Crochet a bath mat means working a thick, absorbent rectangle or oval in a sturdy fiber like cotton or t-shirt yarn, dense enough to handle repeated wet feet without losing its shape. I switched my bathroom over to handmade cotton mats a couple of years ago and they have genuinely outlasted every store-bought mat I tried before that. This guide covers materials, the full pattern, and care instructions specific to a bath mat’s heavy use.
Materials Needed
- About 400 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn, or t-shirt yarn for a thicker, plusher result
- A 6.0mm to 7.0mm hook, sized larger than typical for extra thickness and absorbency
- A yarn needle for finishing
Cotton is the strongly preferred fiber here, since it absorbs water effectively and holds up to frequent washing without breaking down the way acrylic can under constant moisture and friction.
Pattern Instructions
- Chain 30 for a mat roughly 20 inches wide once worked in single crochet, adjusting the chain length for a different target size.
- Row 1: single crochet in the second chain from the hook and each chain across.
- Rows 2 through 30: single crochet in each stitch across, working through both loops for maximum density and thickness.
- Work a border round of single crochet around the entire outer edge for a clean, reinforced finish.
- Fasten off and weave in ends.
For extra thickness and cushioning, work the entire mat holding two strands of yarn together rather than one, which roughly doubles the fabric’s density and absorbency at the cost of using significantly more yarn.
Care and Washing
Wash on a gentle cycle in cool to warm water, and lay flat to dry rather than using a dryer, since high heat can shrink and distort a densely worked cotton mat over time. I wash mine roughly once a week, and the dense single crochet fabric has held up well to that frequency for well over a year now.
Size and Shape Variations
The rectangular version above suits a standard floor placement in front of a sink or tub, but the same basic construction works equally well as a round or oval mat by starting from a magic ring and following a standard flat-circle increase pattern instead of straight rows. A round mat about 24 inches across uses roughly the same total yardage as the rectangular version, just distributed differently across the increase rounds rather than straight rows.
For a runner-style mat meant to sit in a narrow space, like alongside a clawfoot tub, simply narrow the starting chain and lengthen the number of rows worked, keeping the same dense single crochet structure throughout.
Adding a Contrasting Border
A single border round worked in a contrasting color gives the mat a more finished, deliberate look without adding meaningfully to the construction time. Switch colors on the final round only, working single crochet around the entire outer edge in the new color, then fasten off and weave in as usual.
Cotton yarn or t-shirt yarn work best, since both absorb water effectively and hold up to the frequent washing a bath mat needs, unlike acrylic which can break down faster under constant moisture.