Paper Hearts Blanket – FREE Pattern!

Can you believe this is my first ever Valentine’s-themed crochet design?! I’ve been in the design business for over 4 years now and just now getting the chance to crochet something lovey and pink. I’m so thrilled that this blanket has the honor of being my first heart design!

The Paper Hearts Blanket consists of granny square motifs which are sewn into heart blocks, then assembled into a full blanket. If you are comfortable with granny squares and lots of sewing, then this is the project for you! You may even learn something new in the process. This blanket utilizes half/half granny squares, as well as full granny squares. Half/half granny squares use two colors to create the square, with a color split line along the diagonal. These squares help us create smooth lines for the hearts on our blanket.

Okay! Let’s hop into allll the details of this pattern.

You can purchase the affordable PDF here!

YARN

Worsted Weight yarn

I used WeCrochet Swish Worsted in the colorways White, Frosting, Blossom Heather, Rose Heather, and Conch.

Want some exciting (money-saving) news?! I have a coupon code for 20% off Swish Worsted, valid through February 18th, 2025! Shop through the link above and use the code SSBlanket to save TODAY!

The most important thing is that you find a worsted weight yarn. If you are shopping online, you can filter search results to only show worsted weight. If you are shopping in-store, turn to the back of the yarn label and locate the skein icon – it should have a number 4 on it to be considered worsted.

FINISHED SIZE

The finished size of my blanket is 32” x 32”, which makes the perfect size for a baby blanket!

However, the size of the blanket is easily adjustable to some degree. Each heart blocks that we create during the pattern measures 10” x 10”. Because my blanket is 3 heart blocks across by 3 heart blocks down, i have a 32” x 32” blanket (including a 2” margin that is added at the end). You can easily add on additional heart blocks to your blanket to adjust this measurement, keeping in mind that it will adjust in increments of 10”. For yardage estimates for expanding your blanket, see “yardage”.

YARDAGE

If you are making the same size as my sample blanket, here is the yardage you will need:

• 1100yds (1o skeins) of White (your main color)
• 130yds (2 skeins) of Frosting
• 195yds* (2 skeins) of Blossom Heather – *this contrasting color is used one time more than the other 3 colors, hence the additional yardage
• 130yds (2 skeins) of Rose Heather
• 130yds (2 skeins) of Conch

If you are choosing to change the sizing of your blanket, here is the yardage breakdown per heart block:

• 110yds of MC
• 65yds of CC
• Additional MC for seaming: 110yds

MATERIALS

• Hook: 5.0mm
• Other: scissors, yarn needle

ABBREVIATIONS 

• Mc: main color
• Cc: contrasting color
• ch: chain
• dc: double crochet
• slst: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• * to *: repeat

GAUGE

1 granny square = 2 inches

Meeting gauge is not 100% necessary, as you can make this pattern to any desired size. However, if you would like to follow a gauge, I have provided instructions below.

Follow the full square instructions in the pattern below to check gauge.

NOTES

The Paper Hearts Blanket is a baby-sized block blanket worked completely in granny squares. Some granny squares are fully one colors, others are half main color and half contrasting color. Each heart is formed in a 5×5 block, then each block is sewn together into a full blanket.

Written in US Terms.

Beginning ch 2 counts as stitch.

START THE PATTERN

If at any point during the pattern you need further assistance, check out the full YouTube tutorial at the end of the pattern.

Full Square

A “full square” refers to a square completed in one colors only. This will apply to mc squares and cc squares. You can start your first square with either mc or cc.

Ch 4 and slst to the first ch to create a circle. You may instead use the magic circle method.

Rnd 1: Ch 2 (counts as a dc). 2 dc into the center of the circle, ch 1. *3 dc, ch 1* three times total. Slst to the second ch of the starting ch 2. [12 dc]

Rnd 2: Ch 2 (counts as a dc). Dc in the next 2 sts, 2 dc in the ch-1 corner, ch 1. *2 dc in the same ch-1 corner, dc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next ch-1 corner, ch 1* three times total. @ dc in the same ch-1 corner and slst to the second ch of the starting ch 2. [28 dc]

Fasten off and weave in ends. Weaving in the end that you just fastened off will be important to get it out of the way for seaming later on.

Half/Half Square

A “half/half square” refers to a square that uses both mc and cc in the same square. We will keep both colors attached and carry the alternating color along with us while not in use, simply by crocheting over top of the alternating color as we work.

Starting with mc, ch 4 and slst to the first ch to create a circle. You may instead use the magic circle method.

Rnd 1: Ch 2 (counts as a dc). 2 dc, ch 1. 2 dc. Begin another dc, but we are going to color change before completing the stitch: still with mc, yarn over and insert into the circle, yarn over and pull through 1, yarn over and pull through 2, PAUSE HERE.

Grab cc and drape the end (leaving enough to weave in later) on your hook. Use cc to pull through the last 2 loops on your hook to complete the st. Keep mc attached – you will work over the strand as you crochet with cc.

Ch 1. 3 dc, ch 1. 2 dc, begin another dc, but change colors back to mc in the same manner as before as you complete the stitch.

Ch 1 and slst to the second ch of the starting ch 2. After you insert your hook into the second ch, drape cc onto your hook, but still finish the slst with mc. Doing this will carry cc up to the next rnd with us.

Rnd 2: Still working with mc and working over the cc strand to bring along with you, ch 2 (counts as a dc). Dc in the next 2 sts, 2 dc into the ch-1 corner, ch 1. 2 dc in the same ch-1 corner, dc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next ch-1 corner, changing colors to cc on the last st.

Ch 1. 2 dc in the same ch-1 corner, dc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next ch-1 corner, ch 1. 2 dc in the same ch-1 corner, dc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next ch-1 corner, changing colors to mc on the last st.

Ch 1. 2 dc in the same ch-1 corner, slst to the second ch of the starting ch 2.

Fasten off and weave in ends. Weaving in the end that you just fastened off will be important to get it out of the way for seaming later on.

Heart block

Here is what each individual heart block looks like after seaming.

Yes, the heart is off-center in the block. This is correct, and as you join each block together into the full blanket, the design will come together, and the hearts will no longer look off-center. Trust the process.

You will create all of the squares for each heart block before assembling into the block. Here is the breakdown of squares needed for each block:

• 11 full squares of mc
• 6 full squares of cc
• 8 half/half squares

Refer back to the image and see if you can identify each type of square and count them out, just to familiarize yourself with the construction.

Once you have completed all 25 squares, we will move on to seaming this block together.

Seaming – you may want to refer to the video tutorial for seaming, or grab the affordable PDF for included step-by-step photos.

We will be using the mattress stitch for the entire blanket, which creates an invisible seam between squares. This requires the use of a cut piece of yarn and a yarn needle.

Cut a piece of yarn that is 2.5X the length that you are about to sew (which is going to be 5 squares across). I just measure by hand.

Seaming will take place from right to left (left to right if you are left-handed). We will start by attaching all of our rows onto the heart block, then going back and seaming the columns. Lay out your top right corner square and the square right below it to begin seaming.

Rows

Seaming will take place from right to left (left to right if you are left-handed). Lay out your top right corner square and the square right below it to begin seaming.

Attach one end of your cut piece to your yarn needle.

Begin by holding your first two squares right side up, with the sides that you are about to seam together touching. Starting in the bottom square, locate the ch-1 corner, and insert your yarn needle in the bottom loop only, from to bottom. Come back up through the bottom loop of the next st. Pull the yarn through, leaving a 10” tail.

Go up to the top square, insert down through the bottom loop of the ch-1 corner and up through the bottom loop of the next st. Pull through.

Go to the bottom square. Insert back down through the bottom loop that you previously came out from and up through the next bottom loop. Pull through. You don’t have to pull the yarn tight – keep it a little loose as your work across the squares and we will tighter it up at the end.

Go up to the top square, insert down through the previous bottom loop that you came out from, and up through the next bottom loop. Continue repeating these steps across the squares, ending once you’ve come out of the opposing ch-1 corners.

You should end on the top square. Grab both the yarn and tail and pull tight to close the seam. Lay out your next set of squares. You will continue on in the same manner, starting in the ch-1 loops and working across. Pull tight after each set of squares.

Use this seaming method until you have attached 5 squares across. Once you have worked into the ch-1 corners on the last set of squares, do not “tie off” the piece of yarn. Simple leave the yarn piece loose coming out of the ch-1 corner of the top square. We want to leave this corner “open and available” Still to be worked into again later. Cut off this strand of yarn, leaving enough to weave in later.

Once you have the first row seam complete, you can continue adding rows until you have a 5×5 block. You’ll add on rows the same way you began sewing this block – working into the bottom square ch-1 corner, then the top square ch-1 corner, and continuing on.

Columns

Now, we will go back and seam the columns. Turn your block in either direction to work across the columns.

Seaming the columns will begin the same way, by starting in the ch-1 corners of the bottom square, then going up to the ch-1 corners of the top square and working across. Leave a 10” tail here as well for potential future use/weaving.

However, when you get to the end of the first set of squares, leave the ch-1 corners unworked. We will be doing something different with the corners than last time.

Go ahead and cinch the seam along the squares shut. Once we work into the corners, you won’t be able to go back and tighten the seam later.

We will now be working counter-clockwise into the top loops of the ch-1 corners, not the bottom loops, starting in the next top square to the left. Insert into the top loop towards the corner. Move to the square below, and insert your yarn needle in the top loop of the ch-1 corner, working towards the corner. Go to the square to the right, and insert your yarn needle through the top loop of the ch-1 corner. Lastly, move to the square above, and insert your hook through the top loop of the ch-1 corner.

Pull the yarn tight to cinch up this corner. You will continue on across the next set of squares with the same zigzagging method that we have been using, starting in the bottom loop of the ch-1 corners of the next squares. This may take some digging to find.

Use this seaming method until you have sewn across the entire column. Once you have worked into the ch-1 corners on the last set of squares, do not “tie off” the piece of yarn. Simple leave the yarn piece loose coming out of the ch-1 corner of the top square. We want to leave this corner “open and available” still to be worked into again later. Cut off this strand of yarn, leaving enough to weave in later.

Continue on until all of the columns on your heart block are seamed.

Repeating the pattern

Repeat the entire pattern thus far until you have made all of the heart blocks* desired for your blanket. If you are making the same baby blanket size as mine, you will need 9 heart blocks.

*If you already know the color layout for your blanket, before making all of your blocks, please briefly refer to the next section (“Adding A Margin”) and photo. The blocks along the right side and bottom need extra mc squares added to the edges to prevent the hearts from sitting right on the edge. By the end of the blanket, there should be a border of mc squares all around your blanket. If you know your color arrangement ahead of time, it is much easier to add these extra squares as you make your heart blocks, rather than after the fact (like me). I highly recommend going this route.

Return here when you have all of your heart blocks completed.

Adding a margin

If you didn’t do this previously, we need to add an outside edge margin of mc granny squares to the heart blocks along the right side and along the bottom. This will even out the blanket so that there are no hearts along the very edge of the blanket.

As you can see, the top row and left column of white (mc) were developed as we constructed our heart blocks. However, we need to add a right column and bottom row of white (mc) to even out the blanket.

In this photo, I have already added the right column of white squares to the red and dark pink square,but not the light pink square. I have not added any squares to the bottom row yet.

Using the tails that you have left behind from your previous seaming, add the squares needed to each block necessary. When adding squares along the right edge of the heart blocks, turn your heart block upside down and seam across each individual square first to attach.

Then, once each of the 5 squares are attached, seam up the new column to complete the heart block.

When adding squares along the bottom edge of the heart blocks, attach all squares across the row at once, then go back and sew up the seam between squares individually.

Sewing heart blocks together

Now you are ready to sew your heart blocks together into a blanket! Just like we have been doing, I prefer to sew all the heart blocks together across the rows, then go back and sew up the columns.

Begin the same way you have been. Once you get to each corner juncture, you want to work into the ch-1 bottom loops, work the counter-clockwise method around the front loops, and work into the ch-1 bottom loops of the next set of squares. Because this is the only time we are interacting with this corner juncture, we want to make it secure the first time around.

When you get to the end of the first set of heart blocks, don’t work the counter-clockwise method – only the ch-1 bottom loops. We will be working through these corner again when we sew up the columns, so we want to keep it open to work through again.

Attach all of your rows together, then go back and seam up the columns. All corners will be worked in the “ch-1 bottom loops, counter-clockwise front loops, ch-1 bottom loops” method, including the corners between the next set of blocks.

Fasten off all of your ends around the border of your blanket and weave in all your ends (the fun part)!

And you’re done! Enjoy your Paper Hearts Blanket, and please consider leaving a review!

Don’t forget to grab your PDF copy here to keep this pattern in your forever stash!

Need a video tutorial to assist you along the way?

I’d love to see your beautiful Mayfield Baby Blanket! If you share a photo of your work on social media, be sure to tag me (@sassandstitchcrochet) so I can see it! You can also use the hashtags #PaperHeartsBlanket  and #SassAndStitchCrochet