Free Jack-O-Lantern Quilt Pattern for Halloween
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This free Jack-o’-Lantern quilt pattern is a fun way to add a handmade touch to your Halloween decor. The beginner-friendly pattern includes two sizes: a 28- by 30-inch mini quilt or wall hanging and a 63- by 68-inch lap quilt. The simple patchwork design is scrap- and precut-friendly and comes together fairly quickly.
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Why You’ll Love This Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt
- Festive Halloween decor: I made the mini quilt to hang on the wall behind my entryway table. It is colorful, fun, and catches the eye of everyone who comes to the door.
- Beginner-friendly design: The quilt uses simple patchwork and straight seams, so it comes together fairly quickly.
- Scrap- and precut-friendly: Use fat quarters, charm packs, layer cake squares, or the Halloween fabric scraps you have been saving.
- Two finished sizes: Make a 28- by 30-inch mini quilt or wall hanging or a larger 63- by 68-inch lap quilt.
- Helpful pattern guide: The free pattern includes the cutting measurements, a full-color quilt layout, and a blank design sheet you can color before choosing your fabrics.
A Scrap-Friendly and Precut-Friendly Quilt Pattern
The mini Jack-o’-Lantern quilt uses mostly 2.5-inch squares, making it a great project for small scraps or mini charm squares. The lap quilt uses mostly 5-inch squares, so charm packs, layer cake squares, fat quarters, and larger scraps all work well.
For my quilt, I used a mix of scraps and fat quarters from the Sew Colorful Fat Quarter Club from Fat Quarter Shop. I subscribed for about a year and a half, and it was a fun way to build up my fat-quarter stash. If you are looking for a fun Christmas gift for yourself, I definitely recommend it!
Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt sizes and Details
This Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt comes in two sizes:
- Mini/wall quilt: 28 by 30 inches
- Lap/throw: 63 by 68 inches
The quilt is made with mostly squares, plus 20 half-square-triangle blocks and two quarter-square-triangle blocks. The simple design makes it easy to chain-piece many of the squares and assemble the quilt row by row.
Pumpkin Quilt Variation
A fun variation is to leave out the black eyes, nose, and mouth and make a simple pumpkin quilt. Without the jack-o’-lantern face, the quilt would work throughout the entire fall season instead of only for Halloween.
This is what the pumpkin version would look like:
I also love the idea of cutting the squares at 2 inches instead of 2.5 inches and making a set of three mini quilts in different fall colors. Since the 2-inch squares will finish at 1.5 inches, each mini quilt would measure approximately 21 by 22.5 inches.
More Halloween Quilt and Sewing Projects
- Easy Ghost Quilt Pattern
- Easy Quilted Halloween Table Runner Pattern
- 39+ Free Halloween Quilt Patterns
- Ghost Pillow Pattern: Make It 3 Ways
Quilt Assembly and Sewing Tips
- Press and starch your fabric before cutting. Small squares and triangle blocks can stretch or shift as you work. Starch helps keep the pieces crisp and makes them easier to line up. I did not feel that I needed starch for this quilt, but it can help if your fabric is especially soft or your blocks are becoming wonky.
- Check your seam allowance before you begin. I use a seam allowance ruler to position my needle and a quarter-inch foot with a guide to keep my seams consistent. Just be sure to choose a foot that fits your sewing machine.
- Use a scant quarter-inch seam allowance for the triangle blocks. This gives you a little extra fabric to work with when squaring up the half-square- and quarter-square-triangle blocks.
- Square up every triangle block. Don’t skip squaring up the half-square triangle blocks! You can use almost any square ruler, but I like a couple of specialty rulers for squaring up my blocks. In the past, I have used this template to square up my blocks (I love that you can use it on multiple sizes), but for today’s quilt, since there are several blocks to square up, I purchased this 2.5-inch ruler from Bloc-loc. This template and my spinning cutting mat made quick work of trimming up all those blocks. (I love this spinning cutting mat! It also comes with an ironing mat that, along with my portable iron, is perfect for traveling! (There are less expensive rotating cutting mats out there, but this one is very high quality and large – 17 inches!)
- Press the seams in alternating directions. Press the seams in one row in one direction and the seams in the next row in the opposite direction. This allows the seams to nest when you join the rows.
- Sew the squares into pairs first. Join two squares at a time, then sew the pairs together to build each row. This makes it easier to keep the rows straight and the blocks properly aligned.
Pin this project for later
Where to Get the Free Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt Pattern
The free Jack-o’-Lantern quilt pattern is available in my pattern shop. Click the button below, add the free pattern to your cart, and complete the checkout process. A link to the pattern will be emailed to you, so be sure to enter your email address correctly.
Get the Free Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt Pattern
How to Make a Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt
Skill Level
Beginner-friendly. You should be comfortable using a rotary cutter and sewing with a consistent quarter-inch seam allowance.
Pattern Notes
- WOF means width of fabric.
- Use a quarter-inch seam allowance unless the instructions specify a scant quarter-inch seam.
- RST means right sides together.
- The measurements in the cutting lists are the sizes to cut, not the finished sizes of the sewn blocks.
Materials Needed
- Orange and black fabric in the amounts listed below
- Free Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt Pattern
- quilt batting sized for your quilt
- ruler
- cutting mat
- rotary cutter
- iron
- sewing machine
- Basic Sewing supplies
Recommended Tools
When you start quilting, you’ll need a few basic supplies, like a ruler, a cutting mat, and a rotary cutter. As you start to get more into it, you may find yourself wanting to invest in a few more tools to make cutting and quilting faster and more fun.
These are the specialty tools I used in the making of this Jack-o’-Lantern quilt:
- 2.5-inch template to cut my squares (This is the set I have– I use it all the time, but this little ruler would work as well, and it would work well for squaring up your 2.5-inch half-square and quarter-square triangle blocks.)
- 2.5-inch ruler from Bloc-Loc to trim up my half-square triangles. (or this or this one)
- quarter-inch seam allowance foot and seam allowance ruler
- spinning cutting mat
- portable iron for when I travel or iron right next to my machine on a portable Cutting & Pressing Station.
- Oliso Smart Iron with Auto Lift (my regular iron)
Fabric Amounts for the Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt
For a scrappy quilt, I recommend using a mix of 12 to 16 orange and black prints. The backing amounts below are based on fabric that is approximately 43 inches wide.
Mini quilt:
- Quilt top: Use scraps that are at least 5 inches square. You will be cutting 2.5-inch, 3-inch, and 3.5-inch squares. See the cutting list below for the exact quantities.
- Backing: 1 yard
- Binding: 1/4 yard
Lap quilt:
- Quilt top: Use mostly scraps that are at least 5 inches square, plus a few larger pieces that can accommodate the 5.5-inch and 6-inch squares. See the cutting list below for the exact quantities.
- Backing: 4 yards of approximately 43-inch-wide fabric
- Binding: 1/2 yard
Jack-o’-Lantern Quilt Sewing Instructions
Step 1: Cut the Fabric
Cut your fabric pieces according to the list below.
Mini Quilt
- Cut 84 black 2.5-inch squares.
- Cut 104 orange 2.5-inch squares.
- Cut 11 orange 3-inch squares.
- Cut 10 black 3-inch squares.
- Cut one black 3.5-inch square.
- Cut one orange 3.5-inch square.
Lap Quilt
- Cut 84 black 5-inch squares.
- Cut 104 orange 5-inch squares.
- Cut 11 orange 5.5-inch squares.
- Cut 10 black 5.5-inch squares.
- Cut one black 6-inch square.
- Cut one orange 6-inch square.
Keep the larger squares separate from the main quilt squares. You will use them to make the half-square- and quarter-square-triangle blocks in the next two steps.
Step 2: Make the Half-Square-Triangle Blocks
Both quilt sizes use the same two-at-a-time method to make 20 half-square-triangle blocks. Choose the measurements for the quilt size you are making, then follow the sewing instructions below.
For the mini quilt: Pair the ten black 3-inch squares with ten orange 3-inch squares. Trim the completed half-square-triangle blocks to 2.5 inches square.
For the lap quilt: Pair the ten black 5.5-inch squares with ten orange 5.5-inch squares. Trim the completed half-square-triangle blocks to 5 inches square.
- Place one black and one orange square right sides together.
- Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on the back of the orange square.
- Sew a scant quarter-inch seam on both sides of the drawn line.
- Cut directly along the drawn line to create two half-square-triangle blocks.
- Open and press the blocks, with the seam allowances pressed toward the black fabric.
- Square up each block to the measurement listed above for your quilt size.
Step 3: Make the Quarter-Square-Triangle Blocks
You will make two quarter-square-triangle blocks for the tops of the Jack-o’-Lantern’s eyes. Find your quilt size below, then follow the shared sewing instructions.
- Mini quilt:
- Start with one black 3.5-inch square and one orange 3.5-inch square.
- Trim one completed half-square-triangle block to 3 inches.
- Pair it with one orange 3-inch square, then trim the two completed quarter-square-triangle blocks to 2.5 inches.
- Lap quilt:
- Start with one black 6-inch square and one orange 6-inch square.
- Trim one completed half-square-triangle block to 5.5 inches.
- Pair it with one orange 5.5-inch square, then trim the two completed quarter-square-triangle blocks to 5 inches.
- Place the starting black and orange squares right sides together.
- Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the orange square.
- Sew a scant quarter-inch seam on both sides of the drawn line.
- Cut along the drawn line to make two half-square-triangle blocks.
- Open and press the blocks. Choose one block and trim it to the size listed above for your quilt. Save the second block for another project.
- Place the trimmed half-square-triangle block right sides together with the additional orange square. The two pieces should be the same size.
- Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the orange square. The drawn line should cross the seam of the half-square-triangle block, forming an X.
- Sew a scant quarter-inch seam on both sides of the drawn line.
- Cut along the drawn line to make two quarter-square-triangle blocks.
- Open and press the blocks. Trim both blocks to the finished size listed above for your quilt.
Step 4: Arrange the Quilt Blocks
Arrange all the squares and triangle blocks according to the quilt layout included in the pattern. Move the fabric prints around until you are happy with the color placement. Double-check the direction of the half-square- and quarter-square-triangle blocks, then take a quick photo of the finished layout to reference while sewing the rows together. I love using my portable design wall for this step.
Step 5: Sew the Blocks into Rows
Working with one row at a time, sew the blocks into pairs using a quarter-inch seam allowance. Join the pairs together until the row is complete, then return the finished row to your design wall to keep everything in order.
Press all the seams in the first row in one direction and the seams in the next row in the opposite direction. Continue alternating the pressing direction from row to row so the seams will nest when you sew the rows together.
Step 6: Sew the Rows Together
Place the first two rows right sides together, matching and nesting the seams. Pin at the seam intersections as needed, then sew the rows together with a quarter-inch seam allowance.
Continue adding the remaining rows in order, checking the pattern or your layout photo as you work. Press each long row seam to one side, then give the completed Jack-o’-Lantern quilt top a final press.
The finished quilt top will look something like this:
Step 7: Quilt and Bind the Quilt
Place the backing fabric wrong side up, followed by the batting and the quilt top right side up. Smooth the layers and baste them together using your preferred method. Quilt the layers as desired, then trim the excess batting and backing even with the quilt top. Finish by adding the binding around all four edges.
If you make a Jack-o’-Lantern quilt, I would love to hear how yours turned out!
Share Your Finished Project!
Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmompatterns! You can also share an image to my private Facebook sewing group!
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Jack-O-Lantern Quilt Pattern for Halloween
Make a fun and colorful patchwork Jack-o’-Lantern quilt for Halloween. The free pattern includes a 28- by 30-inch mini/wall quilt and a 63- by 68-inch lap/throw quilt.
Materials
- Orange and black fabric in the amounts listed in the post
- Free Jack-o’-Lantern quilt pattern
- Quilt batting sized for your quilt
- Backing fabric
- Binding fabric
- Coordinating thread
- Quilting ruler
- Cutting mat
- Rotary cutter
- Iron
- Sewing machine
- Basic sewing supplies
Instructions
Step 1: Cut the Fabric
Cut the fabric pieces for the quilt size you are making.
Mini/wall quilt:
- Cut 84 black 2.5-inch squares.
- Cut 104 orange 2.5-inch squares.
- Cut 11 orange 3-inch squares.
- Cut 10 black 3-inch squares.
- Cut one black 3.5-inch square.
- Cut one orange 3.5-inch square.
Lap/throw quilt:
- Cut 84 black 5-inch squares.
- Cut 104 orange 5-inch squares.
- Cut 11 orange 5.5-inch squares.
- Cut 10 black 5.5-inch squares.
- Cut one black 6-inch square.
- Cut one orange 6-inch square.
Keep the larger squares separate from the main quilt squares. You will use them to make the half-square- and quarter-square-triangle blocks.
Step 2: Make the Half-Square-Triangle Blocks
Both quilt sizes use the same two-at-a-time method to make 20 half-square-triangle blocks.
- Mini quilt: Pair the ten black 3-inch squares with ten orange 3-inch squares. Trim the completed blocks to 2.5 inches square.
- Lap quilt: Pair the ten black 5.5-inch squares with ten orange 5.5-inch squares. Trim the completed blocks to 5 inches square.
Place one black and one orange square right sides together. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the orange square. Sew a scant quarter-inch seam on both sides of the line, then cut along the line to make two half-square-triangle blocks. Open and press the blocks toward the black fabric. Square up each block to the measurement listed for your quilt size.
Step 3: Make the Quarter-Square-Triangle Blocks
You will make two quarter-square-triangle blocks for the tops of the Jack-o’-Lantern’s eyes.
- Mini quilt:
Start with one black 3.5-inch square and one orange 3.5-inch square.
Trim one completed half-square-triangle block to 3 inches.
Pair it with one orange 3-inch square, then trim the two completed quarter-square-triangle blocks to 2.5 inches. - Lap quilt:
Start with one black 6-inch square and one orange 6-inch square.
Trim one completed half-square-triangle block to 5.5 inches.
Pair it with one orange 5.5-inch square, then trim the two completed quarter-square-triangle blocks to 5 inches.
Place the starting black and orange squares right sides together. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the orange square. Sew a scant quarter-inch seam on both sides of the line, then cut along the line to make two half-square-triangle blocks.
Open and press the blocks. Choose one block and trim it to the size listed for your quilt. Save the second block for another project.
Place the trimmed half-square-triangle block right sides together with the additional orange square. Draw a diagonal line on the back of the orange square so it crosses the seam of the half-square-triangle block, forming an X.
Sew a scant quarter-inch seam on both sides of the line. Cut along the line to make two quarter-square-triangle blocks. Open and press the blocks, then trim both to the finished size listed for your quilt.
Step 4: Arrange the Quilt Blocks
Using a design wall or a clean floor, arrange all the squares and triangle blocks according to the quilt layout included in the pattern. Move the fabric prints around until you are happy with the color placement. Double-check the direction of the triangle blocks, then take a photo of the finished layout to reference while sewing.
Step 5: Sew the Blocks into Rows
Working with one row at a time, sew the blocks into pairs using a quarter-inch seam allowance. Join the pairs until the row is complete. Press the seams in the first row in one direction and the seams in the next row in the opposite direction. Continue alternating the pressing direction from row to row.
Step 6: Sew the Rows Together
Place the first two rows right sides together, matching and nesting the seams. Pin at the seam intersections as needed, then sew the rows together with a quarter-inch seam allowance. Continue adding the remaining rows in order. Press each long row seam to one side, then give the completed quilt top a final press.
Step 7: Quilt and Bind the Quilt
Place the backing fabric wrong side up, followed by the batting and the quilt top right side up. Smooth the layers and baste them together using your preferred method. Quilt the layers as desired, then trim the excess batting and backing even with the quilt top. Finish by adding the binding around all four edges.
So cute! Can’t wait to make it for Halloween