This little coaster looks like a Christmas wreath. It has a smooth cream center, a green scalloped edge and a red ribbon woven around it that ties in a bow at the bottom. It is quick to make, uses very little yarn and looks lovely under a mug of cocoa.
The palette is classic holiday: cream, evergreen green and berry red. The cream center is a dense single crochet spiral that sits flat and protects your table. The green rounds make the wreath, and a simple shell edge gives the scallops. The red “ribbon” is just a crochet chain, woven through the double crochet round and tied.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished coaster is 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across, measured from the tip of one scallop to the tip of the opposite one.
Construction is simple. You work one piece in the round from the center out: 10 cream rounds, 2 green rounds, then 1 green scallop round. After that you chain a red cord, weave it through the green double crochet round and tie a bow. No pieces are joined.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (#3), cotton recommended
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 coaster plus 1 red chain cord
- Layout: single round piece, worked from the center out
- Piece size (cream center): 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across
- Size before border: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across
- Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm) on each side (green Rounds 11–13)
Materials
Use a smooth 100% cotton or cotton blend in DK weight. Cotton soaks up drips, can take a hot mug and keeps a crisp scallop. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarn, because the red weaving and the stitch definition will get lost.
- Cream (center): 12 g, about 27 m
- Green (wreath band and scallops): 10 g, about 23 m
- Red (woven chain and bow): 3 g, about 7 m
These quantities make one coaster and include a small safety margin. For a set of four, multiply each amount by four.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle with a large eye
- Scissors
- Ruler or tape measure
- Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
- Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sk – skip
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- MR – magic ring
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – Shell: work 5 dc in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge matters here because the green band and the scallops are planned around exact stitch counts. Before you commit, make the cream center first and measure it.
- Gauge: Rounds 1–5 in sc make a circle 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.
- Checkpoint after Round 5: 1.75 in (4.4 cm), 30 sts
- Checkpoint after Round 10: 3.5 in (8.9 cm), 60 sts
- Checkpoint after Round 11: 3.9 in (9.9 cm), 66 sts
- Checkpoint after Round 12: 4.6 in (11.7 cm), 72 sts
- Checkpoint after Round 13: 5.5 in (14.0 cm), 18 scallops
If your circle is too big: go down to a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook, or work more tightly.
If your circle is too small: go up to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook.
Always keep the stitch counts. Change the hook, not the counts, or the shell round will not divide evenly.
If the circle cups (bowls upward): your tension is tighter than your increases allow. Use the next hook size up.
If it ruffles: your stitches are loose. Use a smaller hook.
Cream Center (Rounds 1–10)
You work the center in a continuous spiral. Do not join at the end of each round. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go. The increases are staggered, so the circle stays round instead of turning into a hexagon.
Round 1: With cream, make a MR. Ch 1, then work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring tight. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: Sc 1, inc; rep from * 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 4: Sc 1, inc, sc 2, inc; rep from * 4 more times, sc 1. (24 sts)
Round 5: Sc 3, inc; rep from * 6 times. (30 sts)
Check your gauge now. The circle should be 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.
Round 6: Sc 2, inc, sc 4, inc; rep from * 4 more times, sc 2. (36 sts)
Round 7: Sc 5, inc; rep from * 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 8: Sc 3, inc, sc 6, inc; rep from * 4 more times, sc 3. (48 sts)
Round 9: Sc 7, inc; rep from * 6 times. (54 sts)
Round 10: Sc 4, inc, sc 8, inc; rep from * 4 more times, sc 4. (60 sts)
Sl st into the next st to smooth out the step at the end of the spiral. Fasten off and weave in the tail.
Checkpoint: the cream circle should lie flat and be 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across. Lay it on a table and press it lightly with your palm. If the edge lifts, or waves more than about 0.25 in (0.6 cm), fix your tension before you start the green.
Wreath Border (Rounds 11–13)
The three green rounds are the border of this piece. They add 1 in (2.5 cm) all the way around and take the coaster from 3.5 in (8.9 cm) to 5.5 in (14.0 cm). From here on, you join each round with a sl st to make a neat circle.
Border gauge:
- Round 11 (sc) adds about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on each side.
- Round 12 (dc) adds about 0.35 in (0.9 cm) on each side.
- Round 13 (shells) adds about 0.45 in (1.1 cm) on each side.
That is 1 in (2.5 cm) of border on each side in total.
Round 11 (green, growth round): Join green with a standing sc in any st. Count it as the first st of the round. Sc 8 more, then inc in the next st. Sc 9, inc; rep from * 5 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (66 sts)
Each repeat uses 10 base stitches, and 6 repeats × 10 = 60, so every stitch of Round 10 is used. Each repeat makes 11 stitches, so 6 × 11 = 66.
Checkpoint: 3.9 in (9.9 cm) across.
Round 12 (green, weaving round): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Dc in the next 9 sts, then 2 dc in the next st. Dc 10, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the top of the ch-3. (72 sts)
The red chain is woven through this round later. Each repeat uses 11 base stitches, and 6 × 11 = 66. Each repeat makes 12 stitches, so 6 × 12 = 72.
Keep the dc posts tall and even. Gaps between the posts are what let the red cord slide through neatly.
Checkpoint: 4.6 in (11.7 cm) across.
Round 13 (green, scallop round): Ch 1. Sc in the same st as the join. Sk 1 st, Shell in the next st, sk 1 st, sc in the next st; rep from * 17 more times. On the final repeat, leave out the last sc and sl st to the first sc instead. Fasten off. (18 shells: 18 sc + 90 dc = 108 sts)
Why the math works: each scallop uses exactly 4 base stitches (sc, skip, shell, skip). Round 12 has 72 sts, and 72 ÷ 4 = 18, so you get exactly 18 scallops with no leftover stitches. Each shell puts 5 dc into one stitch while you skip a stitch on each side. That fans the edge out into a rounded scallop instead of a straight line.
Checkpoint: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) from scallop tip to opposite scallop tip.
Red Woven Chain and Bow
Chain: With red, ch about 108, or until the chain measures 24 in (61.0 cm) when gently straightened. Fasten off, leaving a 2 in (5.1 cm) tail at each end. Tie a small overhand knot at each end so the chain cannot unravel.
Find the bottom center: Lay the coaster flat with its last join at the back. Choose one scallop to be the bottom, and mark the dc gap on Round 12 directly above the sc next to it. This is where the bow sits.
Weave: Thread one end of the chain onto a tapestry needle. Bring it up from back to front through the marked gap, at the mid-height of the Round 12 posts. Leave about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) hanging at the front. Then weave around the circle:
- Pass behind the next 2 dc and come out to the front.
- Lay the chain across the front of the next 2 dc.
- Go back behind the next 2 dc.
Repeat this all the way around. Going over 2 and under 2 on 72 sts gives 18 red dashes on the front, matching the 18 scallops above.
When you get back to the start, bring the needle out to the front through the gap right next to the starting point. Both ends now hang at the front, side by side.
Even out the cord: Slide the chain around until both tails are equal length, about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) each. Each red dash should lie flat. Don’t pull the chain so tight that the green round puckers.
Tie the bow: Tie a snug bow. Make each loop about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, leaving tails of about 1.5 in (3.8 cm). Even out the loops, then put a few stitches through the knot with the red yarn tails so the bow cannot come undone in use. Trim the knotted tail ends neatly.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all green and cream ends on the back, following the stitch direction.
- Lay the coaster face down on a blocking mat. Mist it with water until it is damp but not soaked.
- Turn it face up and shape it into a circle 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
- Pin the tip of each scallop, starting with 4 opposite scallops (top, bottom, left, right), then the scallops in between.
- Check that the cream center measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across and is centered.
- Lift the bow loops away from the coaster and shape them by hand. Don’t pin through the bow.
- Let it dry completely, usually 6–8 hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Cream center lies flat at 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
- Round 11 has 66 sts, and Round 12 has 72 sts.
- There are exactly 18 scallops, evenly spaced.
- Finished diameter is 5.5 in (14.0 cm).
- There are 18 red dashes, all the same length.
- The bow sits at bottom center, below one scallop.
- The bow is stitched in place, and the tails are knotted.
- All ends are secured on the back.
- The coaster sits flat on a table with no cupping.
Troubleshooting
The center looks like a hexagon. The increases are stacking on top of each other. Follow the offset rounds exactly as written.
The center cups. Your tension is too tight. Go up a hook size and remake.
The center ruffles. Your tension is too loose, or you have extra increases. Recount each round.
The scallop count is wrong. Round 12 is not 72 sts. Frog back and recount; each scallop needs exactly 4 base sts.
The red chain is too short. Add chains before you fasten off, or make shorter bow loops.
The red dashes are uneven. Re-slide the chain so each dash covers exactly 2 dc.
The green band puckers. The chain is pulled too tight. Loosen it around the whole circle.
The bow droops. Stitch the knot and the base of each loop down onto Round 12.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild soap. Press out the water in a towel and dry flat, reshaping the scallops and the bow while damp.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other, so check them as you go:
- Cream center: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) after Round 5 and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) after Round 10, at 60 sts.
- Green rounds: 3.9 in (9.9 cm) at 66 sts, then 4.6 in (11.7 cm) at 72 sts.
- Scallop round: 18 shells, for a finished 5.5 in (14.0 cm) coaster.
- Red chain: 24 in (61.0 cm), woven over 2 and under 2 for 18 dashes and tied in a bow at the bottom.
Keep the stitch counts and these checkpoints and every coaster in your set will match.
Happy crocheting!