Desert Dusk Cactus Crochet Coaster Free Pattern: Basketweave Mountain Sunset

Desert Dusk Cactus Crochet Coaster: A Warm Welcome to Crochet

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first project for you. The Desert Dusk Cactus Coaster is a small, satisfying square that comes together in just a few hours, and it teaches you the beautiful basketweave texture while giving you a cheerful desert scene to set your mug on. The finished coaster is about 5 inches (12.5 cm) square, thick and firm, with a raised woven grid in warm coral and a tall teal prickly pear cactus appliqué sewn right in the middle. It feels dense and sturdy in your hand, like a tiny woven rug, and the dark teal border gives it a crisp, finished edge. You will be amazed at what your own two hands can make.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Super bulky (weight 6) yarn. You will need approximately 30 yards of coral for the ground, 12 yards of teal for the cactus, and 4 yards of dark teal or charcoal for the edging. Any soft, matte super bulky yarn works beautifully.
• Crochet hook: 8.0 mm (US size L-11), or whatever size gives you the correct gauge. (The mm number is the measurement across the hook; the US number is just the American name for the same size.)
• Stitch markers: At least 4. These are small clips or loops you slide onto a stitch so you can find it again.
• Tapestry needle: A large, blunt-tipped sewing needle with an eye big enough for thick yarn. You will use it to sew the cactus on and to hide your yarn tails.
• Scissors: Any sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Finished size: Approximately 5 inches (12.5 cm) square.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every abbreviation used in this pattern is listed here with a plain-English explanation. Read through it once before you begin — you do not need to memorize it.

• ch – chain. Make a loop with the yarn, pull a new loop through it, and repeat. Each loop is one chain stitch. Chains form your foundation row.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over the hook, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), wrap yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One single crochet made.
• dc – double crochet. Wrap yarn over the hook first, insert hook into the stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over, pull through 2 loops, wrap yarn over again, pull through the last 2 loops.
• FPDC – front post double crochet. Work a double crochet, but instead of going into the top of the stitch, insert your hook from front to back around the vertical "post" (the body) of the stitch two rows below. This pushes the stitch forward, creating a raised ridge.
• BPDC – back post double crochet. Same as FPDC, but insert your hook from back to front around the post, so the stitch sits behind and creates a recessed ridge.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. It joins stitches without adding height.
• st(s) – stitch(es). One completed loop or stitch in your fabric.
• turn – flip your work over so you can crochet back the other way. This is how flat rows are made.
• fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work, then pull the tail all the way through the last loop to lock it.
• right side – the side of the fabric that faces outward when finished. For this coaster, the right side is the side where the basketweave ridges look most raised and neat.

Gauge

Gauge: 8 stitches and 8 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in basketweave stitch pattern.

Gauge simply means how big your stitches turn out. If your stitches are too big, the coaster will be too large; if too small, it will be too tight. To check, crochet a small practice square about 4 inches wide in the basketweave pattern, lay it flat, and measure 8 stitches across and 8 rows up with a ruler. If you get more stitches than 8 in 4 inches, try a larger hook; if you get fewer, try a smaller hook. This coaster should lie flat and firm, so do not worry if your first swatch is a little wonky — it is only practice.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track your blocks. Place a marker after every group of 4 stitches in the basketweave rows. It is easy to lose count, and the markers keep your woven blocks lined up.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Hold the yarn gently. Tight tension makes the coaster curl and makes it hard to insert your hook around the posts.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row. Every row of the ground has 11 stitches. If you have 10 or 12, fix it before moving on.
• Work the post stitches loosely. When you go around a post two rows below, the stitch stretches. Let it relax so the basketweave texture stays even.
• Keep your cactus pieces flat. Lay the trunk and arms on the table as you finish them so they do not twist before sewing.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Coaster Ground (make 1 in coral)

Row 1 (right side): Ch 12. Sc in the 2nd ch from your hook and in each ch across. (11 sc)

Row 2: Ch 2 (this counts as your first dc), turn. Dc in each st across. (11 dc)

Row 3: Ch 2, turn. Work 4 FPDC, 3 BPDC, 4 FPDC around the posts of the dc stitches two rows below (that is Row 2). (11 sts)

Row 4: Ch 2, turn. Work 4 BPDC, 3 FPDC, 4 BPDC around the posts two rows below. (11 sts)

Rows 5–10: Repeat Rows 3 and 4 three more times, ending on a Row 4 repeat. You will work Row 3, Row 4, Row 3, Row 4, Row 3, Row 4 — six rows total. (11 sts each row)

Row 11: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (11 sc)

Fasten off coral, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail. Do not weave it in yet — you will use it to square up the coaster later.

Cactus Appliqué (make 1 trunk and 2 arms in teal)

Main trunk

Row 1: Ch 6. Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (5 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (5 sc)

Rows 3–14: Repeat Row 2. (5 sc) You now have a strip 14 rows tall.

Fasten off teal, leaving an 8 in (20 cm) tail for sewing.

Left arm

Row 1: Ch 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (3 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (3 sc)

Rows 3–6: Repeat Row 2. (3 sc)

Fasten off teal, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail.

Right arm

Work the same as the Left arm. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail.

Edging (dark teal)

With the right side facing you, join dark teal with a sl st in any corner of the coaster. Ch 1. Work sc evenly around the entire square, working 3 sc in each corner so the corners stay sharp. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (About 44 sc around) Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Assembly and Finishing

Step 1 — Block the ground. Lightly steam or dampen the coral square and pin it to exactly 5 inches (12.5 cm) square on a towel. Let it dry flat. This makes the coaster sit perfectly even.

Step 2 — Place the trunk. Pin the teal trunk vertically in the center of the ground, with the bottom of the trunk about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the bottom edge. Thread the long teal tail onto your tapestry needle and sew small stitches along the edges of the trunk, going through both layers. Do not pull too hard, or the cactus will pucker.

Step 3 — Add the arms. Position the left arm so its bottom edge meets the trunk about 2 inches (5 cm) above the bottom of the trunk, angling slightly upward. Sew it in place. Repeat for the right arm on the opposite side, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than the left arm for a natural cactus shape.

Step 4 — Weave in ends. Turn the coaster to the wrong side. Thread each yarn tail onto the tapestry needle and weave it back and forth through the back of several stitches, then trim close to the fabric. Never tie a knot — weaving hides the tail securely.

Step 5 — Final block. Steam block lightly, avoiding pressing the basketweave texture flat. Your coaster should measure about 5 inches (12.5 cm) square. Trim any loose tails.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the coral for dusty pink or mustard, and the teal for sage green. Any three colors that make you happy will work — just keep the edging one shade darker than the ground for contrast.
• Make a set: Crochet four coasters in different sunset colors (peach, rose, gold, lavender) and stack them. They make a lovely handmade gift.
• Adjust the size: For a larger trivet, add 4 more chains to your foundation row and 4 more rows to the ground, then add 4 rows to the cactus trunk so it stays in proportion. Keep the basketweave blocks in groups of 4 stitches.
• Substitute yarn: If you only have worsted weight (weight 4) yarn, hold two strands together and use the same 8.0 mm hook. Check your gauge again, since two strands can behave differently than one thick strand.