Beginner-Friendly Crochet Washcloth Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Crochet is an incredibly rewarding and relaxing craft that allows you to create beautiful and functional items. If you’re just starting, this is the perfect beginner or even first ever project. Whether you’re looking to create gifts for loved ones, add a personal touch to your bathroom, or just want to practice new skills, a crochet washcloth is the perfect beginner-friendly project.

In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through the process of making your very own crochet washcloth. With just a few basic stitches, you’ll create a sturdy, absorbent, and aesthetically pleasing washcloth in no time. Let’s dive in! But first if you want to learn the basics of how to crochet, or want to brush up on your skills, check out my article that teaches Beginners to Crochet, for Right and Left Handed Individuals.

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Materials Needed

The following list of needed materials includes links to purchase items conveniently right from your home. These products are ones that I personally use, like and recommend

Cotton yarn – Cotton yarn is the best choice for washcloths due to its absorbent nature and softness. You’ll want to pick a medium-weight (worsted-weight) cotton yarn. Some great options include Lily Sugar ‘n Cream or Peaches & Creme.

Crochet hook – A “J” crochet hook works well for this pattern and is a good hook for a beginner. If you find that you crochet too tight, feel free to go up a hook size. If you crochet too loose, feel free to go down a hook size. A lot of people tend to make the foundation chain tight. If you find that you have trouble with this, try using a “K” hook for the chain only. This is a good set of crochet hooks that I like.

Scissors – To trim the yarn as needed. I recommend sewing scissors to give the yarn a nice clean cut.

Plastic Yarn Needle – This is used weave in the ends of your yarn and secure your work.

Stitch markers (optional) – To keep track of how many rows you’ve completed

Step 1: Creating a Foundation Chain

Start by making a foundation chain. If you want to see a video on how to do a chain stitch, check out my article that teaches beginners to crochet. Your foundation chain is creating the width of your washcloth.

Crochet 26 chain stitches. The final piece will be slightly wider than your chain because we will do a border at the end.

Step 2: Row 1 – Single Crochet Stitches

When your foundation chain is complete, we will move onto the first row using single crochet (sc) stitches, a basic stitch that’s easy for beginners. If you would like a refresher or want to learn how to do a single crochet, take a look at my post teaching the basics of crochet.

1. Turn your work – After completing your foundation chain, turn your work so that the chain is facing the opposite way from the direction you have been crocheting.
2. Single crochet into the second chain from the hook – Skip the first chain and insert your hook into the second chain. This is where you will do your first single crochet stitch.
3. Continue across the row – Work a single crochet stitch in each chain across the row. By the end of the row, you should have 25 single crochet stitches.

Once you’ve completed this row, turn your work so you’re ready to begin the next row.

Now that you’ve completed the first row in your washcloth, we’ll continue using the single crochet (sc) stitches for the rest of the project.

Note: Single crochet is a U.S. crochet term. UK crochet uses different terms.

1. Turn your work – turn the project so the working yarn is at the opposite end.
2. Chain 1
3. Single crochet in the second loop from the hook – the first loop next to the hook is not considered the first stitch, you would crochet into the second loop, which is the first stitch. (See picture below).
4. Single crochet into each stitch across the row until you reach the last stitch.

By the end of the second row, you should have 25 single crochet stitches again.

For #3 above, I posted a picture below to demonstrate where the hook goes for the first stitch of the row.

Now that you have completed your second row, repeat the steps above in step 3. Continue repeating these steps until you have 25 rows. (25 stitches per row and a total of 25 rows).

Although it is not strictly necessary, you can use stitch markers to keep track of how many rows you have completed. Simply place a stitch marker each time you complete a row. This way, you only have to count the stitch markers to keep track of how many rows you have completed. The reason for this is because as a beginner it can be a little difficult to tell how many rows you have just by looking at your work. As you crochet more, it does get much easier to tell though!

This step is optional, but I feel like it really takes the finished project to the next level and it’s easy to do. Here’s how:

1. Cut the yarn – Cut your yarn, leaving approximately 6 inches of tail.
2. Tie your border color on – Tie the border yarn color on as close to the end of your last stitch as possible.
3. Turn your work – turn your work and complete another row of single crochet stitches in your border color.
4. In the last stitch of the row, do 3 single crochet stitches all in the same row. DO NOT TURN YOUR WORK.
5. Continue crocheting, with single crochet stitches down the side until you reach the last stitch.
6. In the last stitch of the row on the side, do 3 crochet stitches all in the same stitch.
7. Continue with single crochet stitches across the bottom until the last stitch, where 3 stitches go in the same stitch once more.
8. Continue crocheting up the last side until the end of the row
9. At the completion of the fourth side, slip stitch your last stitch to the first one. (Video tutorial below if you want to see how to do a slip stitch).
10. Chain 1, then single crochet with one stitch in each stitch around the washcloth until you reach the final stitch on the fourth side. Slip stitch to the first stitch of this row.

Once you’ve completed all your rows, and border, it’s time to cut the yarn.

1. Cut the yarn – Cut your yarn leaving about 6 inches or so for the tail
2. Pull the yarn through – Pull the yarn through the final loop to secure it.
3. Weave in the ends – Use a tapestry needle to weave in the loose ends. Insert the needle into the stitches of the edge and gently pull the yarn through, hiding the tail within the work. This will prevent your work from unraveling and give it a clean finish.

Congratulations, you’ve completed your very own crochet washcloth! This is the perfect project for beginners as it is simple to follow, quick to complete, and incredibly useful. You can experiment with different colors, yarn textures, and even stitch patterns as you become more confident with your crochet skills.

Here are some ideas for customizing your washcloth:

• Add color blocks: Change yarn every few rows to create a striped washcloth. Make a rainbow! Or you could alternate between 2 or 3 colors, whatever you want. That’s the beauty of it, there’s no rules! The only limit is your imagination.
• Try different stitches: Once you are comfortable with single crochet, try experimenting with different stitches and create washcloths in differing stitches. You could try something like the half double crochet or double crochet. If you’re feeling really adventurous, start with something like shells.
• Try different borders, different stitches or different colors.
• Try adding a loop to hang it from. A simple chain would work.
• Gift idea: These washcloths make fantastic handmade gifts. Pair them with some luxurious soap for a thoughtful gift set.

With this beginner-friendly washcloth pattern, you’ve not only made a practical item for your home (or for a friend or loved one), but also laid the foundation for many more crochet projects. Happy crocheting! Some additional resources you might find helpful are listed below:

Learn to crochet, tutorial for right and left handed individuals
How to read a crochet pattern
Common crochet mistakes and how to fix them

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