Pixel Heart Pillow Free Valentine Crochet Pattern (2024)

Say “I Love You to Bits” to your Valentine with my FREE Pixel Heart Pillow crochet pattern!

This would also make a fantastic birthday or anniversary gift for your loved one. Especially for gaming fans.

My squishy Pixel Heart Cushion was made using chunky-weight acrylic yarn, but you can use any yarn type or weight you prefer.

My Pixel Heart Pillow measures approximately 40.5cm/14” in Height, 36cm/16” in Width and 5cm/2” in Depth.

Exact gauge is not important as you can use any yarn weight for this project. Use a hook size of at least 1 size smaller than recommended for your chosen yarn to keep your stitches compact.

I have used #5 Chunky weight yarn with a 5mm hook my individual squares measure 4.5cm/1.77” each

To calculate the approximate size of your finished pillow, measure an individual square, multiply it by 8 for the Height, and multiply by 9 for the Width. The depth will be around the size of 1 square plus 0.5cm/0.2”.

How to Crochet A Pixel Heart Cushion (A Creative Valentine’s Gift Idea)

You can view the Pixel Heart Pillow pattern for free below to get started right away, or Pin this pin to come back later!

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All crochet patterns from Hooked On Patterns are written using US crochet terms.

Copyright: This Free Valentine Pixel Heart Pillow Crochet Pattern was written, designed, and copyright held by Ling Ryan/Hooked On Patterns. You are not permitted to copy, share, edit, upload or redistribute this pattern in any way, this includes making video tutorials or translating into other languages. Personal use only. You may sell products you have personally crocheted from using this pattern. Please credit Hooked On Patterns if you do sell. By using this page/crochet pattern you are agreeing to all .

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What You’ll Need To Crochet My Valentine Pixel Heart Pillow

You can use any type or weight of yarn to make your pixel heart. Just use a crochet hook [LoveCrafts] at least 1 size smaller than recommended on your yarn label to keep your stitches tight.

Exact gauge isn’t too important but you want to keep your stitches compact so that the stuffing doesn’t show through.

It’s also best to keep to the same brand of yarn for all 3 colours to ensure that your mini squares are all the same size.

I’ve used Paintbox Yarns Simply Chunky [LoveCrafts] acrylic yarn with a 5mm hook.

You will need approximately 290yds of Red, 140yds of Black, and 25yds of White yarn.

You’ll also need some toy stuffing/Polyester Fibrefill (approx. 150g), a stitch marker, a yarn needle [LoveCrafts] and scissors.

Pixel Heart Pillow Pattern Notes (Valentine’s Day decoration)

The Pixel Heart Pillow is made up of 130 mini squares all made in the same way.

Each heart-shaped side is made of 43 Red squares and 3 white squares. The two heart-shaped sides are joined together with 38 Black squares.

Each square will be fastened off using an Invisible Join technique to give us a neat seamless finish to all 4 edges, making it easy to join them together.

All of the mini squares are joined together using a flat slip stitch technique.

Crochet Stitches & Terms Used For The Pixel Heart Pillow

This pattern is written using US crochet terms. Please refer to my Crochet Terms Conversion Chart for help with translating into UK terms.

(mr) Magic Ring, (st) Stitch, (ch) Chain, (sl st) Slip Stitch, (hdc) Half Double Crochet, (dc) Double Crochet, (BLO) Back Loops Only.

We will also use an Invisible Join technique which will be explained within the pattern.

Instructions shown in [ ] are to be worked in the same stitch/place.

Numbers shown in ( ) at the end of each row/round indicate the number of stitches you should have at the end of that row/round.

To help you read this pattern, the commas represent each stitch or the number of stitches after x. For example: “sc, inc,” would mean sc into the next st, and make an increase (2 sc stitches) in the following st. Or “sc x3, 2hdc,” would mean sc into each of the next 3 stitches, and make 2 hdc stitches in the following st.

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Crocheting the Mini Squares (Handmade Valentine Heart)

Each of the mini squares, for all 3 colours, is made in exactly the same way.

Start with a Magic Ring,

R1.

ch2 (counts as a hdc st), hdc, dc, *hdc x2, dc,* repeat between * 2 more times all into the magic ring, pull the ring closed, sl st into the top of the beginning ch2 to join (12)

R2.

ch2 (counts as a hdc st), hdc in the next st, [hdc, dc, hdc], *hdc x2, [hdc, dc, hdc],* repeat between * 2 more times, cut yarn leaving a couple of inches and pull the end through the last loop on hook to fasten off (20)

I have made up all of my squares up to this point, before finishing them off together. You can choose to do this too or finish them off one by one, following the invisible join instructions below.

Complete a total of 86 Red squares, 38 Black squares, and 6 White squares in the same way.

Finish off with an invisible join (Free Crochet Valentine’s Gift)

Feed the tail end onto your yarn needle. Thread the end through the first hdc stitch (skipping the beginning ch2) and back through the middle of the last stitch V.

Pull the yarn to adjust the loop to the same size as the other stitches. This forms a faux stitch top over the beginning ch2.

Thread the end up through the back loop of the top of the ch2 (from the back up through the middle) to catch onto the top of the ch2 and weave the end into the back of the square to secure. Weave in the starting tail as well, and trim off the excess tail ends.

Joining the mini squares into a Pixel Heart Shape

We will use a slip stitch technique to join our squares to make the Pixel Heart Pillow. Ensure that you have the right-sides of each square facing up as you join.

Each side of our square will consist of 5 stitches made up of 1 dc stitch and 4 hdc stitches counting from left to right. As the sides of 2 squares are joined side-by-side, the dc stitches of each side will be on opposite ends.

To join the squares we’ll start with a slip knot on hook, insert our hook through the Back Loops Only of both adjacent squares and slip stitch along the 5 stitches of each edge.

Always keep the working yarn behind the squares when creating the joining seams.

To continue along another edge, we will make a ch1 to turn the corner. As we add additional joins and bump into a previous joining line, we will replace the turning ch1 with a slip stitch into the corner ch1 of the previous join.

It doesn’t matter which square you insert your hook through first but keep to the same side throughout the join. For example, if you insert your hook through the Back Loop of the Left square first, before inserting through the corresponding Back Loop of the Right square, ensure that you continue to go through the Left side before the Right side to keep the seam flat.

When you come to join a Red square to a White square, you can make a neater join and prevent the White Back Loops from showing by always going through the Red square first.

If you are left-handed, you may find it easier to join in the opposite direction. I will include left-handed diagrams as an option.

Each side of the pillow will be a heart shape made up of 46 squares, 3 White squares and 43 Red squares.

Repeat the following to make both sides of the pillow.

Join the Pixel Heart’s Highlight Pieces First

Start with joining the 3 White squares together, like so:

Using White yarn, make a slip knot.

Insert your hook through the Back Loops Only of the 2 adjacent stitches at the bottom of 2 squares (as shown by the Pink arrow), and make a slip stitch.

Insert your hook through the BLO of the next 2 corresponding stitches and make a slip stitch. Continue slip stitching through the BLO of the next 3 adjacent stitches to finish joining the 2 sides, making a total of 5 slip stitches.

Chain 1 to turn the corner.

Now join the next White square to the top edge of the first square in the same way.

After the 5 sl sts of these 2 sides, finish with a ch1, and fasten off by cutting the yarn and pulling the end up through the loop on hook.

Join the Red Sqaures into a Heart Shape

Using the same technique as above and your Red yarn, join the squares in a continuous line of slip stitches and ch1s as mapped out in the diagrams below:

Click on the required diagram to enlarge the image.

Start at the Green number 1 arrow and follow the guidelines to work your way through each continuous join to make a total of 11 join lines. Each continuous line is separated by the different colours. (Right-handed joiners – please see below for making join 11)

As you meet previously joined corners, replace the turning ch1 with a slip stitch into the corner ch1 of the previous lines.

Don’t worry about weaving in the ends of your joins as we’ll just tuck them inside the pillow as we join later.

Of course, you could choose to weave them all in if you’d prefer 🤪, but please be aware that there’ll be A LOT more ends later!

~ Some Other Valentine’s Patterns ~

Joining The Black Edging Squares (Valentine’s Pixel Heart)

For the Black surrounding edge, we will join our 38 back squares in a single long line, with the right-sides of the squares all facing up.

To get the squares to sit snugly into the corners of the pixel heart shape, we will alternate between joining on the right-side or the wrong-side of the Black squares to create an outside join or inside join.

Using your Black yarn for joining, make 37 individual joins – slip stitch x5 along the BLO of both edges. Always fasten off by making a ch1 at the end of each join and pull the end through the loop on hook, like before.

It doesn’t matter if you are working right-handed or left-handed for this section as it’s symmetrical. Just follow the correct order as given, there’s no need to adjust for left-handed.

Join 1: will be joining square 1 to square 2, join 2: will be joining square 2 to square 3, join 3: will be joining square 3 to square 4, and so on.

Tip: Place a stitch marker in your 1st square to mark the square to keep track of your direction.

These joins will either be along the right-side of the squares (with the fronts of the squares facing up towards you) or along the wrong-side of the squares (with the backs of the squares facing you).

Follow the chart below to make each of the 37 individual joins:
(R = Right-side, W = Wrong side)

You should now have 1 long strip of edging made up of 38 Black squares.

Joining the Edging Strip to the Pixel Hearts

Join the Black edge strip to the edge of one of your heart pieces starting from the bottom edge in the direction shown below:

Use your Black yarn and always insert your hook through the Black side before the Red to give a neat Black line throughout the join.

You’ll be making 5 slip stitches along each edge plus 1 slip stitch in between throughout, in one continuous join for both sides.

Tuck the ends of all your previous joins inside the pillow as you join the edge to hide them.

Start with a slip knot on hook and join the bottom edge with 5 slip stitches through the Back Loops Only of both the Black and Red squares, just like before.

Now insert your hook through the end of your Black join only and make a slip stitch.

Continue with the next Black square and join up the next edge of the Red square with 5 slip stitches through both BLO.

As you meet a Red joining line on an inner corner, insert your hook through both the end of the next Black join and the corner ch1 of the Red line and make a slip stitch.

Continue joining the next Black square to the next Red edge.

For each outside corner of a Red square you’ll be making a slip stitch through the Black join only, and for each inside corner you’ll be making the slip stitch through both the Black and Red joins.

When you reach a straight edge, you’ll have the ends of the Red joins in between each Red square. Insert your hook through both the Black and Red join ends for each of these.

As you work your way around the heart, you’ll meet some corners where you have 2 Red joining ends. Insert your hook through the Black join end and both Red ends to make the slip stitch.

Continue joining all the way around the heart until you reach the beginning again.

Finish by slip stitching into the first slip stitch to join and then work 5 slip stitches down the BLO of the 2 ends of the Black strip to join the edging.

Now chain 1 and turn the piece over to join the other side.

Place the other heart piece on top with the right-side facing out and join the edges in the same way.

This time you’ll be starting along the vertical edge of the bottom square. Don’t finish joining this side completely, leave the edges of the last 3 squares open for stuffing.

Once you reach the last 3 squares, use a stitch marker to hold your stitch and stuff the heart with toy stuffing (Polyester Fibrefill), making sure you stuff into the corners of the squares to hold a firm shape.

Keep your heart pillow flat on a table/hard surface while stuffing. Fill right up and into the bottom edge of the opening, and then finish joining the edging to seal off.

Slip stitch into the beginning slip stitch of this side to finish, cut the yarn and weave in the tail end.

Congratulations! You’ve Made My Valentine’s Pixel Heart

You have now completed your Pixel Heart Pillow, and it’s ready to say “I Love You to Bits” to your Valentine!

I hope you have enjoyed this free Pixel Heart Pilow crochet pattern. You can browse through all of my other crochet patterns here, including many more free designs.

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