May
Getting Started with the Basic Heart Shape
So the first heart I actually finished was back in spring 2022 when I was watching that weird cooking competition show, you know the one where they have to make desserts in like 20 minutes? Anyway I was using Red Heart yarn in this bright red color because honestly that’s what was at Target and I wasn’t gonna drive across town for fancy stuff.
The thing with crochet hearts is they’re way easier than they look but you gotta understand the basic construction. Most patterns work in rounds or you can do them flat. I prefer flat because it’s less confusing when you’re starting out and you can actually see the heart shape forming instead of trying to visualize it in 3D or whatever.
The Flat Heart Method
You basically make two bumps at the top and then decrease down to a point at the bottom. Start with a foundation chain, maybe like 4 or 5 chains depending how big you want it. Then you’re gonna work into those chains to create the first bump. Do single crochets or half double crochets up one side, and here’s where it gets slightly annoying because you have to keep track of your stitch count.
The annoying part honestly was figuring out where to put increases so the bumps look even. I spent like three attempts on my first heart and one side was always bigger than the other. It looked lopsided and dumb. What worked for me was writing down literally every stitch on paper for the first one, like “sc in next 2, inc in next” and following it exactly on both sides.
For the top bumps you want to increase regularly as you work up, maybe every other row or every third row. Then when you get to where the two bumps meet in the middle, you work them separately. Chain up, turn your work, and only work across half the stitches. This creates that indent at the top of the heart.
Yarn Choices That Actually Matter
I’ve used Red Heart Super Saver which is cheap and works fine for practice hearts or ones you’re gonna give to kids or whatever. The texture is kind of scratchy but it holds its shape well. Caron Simply Soft is better if you want something that feels nicer, I used their “Strawberry” color for Valentine hearts in 2023 and people actually kept them instead of throwing them in a drawer.
Lion Brand has some good options too. Their Vanna’s Choice is pretty reliable and comes in a ton of colors. I made a bunch of hearts in different shades of pink and red last year using that line because they were on sale at Michaels.
The weight matters more than you’d think. Worsted weight (the medium thickness) is easiest to work with and you can actually see your stitches. I tried making tiny hearts with sport weight yarn once and it was so fiddly I gave up after two. My cat kept attacking the yarn ball anyway which didn’t help.
The Round/Amigurumi Style Heart
This is where you make a 3D puffy heart. It’s actually not that much harder but you need to stuff it. Start with a magic ring if you know how to do that, or just chain 2 and work into the first chain if magic rings make you want to throw your hook across the room.
Work in a spiral, increasing every round or every other round until you get the size you want for the bottom part of the heart. Then you’re gonna split your work to create the two top bumps, similar to the flat version but you’re working in rounds on each bump separately.
The construction is: make a ball shape for the bottom, then make two smaller ball shapes for the top bumps, stuff everything before you close it up. I use polyfil stuffing from Walmart, nothing fancy. Just make sure you stuff it firm enough that it holds the heart shape but not so tight that the stitches stretch and you can see the white stuffing through the yarn.
Stuffing Tips Because This Part is Weird
You want to stuff as you go, not wait until the end. When you finish the bottom rounded part, stuff that. Then work on one top bump, stuff it partway, finish it, stuff it more. The problem I always have is getting the stuffing even in both bumps so one doesn’t look deflated.
Use a chopstick or the end of your crochet hook to push stuffing into the point at the bottom. That area always wants to stay flat and empty for some reason. Really jam it in there.
Actual Patterns I’ve Used
There’s a free pattern on the Yarnspirations website that’s pretty straightforward. It’s called “Heart Applique” or something like that. They have it in different sizes which is helpful because sometimes you want a tiny heart for a card and sometimes you want a big one to use as a coaster or decoration.
I also found a good one on a blog called Repeat Crafter Me, she has a flat heart pattern that takes like 15 minutes once you get the hang of it. Perfect for making a bunch at once.
The thing nobody tells you is that most heart patterns are basically the same concept with slight variations. Once you make two or three from different patterns, you’ll see the structure and you can just wing it. I rarely follow patterns exactly anymore, I just start with the basic idea and adjust as I go.
Hook Size Stuff
I usually use a 5mm hook (H hook in US sizes) with worsted weight yarn. Some patterns call for a 5.5mm or 6mm which makes a looser, bigger heart. If you want a really tight stitch that doesn’t show gaps, go down a hook size from what the yarn label recommends.
For amigurumi hearts definitely go smaller with your hook because you don’t want the stuffing showing through. Like if your yarn says use a 5mm hook, use a 4mm or 4.5mm instead.
Making Hearts Flat for Appliques
If you want to sew hearts onto blankets or bags or whatever, make them flat and don’t stuff them obviously. The pattern is simpler. You can work it as one piece or make two identical pieces and sew them together with wrong sides facing if you want both sides to look good.
I made a bunch of these in summer 2024 to put on a baby blanket for my friend’s kid. Used Bernat Blanket yarn actually, which is super thick and soft. The hearts worked up really fast with a 9mm hook. Looked cute on the blanket corners.
For attaching them, I just use a yarn needle and whip stitch around the edges with the same color yarn. Some people get fancy with contrasting colors but that’s more work and I’m lazy about finishing touches usually.
Valentine’s Day Specific Stuff
If you’re making hearts for Valentine’s you probably want a bunch of them fast. The flat pattern is your friend here. Set up an assembly line situation where you make like 10 at once in different shades of red and pink.
You can turn them into garland by making a chain between each heart. Just crochet a long chain, attach a heart, chain some more, attach another heart. I did this once and hung it over my bookshelf, looked decent for the effort involved.
Or make them into cards by crocheting a flat heart and gluing it onto cardstock. Hot glue works fine, craft glue works better if you have time to let it dry. Write your message on the card part, done.
Adding Extras If You Want
You can sew on buttons for decoration, or embroider faces on them with black yarn which looks kinda cute in a weird way. I’ve seen people add ribbons or bows at the top of the heart too.
Some patterns have you work a border around the heart in a contrasting color. This is actually pretty easy, you just single crochet around the entire edge. It makes the heart look more finished and hides any wonky edges from your increases and decreases.
Common Problems I Had
The top bumps being uneven like I mentioned before. Solution is really just counting your stitches carefully on both sides and making sure you do the exact same increases in the same places.
The bottom point being too sharp or not sharp enough. If it’s too sharp, you decreased too fast. If it’s too round, you didn’t decrease enough. You want to decrease every row or every other row as you approach the point, and on the final rows do like 2 or 3 decreases per row to really bring it to a point.
The heart looking more like a blob than a heart. This usually means your tension is off or you’re not putting your increases in the right spots. The increases need to go on the outer edges of each bump to make them curve outward. If you put increases in the middle or randomly, it just makes a lumpy circle.
Gauge Doesn’t Really Matter Here
Unlike sweaters or blankets where gauge is super important, hearts can be whatever size they turn out to be. If your tension is tighter than the pattern designer’s, your heart will be smaller. If it’s looser, bigger. Unless you’re trying to match a specific size, just go with it.
I never do gauge swatches for hearts. Complete waste of time in my opinion.
Using Hearts for Other Projects
They make good bookmarks if you make them flat and attach a ribbon. Or you can use them as coasters if you make them thick enough with a tight stitch. I’ve made heart coasters with cotton yarn (Lily Sugar’n Cream) because cotton is more absorbent and washable.
You can also string them together to make a garland like I mentioned, or attach them to the ends of a scarf for decoration. I saw someone put a heart on top of a crochet hat once which looked kinda silly but also kinda cute?
For a while I was making hearts and filling them with dried lavender before closing them up. Made them into sachets for drawers. That worked pretty well, the lavender smell lasted for months. You just put the dried lavender in with the stuffing before you finish the last few stitches.
Granny Square Hearts Are Also a Thing
There’s patterns where you make a granny square but shape it into a heart as you go. I haven’t tried this much because granny squares aren’t really my thing but I’ve seen them and they look cool. More vintage-looking than regular hearts.
The concept is you work from the center out in rounds but you increase more on certain sides to create the bumps and decrease on the bottom to make the point. Requires more planning than a regular heart pattern.
Quick Troubleshooting List
If your heart is curling, you might be crocheting too tight. Try a bigger hook or loosening up your tension. If it’s ruffling, you’re crocheting too loose or put in too many increases.
If you lose track of where you are in the pattern, use stitch markers. Put one at the beginning of each row or round, or mark where specific increases should go. I use those little plastic ones from Daiso, they’re cheap and I don’t care if I lose them.
If your yarn is splitting while you work, it might be too fuzzy or you’re going through the yarn instead of under both loops of the stitch. Or your hook has a rough spot that’s catching. I’ve had hooks that developed burrs and they’re awful to work with, just buy a new one.
Running out of yarn in the middle is annoying but happens. For a small heart you need maybe 20-30 yards depending on size. A big heart might take 50-70 yards. I always overestimate now because there’s nothing worse than being three stitches from done and running out.
Different Textures and Yarns
Velvet yarn makes really soft hearts that feel nice. Bernat Velvet or Lion Brand Feels Like Butta both work. The texture hides uneven stitches pretty well which is a bonus if you’re still learning.
Sparkly yarn is fun for Valentine’s hearts. Red Heart Shimmer or any yarn with metallic thread in it. It’s a little harder to see your stitches with sparkly yarn but the end result looks fancy.
I tried making a heart with t-shirt yarn once (Hoooked Zpagetti brand) and it was huge and took forever. Looked cool though, very chunky and modern. Used it as a trivet for hot pans actually.
Avoid really fuzzy yarn like eyelash yarn for hearts. You can’t see what you’re doing and it looks messy. Trust me on this one, I tried it during a phase where I thought fuzzy = cute and it was just frustrating.
How Long Does It Actually Take
A small flat heart takes me maybe 10-15 minutes now. When I was starting out, probably 45 minutes because I kept recounting stitches and second-guessing myself.
A stuffed 3D heart takes longer, maybe 30-45 minutes including stuffing time. The stuffing part always takes longer than you think it will because you have to get it shaped right.
A big decorative heart like pillow-sized would take a few hours. I made one once that was probably 12 inches across and it took most of an afternoon while I watched TV. Used three skeins of yarn for that one.
If you’re making a bunch for Valentine’s or whatever, set aside a weekend afternoon. You can probably make 8-10 small hearts in a few hours once you get into a rhythm.
