Simple Crochet Cat Bed - Free Pattern (Beginner Friendly)

January 31, 2026

My cats are always looking for a new spot to lounge around in - and if I can encourage them to use their own crochet cat beds instead of my crochet blankets, all the better! I came up with this simple, beginner-friendly cat bed pattern while stash-busting my blanket yarns, I hope you enjoy it 💕

While I have made this bed to suit my cats (who are not small!), I have included information in the Frequently Asked Questions section on how you can adjust the pattern to make the bed a different size. These instructions will also work if you use a different sized yarn!

Pattern at a glance

Skill level: Beginner
Finished size: Approx. 47cm / 18.5” diameter
Yarn weight: Jumbo (Size 7)
Hook size: 12mm

Materials

12mm crochet hook
Size 7/Jumbo yarn (e.g. Bernat Blanket Extra)
- Note: I used mill ends from Spotlight so I don’t have an exact brand name for mine!
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Stitch marker
Polyfil / stuffing (to stuff the edge of your cat bed)
- This is optional! If you prefer not to have a stuffed edge to your cat bed, they are just as comfy for the cats without the raised edge. Trust me, I have an “unstuffed” one and it gets just as much use!

Abbreviations (US Terms)

sc - single crochet

inc - increase (place two single crochets into the same stitch)

dec - decrease (I use the invisible decrease method)

BLO - Back loop only

FLO - Front loop only

(...) - repeat instructions in brackets the stated number of times

[...] - the number of stitches at the end of your round

FO - finish off

R# - round number

Pattern notes

This pattern is worked in the round. Do not join and chain at the end of each round, instead work directly into the first stitch of the previous round.
US abbreviations are used throughout this pattern.
Finished size if following the pattern in recommended yarn is roughly 47cm diameter (including stuffed edge)
Size adjustments are easy to make for this pattern, they are outlined in the Frequently Asked Questions section. Head there first if you are using a different sized yarn or want a bigger/smaller cat bed.

Notes about colour changes

For my sample cat bed, I changed colours back and forth every round. I didn’t cut my yarn between, but just picked up the yarn I needed at the beginning of each new round.

You can make this bed all in one colour, using scraps, or even work your colour changes to look like a stuffed crust pizza! The options are endless and limited only by your yarn stash 🌈

Let’s begin!

How to make this crochet cat bed: the pattern!

R1: 8sc into a magic ring [8]

R2: inc x 8 [16]

R3: (sc, inc) x 8 [24]

‼️ Gauge Check: At this point, my base measures roughly 10cm / 4” across. If yours doesn’t, head to the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section for instructions!

R4: (2sc, inc) x 8 [32]

R5: (3sc, inc) x 8 [40]

R6: (4sc, inc) x 8 [48]

R7: (5sc, inc) x 8 [56]

R8: (6sc, inc) x 8 [64]

R9: (7sc, inc) x 8 [72]

R10: (8sc, inc) x 8 [80]

R11: (9sc, inc) x 8 [88]

R12: (10sc, inc) x 8 [96]

Mark the back loop of R12’s first stitch with your stitch marker.

R13: Working in FLO: sc around [96]

R14 to 20: sc around [96] - 6 rounds, 576 stitches in total

In the next round we will be folding the edge into itself and stuffing this ‘rim’ as we go.

To do this, you will place your hook through the next stitch of R20 AND the aligning back loop from R12, then yarning over, pulling through, yarning over and completing your single crochet stitch.

R21: Working in the BLO of R12 AND your stitches from R20 (starting from your marked BL in R12): sc around [96] **Ensure you are stuffing the hollow tube this creates as you go**

R22: (10sc, dec) x 8 [88]

R23: (9sc, dec) x 8 [80]

R24: (8sc, dec) x 8 [72]

R25: (7sc, dec) x 8 [64]

R26: (6sc, dec) x 8 [56]

R27: (5sc, dec) x 8 [48]

R28: (4sc, dec) x 8 [40]

R29: (3sc, dec) x 8 [32]

R30: (2sc, dec) x 8 [24]

R31: (sc, dec) x 8 [16]

R32: dec x 8 [8]

FO, leaving a tail long enough to sew up your final 8 stitches and weave the tail into the cat bed.

To finish, I weave my yarn through each stitch of the final round, from the inside of the stitch to the outside, then pull tight to close the loop.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make my crochet cat bed smaller?

To make your cat bed smaller, simply follow the instructions in the pattern until you reach your desired diameter. Note how many sc stitches you made before increasing in this round. For example, you may have stopped at R10 where you made 8sc before decreasing.

Now skip to R13 and work R13 to 21 as written. Note that your stitch count at the end of this row will have changed!

When beginning your decrease rounds, begin with the row “matching” your final increase round. For the example in this FAQ, that would be R24 where you start with 8sc before decreasing.

How do I make my crochet cat bed larger?

To make the finished item larger, continue increasing your crochet cat bed using the pattern in the written instructions. That is. increase your single crochets by 1 each round before your increase stitch - a written example is below.

Do this until you reach your desired diameter. Note how many sc stitches you made before increasing in this round. For example, you may have done an extra 3 rows of increases, making 13sc before your increase stitch.

Now move on to R13 and work R13 - 21 as written. Note that your stitch count at the end of this row will have changed!

When beginning your decrease rounds, you’ll need to add a few extra rounds of decreases before joining back up with the pattern as written. To figure out how many, simply make the same number of single crochets as you did in your final increase round before you decrease. For the example in this FAQ, that was 13sc.

Sample added rows:

RX: (11sc, inc) [104]

RX+1: (12sc, inc) [112]

RX+2: (13sc, inc) [120]

Now work R13 - 21 from the written pattern.

RY: (13sc, dec) x 8 [112]

RY+1: (12sc, dec) x 8 [104]

RY+2: (11sc, dec) x 8 [96]

Now rejoin the written pattern at R22.

I have a different gauge or yarn size to you, what can I do?

This cosy crochet cat bed works great in so many different yarns - I have made them in regular blanket yarn and velvet yarn for my kittens too!

The first thing to note is to adjust your hook size to suit your yarn - you want a fairly tight stitch to ensure kitty paws don’t get stuck, and that the stuffing in the rim doesn’t come out through loose stitches.

Once you’ve found the hook size that works for your yarn and tension, adjust the cat bed as per the hints above. If your yarn is thicker than the one suggested, follow steps in ‘How do I make my crochet cat bed smaller?’. If your yarn is thinner than suggested (such as a regular blanket yarn or a chenille yarn), follow steps in ‘How do I make my crochet cat bed larger’.

There you have it! Your feline friend now has their very own cuddly cat bed to curl up in tonight 😺

I'd love to hear how you found the pattern in the comments below, and of course feel free to drop any questions there too!

Looking for more beginner friendly projects? Check out my YouTube tutorials for more!

If you enjoy free beginner crochet patterns, you might also love:

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