Free Crochet Pattern – Popping Lizard Coaster

There is something wonderfully ridiculous about a crochet coaster with a face, isn’t there? A plain round coaster is useful, of course, but a little lizard coaster with tiny legs, big eyes, and a tongue poking out? That is the sort of thing that makes people pick it up and say, “Did you make this?” which, let’s be honest, is half the fun.

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What you need

Green yarn for the coaster body, head, legs, and tail

Red yarn for the inside of the mouth

Pink yarn for the tongue

White yarn for the eyes

Small black safety eyes or black embroidery thread

Crochet hook to suit your yarn

Yarn needle

Scissors

Stitch marker

Poly-fil, optional for lightly shaping the head

Hot glue gun or sewing needle for assembly

Cotton yarn is a good choice for crochet coasters because it gives the project a firmer finish and handles everyday use better than very fluffy yarn. If your yarn is thin, you can hold two strands together for the coaster body to give it more structure. A small crochet hook set, yarn needles, and a mini glue gun are handy supplies to keep nearby if you like making crochet home decor projects.

Instructions

This Free Popping Lizard Coaster Crochet Pattern is one of those wonderfully silly crochet projects that makes people smile before they’ve even put a mug on it. The lizard is worked with a simple round coaster body, then finished with a long tail, tiny legs, big eyes, and an open mouth with a little pink tongue poking out.

It’s practical, but it also has personality — which is exactly the sort of crochet project I love for using up oddments from the yarn basket. You only need small amounts of green, white, red, and pink yarn, so it’s a lovely scrap yarn crochet pattern if your stash is starting to look a bit like it has its own postcode. 

Pattern Update – June 2026

Abbreviations

• ch = chain
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• dc = double crochet
• inc = increase; work 2 stitches into the same stitch
• dec = decrease; crochet 2 stitches together
• hdc2tog = half double crochet 2 stitches together
• dc2tog = double crochet 2 stitches together
• st = stitch
• sts = stitches
• rnd = round
• rep = repeat

Pattern Notes

• The beginning ch 3 on the main body counts as the first dc of each round.
• The beginning ch 1 or ch 2 on the head does not count as a stitch.
• The main body and head are worked in joined rounds. Join only where instructed.
• The tail is worked in a continuous spiral. Do not join at the end of its rounds.
• The upper and lower jaws are worked in turned rows.
• No turning chain is used on the Upper Jaw rows. Turn the work and begin the first increase or decrease immediately.
• Keep the underside as flat as possible when sewing on the raised pieces.
• Use a stitch marker to identify the first stitch when working in a spiral.

Main Body

Using green yarn, make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3; this counts as the first dc. Work 11 dc into the ring. Pull the ring closed and join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 3. 12 sts

Rnd 2: Ch 3; this counts as the first dc. Work 1 dc in the same st, then 2 dc in each of the remaining 11 sts. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 3. 24 sts

Rnd 3: Ch 3; this counts as the first dc. Work 1 dc in the same st and 1 dc in the next st. *Work 2 dc in the next st and 1 dc in the next st; repeat from * around. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 3. 36 sts

Rnd 4: Ch 3; this counts as the first dc. Work 1 dc in the same st and 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts. *Work 2 dc in the next st and 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts; repeat from * around. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 3. 48 sts

Rnd 5: Ch 1; this does not count as a stitch. Work reverse sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first reverse sc.

Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Tail

Using green yarn, make a magic ring. Work in a continuous spiral without joining the rounds.

Rnd 1: Work 4 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. 4 sts

Rnd 2: *Sc in the next st, inc in the next st; repeat from * around. 6 sts

Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. 6 sts

Rnd 4: *Sc in each of the next 2 sts, inc in the next st; repeat from * around. 8 sts

Rnd 5: *Sc in each of the next 3 sts, inc in the next st; repeat from * around. 10 sts

Rnds 6–7: Sc in each st around. 10 sts

Rnd 8: *Sc in each of the next 3 sts, dec; repeat from * around. 8 sts

Rnd 9: *Sc in each of the next 2 sts, dec; repeat from * around. 6 sts

Rnd 10: *Sc in the next st, dec; repeat from * once more. 4 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Do not stuff. Flatten the tail and gently curve it into shape. During assembly, sew the Round 10 end to the body; the closed magic-ring end forms the tip of the tail.

Head

Using green yarn, ch 14. Join the last chain to the first chain with a sl st to form a ring, taking care not to twist the chain. The head is now worked around this chain ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1; this does not count as a stitch. Work hdc2tog across the first 2 chains, 1 dc in each of the next 10 chains, then hdc2tog across the final 2 chains. Join with a sl st to the first hdc2tog. 12 sts

Rnd 2: Ch 2; this does not count as a stitch. Work 2 dc in the first st, 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts, 1 hdc in each of the next 6 sts, 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts, and 2 dc in the final st. Join with a sl st to the first dc. 14 sts

Rnd 3: Ch 2; this does not count as a stitch. Work 1 dc in each of the first 2 sts, 1 hdc in each of the next 3 sts, 1 sc in each of the next 4 sts, 1 hdc in each of the next 3 sts, and 1 dc in each of the final 2 sts. Join with a sl st to the first dc. 14 sts

Do not fasten off. The head will resemble a small open ring or tube at this stage. This is correct.

Upper Jaw

The upper jaw is worked back and forth across the next 8 stitches of the head, beginning with the first stitch after the Round 3 join.

Do not make a turning chain. The increase or decrease at the beginning of each row forms the first stitch of that row.

Row 1: Work 2 dc in the first st, 1 dc in each of the next 6 sts, and 2 dc in the next st. Turn. 10 sts

Row 2: Dc2tog, 1 dc in each of the next 6 sts, dc2tog. Turn. 8 sts

Row 3: Dc2tog, 1 dc in each of the next 4 sts, dc2tog. Turn. 6 sts

Row 4: Dc2tog, 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts, dc2tog. 4 sts

Fasten off and weave in the end.

Lower Jaw

With the head facing you and the upper jaw at the top, join green yarn to the first unworked stitch directly below the upper jaw.

Row 1: Ch 1; this does not count as a stitch. Work 6 hdc evenly across the lower front section of the head. Turn. 6 sts

Row 2: Ch 1; this does not count as a stitch. Hdc2tog, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 sts, hdc2tog. 4 sts

Fasten off and weave in the end.

Inside Mouthpiece

Using red yarn, ch 10. This piece is worked around both sides of the foundation chain to form a small oval.

Rnd 1: Beginning in the second ch from the hook, work 1 sc in each of the next 8 chains and 3 sc in the final chain. Rotate the work so you can crochet along the unused loops on the opposite side of the foundation chain. Work 1 sc in each of the next 7 chains and 2 sc in the final chain. Join with a sl st to the first sc. 20 sts

Rnd 2: Ch 1; this does not count as a stitch. Work 2 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 7 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 3 sts, 1 sc in each of the next 7 sts, and 2 sc in each of the final 2 sts. Join with a sl st to the first sc. 26 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Position the red oval between the upper and lower jaws and sew it securely inside the open mouth.

Tongue

Using pink yarn, join the yarn to the centre front of the red mouthpiece.

Ch 10. Beginning in the second ch from the hook, work 1 sc in each of the 9 chains.

Fasten off and weave in the end securely.

For an optional forked tongue, add a tiny ch-2 branch on each side of the tip. A straight tongue is easier to make and keeps the coaster less bulky.

Eyes

Make 2.

Using white yarn, make a magic ring. Work in a continuous spiral.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. 6 sts

Rnd 2: Sc in each st around. 6 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. The unchanged stitch count makes each eye piece curl into a small bump.

Attach a safety eye through the centre of each white eye piece before sewing it to the head, or embroider a black pupil securely after assembly.

Arms and Legs

Make 4.

Using green yarn, ch 7.

Beginning in the second ch from the hook, sl st in each of the next 2 chains.

First toe: Ch 3. Beginning in the second ch from the hook, sl st in each of the 2 toe chains, then sl st back into the same point on the main chain.

Second toe: Ch 3. Beginning in the second ch from the hook, sl st in each of the 2 toe chains, then sl st into the next chain of the original ch-7 foundation.

Work 1 sc in the same foundation chain where the second toe was anchored, then work 1 sc in each of the final 3 foundation chains. 4 sc

Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing. Repeat until you have 4 limbs.

Assembly

1. Place the main body flat with the right side facing upward.
2. Flatten and gently curve the tail. Sew the Round 10 end to the back or side edge of the body, leaving the magic-ring end free as the tip.
3. Sew the head to the opposite edge of the body, positioning the open mouth so it faces away from the coaster.
4. If not already attached, sew the red mouthpiece securely between the upper and lower jaws.
5. Secure the tongue to the centre front of the mouthpiece.
6. Sew the two eye bumps to the top of the head.
7. Arrange the 4 limbs around the body, with 2 on each side, and sew them firmly in place.
8. Weave in every loose end. Check that all pieces are secure and that the underside remains as flat as possible.

Lightly damp-block the coaster if necessary. Pin the round body into shape and allow it to dry completely.

If using acrylic yarn, use steam cautiously without allowing the iron to touch the yarn.

Optional Felt Backing

For a sturdier finish, cut a circle of felt slightly smaller than the main body and hand-sew it to the underside.

Fabric glue can also be used if it is suitable for the yarn and the coaster will only be spot-cleaned. A sewn backing is the better choice if the coaster may need washing.

Care and Use

• Cotton versions can usually be gently hand-washed, but follow the care instructions for your chosen yarn.
• Reshape the coaster and dry it flat.
• Because the eyes, mouth and tongue are raised, position the mug over the flat centre of the body.
• Do not place extremely hot cookware on the coaster. It is intended for mugs and drinking glasses rather than use as a potholder or trivet.

Project Ideas

Make a set in different shades of green, choose bright colours for a cartoon-style lizard, or use earthy browns and greens for a gecko-inspired look.

Pair one with a mug and a tea bag or coffee sachet for a quick handmade gift. These playful coasters also work well for market stalls, teacher gifts, reptile lovers and garden-themed gift baskets.