Free Crochet Bowl Pattern – Set of Three Easy Nesting Bowls

Make your own colourful crochet nesting bowls from my free crochet bowl pattern. They're one of my most loved designs — and I'm so excited to finally share the pattern here on the blog for free! You may have spotted them before, because this very set of bowls was featured on the front cover of Homemaker magazine, way back in 2013. Now the pattern is yours to make at home, completely free.

The set includes three bowls in slightly different sizes that nest neatly inside each other, therefore making them as practical as they are pretty. Use them to organise your craft supplies, hold your knitting or crochet accessories, tidy up your desk, or display them as a colourful home decor. They make wonderful handmade gifts too, and because each bowl uses only around 40–50g of aran weight (worsted) yarn, they are a brilliant stash-busting project that uses up those leftover balls sitting in your yarn basket.

The pattern is written separately in both US and UK crochet terms, so whichever terms you prefer, you can get crocheting straight away.

FREE PATTERN PDF to download until Sunday 3rd. May 2026. Scroll down towards the end of the post to download and save to use later.

Why You'll Love This Free Crochet Bowl Pattern

This is one of those patterns that's surprisingly straightforward to make. Here's why it deserves a place at the top of your crochet queue:

• Magazine featured design — this pattern appeared on the front cover of Homemaker magazine, so you know the finished result is something really special.
• Three bowls, one pattern — all three sizes are worked from the same simple pattern, just stopped at different rounds, so there's nothing complicated to follow.
• Stash busting — each bowl uses only around 40–50g of aran weight (worsted weight) yarn, therefore it's the perfect way to use up leftover yarn from your stash.
• Customisable colours — use a different colour for each bowl as shown, or stripe them using up smaller oddments of yarn.
• Quick to make — each bowl works up surprisingly fast.
• Practical and beautiful — these bowls are as useful as they are decorative, and therefore perfect for organising your home or craft area.
• Brilliant gift idea — a set of three nesting bowls tied with a ribbon makes a wonderful handmade gift for any occasion.

When to Make Crochet Bowls

Crochet nesting bowls suit all sorts of occasions and recipients throughout the year:

• Home organisation — use them on your desk, craft table, dressing table or kitchen counter to keep small items tidy and beautifully displayed.
• Craft room storage — perfect for holding stitch markers, buttons, small balls of yarn, crochet hooks and other accessories — as shown in the photos!
• Handmade gifts — a set of three bowls in the recipient's favourite colours makes a truly personal and thoughtful handmade gift.
• Birthday presents — fill the bowls with small treats, chocolates or craft supplies for an extra special gift that keeps on giving long after the treats are gone.
• Mother's Day and Christmas — nesting bowls are perennially popular as a handmade gift for these occasions and are always well received.
• Stash busting at any time of year — with each bowl using only a small amount of yarn, these are the perfect go-to project whenever you have leftover aran weight yarn to use up.

Level of Difficulty

This is a 'next steps' crochet pattern. Suitable for crocheters who are comfortable with the basic US single crochet stitch (UK double crochet stitch), and working in the round in a continuous spiral. A new technique, crab stitch, is introduced in this pattern, and explained in full within the instructions.

How to Get Your Free Crochet Bowl Pattern

The pattern is written in full using both US and UK crochet terms. US terms are given first, followed by UK terms.

Scroll down to the pattern section for the step-by-step instructions. There is no need to sign up or log in because the pattern is free to use directly on the blog.

FREE PATTERN PDF to download until Sunday 3rd. May 2026. Scroll down towards the end of the post to download and save to use later.

Copyright

Please read the copyright terms, which apply globally, before using or downloading your pattern:

The contents of this page, including the pattern instructions and images, are published under copyright to me ©Lynne Rowe 2025 under my brand Knit Crochet Create® and are for your own personal use only.

You are welcome to sell items made from this pattern for charity fundraising purposes, or to gift them to family and friends, but selling small numbers for profit is only allowed with permission. Please email lynne@knitcrochetcreate.com for permission.

Free Crochet Bowl Pattern Information

Materials You Will Need

• Yarn: Approximately 40–50g / 70–85m of aran weight (10ply / worsted weight) yarn in each of 3 colours. One colour per bowl, or use oddments for stripes.
  • Any aran weight (10ply / worsted weight) yarn works well — you could also try 3 strands of 4ply held together to create an aran weight thickness.
• Hook: 4mm (US G/6) crochet hook.
• Extras: Stitch marker; wool needle; optional short strip of printed ribbon or flat embellishments for decoration.

Finished Sizes

• Small bowl (Size 1): Approximately 14cm across the top and 6.5cm tall.
• Medium bowl (Size 2): Approximately 15cm across the top and 7cm tall.
• Large bowl (Size 3): Approximately 16cm across the top and 7.5cm tall.

Tension / Gauge

• Tension/gauge is not critical for this project as the finished size does not need to be exact.
• A 4mm (US G/6) hook is used to create a firmer fabric, that will give your bowls a better structure and help them hold their shape.

Free Crochet Bowl Pattern in US Terms

Crochet Abbreviations and Special Stitches (US Terms)

• ch(s) = chain or chains.
• sc = single crochet.
• slst = slip stitch.
• st(s) = stitch(es).
• * indicates the start/end of a repeat sequence, to be repeated as stated.
• [   ] = work instructions within brackets as stated.
• crab stitch (also called reverse single crochet): *Insert hook into next stitch to the right, from front to back, with the hook pointing downwards. Yarn over hook and pull the working yarn back through the stitch (2 loops on hook). Yarn over hook and pull through both loops on the hook. One crab stitch made. Repeat from * in every stitch, to the end of the round.

FREE CROCHET BOWL PATTERN BEGINS

NOTES

• The crochet bowls are worked in the round, in a spiral without joining each round. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round so that you know when you’ve reached the end of the round. Move the stitch marker up after each round.
• The increases on Round 6 are offset, so that the base remains circular in shape.

BASE

Using chosen yarn and US G/6 (4mm) hook, ch2 then work Round 1 into the first of these 2 ch. Alternatively, make magic ring and work Round 1 into the centre of the ring, then pull yarn tail to close the ring after Round 1.

• Round 1: 7sc in the centre of the magic ring, or in the first of your beginning 2ch. (7 sts)
• Round 2: 2sc in every st. (14 sts)
• Round 3: [1sc in next st, 2sc in next st] 7 times. (21 sts)
• Round 4: [1sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st] 7 times. (28 sts)
• Round 5: [1sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next st] 7 times. (35 sts)
• Round 6: 1sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st, [1sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next st] 6 times, then 1sc in next 2 sts. (42 sts)
• Round 7: [1sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next st] 7 times. (49 sts)
• Round 8: [1sc in next 6 sts, 2sc in next st] 7 times. (56 sts)
• Stop here for Small Bowl only, then go to SIDES. Continue for Medium and Large Bowls.
• Round 9: [1sc in next 7 sts, 2sc into next st] 7 times. (63 sts)
• Stop here for Medium Bowl only, then go to SIDES. Continue for Large Bowl.
• Round 10: [1sc in next 8 sts, 2sc into next st] 7 times. (70 sts)
• Stop here for Large Bowl then go to SIDES.

SIDES

• FOR ALL SIZES:
• Rounds 11-19: 1sc in each st around. For Small Bowl only, slst in next st, then go to Finishing (below).
• FOR MEDIUM AND LARGES SIZES:
• Round 20: 1sc in each st around. For Medium Bowl only, then slst in next st, then go to Finishing (below).
• FOR LARGE SIZE:
• Round 21: 1sc in each st around, then slst in next st. Go to Finishing (below).

FINISHING YOUR CROCHET BOWL (FOR BOTH US AND UK TERMS)

Next work a crab stitch border, as follows, working anti-clockwise into stitches just made. Crab stitch creates a beautiful twisted or corded edge using reverse single crochet (UK reverse double crochet). You will work backwards (in the opposite direction to usual crochet), but this is correct:

• Skip the final slst just made (place a stitch marker in it to highlight it).
• *Insert hook in next stitch to the right of your hook, and work 1 crab stitch (see special stitch instructions above), then repeat from * around. Try to maintain the same tension for each stitch.
• When you have worked the last crab stitch, remove the loop from the hook.
• Turn the bowl 180 degrees then insert the hook from the wrong side, into the skipped slst at beginning of round (the marked stitch).
• Next, place the working loop back onto the hook, then pull the loop through to the inside of the bowl to join up the round.
• Cut yarn then pull through loop on hook. Pull tight to fasten off, then weave yarn tail into wrong side of work.
• Trim all loose ends of yarn. Add embellishments, if desired.

Free Crochet Bowl Pattern in UK Terms

Crochet Abbreviations and Special Stitches (UK Terms)

• ch(s) = chain or chains.
• dc = double crochet.
• slst = slip stitch.
• st(s) = stitch(es).
• * indicates the start/end of a repeat sequence, to be repeated as stated.
• [   ] = work instructions within brackets as stated.
• crab stitch (also called reverse double crochet): *Insert hook into next stitch to the right, from front to back, with the hook pointing downwards. Yarn over hook and pull the working yarn back through the stitch (2 loops on hook). Yarn over hook and pull through both loops on the hook. One crab stitch made. Repeat from * in every stitch, to the end of the round.

FREE CROCHET BOWL PATTERN BEGINS

NOTES:

• The crochet bowls are worked in the round, in a spiral without joining each round. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round so that you know when you’ve reached the end of the round. Move the stitch marker up after each round.
• The increases on Round 6 are offset, so that the base remains circular in shape.

BASE

Using chosen yarn and 4mm (US G/6) hook, ch2 then work Round 1 into the first of these 2 ch. Alternatively, make magic ring and work Round 1 into the centre of the ring, then pull yarn tail to close the ring after Round 1.

• Round 1: 7dc in the centre of the magic ring, or in the first of your beginning 2ch. (7 sts)
• Round 2: 2dc in every st. (14 sts)
• Round 3: [1dc in next st, 2dc in next st] 7 times. (21 sts)
• Round 4: [1dc in next 2 sts, 2dc in next st] 7 times. (28 sts)
• Round 5: [1dc in next 3 sts, 2dc in next st] 7 times. (35 sts)
• Round 6: 1dc in next 2 sts, 2dc in next st, [1dc in next 4 sts, 2dc in next st] 6 times, then 1dc in next 2 sts. (42 sts)
• Round 7: [1dc in next 5 sts, 2dc in next st] 7 times. (49 sts)
• Round 8: [1dc in next 6 sts, 2dc in next st] 7 times. (56 sts)
• Stop here for Small Bowl only, then go to SIDES. Continue for Medium and Large Bowls.
• Round 9: [1dc in next 7 sts, 2dc into next st] 7 times. (63 sts)
• Stop here for Medium Bowl only, then go to SIDES. Continue for Large Bowl.
• Round 10: [1dc in next 8 sts, 2dc into next st] 7 times. (70 sts)
• Stop here for Large Bowl then go to SIDES.

SIDES

• FOR ALL SIZES:
• Rounds 11-19: 1dc in each st around. For Small Bowl only, slst in next st, then go to Finishing (above).
• FOR MEDIUM AND LARGES SIZES:
• Round 20: 1dc in each st around. For Medium Bowl only, slst in next st, then go to Finishing (above).
• FOR LARGE SIZE:
• Round 21: 1dc in each st around, then slst in next st. Go to Finishing (above).

FREE PATTERN PDF to download until Sunday 3rd. May 2026.

Download your preferred UK or US crochet terms, and save to use later:

• Free Crochet Bowls Pattern in UK terms
• Free Crochet Bowls Pattern in US terms

What Next?

If you loved this free crochet bowl pattern, then check out my other stash-busting projects like the Crochet Daffodil Flower Pattern – or my Crochet Granny Heart Motif – all of which are free on the blog.

Share your makes from my Free Crochet Bowl Pattern

If you love this pattern and make lots of cute hearts, then I’d love to see your finished projects! Tag me on Instagram [@knitcrochetcreate] so I can admire your colour combinations and see what you make with them.