Apr
Basic Single-Layer Flowers Are Where You Should Start
Okay so last spring around March 2022 I was sitting on my couch watching some reality show I can’t even remember which one and decided I wanted to make flowers because I saw someone’s bag covered in them on Instagram. The easiest pattern is literally just a magic ring with like 5 chain loops coming out of it. You make a magic ring, chain 3, then do (slip stitch, chain 3) five times around. Pull the magic ring tight and you’ve got a flat flower with five petals.
I used Red Heart Super Saver in that bright yellow color because that’s what I had laying around. The thing that annoyed me so much about making flowers is that the magic ring kept coming loose on me, like I’d pull it tight and think it was secure but then I’d pick up the flower later and there’d be this gap in the middle. You gotta really hold onto that tail while you work the first few stitches or it just loosens up on you.
The Chain Loop Method
Most free patterns online use the chain loop thing for petals. You chain however many stitches they tell you, then work back down the chain with different stitches to make it fan out. A typical petal might be: chain 4, then working back toward the base you do 1 slip stitch, 1 single crochet, 1 half double crochet, 1 double crochet into the ring, then slip stitch into the ring to finish that petal.
The number of chains and the stitch combinations change the petal shape. More chains make longer petals obviously. Using taller stitches like double or triple crochet makes them wider at the tips.
Layered Flowers Look Way Fancier But Aren’t Much Harder
In summer 2024 I made a bunch of layered roses because my friend was getting married and I thought I could make decorations but then she ended up not wanting them which was fine whatever. Layered flowers are just multiple rounds worked on top of each other. You make a small flower base, then work another round of petals behind or in front of the first round.
For a basic layered flower you start with a magic ring and do like 6 single crochets into it. Then for the first layer of petals you might do (slip stitch, chain 2, 3 double crochet, chain 2, slip stitch) into each stitch around. That gives you 6 small petals. Then for the second layer you work into the back loops or behind the first layer—you chain up to reach behind the petals and work into the base stitches again but with longer chains and more stitches so the second layer petals are bigger.
I used Lily Sugar’n Cream because I wanted cotton flowers that would hold their shape better. Acrylic gets kind of floppy depending on the pattern.
The Back Post Thing That Confused Me Forever
Some patterns tell you to work in the “back post” of stitches from the previous round to create the second layer. I’m not gonna lie I didn’t understand this for months. What they mean is you insert your hook from the back side, around the post of the stitch, so your new stitches sit behind the first layer of petals. It’s not complicated once you see it but reading the instructions was confusing as hell.
You can also just chain between petals to create spaces, then work the second layer into those chain spaces. That’s easier to visualize.
Actual Free Patterns I’ve Used
There’s this one pattern on a blog called Repeat Crafter Me that has a simple 5-petal flower that takes maybe 10 minutes. It’s good for using up scrap yarn. The blogger has a video too which helps if you’re a visual person. Her flowers are flat and basic but that’s honestly what you want when you’re starting because the fancy ones with 47 steps are just discouraging.
Dabbles and Babbles has a rose pattern that’s free and actually looks like a rose, not just a blob. You work in a spiral and it naturally curls as you go. The only annoying part is you have to sew the base together at the end to make it hold the rose shape, and I hate sewing things. But it does look really good when it’s done.
For a sunflower specifically there’s a pattern on the Croby Patterns website that’s free. You make a brown or black center with a bunch of single crochets worked in a spiral until it’s the size you want, then you add yellow petals around the edge. The petals are worked directly into the edge of the center circle which means no sewing pieces together.
Ravelry Has Everything But Good Luck Finding It
Ravelry obviously has thousands of flower patterns free and paid. You can filter by free only. The search function is kind of a mess though because people tag things inconsistently. I usually search “crochet flower free” and then filter by projects to see what people actually made, because sometimes the pattern photos look great but then real people make it and it looks totally different.
Some good designers who have free flower patterns on there: GoldenLucyCrafts, Ashton11, and there’s someone called Zoom Yummy I think? who has realistic looking flowers. I made her poppy pattern once and it actually looked like a poppy which was surprising because usually my stuff looks kind of wonky.
Yarn Choice Actually Matters More Than I Thought
When I first started making flowers I just used whatever yarn I had which was mostly Red Heart Super Saver in random colors. It works fine but the flowers are kind of limp and don’t hold their shape that well unless you make them really tight. For flowers that you want to stand up or keep their form you want either cotton or a stiffer acrylic.
Lily Sugar’n Cream is cotton and cheap and comes in a ton of colors. It’s what I use most now for flowers. The stitches show up really clearly and the finished flowers feel more substantial. Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK is also good and slightly softer than Lily but more expensive.
If you want flowers with more drape like for a shawl edge or something then regular acrylic works better. I used Caron Simply Soft once to make flowers to sew onto a baby blanket and they were soft and didn’t add too much bulk.
Thread crochet flowers are a whole other thing that I’ve only tried once. You use actual crochet thread and a tiny hook like a 1.5mm and the flowers come out really delicate and detailed. I bought some Aunt Lydia’s crochet thread to try it but honestly it hurt my hands after like 20 minutes so I gave up. My cat kept trying to eat the thread too which didn’t help.
Hook Size Changes Everything
The pattern usually tells you what hook size to use but I’ve learned that going down a hook size makes the flower stiffer and tighter, which is good for flowers that need to hold a 3D shape like roses. Going up a hook size makes it lacier and more open which looks good for decorative flowers on garments.
Most flower patterns use hooks between 3.5mm and 5mm. The tiny flowers people put on baby hats usually use a 3mm or 3.5mm with sport weight yarn.
Making Flowers Actually Stay On Things
This is the part that annoyed me the most honestly—I’d make all these flowers and then have no idea how to attach them to stuff properly. Sewing them on with regular thread doesn’t work great because the thread breaks easily. You need to use yarn to sew them on, with a yarn needle.
For flat flowers going onto flat surfaces like blankets or bags, you just stitch through the back of the flower center and through your base fabric a few times. I usually do a star pattern of stitches to make sure it’s secure.
For 3D flowers like roses that you want to make into a pin or hair clip, you need to buy those pin backs or hair clip blanks. You can get them cheap on Amazon in packs of like 50. You use hot glue or fabric glue to attach the flower to the hardware. E6000 glue works better than hot glue because it’s more flexible, but it takes longer to dry and smells terrible so do it outside or with a window open.
The Stiffening Options
Some people stiffen their flowers with fabric stiffener spray or watered-down white glue. I tried this once with some white flowers I made to go on a wreath and it worked okay but they got kind of shiny and stiff looking which wasn’t really the vibe I wanted. It does help them hold their shape though if you’re gonna put them somewhere they might get squished.
The spray stuff is easier than the glue method. You just spray the flower, shape it how you want it, and let it dry. Mod Podge also works if you water it down like 50/50 with water and paint it on with a brush.
Patterns That Aren’t Actually Free
This is annoying but you gotta watch out for it—sometimes you’ll find a pattern listed as free on Pinterest or Google but when you click through it’s actually a paid pattern and just the photo is free to look at. Or they make you sign up for their email list to get the “free” pattern and then you get spam forever.
Actually free patterns will have the full instructions right there on the page or in a PDF you can download without entering your email. If a site makes you create an account or enter payment info it’s not really free.
Weird Flower Shapes I’ve Tried
Most flowers are round but there are patterns for other shapes too. I made a daffodil once that had a trumpet center sticking out from flat petals. You make the petals flat in a circle, then work the trumpet separately in rounds and sew it to the center. It was fiddly but looked cool when it was done.
There are also patterns for cherry blossoms with notched petals, morning glories that are cone-shaped, and even orchids which are complicated as hell with like 6 different pieces you make separately and then assemble. I haven’t tried the orchid yet because it seems like a lot of work for something that might end up looking weird.
Succulents are kind of flowers I guess? There are patterns for those too and they’re actually easier than regular flowers because they’re just geometric shapes stacked on each other. I made a little crochet succulent garden in a bowl last year and people thought I bought it which was satisfying.
The African Flower Motif
This isn’t a realistic flower but it’s called African flower and it’s a hexagon motif that looks really cool. You start with a flower center then work outward in rounds with color changes to create a geometric pattern. People use them to make blankets or bags or even stuff animals—there are patterns for hippos and elephants made entirely of African flower hexagons sewn together.
The basic African flower pattern is free all over the internet because it’s been around forever. It’s good for using scrap yarn because you can do each round in a different color. I made a bunch of them thinking I’d make a blanket but then I only made like 15 and gave up because sewing hexagons together is tedious.
Video Tutorials vs Written Patterns
I learned mostly from written patterns because that’s just how I started, but video tutorials are honestly easier for flowers because you can see how the petals are supposed to look as you go. Bella Coco on YouTube has good flower tutorials that are actually free and not trying to sell you something the whole time. She talks through each step clearly and shows close-ups of where to put your hook.
Jayda InStitches is another YouTube channel with free flower patterns and she does them in real time so you can crochet along with her. Some tutorial videos are sped up which is useless because you can’t follow along, but hers aren’t.
The annoying thing about video tutorials is you have to keep pausing and rewinding if you miss something, whereas with written patterns you can just read the step again. But for figuring out weird construction things like how to attach a second layer or where exactly to work the back post stitches, video is way more helpful.
What To Actually Do With All These Flowers
Okay so you make a bunch of flowers and then what. I have a whole bag of flowers I made that I haven’t done anything with yet. Some ideas that actually work:
- Sew them onto a plain tote bag to make it less boring
- Put them on bobby pins or hair elastics for kids or I guess adults if that’s your thing
- Make a garland by stringing them on ribbon or yarn
- Sew them to a plain headband
- Use them as gift toppers instead of bows
- Make a bouquet and put it in a vase—they last longer than real flowers obviously
- Sew a bunch onto a pillowcase
- Attach them to a wreath form with hot glue
I made flowers to go around a mirror frame once and it actually looked pretty good. I just hot glued them directly to the frame in a pattern around the edge. Used different sizes and colors to make it more interesting.
Some people sell them on Etsy or at craft fairs but I don’t know if there’s actually a market for crochet flowers anymore since you can buy fake flowers everywhere for cheap. Maybe if you make really realistic ones or use nice yarn.
