Square button lacing toy

Help toddlers develop fine motor skills with this interactive lacing toy! Designed for little hands, this beginner-friendly crochet pattern features a soft, button-shaped square base that’s easy to grip and thread—perfect for building hand-eye coordination and sensory exploration. A fun way to encourage learning through play!

You can also crochet a round button in addition to a square one. The pattern for a round button.

Have fun crocheting!

Materials and tools for crocheting

• 4-ply sport weight yarn of any color. I used YarnArt Jeans (55% cotton + 45% acrylic), 174 yards (160m), 1.76 ounces (50 g): light blue 75 for the button, light brown 87 for the needle, light beige 05 for the thread. Yarn consumption per button* ~ 12 grams and about 4 grams for the needle with the thread. *Yarn consumption can increase up to 1.5 times when crocheting with yarn over (YO) way.
• Hook size 2 mm (or another suitable for yarn).
• Needle for sewing on details, scissors, stitch markers.
• Polyester stuffing (3-4 grams).

Dimensions of the finished toy: ~8 cm x 8 cm (your button may turn out to be larger).

Abbreviations

• sc — single crochet
• inc — increase — crochet 2 sc in one stitch
• dec — single crochet decrease
• ch — chain stitch
• slst — slip stitch
• st — stitch

All pieces, unless otherwise indicated, are crocheted in turned rows.

Hide yarn ends between stitches as you crochet the button.

Square button chart

Square button crpchet pattern

Foundation chain: Using light blue, ch24. 

Row 1: Beginning in 2nd ch from hook, 23 sc, ch1, turn.

Rows 2 to 3: 23 sc, ch1, turn. (2 rows)

Row 4: 4 sc, mark the next st with the first st marker, 11 sc, mark the next st with the second st marker, 8 sc (Photo 1), ch1, turn. 

First part:

Row 5: 3 sc, dec, ch1, turn. (4 sc). 

Row 6: dec, 2 sc, ch1, turn. (3 sc). 

Row 7: 3 sc, ch1, turn.

Row 8: 3 sc, ch1, turn.

Row 9: 2 sc, inc. (4 sc)

Fasten off. (Photo 2)

Join the yarn to 16th stitch of the Row 4 (second stitch marker, photo 3), ch1 and starting from the same stitch, crochet the central part:

Row 5: dec, 5 sc, dec, ch1, turn. (7 sc). 

Row 6: dec, 3 sc, dec, ch1, turn. (5 sc). 

Row 7: 5 sc, ch1, turn.

Row 8: 5 sc, ch1, turn.

Row 9: inc, 3 sc, inc. (7 sc)

Fasten off. (Photo 4)

Join the yarn to 5th stitch of the Row 4 (first stitch marker, photo 5), ch1 and starting from the same stitch, crochet:

Row 5: dec, 3 sc, ch1, turn. (4 sc). 

Row 6: 2 sc, dec, ch1, turn. (3 sc). 

Row 7: 3 sc, ch1, turn.

Row 8: 3 sc, ch1, turn.

Row 9: inc, 2 sc, ch1, turn. (4 sc)

Row 10: 3 sc, inc, ch2 (Photo 6), continue crocheting on the central part, inc, 5 sc, inc, ch2, continue crocheting on the first part, inc, 3 sc (Photo 7), ch1, turn.

Row 11: 23 sc, ch1, turn.

Rows 12 to 18: crochet as Rows from 4 to 10.

Rows 19 to 21: 23 sc, ch1, turn. (3 rows)

Row 22: 23 sc.

Fasten off. (Photo 8)

Second piece

Make the second piece the same as the first piece, but do not fasten off after Row 22. Photo 9.

Assembly

Align pieces, matching up all sides and holes (Photo 10). Check that the sequence of rows is the same on the outside of the front and back pieces (in mirror image). Join light blue to any st on any inner hole (use the yarn from the other end of the skein (or from another skein), ch1, starting from the same st, work 1 sc per st/row through both pieces to join around the inner hole, invisible fasten off. Photo 11. Repeat for all holes.

Video: how to work through both pieces to join around the inner hole:

Then work 1 sc per st/row through both pieces to join around the outside edge (Photo 12). Add some stuffing to the inside as you assemble. Invisible fasten off. Secure yarn ends and hide between two layers. Photo 13-14.

Needle

Find the Needle pattern in the Round button pattern

I will be glad to see your work! Please, when you post your finished toys on Instagram, could you tag my profile @zenknit_toys or use the tag #zenknit_toys so that I can see them and maybe repost them to my story? Thank you!

More patterns in my store and in my book.

If you have any problems crocheting, please contact me through the feedback form or leave a comment on the article. Thank you!