A Step by Step Guide for a Fresh Fall Look
If you’re in the mood to bring a little autumn charm into your home or simply love the look of fresh, vibrant apples, this crochet project is perfect for you!
Whether you’re a beginner crocheter or a seasoned pro, making a matching apple placemat and coaster set is a fun way to celebrate the season while creating something practical and beautiful for your table.
This set is perfect for a cozy brunch or a family dinner, and it makes for a lovely handmade gift as well.
With its bright red “apple” body, a green leaf accent, and a little brown stem, this crochet project will make your kitchen feel like an orchard all year round!
Materials You’ll Need:
- Yarn: For this project, you’ll need red yarn for the apple body, green for the leaf, and brown for the stem. Cotton yarn works best since it’s durable and heat-resistant.
- Crochet Hook: A 4.0 mm (G) crochet hook is recommended for this project, but you can adjust your hook size depending on your yarn thickness and desired placemat size.
- Tapestry Needle: For weaving in ends and sewing on the leaf and stem.
- Scissors
- Stitch Markers (optional): Helpful for keeping track of rounds, especially for the placemat.
Abbreviations (U.S. terms):
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- tr = treble crochet
- sk = skip
How to Crochet an Apple Placemat and Coaster Set
Step 1: Crocheting the Apple Placemat
We’ll start with the main piece of the set: the apple-shaped placemat.
This placemat will work up in rounds, making it relatively simple to construct even if you’re new to crochet.
Round 1: Starting the Apple
Magic Ring: Begin with a magic ring.
If you’re unfamiliar with this technique, you can chain 4 and join with a sl st to form a ring instead.
12 dc in the Ring: Ch 3 (counts as the first dc), and then place 11 dc into the ring.
Sl st to the top of the beginning ch 3 to join. (12 stitches total)
Round 2: Increasing the Apple Base
Ch 3, and place 1 dc in the same stitch.
2 dc in each stitch around. Sl st to the top of the starting ch 3 to join. (24 stitches)
Round 3: Building Out the Shape
- Ch 3, dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch, 1 dc in the next stitch. Repeat from * to * around. Sl st to join. (36 stitches)
Round 4: Continuing the Growth
Ch 3, 1 dc in each of the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch, 1 dc in each of the next 2 stitches.
Repeat around and sl st to join. (48 stitches)
Round 5: Shaping the Apple’s Curve
Ch 3, 1 dc in the next 3 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch, 1 dc in each of the next 3 stitches.
Repeat around and sl st to join. (60 stitches)
Round 6: Defining the Apple’s Round Shape
Ch 1, sc in the next 10 stitches, hdc in the next 10 stitches, dc in the next 10 stitches, and tr in each of the next 20 stitches for the bottom, round part of the apple.
Then reverse: dc in the next 10 stitches, hdc in the next 10 stitches, and sc in the last 10 stitches. Sl st to join.
At this point, you should have a nice rounded shape resembling an apple.
You can adjust the number of stitches or rows depending on how large or small you’d like your placemat.
Step 2: Crocheting the Apple Coaster
Now that the placemat is done, let’s move on to the matching coaster.
The coaster follows a similar pattern but is smaller.
Round 1: Starting the Coaster
Magic Ring: Start with a magic ring or chain 4 and sl st to form a ring.
12 dc in the Ring: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), and place 11 dc into the ring. Sl st to join. (12 stitches)
Round 2: Increasing the Base
Ch 3, and place 1 dc in the same stitch. 2 dc in each stitch around. Sl st to join. (24 stitches)
Round 3: Defining the Apple’s Shape
Ch 3, dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch, 1 dc in the next stitch. Repeat and sl st to join. (36 stitches)
Round 4: Adding the Curve
Ch 1, sc in the next 5 stitches, hdc in the next 5 stitches, dc in the next 10 stitches for the bottom curve, hdc in the next 5 stitches, and sc in the last 5 stitches. Sl st to join.
Your apple coaster is now complete! You can make several of these to complete your set.
Step 3: Adding the Apple Stem
No apple is complete without a cute little stem at the top!
Both the placemat and coaster will need one.
With brown yarn, attach to the top of the apple (between two sc stitches).
Ch 5, sl st back into the same stitch. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
This creates a small but noticeable stem at the top of your apple.
If you want a thicker stem, you can work a row of scs into the chain before fastening off.
Step 4: Crocheting the Leaf
Now, let’s add a little green to our apple with a crochet leaf.
Ch 10 with green yarn.
In the second ch from the hook, work as follows: sc, hdc in the next, dc in the next, tr in the next, dc in the next, hdc in the next, sc in the last. Ch 1 and pivot.
Work back down the chain in reverse (hdc in hdc stitches, etc.) to create the second side of the leaf.
Sl st to the base and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Sew the leaf next to the stem on both the placemat and the coaster, securing it well with your tapestry needle.
Step 5: Finishing Touches
Weave in all loose ends using your tapestry needle.
Blocking: Lightly block your placemat and coasters if needed.
Pin them to a flat surface and spritz with water to help them lay flat.
Tips for Success:
Adjust Sizes: Feel free to adjust the size of your placemat and coasters by adding or removing rows. Just make sure you keep the shape consistent.
Experiment with Colors: While we used classic red and green here, you can try making golden apples with yellow yarn or go for a more whimsical color palette.
Use Stitch Markers: For beginners, using stitch markers to keep track of your rounds can be incredibly helpful.
Thoughts
There’s nothing quite like a handmade touch to warm up your home, and this apple placemat and coaster set is sure to do just that.
Whether you’re making them for yourself, as a gift, or just to hone your crochet skills, this project is simple, satisfying, and fun!
Be sure to share your beautiful work on crochet patternz community. I’d love to see how you personalize your project!
Happy crocheting
