Crochet Smiley Face Granny Square Pattern

A cheerful square with a stitched-on smile

A bright yellow circle, two black eyes, and a wide curved smile are enough to give this crochet smiley face granny square its character. The pale border turns the round center into a square you can use independently or include in a larger project. The face is embroidered after the crochet is finished, so you can concentrate on shaping first and expression afterward.

There is one finishing detail to plan before starting: the embroidered version needs a backing if you want a neat reverse. The black threads travel across the back as you make the features. A fleece-backed blanket is one way to cover them; for another project, consider how its lining will conceal those threads before committing to this version.

I’ll show you how I build the circle, turn it into a square, and add the smile. You’ll use joined rounds, regular increases, and different stitch heights to form the corners. If you are still getting comfortable with the basic hook movements and turning yarn into stitches, practice those first so the shaping feels easier to follow.

Yarn & tools

• Yellow yarn for the circular face
• Pale gray or another contrasting yarn for the square surround
• Black yarn for the embroidered smile, eyes, and optional outline
• A crochet hook suitable for your chosen yarn
• A yarn needle for embroidery and weaving in ends
• Scissors
• A stitch marker, optional, to mark the first stitch of the border rounds
• A planned backing or lining for the embroidered version

There is no specified yarn brand, weight, hook measurement, yardage, finished measurement, or gauge for this square. Choose yarn and a compatible hook together rather than treating the photo as a size reference. Keep the circle and border yarns similar in thickness so the transition between them is manageable.

Yellow, pale gray, and black match the sample. You can change the border color without changing the stitch sequence. A strong contrast between the face and the embroidery helps the expression stand out. Before starting a larger set, check the fiber content and care information on your yarn labels so the materials make sense together for the project you have in mind.

Pattern notes

This pattern uses US terminology. Work around the motif in joined rounds without turning. Increase means work two stitches into the same stitch. Read each repeat as an action followed by its destination: “2 dc in the next stitch” puts both double crochets into one stitch; “1 dc in each of the next two stitches” uses two separate stitches.

The starting ch 3 in Round 1 counts as the first dc. In the next yellow rounds, the starting ch 2 also counts as a dc. Include that chain in the total; do not add an extra stitch because it looks different from its neighbors. The joining slip stitch closes the round and is not an extra dc.

At the join, the next stitch can look stretched. Catch both top loops rather than ignoring it. Count before closing each round, while an extra or missed increase is still easy to find. If repeats tend to blur together, reading the repeat as one small group of actions can make the counting less tiring.

Embroider the smile and eyes

Lay the square flat before choosing where the features will sit. The yellow circle gives you useful guide lines: the mouth follows the base of the outer yellow stitches, and the eyes sit on either side of the initial center round. The placement is approximate, so look at the whole face rather than trying to find an exact numbered stitch for each feature.

Stitch the curved mouth

Thread black yarn through your needle and leave a tail at the back. Bring the needle to the front at roughly the halfway point on one side of the circle, where the smile will begin. Make the first short section of the smile, then add a small horizontal bar across its top. That bar gives the mouth its familiar turned-up tip.

Follow the base of the last yellow round downward and around the lower half of the circle. Use short backstitches: bring the needle up one stitch ahead along the curve, then take it down one stitch behind to meet the previous black section. Repeat so the line joins up rather than becoming a row of separate dashes.

Continue upward on the other side until the two ends of the smile are roughly level. Add the second horizontal bar. Lay the square flat again to see the expression before securing the yarn; it is easier to judge the curve when you are not holding the fabric folded in your hand.

At the back, pass the needle under an embroidery loop, leave a loop of yarn, and pass through it to make a securing knot. Secure the other tail too. The traveling strands and knots will be covered by the backing, so the reverse does not need to look like the front.

Make two narrow eyes

Position the eyes on either side of the first yellow round. Their lower ends sit roughly level with the horizontal tips of the smile. Bring the needle up at the bottom of one eye, leaving a tail behind, then take it in a straight line upward and back through the fabric at the inner ring.

Repeat through those same entry and exit points so the eye has two black strands. Cut and secure the yarn at the back. Make the second eye the same way on the other side. Keep the square flat as you compare them; the aim is a pair of simple upright eyes, not a complicated filled shape.

Add the optional black outline

You can stop with the smile and eyes. For the outlined version, work the same short backstitches around the outside edge of the yellow circle, where it meets the border color. Bring the needle up ahead of the previous stitch, then go back to join the line, following the circle all the way around.

This outline emphasizes the round face against the pale square. It is embroidery, so it does not add a crochet round or change the border's stitch count. Secure its tails at the back when you have completed the circle.

Finish the back before using the square

Now finish weaving in the yellow tail that was tucked out of the way earlier, along with the border ends. Trim the secured embroidery tails while leaving a little length beyond the knots. Cutting right against a knot risks undoing the work you have just secured.

The completed face leaves black strands and knots on the reverse. Choose a backing that suits the way you intend to use the motif. A full blanket can have a fleece backing; a project using only a few smiley squares can have individual backings instead. The crochet and embroidery steps above do not include a complete blanket-lining or assembly pattern.

There are several finishing options:

• Back each motif with fabric. A small fabric circle or square can cover the embroidery. It can be sewn in place, or attached with a fabric adhesive suitable for the materials and intended care. Check the adhesive's own instructions before choosing it.
• Crochet a second yellow circle. Repeat Rounds 1–4 and attach that circle to the reverse to hide the embroidery. This keeps the front's integrated circle-and-square appearance.
• Use the face as a separate applique. Make only Rounds 1–4, embroider the features, and attach the completed face to a separately made solid granny square. That changes the construction, so it needs a suitable solid-square pattern and an attachment plan.

The last two options reuse the same four-round face; they do not require inventing another increase sequence. Choose your finishing route before making a whole set so you know how each motif's reverse will be covered.

Common questions