Checkered Crochet Bucket Hat: Free Pattern + Style Ideas

The crochet bucket hat is the accessory everyone wants right now — and the good news is that it is one of the friendliest hats you can make. It is worked in the round from the top down, there is no seaming, and you can try it on as you go.

The fun part is choosing the look. Daisies, checks or a clean classic? Here are my favorite bucket hat styles, what makes each one special, and how a bucket hat is built.

And the checkered one is free: the full pattern for the lavender and cream hat in these photos is below, round by round, with stitch counts — jump straight to it with the button at the top of the page.

How a Crochet Bucket Hat Is Built

Almost every bucket hat follows the same three-part shape, whatever the colors:

1. The crown. A flat circle worked in the round from a magic ring, increasing evenly until it is about the width of the top of your head.
2. The sides. Rounds with no increases at all, so the fabric drops straight down and becomes the band of the hat.
3. The brim. A few rounds where the increases start again, so the edge flares out into that classic bucket shape.

Tip: measure the crown against your head before you stop increasing. If the circle is too small, the hat will perch on top; too big, and it will slide over your eyes. The crown should be roughly a third of your head circumference across.

Choosing Yarn and Hook

For a bucket hat that holds its shape, choose a cotton or cotton-blend yarn in worsted (4) or DK (3) weight and a hook a little smaller than the label suggests — tight stitches give a firm brim that doesn't flop. Cotton is also breathable, which matters for a summer hat. My crochet hook sizes chart helps you choose.

1. The Checkered Bucket Hat (Free Pattern Below)

The trend that started it all. In my version the top of the hat is a solid circle, and the checks begin where the sides drop down: blocks of 6 stitches, two rounds tall, swapping colors every two rounds so they alternate like a chessboard. On the brim, each block grows by one stitch per round, so the checks fan out with the flare and stay perfectly lined up.

You carry the color you are not using inside your stitches, so the inside stays tidy, with no long loops to catch. The complete round-by-round pattern is in the printable card further down.

Lavender and cream is soft and summery; forest green and cream looks more classic; black and white is bold.

2. The Daisy Bucket Hat

A plain hat in sage green or cream, scattered with crochet daisies sewn on afterwards. Each daisy is a tiny flower worked separately — a yellow center and white petals — so this is a lovely project if you like small, satisfying makes. Sew on five or six, or cover the whole crown.

3. The Classic Solid Bucket Hat

One color, simple rounds and nothing to distract from the shape. A solid hat in coral, terracotta or denim blue goes with everything and is the fastest version to make — the perfect first bucket hat. Once you have made one, every other style is the same hat with a twist.

4. Stripes and Two-Tone Brims

Change color every round or two for stripes, or keep the crown and sides in one color and work only the brim in a contrast color for a quick two-tone look. Both are a great way to use up leftover cotton.

Finishing Your Hat

Weave in each end through stitches of the same color, going one way and then back the other, so the tails disappear and can't work loose. A light steam or a damp block over a bowl helps the brim sit evenly.

Find Your Next Pattern

New to working in the round? My guide on how to read a crochet pattern explains rounds, increases and stitch counts step by step. And for printable, ad-free patterns to make next, take a look at my Etsy shop.

Which one is you — daisies, checks or classic? Save this page to Pinterest so you have all the ideas in one place when you pick up your hook.