You can block crochet without a blocking board by pinning the piece to a folded towel laid over a mattress, carpet, or any surface soft enough to take pins. I used exactly this setup for years before buying a dedicated board, and it worked fine for smaller pieces.
Setting up a towel-based blocking surface
Fold a thick towel a few layers deep over a bed or carpeted floor, smooth it flat, and use rustproof pins to secure the piece at your target measurements. I always double check the towel is thick enough that pins don’t poke through into the mattress underneath.
Limitations of this method
Without a printed grid, getting exact measurements is harder, so I keep a tape measure handy and check corners and edges as I pin rather than eyeballing it. This method also ties up a bed or floor space for a full drying cycle, which a dedicated board or mat avoids.
Frequently asked questions
Can I block crochet on a carpet?
Yes, carpet holds pins well on its own without needing a towel underneath, though I still use one to keep the piece clean while it dries.
Is a towel setup as accurate as a gridded board?
Not quite, since there’s no printed grid to check against. I use a tape measure to check my pinning as I go rather than relying on eyeballing it.
Ready to upgrade to a dedicated board?
See our full buying guide to crochet blocking boards.