Apricot Sunburst Square Coaster Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

The Apricot Sunburst Square Coaster is a cheerful little project made for anyone who wants a quick, satisfying win at the hook. It starts as a circular sunburst of alternating apricot and peach rings, then cleverly squares off into a tidy 4.5-inch coaster with sharp corners and a ruffled scalloped border. The finished piece looks bold and maximalist on a coffee table, yet it feels soft, flat, and sturdy thanks to the cotton yarn. It is a wonderful beginner project for practicing joined rounds, color changes, and corner shaping all in one small, giftable make.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted (4) medium weight, 100% cotton. Color A (apricot): approx 20 yd. Color B (peach): approx 15 yd.
• Hook: 5.0 mm (H/8).
• Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch marker (optional, for the first stitch of each round), scissors, rust-proof pins for blocking.
• Finished size: 4.5 x 4.5 inches square.

Abbreviations

• ch – chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.
• sc – single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• dc – double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops twice.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook.
• MR – magic ring: an adjustable loop used to start the center.
• sk – skip: leave the next stitch unworked.
• sp – space: the gap created by a chain (for example, a ch-2 space).
• rep – repeat: work the instructions again as many times as stated.
• sts – stitches.

Gauge

4 sc = 1 inch and 4 rounds = 1 inch, worked in single crochet rounds. To check, crochet a small swatch of sc rounds and measure a 1-inch section; adjust your hook size if your stitches are much larger or smaller so the coaster finishes at 4.5 inches.

Tips Before You Start

• Turn at each join. After joining each round, turn your work before starting the next round. This keeps the square corners sharp and stops the fabric from spiraling.
• Change color cleanly. Work the color change on the last yarn over of the final stitch of the round, so the new color appears exactly at the join.
• Count your increases. Each sunburst round adds 8 stitches. If a round comes up short, check that every "2 sc in next st" was worked.
• Keep the ch-1 out of the count. The ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a stitch, so don't work into it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Notes: Work in joined rounds, turning at each join to keep square corners sharp. The ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a stitch. Change color on the last yarn over of the final stitch of the round.

Sunburst Center (Rounds 1–8)

Rnd 1 (A): Make a magic ring, ch 1. 8 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc (8 sts).

Rnd 2 (A): Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, join (16 sts).

Rnd 3 (B): Ch 1, [sc, 2 sc in next st] x8, join (24 sts).

Rnd 4 (A): Ch 1, [2 sc, 2 sc in next st] x8, join (32 sts).

Rnd 5 (B): Ch 1, [3 sc, 2 sc in next st] x8, join (40 sts).

Rnd 6 (A): Ch 1, [4 sc, 2 sc in next st] x8, join (48 sts).

Rnd 7 (B): Ch 1, [5 sc, 2 sc in next st] x8, join (56 sts).

Rnd 8 (A): Ch 1, [6 sc, 2 sc in next st] x8, join (64 sts).

Square Shaping (Rounds 9–12)

Rnd 9 (A): Ch 1, sc in each st around, join (64 sts).

Rnd 10 (B): Ch 1, sc in next 7 sts, [sc, ch 2, sc] in next st (corner), *sc in next 15 sts, [sc, ch 2, sc] in next st; rep from * 2 more times, sc in last 8 sts, join (72 sc, 4 ch-2 sps).

Rnd 11 (A): Ch 1, sc in each st around, working [sc, ch 2, sc] in each ch-2 corner sp, join (80 sc, 4 ch-2 sps).

Rnd 12 (B): Ch 1, sc in each st around, working [sc, ch 2, sc] in each ch-2 corner sp, join (88 sc, 4 ch-2 sps). Fasten off B.

Scalloped Edging (Color A)

Edging (A): Ch 1, *sk next st, 5 dc in next st, sk next st, sl st in next st; rep from * around, working (sl st, ch 1, sl st) in each corner ch-2 sp to turn the corner. Join with sl st to first st. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in all ends on the wrong side with your tapestry needle, running each tail through a few stitches before trimming. Block lightly to 4.5 x 4.5 inches: mist the coaster, pin each corner square on a blocking mat, and smooth the scallops flat. Let it dry completely before unpinning so the corners hold their shape.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Make a set: Swap the colors for each coaster in a set, or reverse A and B for a mirrored look.
• Add a hanging loop: Before fastening off the edging, ch 8 and sl st back to the same stitch to create a small loop for hanging.
• Go bigger: Repeat the increase rounds once more (adding 8 sts per round) before squaring off to make a larger trivet or placemat.