Crochet Granny Square Maxi Skirt Pattern: Sage Patchwork Side Slit Boho Beachwear

There is something quietly magical about a garment made entirely by hand. When you slip into a crochet maxi skirt assembled from dozens of individual granny squares, you are wearing something that carries the rhythm of every stitch you made — patient, intentional, and entirely your own. This sage patchwork maxi skirt with a side slit is exactly that kind of project: a slow, satisfying build that results in one of the most stunning pieces of boho beachwear you will ever own.

This pattern is designed for crocheters who are comfortable with the classic granny square and ready to take that skill somewhere extraordinary. Whether you plan to wear this skirt over a swimsuit at the beach, layered with a linen blouse for a summer market, or belted over a slip dress for a festival, it delivers the kind of effortless, earthy beauty that is impossible to replicate with a sewing machine or a fast fashion tag.

Let’s get into everything you need to know to make this skirt from start to finish.

Why Granny Squares Work So Well for a Maxi Skirt

The granny square is one of the most beloved motifs in all of crochet, and for good reason. Each square is self-contained, portable, and quick to finish. You can make them while watching a film, sitting in a waiting room, or winding down at the end of the day. When it comes to garment construction, working in motifs rather than in rows offers a flexibility that flat-panel garments simply cannot match.

For a maxi skirt specifically, granny squares are ideal because they let you customize the fit without complicated shaping techniques. You simply arrange the squares to suit your measurements, adjusting the number of squares across the waistband and down the length of the skirt as needed. The openwork nature of granny square crochet also makes this skirt breathable, lightweight, and perfectly suited to warm weather wear.

Sage green is a color that has never really gone out of fashion, but it feels especially relevant right now. It reads as natural, calm, and versatile — sitting beautifully against warm skin tones, white sand, sun-bleached wood, and layered linen. Working in a patchwork of sage shades, from deep eucalyptus to pale silver-green, gives the finished skirt an organic, collected quality that makes it look like it could have come from a boutique in Tulum or Byron Bay.

Materials You Will Need

Before you cast on your first square, gather everything you need. Having your materials organized before you start makes the whole process smoother and more enjoyable.

Yarn: You will need approximately 800–1,200 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn, depending on your size. Cotton is the ideal fiber for this project because it holds its shape, washes well, and feels cool and comfortable against skin. Choose two to four shades of sage green for the patchwork effect. Look for colors that range from a warm, slightly yellow sage to a cooler, more muted silver-green. If you want to introduce a little visual interest without straying from the palette, a single skein of a deeper olive or a soft dusty white can work beautifully as a border accent.

Hook: A 5.0mm (H/8) crochet hook works well for most worsted weight cotton, giving you a fabric that is open enough to drape nicely without being so loose that it loses its shape. Adjust your hook size as needed to match your tension.

Notions: You will need a yarn needle for weaving in ends and joining squares, stitch markers, scissors, a measuring tape, and approximately 1.5–2 yards of elastic (about 1 inch wide) for the waistband. You may also want a small amount of coordinating ribbon or fabric for finishing the waistband if you prefer a more polished interior.

Optional: Boho fringe, shell or wooden beads, or macramé-style trim can all be added along the hem or side slit edge for extra texture and personality.

Gauge and Sizing

Getting your gauge right is especially important for a wearable garment. With a 5.0mm hook and worsted weight cotton, each completed granny square should measure approximately 4 inches by 4 inches after a light blocking.

The skirt is constructed from a grid of squares. For sizing purposes, use the following general guide:

For a skirt that sits at or just above the natural waist, measure your waist circumference. Divide that number by 4 (the width of one square). This gives you the number of squares you need to go around the waist. Because granny squares have natural stretch and the waistband will be finished with elastic, you have a little room to work with — rounding to the nearest whole number is perfectly fine.

For the length, measure from your natural waist to wherever you want the hem to fall. A true maxi skirt on most people will fall somewhere between 38 and 44 inches. Divide your desired length by 4 to get the number of squares you need per vertical column.

As a general example, a size medium skirt for a 30–32 inch waist and a 40-inch length would use approximately 8 squares across and 10 squares down, for a total of 80 squares. A larger size with a 38–40 inch waist and the same length would use about 10 squares across and 10 squares down, for a total of 100 squares.

These numbers will shift slightly depending on whether you add a border to your squares, how firmly you join them, and whether you plan to add a decorative hem. Always make a few extra squares — you will likely want them when you get to the assembly stage.

The Granny Square Pattern

This is a classic four-round granny square with a slightly updated look. The corners are a little more open than a traditional square, which gives the finished fabric a lacier, more delicate feel that suits a boho garment beautifully.

Foundation: Make a magic ring, or chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

Round 1: Chain 3 (counts as first double crochet throughout). Work 2 double crochets into the ring. Chain 2. Work 3 double crochets into the ring. Chain 2. Repeat two more times, for a total of four clusters. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain-3. Fasten off if changing colors.

Round 2: Join yarn in any corner chain-2 space. Chain 3, work 2 double crochets into the same space. Chain 2, work 3 double crochets into the same space. This forms your first corner. Chain 1. In the next corner space, work 3 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets. Chain 1. Repeat around all four corners. Join with a slip stitch. Fasten off if changing colors.

Round 3: Join yarn in any corner space. Chain 3, work 2 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets into the corner. Chain 1. Work 3 double crochets into the chain-1 side space. Chain 1. Work the corner cluster into the next corner space. Continue around, working clusters in all chain-1 spaces and corner clusters in all chain-2 spaces. Join. Fasten off if changing colors.

Round 4: This round adds the final border and is the round where you bring in your accent color if you are using one. Join in a corner space. Chain 3, 2 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets in corner. Chain 1. Work 3 double crochets in each chain-1 space across the side, with chain 1 between each cluster. Work the corner at each corner. Continue around. Join and fasten off.

Block each square to 4 inches before assembly. For cotton yarn, wet blocking works extremely well — simply soak the squares in cool water, gently squeeze out the excess, and pin them flat to your blocking board or a folded towel, stretching them gently into a true square shape. Allow them to dry completely before unpinning.

Arranging Your Patchwork

This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the project. Lay all of your finished, blocked squares out on a flat surface — the floor works wonderfully for this — and begin arranging them by color. The patchwork sage effect looks best when the shades are distributed somewhat randomly rather than in a strict pattern, but you do want to avoid having too many squares of the same shade clustered together.

A simple approach is to divide your squares into color groups and then alternate them in a rough checkerboard, giving each shade roughly equal representation across the skirt. Step back and look at the arrangement from a few feet away. If any area looks too uniform, swap a square out. Trust your eye — you are making art.

Photograph your arrangement before you begin joining, so you have a reference to return to as you work.

Joining the Squares

There are several methods for joining granny squares, and each creates a different aesthetic. For this boho beachwear skirt, the flat slip stitch join or the join-as-you-go method both work beautifully. The flat slip stitch join creates a neat, slightly raised seam on the back of the fabric. The join-as-you-go method is built directly into Round 4 of each square, eliminating the need for a separate joining step and resulting in a cleaner front surface.

If you prefer visible seams as a design element, the flat slip stitch join worked on the right side of the fabric creates a textured, intentional grid that adds to the handmade, artisan quality of the finished piece.

Join your squares into rows first, then join the rows together. This keeps the construction logical and manageable.

Leave one vertical seam open on the side where you want your slit. The length of the slit is entirely up to you — a slit that starts at mid-thigh and runs to the hem is both practical for walking and beautifully dramatic. Simply leave the last four to six squares on one side unjoined.

Constructing the Waistband

Once all your squares are joined into a panel and the side seams are sewn (leaving your slit open), it is time to create the waistband. Fold the top edge of the skirt down approximately one inch to create a casing for the elastic. Using your yarn needle and a length of matching yarn, whipstitch the folded edge down along the wrong side of the skirt, leaving a two-inch gap for threading the elastic.

Thread your elastic through the casing using a large safety pin attached to one end. Once the elastic is threaded all the way through, overlap the ends by about an inch and sew them securely together. Slide the join inside the casing and close the gap with a few more whipstitches.

Alternatively, if you prefer a more tailored look, you can work a band of single crochet or half double crochet stitches directly along the top edge of the skirt, working into the top of the first row of squares. Work enough rows to accommodate your elastic, fold the band in half to the inside, and stitch it down as above.

Finishing the Hem and Side Slit

For a clean, minimal finish, work a single round of single crochet around the hem and along both edges of the side slit. This stabilizes the edges and prevents the squares from stretching or curling with wear.

For a more decorative finish, work a picot edging — single crochet, chain 3, slip stitch into the first chain, single crochet — repeated across the hem and slit edges. This adds a delicate, lace-like detail that complements the boho aesthetic perfectly.

If you want to add fringe, cut lengths of yarn approximately twice the desired fringe length, fold each length in half, and pull the folded loop through a stitch at the hem edge using a crochet hook. Draw the ends through the loop and pull snug. Repeat at regular intervals around the hem. Trim the fringe to an even length when finished. You can add beads to the fringe ends by threading each fringe length through a bead before tying a knot at the end.

Wearing and Caring for Your Skirt

This skirt is genuinely versatile. At the beach, it looks incredible over a bikini or high-waisted swimsuit, catching the breeze and moving beautifully as you walk. Paired with a simple white or cream crop top and sandals, it becomes an effortless summer outfit. Layer it with a boxy linen blouse and a wide-brimmed hat for market day or a coastal lunch. Add a denim jacket and ankle boots in the shoulder season for a transitional boho look that carries the warmth of summer into cooler days.

To care for your skirt, hand wash or machine wash on a delicate cycle in cool water with a gentle detergent. Lay flat to dry rather than hanging, as wet cotton can stretch under its own weight. The skirt will soften beautifully with each wash and wear.

Downloading and Printing the PDF Pattern

The full PDF version of this pattern includes a complete materials list with yarn brand suggestions, step-by-step written instructions for the granny square, detailed size chart with square counts for XS through 3XL, a color arrangement guide with photos, assembly diagrams, and finishing instructions with photographs of the hem, slit edge, and waistband construction.

The PDF is formatted for easy printing on standard letter or A4 paper and is also designed to be read clearly on a tablet or phone. Once you purchase and download the file, it is yours to print as many times as you need. You are welcome to make skirts from this pattern for yourself, as gifts, and for sale at craft markets and boutiques.

Final Thoughts

A crochet granny square maxi skirt is the kind of project that people ask about every single time you wear it. There is an immediate warmth that comes from meeting someone wearing something they made themselves — a confidence and pride that no shop-bought garment can quite replicate. This sage patchwork design, with its earthy tones, flowing length, and that effortlessly cool side slit, is a piece you will wear for years and reach for every summer without hesitation.

Take your time with it. Make a few squares on a slow afternoon. Build the habit of picking it up whenever you have fifteen minutes to spare. Before you know it, you will have a stack of beautiful little squares ready to assemble into something you will genuinely love wearing — and that is one of the best feelings crochet has to offer.