Free and easy Tunisian Crochet Pattern: The Rustic Hotpad
If you’re eager to explore Tunisian Crochet and want a quick, satisfying project, this free Tunisian Crochet Pot Holder pattern is perfect for you! Introducing the Rustic Tunisian Hotpad—a must-have accessory for any kitchen.
Made with 5 weight cotton yarn, this hotpad boasts a thick, durable texture that’s perfect for protecting your countertops from hot pans and dishes. If you do not have any 5 weight cotton, check out my blog post on double stranding your yarn for your next project.
Best of all, you can complete this project in less than 2 hours!
With its rustic charm and practical design, this hotpad is ideal for beginners and seasoned crocheters alike looking to try their hand at a new technique.
Make this free Tunisian Crochet pattern and create a beautiful, functional piece that you’ll use again and again.
Please note, this post may contain affiliate links – should you purchase anything using my affiliate link I may get a small commission at no extra cost to yourself!
Inspiration behind the design
The inspiration for this Tunisian Full Stitch Hotpad came from a skein of 5 weight chunky cotton yarn that had been in my stash for about 18 months. I picked it up at my local Hobby Craft store, but I hadn’t found the right project for it—until recently. I believe it is actually sold as macrame yarn as it is nice and thick and woven.
While working on the full stitch square in the free “Learn to Tunisian Crochet Blanket” CAL, I realized this yarn was perfect for a hotpad.
With our move to a rural farmhouse approaching, I wanted to create something functional that would fit in with the rustic feel of our new country kitchen. I envisioned a simple, sturdy hotpad with a basic design, and a small hoop for hanging so it would be easy to store and nice to look at when not in use. This project turned out to be exactly what I needed—a practical, yet charming addition to our new home.
Construction of the design
The construction of this Tunisian Full Stitch Hotpad is straightforward, making it a great project for both beginners and those familiar with Tunisian Crochet.
The hotpad is worked flat in rows using the Tunisian Full Stitch, which creates a dense, textured fabric that’s perfect for protecting your surfaces from hot pans and dishes. The stitch pattern is easy to follow, and the chunky 5 weight cotton yarn adds thickness, so there’s no need to double up—one layer is enough to provide excellent heat resistance.
Once the body of the hotpad is complete, it’s finished off with a round of regular single crochets along the edges. This not only gives the hotpad a clean, polished look but also adds a bit of extra stability to the piece (and minimises any curling!). A small loop is created during this final round, making it easy to hang the hotpad when it’s not in use. This simple yet effective construction results in a functional and attractive kitchen accessory that you can make in no time.
The Yarn
For this hotpad Tunisian Crochet pattern I strongly recommend that you use 100% cotton yarn if at all possible. Hotpads are subject to a lot of heat when in use. Cotton helps to protect both your work surface and the pan or pot. Using acrylic yarn for this type of project is just not a good idea. You will find that the yarn melts, or, best case, it becomes very thin so provides no protection to the work surface at all.
I used Return of the Mac in colour Ecru. This yarn is from Hobby Craft so unfortunately is only available in the UK. It is a 5 weight (chunky) 100% cotton yarn. It comes in 200g / 81m skeins and a handful of rustic colours. You will need 1 skein of this. I used approximately 78 meters (approx 85 yards).
You could always double up some 4 weight (aran) cotton to work this pattern. See my post on how to double stand your yarn to find out more!
Get the PDF pattern!
You can find the ad-free PDF Pattern for this one in all of my shops:
Tester Appreciation:
There were a couple of testers tested this one for me. Susan made this vibrant version with Bernat maker bulky cotton.
The rustic Tunisian Crochet Hotpad pattern specifics:
Materials:
| · Any 5 weight cotton yarn of your choosing – approx 78m / 85 yds · 8mm tunisian hook · Scissors · Tapestry Needle · Stitch Markers · Measuring Tape optional |
Gauge:
Gauge is not important for this project as long as you are consistent and happy with how your stitches look. However, for reference, my gauge was 5 sts and 3 rows in 2”
Sizing:
Meeting my gauge will produce a hot pad that is approximately 8.5-9” square.
Abbreviations used:
Ch(s) – chain(s)
St(s) – Stitch(es)
Rep – Repeat
Sc – single crochet
TFS – tunisian full stitch
F – forward pass
R – reverse pass
Ss – slip stitch
Sp(s) – space(s)
Sk – skip
[ ] – all stitches inside these brackets are worked into the same stitch or space.
FO—fasten off
YO—yarn over
Other notes:
| – Written in US terms – There is no stitch multiple for this pattern – you can use any number of stitches. – To adjust the sizing you can simply adjust the number of chains until you reach your desired size. – You will use Tunisian techniques until you work the border edge around your hotpad. You may find that your hotpad curls a little because of the nature of tunisian crochet. I found that adding the edging row stopped a lot of the curling on my hotpad and a light blocking fixed the rest. |
Special stitches:
Tunisian Full Stitch:
To work the Tunisian Full Stitch (TFS), you will insert your hook in the space between two stitches. The stitches are offset to the previous row. This stitch does not have a multiple, so you can chain any number of stitches to work the swatch with me.
I like this stitch because the ease of which to do it is actually satisfying and the texture is super pleasing to the eye.
PREFER VIDEO TUTORIALS?
If you prefer I have both a right and left handed video tutorial on my Youtube Channel to help you through this stitch.
Tunisian foundation row: You can find my tutorial on how to work the foundation row at https://sunflowercottagecrochet.com/intro-to-tunisian-part-2/
Foundation Row:
F: Create slip knot on hook, chain as needed, insert hook into 2nd ch from hook and pull up a loop; *insert hook into next ch and pull up a loop; rep from * to end. Make sure to work that final stitch as per the left edge instructions below.
R: ch1, *yo, pull thru 2 loops until you have only 1 loop left.
Normal Return:
Ch1, *yo, pull thru 2 loops until you have only 1 loop left.
Left Edge: This is the stitch that makes up the left edge (right edge if you are left-handed) of your work. YO, pull through one loop (this creates the ch1 for the Left Edge) YO pull through 2 loops until 1 loop remains.
Right Edge: This is the stitch that makes up the right edge (left if you are left-handed) of your work. You will never work into this stitch unless specifically asked to in the pattern instructions. The single loop that is always left on your hook creates the right edge stitch for each row.
Forward Pass: Tunisian Crochet rows are made up of both a forward pass and a return pass. In the pattern, these are marked as F and R. The forward pass is where we are picking up loops down the row. This is where you will be inserting your hook as indicated to create a specific stitch. For right-handers, you will be working from right to left; for left-handers, you will be working from left to right.
Return Pass: The return pass works the loops off the hook until you have only 1 loop left. For right-handers, you will be working from left to right, and for left-handers, you will be working from right to left.
The Pattern:
** This is a free easy Tunisian Crochet pattern on the SunflowerCottageCrochet.com blog. If you are reading this anywhere else it is stolen content. Please do not copy and paste any part of it or print this pattern out. Please bookmark this page and use the website to work up your pattern. This helps my small business greatly as it provides a little bit of ad revenue which will in turn will allow me to continue to create free content for you!**
Chain 25
Complete a foundation row as instructed in the Special Stitches section of the pattern.
Row 1
F: Begin in the first space: insert hook in the first space and pull up a loop, *insert hook into the next space and pull up a loop; rep from * until there is one space and the left edge stitch left: sk the last space and work a left edge stitch.
R: Normal return pass.
Row 2
F: Begin in the 2nd open space and work down the row thru the last space: insert hook into 2nd space and pull up a loop (sk the first space), *insert hook into the next sp and pull up a loop; rep from * all the way to the left edge stitch, working into the space just before the left edge stitch; complete a left edge stitch.
R: Normal return pass.
Row 3:
Repeat rows 1 and 2 working both R and F passes until your square measures 8.5 – 9”.
Bind off:
You can do this with a regular 8mm crochet hook if you prefer. With the starting loop on your hook: insert hook as we have through the front bar, YO, pull through all loops on the hook. You are slip stitching all the way down this row.
Insert hook as to work a TFS, YO, pull through all loops on the hook. Repeat this process until you reach the left edge stitch: insert hook through two loops on the left edge, YO, pull through all loops.
DO NOT FO
Working down the side of your hot pad, sc evenly along until you reach the corner, [sc, ch1, sc] in the corner. Rep from * to * 3 more times.
Optional hanging hoop:
Work the border as per the instructions above until you reach the final corner, ch15, ss to first sc to join.
FO. Weave in ends.
I hope you have enjoyed this easy Tunisian Crochet pattern! Please tag me in your makes on Facebook and Instagram.
This pattern featured in:
Sept 2024 – the From Us to You Donation Challenge Event. All of the patterns featured in this event are still free on the blog posts so you can always join in and make some!
