a center vein.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished coaster measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) from petal tip to petal tip. The cream center is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across, and the green ring is 5.25 in (13.3 cm) across.
The construction is simple. First you work the cream center in joined rounds. Then you add the red petals into the front loops of the last cream round. Finally, you turn the coaster over and work the green ring into the back loops of that same round, so it sits behind the petals.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip
- Skill level: Advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 4.0 mm (US G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: One round motif with three layers (cream center, red petals on top, green ring behind)
- Piece size (cream center): 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Size before border (center plus petals): 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip
- Border depth (green ring): 1 in (2.5 cm) beyond the cream edge on every side
Materials
Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton, either mercerized or soft. Cotton absorbs moisture, handles warm mugs and shows stitch detail clearly. Avoid acrylic for coasters, because it can feel slippery and doesn’t handle heat as well.
Pick a cream with a warm tone rather than a stark white so it matches the red. The green should be dark enough to stand out against the red petals.
- Cream: 10 g / 19 m
- Red: 10 g / 19 m
- Green: 8 g / 15 m
These amounts include a small margin for checking gauge and weaving in ends. One coaster uses about 20 g in total, so a single 50 g ball of each color makes a set of several coasters.
Tools:
- 4.0 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- 1 stitch marker
- Scissors
- Ruler or tape measure
- Spray bottle, blocking mat and rust-proof pins
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- FLO – front loop only
- BLO – back loop only
- MR – magic ring
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – Fan: 7 dc worked into the same stitch.
Note: The ch 1 (or ch 2 before dc) at the start of a round never counts as a stitch. Join each round with a sl st to the first stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge in sc worked flat: 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
The most accurate test is the coaster itself. Work Rounds 1–4 of the center and measure across the middle. Every later round builds on this disc, so getting it right here saves time later.
- After Round 4: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across
- After Round 8: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across
- After Round 11 (petals): 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip
- After Green Round 3: green ring 5.25 in (13.3 cm) across
If your circle is too big, switch to a 3.75 mm hook. If it’s too small, switch to a 4.5 mm hook. If the center cups upward, you’re crocheting too tightly. If it ripples, you’re crocheting too loosely. Fix the center before moving on.
Cream Center
Using cream, work in joined rounds.
Round 1: Make a MR, ch 1, work 6 sc in the ring, join. (6 sts)
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each st around, join. (12 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * 6 times total, join. (18 sts)
Round 4: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep 6 times total, join. (24 sts)
Checkpoint: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep 6 times total, join. (30 sts)
Round 6: Ch 1, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep 6 times total, join. (36 sts)
Round 7: Ch 1, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep 6 times total, join. (42 sts)
Round 8 (conversion round): Ch 1, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep 8 times total, sc in last 2 sts, join. (42 sts worked + 8 extra = 50 sts)
This round raises the count to 50 so it divides evenly into 10 petals of 5 stitches each. The extra stitches are spread around the round, so the edge stays round instead of turning into a hexagon. Fasten off cream.
Checkpoint: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across, lying flat. Pull the magic ring tightly closed and weave in that tail now, before the petals cover the back.
Red Petals
All red rounds are worked on the front of the coaster. Round 9 goes into the front loops of Round 8, which leaves the back loops free for the green ring later. Leave those back loops alone for now.
Round 9: Join red with a sl st in the FLO of any st of Round 8. Ch 1, sc in the FLO of the same st and in the FLO of each st around, join. (50 sc)
Place a marker in the first sc. Think of this round as 10 groups of 5 sts.
Round 10 (petals): Work each petal across 5 sts:
Sl st in next st, (hdc, dc) in next st, (tr, ch 2, tr) in next st, (dc, hdc) in next st, sl st in next st; rep from * 10 times total. Join with a sl st to the first sl st.
Each petal now has 1 sl st, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, a ch-2 sp, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc and 1 sl st. That’s 8 sts plus a ch-2 sp per petal, for 10 petals. The ch-2 sp between the two tr forms the pointed tip and the small vein gap.
Round 11 (petal outline): Work around each petal:
Sl st in sl st, sc in hdc, sc in dc, 2 sc in tr, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp, 2 sc in tr, sc in dc, sc in hdc, sl st in sl st; rep from * 10 times total, join.
Each petal: 10 sc, 2 sl sts and 1 ch-2 tip. Round total: 100 sc, 20 sl sts and 10 ch-2 sps.
The outline round makes the petal edges firmer and sharpens the tips. Working 2 sc into the side of each tall tr keeps the petal edges from pulling tight.
Fasten off red. Checkpoint: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip, with each petal reaching about 1.125 in (2.9 cm) past the cream edge. The petals should lie flat and touch at their bases.
Green Scalloped Ring (Border)
The green ring is this coaster’s border. You work it into the free back loops of cream Round 8, behind the petals.
Border gauge: Green Rounds 1–2 should add 0.5 in (1.3 cm) to the radius, and the scallops should add another 0.5 in (1.3 cm). Total border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm).
Alignment: Each red petal sits over 5 sts of Round 8, with its tip above the 3rd (middle) stitch. Start the green ring behind a petal tip. This offset puts the green scallops between the petals, where they can be seen.
Green Round 1: Turn the coaster face down and find the free back loops of Round 8. Join green with a sl st in the BLO of the st directly behind any petal tip. Ch 1, sc in the BLO of the same st, sc in the BLO of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in the BLO of the next st; sc in the BLO of the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the BLO of the next st; rep from * 9 more times, join. (50 sts worked + 10 extra = 60 sts)
That’s 6 sts per petal segment (10 segments × 6 = 60).
Green Round 2: Work through both loops. Ch 2, dc in the same st, dc in the next 4 sts, 2 dc in the next st; dc in the next 5 sts, 2 dc in the next st; rep from * 9 more times, join. (70 sts)
That’s 7 sts per segment (10 × 7 = 70).
Green Round 3 (scallops): Ch 1, sc in next st, skip 2 sts, Fan in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in next st; rep from * 10 times total, join. (10 Fans + 20 sc = 90 sts)
Each repeat uses exactly 7 sts (1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1), so 10 repeats use all 70 sts with nothing left over. Fasten off.
Why the math works: Each round has a fixed number of stitches per petal segment: 5 in cream Round 8 and red Round 9, 6 in Green Round 1 and 7 in Green Round 2. Each Fan lands on the 4th stitch of its 7-stitch segment, which is the middle of the segment. Because Green Round 1 started behind a petal tip, the middle of each segment sits behind the gap between two petals. That’s why each scallop peeks out between the petals.
Checkpoint: the green ring is 5.25 in (13.3 cm) across. About 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of each scallop shows between the petals, and the petal tips reach just past the green.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends on the back, through stitches of the same color. Hide the green tails inside the green ring so they don’t show at the edge.
- Lightly spray the coaster with water until it’s damp but not soaked.
- Lay it face up on a blocking mat.
- Pat the cream center flat and round until it measures 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
- Pin each red petal tip outward until the coaster measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip. Space the 10 tips evenly, like the numbers on a clock face.
- Gently lift each petal and ease the green scallops flat underneath, centered between the petals.
- Let it dry completely, for at least 6 hours, before removing the pins.
Cotton blocks well. You can also hold a steam iron above the piece. Never press the iron onto the stitches.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The cream center is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) and lies flat, with no cupping
- The magic ring is fully closed, with no hole in the middle
- There are 10 evenly spaced red petals, each with a sharp tip
- The coaster measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip
- There are 10 green scallops, each centered in a gap between petals
- The green ring is 5.25 in (13.3 cm) across and lies flat behind the petals
- No loose cream loops show between the red and green
- All ends are woven in securely on the back
- The coaster sits flat on a table without rocking
Troubleshooting
Center cups like a bowl: You’re crocheting too tightly, or you missed some increases. Count each round, and go up a hook size if the counts are correct.
Center ruffles: You’re crocheting too loosely, or extra increases crept in. Recount and go down a hook size.
Petals curl forward: Round 10 or 11 is too tight. Loosen your tr stitches and pin the petals flat when blocking.
Petal tips are blunt: Make sure the ch-2 in Round 11 sits right in the Round 10 tip space, and pin each tip when blocking.
Scallops hide behind the petals: Green Round 1 started in the wrong spot. Pull it out and restart it in the BLO behind a petal tip.
Green ring ruffles: Your dc stitches are loose. Rework Green Round 2 with a 3.75 mm hook.
Count is off at the end of a round: Check that you didn’t count the starting chain as a stitch.
Coaster rocks on the table: Usually an uneven join or a tight color change. Block again and pin it flat.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then lay flat to dry and reshape the petals while damp. You can machine wash cotton on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag, but always dry it flat.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other and are easy to check. Rounds 1–4 measure 1.75 in (4.4 cm). Round 8 makes a 3.25 in (8.3 cm) cream center with 50 stitches. The red petals use 5 stitches each and bring the coaster to 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tip to tip. The green ring grows from 60 to 70 stitches, adds 1 in (2.5 cm) of depth and finishes at 5.25 in (13.3 cm), just inside the petal tips.
If every checkpoint matches, the finished coaster will too. Make one coaster first to confirm your gauge, then make a matching set for the holidays.
Happy crocheting!