Heart Pillow Crochet Pattern (Free)

A heart pillow is the kind of project that makes people smile the moment they see it. Soft, squishy, and shaped like a classic heart, it is a cushion, a gift, and a little piece of handmade love all in one. This free heart pillow crochet pattern walks you through every step, from the two round lobes at the top to the neat point at the bottom, so your pillow comes out even, plump, and ready for the sofa, the bed, or a gift box.

This is an original Little Loop Finds design, written in US terms and completely free. The pillow is made from two identical heart panels worked in the round, joined with a simple single crochet edge, and stuffed until it is soft and full. If you can crochet a magic ring, a single crochet increase, and a decrease, you can crochet this heart pillow.

A quick note on scope: this post is about one specific heart-shaped plush pillow, a soft cushion worked in two panels. If you want a flat heart motif first, our free crochet heart pattern teaches a small applique heart in the same easy stitches.

Key Takeaways

• Free original pattern: this heart pillow crochet pattern is a Little Loop Finds original design, written in US terms, and completely free.
• Two panels, one pillow: two identical heart shapes worked in the round, joined with a single crochet edge, and stuffed until plump.
• Beginner friendly shaping: simple increases and decreases with a stitch count at the end of every round, so the heart keeps its shape.
• Quick weekend gift: one pillow takes about 3 hours, and it uses about 250 yards of worsted weight yarn.
• Endlessly giftable: make it in pink, red, cream, or rainbow colors for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, anniversaries, and baby showers.

Table of Contents

• Why You Will Love This Heart Pillow
• Finished Size, Skill Level, and Time
• Materials You Need
• Abbreviations (US Terms)
• Gauge and Sizing Notes
• Part 1: The First Heart Panel
• Part 2: The Second Panel and Joining
• Part 3: Stuffing, Closing, and Finishing
• Variations: Colors, Sizes, and Uses
• Troubleshooting Heart Pillows That Lean or Lump
• Care Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why You Will Love This Heart Pillow

There is something about a handmade heart that never goes out of style. It sits on a bed, leans against a sofa cushion, or waits in a gift box, and it says what words sometimes cannot. A crochet heart pillow is soft enough to hug, sturdy enough to hold its shape, and quick enough to make in a weekend, which makes it one of the best gifts in crochet. You can make one for a sweetheart, one for a new baby's nursery, and one for yourself, all from the same pattern.

A heart pillow is also a wonderful way to learn shaping. The two lobes teach you how to join rounds, and the decreases teach you how a flat circle becomes a point. Every round ends with a stitch count, and the pillow is forgiving: a little extra stuffing hides small wobbles.

If you are new to amigurumi style shaping, this pillow is a lovely first project. It uses only single crochet, increases, and decreases, and the finished pillow is big enough to be satisfying and small enough to finish in one or two sittings.

Finished Size, Skill Level, and Time

• Finished size: about 10 inches wide and 9 inches tall after stuffing, in worsted weight yarn. The pattern also gives notes for a small 7 inch version and a large 13 inch version.
• Skill level: Easy. You need a magic ring, chains, slip stitches, single crochet, single crochet increases, and invisible decreases. The joining round is explained step by step.
• Time: about 3 hours per pillow: roughly 45 minutes per heart panel, 30 minutes for the joining round, and 30 minutes for stuffing and finishing. A pair of pillows takes one relaxed weekend afternoon.

Materials You Need

Worsted weight yarn is the best choice for a heart pillow because it works up quickly, the stitches are tight enough to hold the stuffing inside, and the finished pillow is soft but firm. A smooth acrylic or cotton blend yarn works well, because it shows clean stitch definition and it washes easily. Avoid fuzzy or eyelash yarns, because they hide the heart shape and make the decreases hard to see. Choose a color that makes you happy.

For a pair of pillows, you need about 500 yards of yarn and 16 ounces of fiberfill, so plan your colors before you start if you are making a matching set.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch = chain
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet
• inc = increase, 2 sc in the same stitch
• dec = decrease, single crochet 2 stitches together
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• rnd(s) = round(s)
• rep = repeat
• MR = magic ring

Gauge and Sizing Notes

Gauge for a heart pillow is about keeping the stuffing inside, not about hitting an exact number. Work the first 4 rounds of a lobe and look at the fabric. You should not be able to see through the stitches, and the fabric should feel firm, not loose and holey. If you can see daylight through your stitches, go down a hook size. If the fabric is stiff and hard to work, go up a hook size. A quick check at round 4 saves you from a pillow that leaks stuffing.

To make a smaller pillow, use DK weight yarn with a 4.0 mm hook for a piece about 7 inches wide. To make a larger pillow, use bulky weight yarn with a 6.5 mm hook for a piece about 13 inches wide. The stitch counts stay the same in every size.

Part 1: The First Heart Panel

Each heart panel begins as two small round lobes worked separately, then joined into one piece that decreases down to a point. Work the first lobe, fasten off, then work the second lobe and keep the yarn attached, because the joining round starts from the second lobe. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round.

The Two Lobes

Make the first lobe with your main color. MR, ch 1.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (6 sc)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (12 sc)
• Rnd 3: (sc in next st, inc in next st) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (18 sc)
• Rnd 4: (sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (24 sc)
• Fasten off the first lobe and set it aside.

The lobe should look like a small flat circle about 2.5 inches across. Pull the magic ring tail firmly so no hole shows in the middle, and weave it in later so the ring cannot loosen.

Make the second lobe exactly the same way, but do not fasten off. You now have two matching circles, one with the yarn still attached, ready for the joining round.

Part 2: The Second Panel and Joining

This is where the two circles become a heart. The joining round works across both lobes, and the rounds after it decrease steadily, pulling the wide top of the heart down into a neat point at the bottom. The rhythm is easy once you see it: one even round, one decrease round, all the way down.

Joining the Lobes

With the second lobe still on your hook, hold the first lobe beside it so the two circles touch at one edge.

• Rnd 5: sc in each st around the second lobe (24 sc), then sc in each st around the first lobe (24 sc). Join with a sl st to the first sc. (48 sc)

Read the round slowly: you are working one continuous round around both circles, which makes a figure eight shape with a small dip at the top center. That dip is the top of the heart.

• Rnd 6: (sc in next 6 sts, dec) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (42 sc)
• Rnd 7: sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (42 sc)
• Rnd 8: (sc in next 5 sts, dec) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (36 sc)
• Rnd 9: sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (36 sc)
• Rnd 10: (sc in next 4 sts, dec) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (30 sc)
• Rnd 11: sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (30 sc)
• Rnd 12: (sc in next 3 sts, dec) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (24 sc)
• Rnd 13: sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (24 sc)
• Rnd 14: (sc in next 2 sts, dec) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (18 sc)
• Rnd 15: sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (18 sc)
• Rnd 16: (sc in next st, dec) rep 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (12 sc)
• Rnd 17: dec 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for closing. (6 sc)

Your finished panel should look like a heart: two round lobes at the top with a dip between them, and a neat point at the bottom. The point forms naturally as the decreases close the round, so do not worry if it looks slightly rounded before stuffing. Make a second panel exactly the same way.

Part 3: Stuffing, Closing, and Finishing

The two panels are joined with a round of single crochet worked through both layers at once, which makes a tidy raised edge around the whole heart. Stuff the pillow as you go, a little at a time, so the filling is even and the heart stays plump without lumps.

Joining the Panels

Hold the two heart panels together with the wrong sides facing in and the right sides facing out. Pin them together at the top dip and at the point so they cannot shift while you work.

• Joining rnd: join yarn with a sl st at the top dip of the heart, ch 1, then sc through both layers all the way around the heart, working 1 sc in each stitch of the edge. When you have worked about three quarters of the way around, pause and stuff the pillow.

Stuff the pillow in small handfuls, pushing the fiberfill gently into the two lobes first, then into the point. Add a little more than you think you need, because fiberfill settles and softens with use. Smooth the filling with your fingers so there are no thin spots or hard lumps, then continue the joining round until you reach the last few stitches. Add a final pinch of stuffing at the point, finish the round, and join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in all ends with a tapestry needle, working the yarn back through the stitches on the inside of the seam for about an inch, then trim the excess.

Shaping the Heart

To finish the heart shape, pinch the top dip gently with your fingers and press it inward so the two lobes stand out clearly. If the dip looks shallow, thread a length of yarn through it from front to back, pull it snug, and knot it inside the pillow. Give the pillow a gentle squeeze all over to even out the stuffing, and your heart pillow is done.

Variations: Colors, Sizes, and Uses

• Classic Valentine red: work the pillow in a true red for Valentine's Day, and pair it with a cream cushion on the bed. Our heart granny square crochet pattern makes a matching blanket square in the same red.
• Soft nursery pink: make the pillow in blush pink or pale peach for a baby shower gift, and add it to a gift basket with a lovey. Our crochet bunny plush makes a sweet matching gift for the same nursery.
• Cream and sage set: work one pillow in cream and one in sage green for a calm, modern sofa, and change the colors with the seasons. Our crochet pillow pattern free shows more cushion shapes in the same easy stitches.
• Rainbow hearts: make a set of small pillows in rainbow colors for a child's reading corner, one heart for each color of the rainbow. Our owl crochet pattern is another quick plush that looks lovely beside a row of rainbow hearts.
• Wedding gift: work the pillow in white or ivory with a satin ribbon tied around the middle, and add the couple's initials in embroidery on the front. It is a gift that gets kept, not put away.
• Ombre heart: change colors every few rounds, from deep rose at the point to pale blush at the lobes, for a pillow that looks hand dyed. Work the color changes at the end of an even round so the join stays hidden on the back.

If you enjoyed the shaping in this pillow, try another plush next, in the same yarn and the same easy stitches.

Troubleshooting Heart Pillows That Lean or Lump

• My heart leans to one side. Count the stitches on each panel before joining, and count the joining stitches as you go so both sides match.
• My pillow is lumpy. The stuffing went in all at once in big handfuls. Pull some stuffing out, then add it back in small pinches, smoothing each layer with your fingers before you add the next.
• My heart has no dip at the top. The two lobes were joined too loosely, or the dip was not cinched. Thread a length of yarn through the dip, pull it snug, and knot it inside the pillow to deepen the dip.
• My point is rounded, not pointed. The last decrease rounds were worked too loosely, or the point needs more stuffing. Push a small pinch of fiberfill right into the tip before you close the joining round.
• My stuffing shows through the stitches. Your stitches are too loose for the yarn. Go down a hook size on the next pillow, and use a slightly denser fiberfill so it does not poke through the gaps.
• My panels are different sizes. Check your stitch counts at the end of every round, and block each panel lightly before joining.

Care Instructions

Hand wash a heart pillow gently in cool water with a tiny amount of mild soap, squeeze gently without wringing, and lay it flat to dry so the heart keeps its shape. If the yarn label says machine washable, use a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag, and lay the pillow flat to dry. Do not put a heart pillow in the dryer on high heat, because the fiberfill can clump and the pillow can lose its shape. Fluff the pillow by hand after washing, and keep it out of direct sunlight for long stretches, so the colors stay bright.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this heart pillow pattern good for beginners?

Yes, it is a great first shaping project. You need to know chains, single crochet, increases, and decreases, and every round ends with a stitch count, so you can check your work as you go. One pillow takes about 3 hours, and the joining round is explained step by step.

What yarn is best for a heart pillow?

Worsted weight yarn is the best choice, because it works up quickly, the stitches are tight enough to hold the stuffing inside, and the finished pillow is soft but firm. A smooth acrylic or cotton blend works well and washes easily. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they hide the heart shape and make the decreases hard to see.

How big is the finished heart pillow?

About 10 inches wide and 9 inches tall after stuffing, in worsted weight yarn with a 5.0 mm hook. Use DK weight yarn with a 4.0 mm hook for a small 7 inch version, or bulky weight yarn with a 6.5 mm hook for a large 13 inch version. The stitch counts stay the same in every size.

How much yarn do I need for one heart pillow?

About 250 yards of worsted weight yarn, which is roughly two and a half balls of a standard 100 gram skein. A pair of pillows needs about 500 yards. Buy an extra ball if you are making a matching set, so the dye lots match.

How do I keep the stuffing from showing through?

Work with a hook one size smaller than the yarn label suggests, so the stitches are tight and the fabric is firm. Stuff in small pinches, smooth each layer, and use a good quality fiberfill. If you can see daylight through your stitches before stuffing, go down a hook size.

Can I sell heart pillows made from this pattern?

Yes, you may sell finished pillows made from this free pattern, with credit to Little Loop Finds. Please do not sell or republish the pattern text itself.

Happy stitching, and may your heart pillow bring a little handmade love to whoever hugs it.