Sweet Home Bolster Pillow in Red Heart Sweet Home - LW6405 - Downloadable PDF

Sweet Home Bolster Pillow in Red Heart Sweet Home (LW6405) – Crochet Pattern Summary

About This Pattern

The Sweet Home Bolster Pillow is a free, downloadable crochet pattern designed by Sandi Rosner and published under the Red Heart brand. It produces a classic cylindrical bolster pillow measuring 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter and 14 inches (35.5 cm) long — a timeless home décor accessory that adds both comfort and style to sofas, beds, and reading nooks. Rated as a beginner difficulty project, this pattern is an excellent introduction to working crochet in the round and constructing a three-dimensional project from separate panels.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a single crocheted bolster pillow — a long, tube-shaped cushion with two circular end pieces and a cylindrical body. The finished pillow is designed to encase a standard bolster pillow form, which is inserted before the final end piece is sewn closed. The result is a sturdy, textured home accessory suitable for everyday use.

Construction Method

The bolster pillow is worked in a specific sequence of separate components that are then assembled:

• End Piece 1 is crocheted first, beginning with a magic ring or foundation chain, and worked outward in rounds to create a flat circle.
• The Body of the pillow is then worked directly from End Piece 1, continuing in the round with the right side always facing the crocheter.
• Once the body is complete and the pillow form is inserted, the second end piece is sewn onto the open end using a yarn needle, fully enclosing the form.
• Ends are woven in to finish the project neatly.

This construction approach — building the body directly off one end piece and sewing the second on afterward — keeps the project manageable and beginner-friendly while producing a professional-looking result.

Techniques Used

• Crocheting in the round with the right side always facing, creating a seamless, continuous tube for the body
• Working in back loops only to create a subtle ridge texture on the body of the pillow
• Working in both loops for standard rounds that build the length of the body
• Joining rounds with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain
• Seaming the second end piece to the open body using a yarn needle — a basic but essential finishing skill
• Weaving in ends for a clean, polished finish

Stitches Used

• Double crochet (dc) — used in the construction of the end pieces, beginning with 12 double crochets worked into a foundation chain
• Half double crochet (hdc) — the primary stitch used throughout the body of the pillow, worked for a total of 26 rounds to achieve the 14-inch length
• Slip stitch (slip st) — used to join each round
• Chain stitch (ch) — used as a foundation and as turning/beginning chains that count as stitches throughout

The combination of double crochet in the circular end pieces and half double crochet in the body gives the pillow a consistent, dense fabric that holds its shape well around the pillow form. Working the body rounds in back loops only for certain rounds adds a subtle ribbed or ridged texture that elevates the visual interest of the finished piece.

Materials

This pattern is designed specifically for Red Heart Sweet Home yarn, a super chunky weight yarn. The super chunky weight means the project works up quickly, making it ideal for beginners who want to see fast results. A crochet hook appropriate for super chunky yarn is required, along with a yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends. A standard bolster pillow form measuring approximately 9 inches in diameter and 14 inches in length is also needed to complete the project.

Who This Pattern Is For