How to Make a Crochet Bandana – Free Crochet Pattern

The decision to create a crochet bandana with a charming heart pattern was an easy one for me. It’s a delightful way to express both love and artistry. What makes crocheting so special is its ability to convey our emotions through our handcrafted goods. And what better symbol to represent love than the universally recognized heart shape? Without a doubt, adorning a bandana with this design transforms it from a simple accessory to a beautiful piece of love-infused art.

The bandana is the perfect canvas for this project due to its versatility. Depending on your preference, the heart can be displayed prominently or kept more private. This makes it suitable for any occasion and adaptable to any ensemble.

Furthermore, handcrafting the heart bandana is an act of genuine love. It requires time, skill, and effort, making it a tangible expression of affection. The time and care that go into each one make every bandana special, sharing the maker’s journey and emotions. In the end, this crochet bandana is more than just good-looking—it’s a way to connect creativity with feeling, making a fashion piece that also sends a message from the heart.

An ad-free version of this crochet pattern with helpful graphs, a video colour change guide and extra images of the crocheting  process can be purchased on my Pattern Store.

Redistribution and Selling

This pattern is copyrighted and for personal use only. Sharing or selling any part of, or information from this pattern, is prohibited. You cannot publish (wgether its printed or online), reproduce, alter, swap or resell any part of this pattern or the pattern as whole.

You can sell finished products created using this pattern. You may not use my photos of the finished product to advertise your listing, this is to avoid confusion as our work might differ slightly. When selling online, please link back to my original pattern listing or tag me where possible.

Notes

• The bandana is crocheted in one continuous half granny square, using colour changes to create the love heart pattern. The border is then added by crocheting onto the half granny square.
• This pattern uses US terminology.
• This pattern is written in made to measure style, meaning there aren’t exact sizes or stitch numbers to follow. While stitches used to create the sample size are included, you should follow the measure-yourself style instructions and check the fit as you’re working on the piece. This allows you to create the bandana in literally any size and achieve the perfect fit every time! (Doggy bandanas, anyone?)
• This pattern is for adventurous beginners or advanced beginner level crocheters. While the shaping and constructions of the bandana is fairly simple for beginners to follow, it does include some colour changes that might be hard for complete beginners.
• You can use any yarn and a matching hook of your choice to create this bandana. When choosing the yarn, remember that using thinner yarns means the heart motif will also look smaller and you might have to add more rows to reach the desired size of bandana. The reverse applies to thicker yarn as well, the heart motif will end up bigger and you’ll have less hearts on the bandana.

Materials

• Crochet hook that matches your yarn.
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Yarn A – Your choice of red yarn for the heart pattern | My choice: Woolcraft New Fashion DK in Signal Red
• Yarn B – Your choice of white yarn | My choice: Cygnet Pato DK in White

Make sure both yarns are the same weight.

For reference, I used about 30g of Yarn B and 20g of Yarn A in Signal Red with a 4mm crochet hook.

Gauge

As this is a made to measure style pattern, matching gauge is not necessary.

Good to Know

• This is an advanced beginner level crochet pattern.
• This pattern is written using US crochet terminology.
• Instructions are given as measurements compared to your body (ex. work until the hat fits around your head) to ensure perfect fit. If working the pattern for someone else, I recommend following average bandana sizes.
• When working the heart motif rows, I recommend using bobbins for neatest outcome. The pattern explains how to do colour changes for this particular pattern but use of bobbins is still the neatest option.
• To avoid doing the magic ring, you can CH2 and SL ST back into the first CH. You’ll then work into the circle you just created instead of a magic ring.
• CH2 at the start of the row counts as DC. CH3 at the start of the row counts as DC + CH1.

Stitches & Abbreviations

• CH – chain
• ST – stitch
• SL ST – slip stitch
• SC – single crochet
• DC – double crochet
• MR – magic ring
• *…* repeat _ times – repeat instructions written in between asterisks specified number of times.
• (…) – instructions written between brackets are to be worked into the same stitch.
• {…} – states which colour is to be used for the next stitches.

Sweetheart Bandana Crochet Pattern

Buy PDF Pattern

Add to Ravelry

Granny Triangle/Half Granny Square

Using Yarn B and a matching hook, MR and CH2 to start.

Row 1. {B} CH1, (3DC, CH2, 3DC, CH1, DC), CH3 and turn.
Row 2. {B} Into CH1 space (3DC, CH1), into next CH2 space (3DC, CH2, 3DC, CH1), into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1), DC into top of CH2, CH3 and turn.
Row 3. {B} *Into CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * 2 times, into next CH2 space (3DC, CH2, 3DC, CH1) , *into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * 2 times, DC into top of CH2, CH3 and turn.

Continue repeating Row 3 and adding an extra DC cluster per row until you are ready to start the heart motif rows. For the heart pattern to run right, you’ll need to start it on an uneven row (Rows 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 etc.). The sample has 8 rows of blank white granny clusters, meaning the heart motif rows start on Row 9.

Heart Row 1. *{B} Into CH1 space (3DC, CH1), {A} into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * until you reach the corner clusters, {B} into corner CH2 space (3DC, CH2, 3DC, CH1), *{A} into CH1 space (3DC, CH1), {B} into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * across DC into top of CH2, CH3 and turn.
Heart Row 2. *{A} Into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * until you reach the corner clusters, {B} into corner CH2 space (3DC, CH2, 3DC, CH1), *{A} into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * across, {B} DC into top of CH2, CH3 and turn.

Row …. {B} *Into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * until you reach the corner clusters, into corner CH2 space (3DC, CH2, 3DC, CH1), *into next CH1 space (3DC, CH1)* repeat between * across, DC into top of CH2, CH3 and turn.

Continue working rows and adding an extra DC cluster per row until you’re happy with the size of the bandana. When doing the last row, don’t CH3 and turn after the last DC. Fasten off instead. The sample only has one row of blank white granny clusters.

Border

With the right side of the bandana facing you, turn it so you’re working into the bottom of the triangle first. Attach yarn to the center of the MR.

Bottom of triangle. {A} SC into MR, *into next CH space (3SC)* repeat between * until you reach the corner space. Into corner space (3SC), then CH until you’re happy with the length of the strap and SL ST all the way down the CH, 1SC into the same corner space. 

First side. SC into next 3DC, *into next CH1 space (5DC), skip 1ST, SC into next DC* repeat between * until you reach the corner CH2.

Top corner. Into corner CH2 space (5DC, CH3, 5DC). 

Second side. *Skip 1ST, SC into next DC, into next CH1 space (5DC)* repeat between * until last granny cluster, SC into next 3DC.

Bottom. SC into corner CH space, then CH the same amount you did for the other strap and SL ST all the way down the CH, into corner space (3SC), *(3SC) into next CH space* repeat between * until you reach the MR, SL ST to first SC to join.

Fasten off and weave in ends and…

Congrats, you’ve done it! ❤