Today’s Tips Tuesday post is also part of the Third Edition of Granny Square Month. I’ll be sharing the ultimate guide to doing your own 365 days of granny squares project, so read on for details.
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This post is part of the Third Edition of Granny Square Month, a 30-day celebration of crochet motifs, granny stripes, and granny stitches. To follow along with Granny Square Month:
- Sign up for Crochet Along updates and the Underground Crafter newsletter to get regular updates, including an email as each post goes live. When you sign up, you’ll also get access to my subscriber vault which includes exclusive free PDF patterns, a coupon code for your choice of any crochet or knitting pattern or ebook from my Ravelry shop, and coupon codes from other indie designers and crafts businesses.
- Chat with other crocheters in the Underground Crafters Facebook group or the Underground Crafter Ravelry group.
- Tag your Granny Square Month projects with #grannysquaremonth on social media. Tag me on Bluesky as @UndergroundCrafter, Facebook as @Underground Crafter, or Instagram as @ucrafter.
- Enter the giveaway HERE by July 6, 2025 for your chance to win one of eight fabulous prizes from David & Charles, GMC Publications, Krause Publications, Landauer Publishing, and Quarto.
Tips Tuesday: Ultimate Guide To Doing a 365 Days of Granny Squares Project
If you’ve been inspired by 365 days of granny squares projects online but don’t know where to start, this is the guide for you! Inside you’ll find out what a 365 days of granny squares project is, how to get started, what kind of projects you can make with 365 squares, and more resources for finishing your projects.
What is a 365 days of granny squares project?
A 365 days of granny squares project is when a crocheter plans to crochet one granny square a day throughout a year. This is a great way to use up scrap yarn, crochet more regularly without a huge time commitment, learn new stitches, get introduced to new-to-you designers, or all of the above! You can start on January 1 or on any date during the year.
How to get started with a 365 days of granny squares project
I’m sharing six different options for getting started. Choose one to suit your crochet personality or combine them as the mood strikes you!
- Follow an existing 365 days of granny squares project with free crochet patterns. Two popular existing projects consisting of free patterns are YARNutopia’s 365 Days of Granny Squares, a set of 365 video tutorials (some of which also include written patterns), and 366 Days of Granny Squares by Vcrochetpatterns, a set of written patterns (some of which also include video tutorials).
- Make 365 traditional granny squares, selecting your daily color(s) based on mood, temperature, or just by digging into your scraps. If you choose this option, you can find a video tutorial for the traditional granny square below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial for the traditional granny square above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube. You can also find tips for doing a crochet temperature project here.
- Pick one (or several) granny square pattern books to work through. Six of my favorite choices are:
- Big Book of Granny Squares: 365 Crochet Motifs by Tracey Lord (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) with 365 granny square patterns. (I reviewed it here.)
- 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans by Jan Eaton (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) with same-size squares that are easy to mix and match.
- 3D Granny Squares: 100 crochet patterns for pop-up granny squares by Caitie Moore, Celine Semaan, and Sharna Moore (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon) includes 100 granny square patterns. (I reviewed it here.)
- 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet: Dozens of Mix and Match Combos and Fabulous Projects by Leonie Morgan includes 100 squares. (I reviewed it here.)
- The Granny Square Book: Second Edition: Timeless Techniques & Fresh Ideas for Crocheting Square by Square by Margaret Hubert (available through independent booksellers or on Amazon) includes 100 motifs which are mostly squares. (I reviewed it here.)
- A Modern Guide to Granny Squares: Awesome Color Combinations and Designs for Fun and Fabulous Crochet Blocks by Celine Semaan and Leonie Morgan (available online through independent booksellers or on Amazon) includes 40 granny square patterns. (I reviewed it here.)
- Pick a granny square crochet along to work through. Some of my favorite choices are:
- The Mélange Blanket Crochet Along with 48 free patterns for 6” squares.
- The Textures and Tassels Blanket Crochet Along with 36 free patterns (for 6”, 8”, and 12” squares).
- The Welcoming Blanket Crochet Along with nine free patterns for floral 12” granny squares.
- The annual Moogly Crochet Along includes 24 free patterns for 12” squares. You can find the archives dating back to 2014 here.The Unraveled Mitten has hosted several blanket CALs using granny squares, including the 2023 Sampler Blanket and the 2021 Sampler Afghan, both of which include twenty 12” squares.
- Be inspired by crocheters who have done a 365 days of granny squares project. Some folks I recommend are:
- Adaiha from Things to Make and Do, who has a helpful tutorial for joining squares of different sizes and
- Pip from Meet Me at Mike’s, who organized a Flickr community of granny a day photos.
- Check out popular granny square designers. Some of my favorites are Joanita Theron Designs (who shared her own favorite granny-inspired patterns here), Melinda Miller/Mo Crochet Makes, and Polly Plum.
What should you make with 365 granny squares?
Many people use their squares to make large bedspreads, but here are more options for projects made with squares.
- Preemie Blankets and Pet Blankets. Make smaller, more manageable blanket projects to donate or to gift, like I did with the Scrappy Pet Blanket and the Motif Pet Blanket.
- Scarves. The Granny Heart Squares Scarf, Sunshine Squares Scarf, and Little Dots, Big Dots Infinity Scarf are three free patterns that share how to construct scarves from squares.
- Pillows. Join motifs together to create a pillow cover. See the free patterns for the Miranda Pillow or the L Square Pillow for examples.
- Bags. Make a simple crochet tote from joined squares like I did for the Patchwork Carry All and Clarice Carryall.
- Coasters, Potholders, and More. Crochet your squares with cotton yarn to make great projects for the kitchen and dining room. For inspiration, see my free crochet pattern for the Easy Tweedy Coasters. Or, join two squares together for a double-thick potholder like the one I made for the Blue Tinted Set.
- Modular Garments. Make straight skirts, drop shoulder pullovers or cardigans, or other modular garments out of joined squares.
- One- or Two-Square Projects. Turn single squares into ornaments, pockets, or appliques. Join two squares together as gift card holders or gift wrap.
More resources for a 365 days of granny squares project
Once you’ve started your project, you may find these resources for blocking, joining, and borders helpful.
- Watch the video below showing 5 easy ways to join granny squares.
- If you can’t see the video above demonstrating easy joins for granny squares, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- Blocking Basics for Crocheters and Knitters includes tips and videos about blocking, which can be helpful for working with squares crocheted in different yarns and at different times.
- 20+ Granny Square Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials That Will Rock Your Crochet World and Joins, Edgings and Borders for Granny Square Projects include tips, joins, border patterns, and more!
- If you need some ideas for finishing a 365 days of granny squares blanket, you’re sure to find it in 27 Free Crochet Border Patterns.