Easy Crochet Flower Pattern (Free Beginner Applique)

If you have ever finished a plain crochet hat, bag, or blanket and felt like it needed just one more small, pretty detail, this is the pattern you reach for. This little five-petal flower works up in one round from a single magic ring, uses only two stitches you likely already know, and takes just a few minutes from first loop to fastened-off tail. Keep a small stack of these in your project basket in different colors, and you will always have a sweet, ready-made embellishment on hand the moment a plain project needs one.

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn (yarn weight #4), a small amount per flower – another great scrap-yarn project
• 5.0mm (US H-8) crochet hook
• Yarn needle, for weaving in ends and sewing the flower onto your project
• Scissors
• A button or small bead, optional, for the center

Abbreviations used in this pattern: MR = magic ring (an adjustable loop that starts most crochet worked in the round, closed by pulling its tail snug after your first stitches are in place), ch = chain, dc = double crochet, sc = single crochet, sl st = slip stitch, st(s) = stitch(es).

This flower is worked a little differently than most rounds you may have tried before: instead of building up a flat circle first, you work all five petals directly into the magic ring itself, one right after another, so they fan outward from a single center point like a little pinwheel. Because you are counting petals rather than individual stitches here, the easiest way to stay on track is to pause after every petal and count how many you have made so far before starting the next one.

The Pattern

One-Color Center

– Make a magic ring, but do not pull the tail closed yet. – Petal 1: Ch 3, work 3 dc into the ring, ch 3, sl st into the ring. – Repeat that same sequence – ch 3, 3 dc into the ring, ch 3, sl st into the ring – four more times, working every repeat into the same ring, until you have made 5 petals in total. – Pull the magic ring’s tail snug to close the center opening completely. – Join with a sl st to the base of your very first petal to complete the round. – Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail for sewing the flower onto your project later.

Each petal is that little cluster of 3 dc, framed on either side by a ch-3 that curves it into a rounded petal shape, with the sl st acting as the small pinch point between one petal and the next. Stop and count your petals before joining – you are looking for exactly 5 evenly spaced petals fanning out around the center.

Two-Color Center (Optional)

If you would like a flower with a contrasting little dot at its center, work the base as its own small round first, then add the petals in a second color.

– Rnd 1 (Color A): Make a magic ring and work 5 sc into it. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Pull the tail to close the ring. (5 sts) – Fasten off Color A, leaving a short tail to weave in later. – Rnd 2 (Color B): Join Color B in any st from Rnd 1. *Ch 3, 3 dc in the same st, ch 3, sl st in the next st* – work this sequence a total of 5 times, moving one stitch further around Rnd 1 each time. The fifth sl st lands you right back in the stitch where you started, closing the round on its own. (5 petals) – Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

This version gives you a neat little ring of Color A peeking out at the very center of the flower, with the Color B petals radiating outward from each of those 5 base stitches – a lovely way to use up two coordinating scraps at once. It also gives you a second, slightly sturdier construction to fall back on: because the petals anchor into real stitches instead of directly into the ring, this version holds its shape a touch more firmly, which can be nice for a flower that will get handled a lot, like one clipped to a bag strap.

A Note on Sizing

With worsted weight yarn and a 5.0mm hook, either version of this flower typically finishes at about 2-2.5 in (5-6.5 cm) across from petal tip to petal tip, which is a comfortable size for a hat brim, a bag flap, or the side of a headband without overwhelming the piece it sits on. If you need something smaller for a delicate accessory, or larger to use as a standalone applique or a garland piece, the hook and yarn adjustments in the tips below will get you there without changing a single step of the pattern itself.

Finishing

Weave in every yarn tail through a few stitches on the back of the flower, pulling snug and trimming close so nothing pokes through to the front. If your petals are curling instead of lying flat, a light steam from a distance (or a gentle press with a warm iron over a damp cloth, checking your yarn label first) relaxes the stitches into place – let the flower cool and dry completely before you move it. For a flower that needs to hold a crisper shape, such as one destined for a hair clip, a light coat of fabric stiffener or even diluted craft glue brushed onto the back and left to dry flat will firm it right up.

To attach your finished flower, thread your yarn needle with the leftover tail and simply sew straight through the fabric of your hat, bag, or headband from the back, catching the center of the flower a few times until it sits securely. A button or small bead stitched into the very center, right through that closed magic ring, covers the join neatly and gives the flower a tidy, finished focal point.

Tips for Success

Gauge is flexible here, and that is a good thing. Because this motif is small and worked in one round, slight tension differences barely matter – focus on even petals rather than an exact finished size.

A larger hook makes a bigger, floppier flower; a smaller hook makes a tighter, crisper one. Try a 4.0mm hook for a smaller accent flower, or a 6.0mm hook with the same yarn for a bigger statement bloom.

Want fuller petals? Work 4 dc into the ring instead of 3 for a slightly plumper, rounder petal shape – the rest of the pattern stays exactly the same.

This one motif has endless uses. Sew a single flower onto the brim of a beanie, cluster three together on the flap of a bag, or line up a row of them along a headband – the same quick five-petal round dresses up almost anything you have already made.

Once you have made your first one, you will see just how quickly a plain project can go from simple to genuinely special with one small, colorful flower. Keep your hook handy and a few scraps within reach, because after the first flower, most crocheters find it very hard to stop at just one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the petals be a different color from the center?

Yes – the Two-Color Center variation walks you through working a small base round in one color first, then adding the petals in a second color for a contrasting center dot.

How big does the finished flower end up?

With worsted weight yarn and a 5.0mm hook, most flowers finish at about 2-2.5 in (5-6.5 cm) across from petal tip to petal tip, though a smaller or larger hook will size it up or down.

Can I make the petals fuller or rounder?

Yes – working 4 dc into the ring instead of 3 for each petal gives a plumper, rounder shape while keeping every other step of the pattern exactly the same.

What can I sew this flower onto?

It works well on a hat brim, a bag flap, a headband, or a hair clip – anywhere a small, quick embellishment would add a finishing touch to a plain project.

— NoraEvery pattern hand-tested