How to Make the Halloween Striped Crochet Pillow

Hi friends! Halloween is less than a week away, so I hope I’m not too late in posting this pattern. I couldn’t wait a full year before sharing this Halloween Striped Crochet Pillow with you! As some of you know, I’m not much of a Halloween person, but this year I made a few decorations to get me in the Halloween spirit. After finishing the Night of the Witches Pumpkin, I couldn’t resist making a pillow to match!

This pillow uses the half double crochet stitch and alternates between colours to create a striped look. I designed the front and back panels to be different because it not only makes it more interesting to crochet, but it gives you options, depending on your mood.

The front panel is designed to be a subtle nod to Halloween, while the back panel is a full blown Halloween vibe. This difference will allow you to switch between the two sides, depending on how Halloween-y you’re feeling.

Another great thing about this pillow is that you can flip flop between vertical and horizontal stripes. When I started designing this pillow, I thought I wanted horizontal stripes, but once I inserted the pillow form, I realized that the vertical stripes were calling to me. If you find yourself in the same predicament, simply rotate your pillow 90 degrees, and voila! You have a brand new vertical or horizontal striped pillow.

There is one other pillow feature worth mentioning: this is a removable pillow cover with a zipper. Removable pillow covers are a must in our house, so I added a zipper to the 4th side to make it removable for washing. Instructions and a photo tutorial are included below to help you attach a zipper to your pillow. Let’s get started!

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Materials:

• Approximately 560 yards of any medium 4 worsted weight yarn!
• 6.0 mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Yarn Needle
• 18 x 18″ Pillow Form
• 16″ – 17″ Zipper
• Sewing Thread
• Sewing Needle

Yarn and Yardage:

• A: 2 Skeins of Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek – Dark Grey Heather 
  • Approximately 345 yds

• B: 1 Skein of Red Heart Soft Yarn – Cinnabar
  • Approximately 85 yds

• C: 1 Skein of I Love This Yarn Solids  – Mixed Berry
  • Approximately 65 yds

• D: 1 Skein of Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek  – Green Apple
  • Approximately 65 yds

Pin this Halloween Striped Crochet Pillow – Here!

Other Crochet Patterns You’ll Love:

• The Night of Witches Pumpkin
• The Whimsical Stripes Pillow Cover
• That 70’s Pillow Cover
• The Burst of Sunshine Pillow

Abbreviations:

• St(s) – stitch/stitches
• Ch – chain
• Hdc – half double crochet
• Rs – right side
• Ws – wrong side

Gauge: 16 Hdc Sts x 7 rows = 4″ x 4″

Pattern Measurements:

This pillow cover is designed to fit an 18″ x 18″ pillow form. However, instructions are provided below for customizing the size of your pillow cover.

Front Panel: 18″ x 18″
Back Panel: 18″ x 18″

Customize the Size of Your Pillow Cover

This pillow cover is designed to fit an 18″ x 18″ pillow form. However, if you have a different sized pillow insert on hand, here is how you can customize the size of the pillow cover to fit your unique pillow form:

Length: The length of the pillow cover is determined by your initial (starting) chain. The pattern calls for chaining 61, for a length of 18″. However, to adjust the length of your pillow cover, chain until the length of your chain matches the length of your pillow form.

Width: To adjust the width of your pillow cover, repeat Row 2 until the width of the front panel matches the width of your pillow form. Take note of how many rows you worked for the front panel, and work the same number of rows for the back panel.

Carrying Yarn Through Technique for Stripes

I love the look of stripes, but I don’t like weaving in all the ends that come with them! To minimize the number of ends to weave in at the end of this pillow project, try carrying the yarn through your work.

To do this, crochet the first row normally. When you reach the last half double crochet of the row, make the final yarn over (where you pull the yarn through the remaining 3 loops on your hook) with your new colour.

Turn your work, and chain 1. Crochet each half double crochet stitch over top of the old yarn colour. This helps to trap the old yarn in your work and carries it along with you as you crochet.

When you reach the end of the row, tug on the old yarn strand to get rid of any bumps or uneven patches it created as you crocheted the row. Then, complete your final yarn over with the old colour.

Repeat this process as you work each pillow panel.

Pattern:

Notes:

1. The beginning chain 1 of each row does not count as a stitch.
2. A colour chart is provided below for the front and back panel stripes; the front and back panels are DIFFERENT.
3. To minimize the number of ends to weave in at the end of the project, carry the yarn through each panel. A tutorial for carrying the yarn through is provided above.
4. To change colors between rows, complete the final yarn over of the last hdc of the row with your new colour.
5. The front and back panels are seamed together on 3 sides, and a zipper is added to the 4th side.

Front Panel:

Ch 61
Row 1 (Rs): Hdc in the second ch from the hook, and in each ch across. Turn. (60 hdc)

Row 2 (Ws): Ch 1, hdc in each st across. Turn. (60 hdc)

Rows 3 – 43: Repeat Row 2.

Follow the colour chart instructions below to see when to change colour throughout the panel.

Fasten off and weave in ends!

Back Panel:

Ch 61
Row 1 (Rs): Hdc in second ch from hook, and in each st across. Turn. (60 hdc)
Row 2 (Ws): Ch 1, hdc in each st across. Turn. (60 hdc)
Rows 3 – 43: Repeat Row 2.

Continue to follow the colour chart for the back panel to see when to change colour throughout the panel.

Fasten off and weave in ends!

Sewing the Crochet Pillow Panels Together

Now that the front and back panel are complete, it’s time to sew the panels together to create a pillow cover! To sew the sides together, we will be using the whip stitch. Here is a great tutorial of the whip stitch by Wool and the Gang, if you are unfamiliar with this stitch.

• Place the front panel on top of the back panel, making sure that each panel is facing right side up.

• Begin whip stitching along the 3 sides indicated below. Two diagrams are provided below to indicate where to whip stitch, depending on whether you’d like vertical or horizontal stripes.

• *If you would prefer NOT to add a zipper, whip stitch along the 3 sides of the panels indicated below. Then, insert your pillow form into the cover, before seaming up the 4th side with the whip stitch.

Adding a Zipper to the 4th Side of the Pillow

We will be attaching the zipper to the 4th side of the pillow to make it removable for washing. If you choose not to add a zipper, follow the instructions above to close your pillow cover.

Start by attaching the zipper to the front panel, before attaching it to the back panel.

Attach the Zipper to the Front Panel:

• Place the zipper between the front and back panel.

• With your sewing needle and thread, begin whip stitching through both the zipper and front panel to attach the zipper to the front panel.

• Continue whip stitching across both the zipper and front panel, until you reach the end. Secure it with a knot and fasten off.

Attach the Zipper to the Back Panel:

• Unzip the zipper, and place the other side of the zipper along the back panel.

• With your sewing needle and thread, begin whip stitching through both the zipper and the back panel to attach the zipper to the back panel.

• Continue whip stitching across both the zipper and back panel, until you reach the end. Secure it with a knot and fasten off.

• Insert your pillow form into the pillow cover, and zip it up!

• You’ve now completed your pillow cover, and you can unzip the 4th side when you are ready to wash it.

Proper Care and Washing Instructions

Here is an easy tutorial to follow for washing crochet pillow cover to maintain their shape, look, and feel!

And You’re Done!

Congratulations! You’ve made your first Halloween Striped Pillow – just in time for Halloween. I hope you enjoyed making it, as much as I did.

Disclaimer: You are welcome to sell items that you’ve made from this pattern; however, you are not allowed to use my pictures or sell my pattern as your own (Copyright @ ThisPixieCreates).

As always, thank you guys so much for following along with me! I love seeing what you create with my patterns, so please tag me in any posts you share.

I hope you have a great rest of your day!

Love, Dayna