10 Great Items to Make with Granny Squares and Rectangles

Granny squares and rectangles are fast and fun to make. Plus, if you keep them small they're great "take-along" projects. You may soon find yourself with a large collection of squares taking up all the available space in your house. Now what do you do? Well, here are a few ideas for how to put those grannies to work.

1. Coasters
Probably the most obvious way to use just one square is a coaster. But if you have just a few squares - or a few that go together - you can make a set of coasters. They're probably best made from cotton yarn, though; it's sturdier and more absorbent than acrylic.

2. Placemats
These are the next step up from coasters, and a good way to use up more than just a few squares.

3. Afghans and blankets
If you get really carried away, just going around and around and around until you run out of yarn - and it's a really big skein - you'll have an afghan or maybe even a blanket. But you can also make one of these from many smaller squares. The squares can be sewn together with matching yarn. Or if you have many squares of different colors you can crochet them together, and the yarn you use will unify the whole project.

4. Pillow covers
As with most of the previous projects, pillow covers can be made from one big square or rectangle or many small ones sewn or crocheted together.

5. Bags
Granny squares make really interesting tote bags and purses. But try not to use squares that are too loose, and consider lining the bag with fabric. Otherwise small items in the bag might fall through the spaces between the blocks.

6. Rugs
Well, why not? I've heard of people making rugs from doily patterns; you just use several strands held together and a very big hook (like a size Q). You could do the same with grannies. Once the rug is finished, a fabric backing would help to stabilize it.

7. Scarves
Stiffer squares would be more useful for rugs and bags, but for a scarf you'd want to use squares that are crocheted more loosely. Because of their length you'll probably have to use several squares sewn together for this project. Unless your scarf needs to be really wide, keep your squares small, either by making only two or three rounds, or using thinner yarn or even crochet thread.

8. Shawls and ponchos
I once made a poncho that was really just a big granny square. The main difference was that the center, because it was a neck hole, had to be larger than the usual "ring," so it was made from a very long chain - hundreds of stitches instead of just a few. Grannies make really nice shawls too.

9. Clothing
There are patterns available for making sweaters and jackets from granny squares. Some of them are more interesting than they are fashionable or useful, but I did find one in a thrift shop that I actually bought - not because I wanted to wear it (although I have), but because its construction was just amazing - many, many little squares, including some partial ones, all sewn together. It must have a been a labor of love for someone. And now it's an inspiration for me.

10. Frame one and hang it on a wall.
This is a great idea if you made just one square and have moved on to other things. But you can also just make a really dramatic square - like maybe from black crochet cotton - attach it to a sticky-back foam board (like those used to mount cross stitch pictures), and frame it. Needlework - including crochet - is a form of art, after all.

Hopefully you've now realized that granny squares and rectangles can be used to make a lot more than afghans. So go out and make a few - and see where your creativity leads you.