I’ve had this little wooden box sitting around for ages.

The plan was always to crochet a granny square for the top, glue it on and turn the box into a pretty little trinket box. I liked the idea, but like so many ideas, it sat there waiting for me to actually do something with it.

Then one of my members gave me the nudge I didn’t know I needed.

She was making coasters to go inside a similar box she had bought, and as soon as I saw what she was doing I thought, Of course. That’s what mine needs too.

Suddenly, my little trinket box idea became a matching granny square coaster set.

And I think that is one of the things I love most about crochet. An idea doesn’t have to arrive fully formed. Sometimes it starts as one thing, then something you see sparks another idea, and before you know it you’ve created something quite different from what you originally imagined.

I had already decided on the granny square I wanted to use for the lid. It has a pretty flower-like centre, surrounded by more traditional granny-style rounds, and it was exactly the sort of square I could imagine sitting on top of the wooden box.

Once I had made the first coaster-sized square, though, I changed my plans again.

I had originally thought I would make each coaster in different colours. I pictured a little collection of squares that coordinated without being exactly the same.

Then I made the first one.

I loved it exactly as it was.

So instead of continuing with the original idea just because that was what I had planned, I made them all the same.

I’m a big believer in doing that with crochet. We don’t have to keep following the plan when something else looks better. Sometimes the best part of making something yourself is having the freedom to change your mind halfway through.

To make the coasters feel a little more finished, I searched for cork squares that I could attach to the back. Once those were added, the whole project suddenly felt like a proper set rather than simply a collection of crocheted squares.

The cork gives the coasters a sturdier base and makes them much more practical for sitting underneath a mug, while the crochet gives them all the texture and personality.

I hot glued the cork backing onto each coaster and also attached the larger square to the lid of the wooden box.

And that was it.

A box I had owned for ages became a completely different project because of one small piece of inspiration.

Granny Squares Don’t Have to Become Blankets

I think granny squares are often automatically associated with blankets.

And I love a granny square blanket. I’ve certainly made enough squares to know how satisfying it is watching them slowly become something much bigger.

But one of the reasons I enjoy designing granny squares so much is that they can become almost anything.

A coaster.

A bag.

A cushion.

A beanie.

A little box lid.

Sometimes you only need one square.

Sometimes you need four or six.

And sometimes you make dozens of them because you’ve decided a giant blanket is exactly what you want.

There really aren’t many rules.

That is why I enjoy these monthly granny square inspiration projects so much. It isn’t necessarily about giving you another project that you have to make exactly as I have made it. I would much rather show you what could be possible with a square and let that spark an idea of your own.

Maybe you have a wooden box sitting somewhere that could use a granny square on top.

Maybe you already have some favourite squares that would make gorgeous coasters.

Or maybe this project makes you think of something completely different.

That is part of the fun.

A Lovely Little Handmade Gift

This would also make a really lovely handmade gift.

You could choose colours to suit someone’s kitchen, living room or favourite mug. You could make all of the coasters identical like I did, or go back to my original idea and make each one slightly different.

You could even use leftover yarn from another project and create a completely mismatched set.

There is something about putting the coasters inside the matching box that makes the finished project feel a little more special too. It turns a few small granny squares into something that feels deliberately made as a set.

And because the individual pieces are small, it is the sort of project you can work on without committing to weeks of crochet.

Sometimes that is exactly the kind of project I want.

Something small.

Something satisfying.

And something that lets me play with an idea just because I can.

Want More Granny Square Ideas?

If granny squares are your thing too, the Granny Square Club gives you a new square to explore each month, along with the support to actually understand what you’re making.

You can use the squares exactly as they are, collect them for a bigger project, or take them in a completely different direction like I did with this little coaster set.

Because a granny square doesn’t need to become what everyone expects it to become.

Sometimes it just needs to give you an idea.

Seona x