Grateful Star Mat Free Crochet Pattern – Easy Tapestry Crochet Project

If you’re looking for a small, satisfying project that introduces tapestry crochet in a gentle and manageable way, this Grateful Star Mat is a really nice place to start.

Why This Is a Good First Tapestry Crochet Project

Tapestry crochet can sometimes feel a little daunting at first, as you’re working with multiple colours and carrying yarn across your stitches, which can take a little getting used to.

What works well here is that:

• You’re only using two colours
• The pattern builds gradually, round by round
• The shape is small and quick to complete
• The tapestry crochet sections use only simple stitches (US dc / UK tr)

All of this helps keep things manageable as you get used to the technique. And because the project is short, you can practise without it feeling like a long commitment.

Yarn

For my Grateful Star Mats, I used Yarnsmiths Cotton DK:

• 50g balls
• 106 metres per ball
• 100% cotton

You’ll need two colours for this project, and two balls (one of each colour) will be enough to make at least two mats.

I’ve really enjoyed working with this yarn. It’s soft, smooth, and has a nice, even stitch definition, which works particularly well for tapestry crochet, where clarity between colours is important.

Yarn Substitutions

You could use other yarns quite comfortably here:

• Other DK cotton yarns will give a similar result
• A 4-ply yarn will create a slightly smaller mat
• An aran-weight yarn will give you a larger version

I would suggest sticking with cotton if you plan to use the mat for hot items, as it handles heat much better than acrylic and helps protect the surface underneath.

Hook

I used a 3.5 mm crochet hook with DK cotton yarn.

For tapestry crochet, I generally recommend using a slightly smaller hook than you normally would. This helps keep the stitches tighter and makes sure the carried yarn is covered more effectively, which gives a neater finish.

That said, do use the hook size that works best for your yarn and your own tension.

Finished Size

The finished mat measures approximately 25 cm across between opposite corners of the hexagon.

This makes it a nice size for:

• mugs or teapots
• small plant pots
• decorative table accents

The exact size may vary slightly depending on your yarn choice and tension.

Tapestry crochet

This pattern uses the tapestry crochet technique, where you carry the unused yarn along inside your stitches.

If this is new to you, you might find these helpful before you begin:

• My step-by-step tapestry crochet guide
• My YouTube tutorial showing the technique in practice
• A tutorial on carrying yarn up between rounds

One small tip from experience: keeping your tension slightly firmer than usual really helps prevent the contrast colour from showing through.

The Grateful Star Mat Pattern (UK Terms)

A version in US terms is provided below.

Terminology

This pattern is written in UK crochet terms.

UK Abbreviations:

beg = beginning

BLO = back loop only

CC = contrast colour

ch = chain

ch-sp = chain space

cont = continue

dc = double crochet

htr = half treble crochet

MC = main colour

rdc = reverse double crochet (crab stitch)

rep = repeat

sl st = slip stitch

st = stitch

tr = treble crochet

Pattern notes

When working with two yarns, make the joining slip stitch at the end of each round around the unused yarn to carry it up to the next round. This helps keep your work neat.

Method

Rnd 1:  With MC, working into a magic ring, 4 ch (counts as 1 htr, 1 ch in this round), [2 htr, 1 ch] 5 times, 1 htr, join with sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch.  (12 htr, 6 ch-sp)

Rnd 2:  With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch (counts as 1tr, 1 ch here and in each following round), 1 tr into same ch-sp, *2 tr, (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp.  Rep from * four more times.  2 tr, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch.  (24 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 3:  With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp, *4 tr, (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp.  Rep from * four more times.  4 tr, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch pulling through with CC.  (36 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 4:  With CC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp. *6 tr in MC; (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp in CC.  Rep from * four more times.  6 tr in MC, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (48 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 5:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp. *2 tr in CC; 4 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times.  2 tr in CC; 4 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (60 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 6:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp. *2 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; 2 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; 2 tr in MC; (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times. 2 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; 2 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; 2 tr in MC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (72 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 7:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp. *4 tr in MC; 4 tr in CC; 4 tr in MC; (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times. 4 tr in MC; 4 tr in CC; 4 tr in MC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (84 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 8:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp. *6 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; 6 tr in MC; (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times. 6 tr in MC; 2 tr in CC; 6 tr in MC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  Cut CC leaving an end to weave in. (96 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 9:  With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 tr into same ch-sp, *16 tr, (1 tr, 2 ch, 1 tr) into 2ch-sp.  Rep from * four more times.  16 tr, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch.  Fasten off. (108 tr, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 10: Join CC to any 2ch-sp. 1 ch (does not count as st), 3 dc in same 2ch-sp then continue around making 1 dcBLO in each tr, and 3 dc in each 2ch-sp or 1ch-sp. Sl st to beg dc to join.

Rnd 11: 1 ch (does not count as st), rdc around working 1 rdc in each dc or dcBLO from Rnd 10. Sl st to beg rdc to join. Fasten off.

The Grateful Star Mat Pattern (US Terms)

A version in UK terms is provided above.

Terminology

This pattern is written in US crochet terms.

US Abbreviations:

beg = beginning

BLO = back loop only

CC = contrast colour

ch = chain

ch-sp = chain space

cont = continue

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

MC = main colour

rsc = reverse single crochet (crab stitch)

rep = repeat

sc = single crochet

sl st = slip stitch

st = stitch

Pattern notes

When working with two yarns, make the joining slip stitch at the end of each round around the unused yarn to carry it up to the next round. This helps keep your work neat.

Method

Rnd 1:  With MC, working into a magic ring, 4 ch (counts as 1 hdc, 1 ch in this round), [2 hdc, 1 ch] 5 times, 1 hdc, join with sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch.  (12 hdc, 6 ch-sp)

Rnd 2:  With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch (counts as 1dc, 1 ch here and in each following round), 1 dc into same ch-sp, *2 dc, (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp.  Rep from * four more times.  2 dc, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch.  (24 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 3:  With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp, *4 dc, (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp.  Rep from * four more times.  4 dc, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch pulling through with CC.  (36 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 4:  With CC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp. *6 dc in MC; (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp in CC.  Rep from * four more times.  6 dc in MC, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (48 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 5:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp. *2 dc in CC; 4 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times.  2 dc in CC; 4 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (60 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 6:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp. *2 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; 2 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; 2 dc in MC; (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times. 2 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; 2 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; 2 dc in MC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (72 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 7:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp. *4 dc in MC; 4 dc in CC; 4 dc in MC; (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times. 4 dc in MC; 4 dc in CC; 4 dc in MC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  (84 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 8:   With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp. *6 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; 6 dc in MC; (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp in MC.  Rep from * four more times. 6 dc in MC; 2 dc in CC; 6 dc in MC; sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch in MC.  Cut CC leaving an end to weave in. (96 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 9:  With MC sl st into ch-sp, 4 ch, 1 dc into same ch-sp, *16 dc, (1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into 2ch-sp.  Rep from * four more times.  16 dc, sl st in third ch of beg 4 ch.  Fasten off. (108 dc, 1 1ch-sp, 5 2ch-sp)

Rnd 10: Join CC to any 2ch-sp. 1 ch (does not count as st), 3 sc in same 2ch-sp then continue around making 1 scBLO in each dc, and 3 sc in each 2ch-sp or 1ch-sp. Sl st to beg sc to join.

Rnd 11: 1 ch (does not count as st), rsc around working 1 rsc in each sc or scBLO from Rnd 10. Sl st to beg rsc to join. Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in all ends, block if needed, and your mat is ready to use.

Wet Blocking Your Mat

Because this pattern is worked in the round and has defined corners, blocking can make a noticeable difference. It helps:

• sharpen the points of the hexagon
• even out your stitches
• help the edges sit flat and straight
• give the finished piece a more polished look

Cotton yarn responds particularly well to wet blocking, so it’s worth taking a little time to do this at the end.

If you’re not familiar with the process, I’ve written a step-by-step guide here:
→ Guide to wet blocking in crochet

It’s quite a simple process, and once you’ve done it a couple of times, it becomes a very easy finishing step to include in your projects.

Ideas for Using Your Mat

Once finished, these mats work well for:

• Small plant, vase, or candle stands
• Coasters for larger mugs or teapots
• Handmade gifts
• A quick project to practise colourwork

Because they’re quick to make, they’re also a nice option if you’d like to try different colour combinations without committing to a larger project.

More Tapestry Crochet Patterns

If you enjoyed this project and would like to explore tapestry crochet further, you can find more of my patterns here:

→ Explore more tapestry crochet patterns here

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About the Designer

Hi, I’m Catherine, the designer behind Catherine Crochets.

I specialise in creating crochet patterns, particularly blankets and colourwork designs, that are both beautiful and approachable. My focus is on helping crocheters build confidence through clear patterns, thoughtful design, and calm, practical teaching.

Many of my patterns include step-by-step blog posts and video tutorials, so you can learn in the way that suits you best.

If you’d like to explore more of my work, you can browse my patterns here.

Final Thoughts

If you’re new to tapestry crochet, this is a really manageable place to begin, and if you’ve tried it before, it’s a nice quick project to return to the technique.

I hope you enjoy making your Grateful Star Mat, and take your time with it. There’s no rush, and even a small project like this can be a very satisfying one to complete.

Happy crocheting,
Catherine