Three flowers, one technique: a flat disc for the centre, a thin 5-stitch stem that widens once into the receptacle, and the two pressed together while the petals are crocheted through both thicknesses. That single move is what makes these flowers look like real blooms rather than circles with fringes — the petals grow out of a closed pod, not off the edge of a disc.
All three are small, between 4 and 6 cm, and they are worked in sport weight cotton on a 2.25 mm hook for the flowers and a 2.5 mm hook for the animals. Sunflower, daisy and tulip share the stem; only the centre, the petal count and the leaf shape change.
Every round is written out below.
What you need
- Yarn: sport weight cotton — green for stems and leaves, brown and yellow for the sunflower, yellow and white for the daisy, purple and green for the tulip
- Hook: 2.25 mm
- Notions: fibre fill, sewing needle, pins
Abbreviations
MR magic ring, sc single crochet, hdc half double crochet, dc double crochet, ch chain, slst slip stitch, inc increase, dec decrease, bobble three hdc joined at the top.
Sunflower
Leaves (make 2)
Into a magic ring: ch 3, 2 dc, hdc, ch 2, hdc, 2 dc, ch 3, slst, then pull the ring tight. Leave a tail.
Disc floret
- R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
- R2: inc in each stitch (12)
- R3: (inc, sc) x6 (16)
- R4: sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x5, sc (24)
Stem and receptacle
- R1: 5 sc in MR (5)
- R2–19: 5 sc — 18 rounds
- R20: 4 sc, inc (6)
- R21: inc in each stitch (12)
- R22: (inc, sc) x6 (16)
- R23: sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x5, sc (24)
Petals
Hold the disc and the receptacle wrong sides together and work through both: (ch 2, bobble of 3 hdc in the next stitch, ch 2, slst into the back ridge of the second chain from the hook, ch 3, slst in the next stitch) — one petal. Repeat eleven more times, stuffing lightly before the last petals close the flower. Sew the leaves to the stem.
Daisy
Leaves (make 2)
Ch 5. From the second chain: sc, dc, hdc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the last chain; then back along the other side: hdc, dc, sc.
Disc floret
- R1: 8 sc in MR (8)
- R2: (inc, 3 sc) x2 (10)
- R3: 10 sc (10)
Stem and receptacle
- R1: 5 sc in MR (5)
- R2–20: 5 sc — 19 rounds
- R21: inc in each stitch (10)
Petals
Disc and receptacle together again: (ch 5, from the second chain work into the back ridge: hdc in the next 3 chains, sc in the last chain, slst in the next stitch). Ten petals in total, in pink, blue or white.
Tulip
Leaves (make 2)
Ch 11. From the second chain, into the back ridge: slst, 2 sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, hdc, sc, slst.
Petals (make 3)
- R1: ch 8, from the second chain: inc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, 3 sc in the last chain; back along the other side: hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc (16)
- R2: sc, inc, 6 sc, inc, 6 sc, inc (19)
Stem
- R1: 5 sc in MR (5)
- R2–15: 5 sc — 14 rounds, then change to purple
- R16: inc in each stitch (10)
- R17: (sc, inc) x5 (15)
- R18–20: 15 sc — 3 rounds
Stuff lightly.
- R21: (sc, dec) x5 (10)
- R22: (3 sc, dec) x2 (8)
Close the remaining stitches. The tulip is the only one of the three where the cup is crocheted rather than assembled: the purple continues straight out of the green stem. Sew the three petals on, then the leaves.
Assembly and finishing
- Stuff the receptacle only lightly — a hard centre pushes the petals out of line.
- Sew the leaves so their base disappears into the stem, not onto it.
- For a potted set, work a small pot in the same green-brown palette and sit the stem in it with a little glue.
Notes
The petals are worked through two thicknesses, so keep the hook small: a loose tension opens gaps between the disc and the receptacle and the stuffing shows. If your sunflower petals curl backwards, you worked the bobble into the chain instead of the next stitch.
More flowers and small makes: Baby Sunflower is the sunflower with legs, Mini Ribbed Pumpkin is the autumn one, and Avocado Family is the pair with faces. Everything is on the patterns page.
Pattern source: 3 Kittens, flower section — sunflower, daisy and tulip.
