The Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow is a stunning and colorful addition to any home, inspired by the traditional Mexican Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. This pillow features a beautifully detailed sugar skull adorned with intricate floral motifs, creating a vibrant and eye-catching piece. Perfect for those who appreciate bold decor, this pillow adds a touch of cultural artistry to any space.
How to Make a Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow
To create the Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow, you’ll need to master several crochet techniques, including making appliqués for the skull and flowers and embroidering intricate details. The combination of soft colors and detailed stitching makes this project both challenging and rewarding for experienced crocheters.
Oh, let me tell you — this Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow is one of my all-time favorite makes! It’s bright, bold, and bursting with personality. Whether you’re celebrating Día de los Muertos or just love unique, colorful décor, this pillow is a crochet project that brings serious joy to your hook and your home.
From the moment I started stitching this piece, I knew it was going to be something special. Sugar skulls are already beautiful symbols of remembrance and celebration — and turning that into a crochet pillow? Total magic! It’s like combining the coziness of yarn with the artistry of folk tradition.
What I love most is how creative you can get with it. The base skull is usually done in white or cream yarn, and then… oh my goodness, the fun begins. Flowers, swirls, hearts, cross-stitches, you name it — this pillow is a blank canvas for your crochet imagination. I’ve used vibrant pinks, oranges, and turquoises to create that classic sugar skull look, but you can go totally wild and make it your own. Pastels, neons, even spooky Halloween tones — it all works!
Crochet Pattern: Sugar Skull Pillow
This project is great if you’re comfortable with basic stitches and want to level up with some appliqués or embroidery-style details. It uses mostly single crochet and some shaping, plus extra pieces that are sewn on after. And honestly? Making all the little pieces like flowers and hearts is super satisfying. They come together so quickly and give your skull so much character.
One of the things I like to do is lay out all my decorative elements before attaching them, like a puzzle. That way I can play with the design, add a flower here, a swirl there — and suddenly the whole thing feels like it’s smiling at you. It’s almost like each pillow has its own little personality!
I’ve made these pillows as gifts too, and people absolutely light up when they see them. They’re not just cute — they feel meaningful. Whether you’re making one to honor someone special or just to add a fun splash of color to your space, this Sugar Skull Pillow is a conversation starter for sure.
I usually stuff mine with fiberfill to make them extra plush, but they also look great as flat cushions or even wall hangings! One of my friends framed hers in a shadowbox with lights around it. How cool is that?
So if you’re looking for a project that’s equal parts heartfelt, fun, and fabulously colorful, the Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow is the one. Grab your brightest yarns, your favorite hook, and get ready to turn tradition into textile art — one stitch at a time.
Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow. Materials:
- Worsted weight yarn in gray, white, black, pink, green, and teal
- Crochet hook size H/8 (5.0 mm)
- Tapestry needle
- Polyester stuffing
- Stitch markers
Abbreviations:
- ch: chain
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- sl st: slip stitch
- rnd: round
- st(s): stitch(es)
- dec: decrease (single crochet two stitches together)
Pillow Base:
- Front Panel (Gray Background):
- Ch 41.
- Row 1: Sc in the second ch from hook and in each ch across (40 sts).
- Row 2-40: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across (40 sts).
- Fasten off and weave in ends.
- Back Panel:
- Repeat the same steps as the front panel.
Sugar Skull Appliqué:
- Skull Base (White Yarn):
- Magic ring, ch 1, 8 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc.
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around (16 sts).
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, repeat from * to * around (24 sts).
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, repeat from * to * around (32 sts).
- Rnd 4-6: Ch 1, sc in each st around (32 sts).
- Shape the bottom of the skull by crocheting the following: Ch 1, sc in next 10 sts, turn.
- Row 2: Ch 1, sc dec in first 2 sts, sc in next 6 sts, sc dec in last 2 sts (8 sts).
- Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across (8 sts).
- Fasten off and weave in ends.
- Eyes (Black Yarn):
- Make 2.
- Magic ring, ch 1, 6 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc.
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around (12 sts).
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, repeat from * to * around (18 sts).
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in each st around (18 sts).
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
- Nose (Black Yarn):
- Ch 5.
- Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and next 3 sts (4 sts).
- Row 2: Ch 1, sc dec in first 2 sts, sc dec in last 2 sts (2 sts).
- Row 3: Ch 1, sc dec (1 st).
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
- Mouth (Black Yarn):
- Use black yarn to embroider the mouth onto the skull base with a tapestry needle.
- Floral Accents:
- Roses (Pink Yarn):
- Make 5.
- Ch 43.
- Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across (42 sts).
- Row 2: Ch 1, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc in each 5 sts across, repeat till the end.
- Roll the strip to form a rose shape and sew the base to secure.
- Leaves (Green and Teal Yarn):
- Make 4.
- Ch 9.
- Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook, hdc in next, dc in next 4, hdc in next, sc in last. Fasten off.
- Roses (Pink Yarn):
- Swirl Details (Black Yarn):
- Use black yarn to embroider swirl patterns around the skull on the gray background.
Assembly:
- Sew the skull appliqué onto the center of the front panel.
- Sew the eyes and nose in place on the skull.
- Arrange and sew the roses and leaves around the top of the skull.
- Embroider swirl details with black yarn.
- Place the front and back panels together, right sides facing out.
- Join the panels by sc around the edges, leaving one side open.
- Stuff the pillow with polyester filling.
- Close the remaining side with sc.
- Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Your Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow is now ready to brighten up any space!
Note: Sugar Skull Crochet Pillow here is a pattern suggestion for you to create your own pattern. The end result may vary.