Crochet Coaster Edging: 4 Simple Borders That Finish the Job

An edging does two jobs on a coaster. It tidies the outline, covering uneven row ends and carried yarn, and it sets the style, from plain to decorative. The four borders below cover most needs, they all fit any coaster shape, and each adds only a few minutes of work. Instructions use US crochet terms.

Abbreviations and Setup

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• dc: double crochet
• st(s): stitch(es)

These follow the standard crochet abbreviations. Use the same hook you used for the coaster. To begin any border, join the yarn with a slip stitch in any stitch along the edge, away from a corner, and chain 1. That chain does not count as a stitch. For a contrasting border, join the new color in the same way; changing colors in crochet coasters covers the cleanest ways to do it.

Count the stitches around the edge before you start, because two of these borders need a particular multiple.

Border 1: Single Crochet

This is the foundation border. It works on its own and as a base round for the other three.

On a round coaster: ch 1, sc in the same st as the join and in each st around, join with sl st to the first sc. The count stays the same, so a circle of 48 stitches gives (48 sc). If the edge begins to pull inward, work 2 sc in one stitch every so often.

On a square coaster: the corners need extra stitches to turn without curling.

1. Ch 1, sc in each st along the side to the corner.
2. Work 3 sc in the corner stitch or corner space.
3. Repeat for the remaining sides and corners, then join with sl st to the first sc.

Along the sides of a piece worked in rows, where there are no stitch tops to work into, place 1 sc in the end of each single crochet row, or 2 sc in the end of each double crochet row. On the square from the beginner crochet coaster, that keeps the side edges the same length as the top and bottom.

As a worked count, a solid square with 15 dc on each side and a chain space in each corner takes 15 sc per side plus 3 sc per corner: 60 + 12 = (72 sc).

Border 2: Crab Stitch (Reverse Single Crochet)

Crab stitch is single crochet worked backward, from left to right if you are right-handed, or right to left if you are left-handed. The stitches twist over the edge and form a neat, rope-like cord. Work a round of single crochet first; crab stitch sits best on an even base.

1. At the end of the sc round, join with sl st. Do not turn. Ch 1.
2. Insert the hook into the next stitch to the right (to the left for left-handers), from front to back.
3. Yarn over and pull up a loop, keeping it a little loose. You have 2 loops on the hook.
4. Yarn over and pull through both loops. One crab stitch made.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 in each st around, then sl st in the same place as the first crab stitch and fasten off.

You make one crab stitch in every stitch, so the count does not change: 48 sc gives (48 crab stitches). On a square, work one in each of the 3 corner stitches.

Border 3: Picot

A picot is a tiny chain loop that makes a point. Spaced along a single crochet round, picots give a light, dotted edge. This version needs a multiple of 3 stitches.

Picot round: ch 1, starting in the same st as the join, *sc in next 3 sts, ch 3, sl st in the first ch of the ch-3 (picot made); repeat from * around, join with sl st to the first sc.

The “first ch” is the chain closest to the single crochet you have just made. On 48 stitches this gives 48 / 3 = 16 repeats: (48 sc, 16 picots). On 36 stitches you get (36 sc, 12 picots).

Border 4: Shell

Shells are small fans of double crochet that make a scalloped edge. Each repeat uses 4 stitches, so this version needs a multiple of 4.

Shell round: ch 1, sc in the same st as the join, *skip 1 st, 5 dc in next st, skip 1 st, sc in next st; repeat from * around. On the last repeat, leave out the final sc and join with sl st to the first sc instead.

Check the math before you begin. Each repeat is one sc stitch, one skipped stitch, one shell stitch and one skipped stitch. On 48 stitches that is 48 / 4 = 12 repeats: (12 shells, 12 sc). On 36 stitches it is (9 shells, 9 sc). The scalloped round crochet coaster uses this edge on a full pattern.

On a square, the neatest result puts a shell in the center stitch of each corner. For that to work, the number of stitches between one corner center and the next has to be a multiple of 4 minus 1: 11, 15 or 19, for example. The 72-stitch square above has 17 stitches between corner centers, so adding 2 sc on each side of the base round brings it to 19, and the total to 80, which is 20 shells.

Which Border to Use When

• Single crochet suits everything. Choose it for a first coaster, for a busy stitch pattern that needs a calm frame, or for a contrast color outline.
• Crab stitch gives a firm, corded rim. It is a good match for plain, dense coasters.
• Picot adds detail without much width. It suits round coasters and seasonal designs.
• Shell is the most decorative and the widest. Each shell adds the height of a double crochet, so allow for the extra size when you plan the coaster, and expect to pin the scallops when you block it.

Finishing the Edge

The border is the part of a coaster people look at first, so the last stitch deserves care. A slip stitch join leaves a small bump. An invisible join made with a yarn needle hides it, and finishing crochet coasters shows that join step by step. If the edge ripples, the border has too many stitches for the coaster; if it pulls the coaster into a cup, it has too few. Take the border out and adjust the count.