Hearthside Puff Basket: Free crochet pattern

This little round basket grows from a smooth half-double-crochet base into a gently textured body dotted with puff stitches, finished with a crisp sage green rim. Three cosy colours — warm cream, dusty rose, and sage — make it feel right at home in any WithMe space.

It is sized perfectly for holding rings and earrings on a nightstand, corralling lip balms on a vanity, or cradling a tea-light candle on a coffee table. Because it uses only three basic stitch types and a simple puff, a confident beginner can finish it in one long evening.

Make one as a gift and tuck something sweet inside — the basket itself is the wrapping. The small signature heart is sewn on the lower front of the dusty-rose body so it shows whether the basket is full or empty.

What you need

• Bulky weight (#5) yarn in Warm Cream — approx. 35 yds (32 m); any acrylic or cotton-acrylic blend works well
• Bulky weight (#5) yarn in Dusty Rose — approx. 70 yds (64 m)
• Bulky weight (#5) yarn in Sage Green — approx. 15 yds (14 m)
• 6.0 mm (US J/10) crochet hook
• Yarn needle for weaving ends
• Stitch marker
• WithMe signature heart embellishment — 1 piece

Gauge

12 hdc = 4 in (10 cm); 11 sc rounds = 4 in (10 cm). Gauge affects finished size but not structure; swatch if you want the exact dimensions above.

Abbreviations

• hdc — half double crochet
• hdc inc — 2 hdc in the same stitch
• sc blo — single crochet in the back loop only
• sc — single crochet
• puff — puff stitch
• tr — treble crochet
• dc — double crochet
• ch — chain

Pattern notes

• Puff stitch: (yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop) 4 times in the same stitch — 9 loops on hook — yarn over and pull through all 9 loops, chain 1 to close. The puff counts as one stitch.
• The basket is worked in continuous rounds throughout; use a stitch marker to track the round beginning.
• Puff stitches create their raised bump on the side facing away from you as you work. To keep them on the outside of the basket, flip the basket so its exterior faces away from you at the start of each puff round, then flip it back to the normal position for the plain rounds that follow. Full instructions are given in the row notes for each puff round.
• Back-loop-only rounds create a crisp fold line — one at the base-to-wall join, one at the top colour change.

1. The Base

A flat half-double-crochet circle grows from a magic ring outward with staggered increases to keep the edges smooth and round. Work in Warm Cream throughout this section.

• Round 1: 8 hdc in a magic ring [8]
• Round 2: hdc inc × 8 [16]
• Round 3: (hdc inc, hdc) × 8 [24]
• Round 4: (hdc inc, 2 hdc) × 4, (hdc, hdc inc, hdc) × 4 [32]
• Round 5: (hdc inc, 3 hdc) × 4, (2 hdc, hdc inc, hdc) × 4 [40]
• Round 6: (2 hdc, hdc inc, 2 hdc) × 4, (hdc inc, 4 hdc) × 4 [48]
• Round 7: (hdc inc, 5 hdc) × 4, (3 hdc, hdc inc, 2 hdc) × 4 [56]
• Round 8: (3 hdc, hdc inc, 3 hdc) × 4, (hdc inc, 6 hdc) × 4 [64]
• Round 9: (hdc inc, 7 hdc) × 4, (4 hdc, hdc inc, 3 hdc) × 4 [72]

1. Fasten off Warm Cream, leaving a 4 in tail to weave in.

2. The Walls — Textured Body

A single back-loop round folds the base upright, then dusty-rose puff-stitch rounds give the walls their signature texture. Join Dusty Rose before beginning this section.

• Round 1: 72 sc blo picked up evenly [72] — Join Dusty Rose to any stitch of the last base round. Work into back loops only to form the sharp fold at the base of the wall.
• Round 2: sc in each stitch around [72]
• Round 3: (3 sc, puff) × 18 [72] — Puff-stitch round 1. Before you begin, flip the basket so its outside faces away from you. Work the puff stitches as normal — the bumps will push out to the exterior. Flip the basket back to its normal position when the round is complete.
• Rounds 4–5: sc in each stitch around [72]
• Round 6: (sc, puff, 2 sc) × 18 [72] — Puff-stitch round 2 — puffs are offset by one stitch from round 3. Flip the basket outside-in as before, work the round, then flip it back.
• Rounds 7–8: sc in each stitch around [72]
• Round 9: (2 sc, puff, sc) × 18 [72] — Puff-stitch round 3 — puffs are offset by a further stitch for a staggered diamond rhythm. Flip the basket outside-in as before, work the round, then flip it back.
• Round 10: sc in each stitch around [72]

1. Fasten off Dusty Rose, leaving a 4 in tail to weave in.

3. The Sage Trim

Two quick rounds in Sage Green finish the top with a tidy ridge and a clean edge.

• Round 1: 72 sc blo picked up evenly [72] — Join Sage Green to any stitch of the last body round. Work into back loops only to raise a neat ridge at the colour join.
• Round 2: sc in each stitch around [72]

1. Fasten off Sage Green, leaving a 6 in tail.
2. Weave all ends in securely on the inside of the basket.

4. WithMe signature heart

The same little heart sits on every WithMe original — our way of signing it with love. Use any contrast colour from the project.

• Round 1: 3 tr, 3 dc, ch, tr, ch, 3 dc, 3 tr in a magic ring [15] — Ch 3 first (it doesn't count as a stitch). After the last stitch, ch 3 and sl st into the ring, then pull the ring tight — the dip at the top of the heart forms as you pull.

1. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing the heart in place.

Finishing

1. Block the basket lightly by dampening it, shaping it over a round bowl of similar diameter, and leaving it to dry. This firms up the walls.
2. Sew the WithMe signature heart flat onto the lower front of the dusty-rose body, centred between the first and second puff rows and about 1 in above the base fold, using matching thread or a fine strand of Dusty Rose yarn.
3. Weave in any remaining tails. The basket is ready to use.

Tips from the WithMe studio

• Use a firm tension throughout the base — a floppy base will not hold its shape when the walls are added.
• If the rim flares slightly, work the last single crochet round with a hook one size smaller.
• The puff-stitch chain-1 close can loosen over time; pull it snug before moving to the next stitch.
• A light spritz of starch spray before blocking gives extra body to the walls.
• For a fuller, stiffer basket, cut a circle of craft felt or thin cork to fit the inside base.

Share your make with #withmelove — we would love to see it.