8 Petal Crochet Flower Pattern: A Simple Flat Bloom in 5 Steps

Every crocheter needs one perfect little flat flower they can make from memory, and this 8 petal crochet flower pattern is mine: five short rounds, exactly eight rounded petals, and a delicate picot edge that makes it look far more accomplished than it is. Because the flower lies completely flat, it is made for applique work — sew it onto baby blankets, hats, cardigans, tote bags and cushion covers, or join a pile of them into bunting. The whole flower takes about fifteen minutes and uses only a few grams of yarn, so it is the ideal way to use up the ends of balls left over from bigger projects. If you can chain, single crochet and double crochet, you can make this flower today, and the round-by-round counts below mean you will never have to guess whether you are on track.

What You Need for This 8 Petal Crochet Flower Pattern

This flower is written for DK cotton yarn, a category 3 yarn in the Craft Yarn Council’s standard yarn weight system — cotton holds a crisp petal edge and photographs beautifully, though a smooth acrylic DK works just as well. You need only about 5 g (roughly 15 yd / 14 m) in a centre colour such as soft yellow, and about 12 g (roughly 36 yd / 33 m) in your petal colour; white, blush and lavender are all lovely against a yellow centre. Work with a 4 mm (US G-6) crochet hook, which gives petals that are firm but still soft enough to sew down flat. You will also want a tapestry needle for weaving in the three short ends, and a stitch marker is genuinely useful here — five rounds is few enough that it is easy to lose track of where a round began, especially on the petal round.

Useful Materials from Amazon

This is a scrap-friendly project, but a few good basics make it quicker and neater. A small ball of mercerised DK cotton gives the petals their defined edge and the flower a slight sheen that reads beautifully in photographs.

A 4 mm hook is the sweet spot for DK cotton flowers — small enough for a tidy centre, large enough that the double crochet petals stay soft and rounded.

Slip a stitch marker into the first stitch of each round and you will never have to count backwards to find where the petal round started.

A blunt tapestry needle weaves the three ends invisibly through the back of the centre and is also the tool you will use to sew the finished flower onto blankets and garments.

Before You Start: Size, Gauge and Abbreviations

Finished size: the completed flower measures approximately 3¼ in (8.5 cm) across from petal tip to petal tip, and lies flat at about ⅛ in (3 mm) thick — perfect for applique.

Gauge: after Round 2, the centre circle should measure about 1¼ in (3 cm) across with DK cotton and a 4 mm hook. Gauge is not critical for a flower, but if your circle is much larger, your finished flower will be bigger and softer; drop to a 3.5 mm hook for a smaller, firmer bloom to use as a button-sized embellishment.

Abbreviations (US terms): ch = chain; sc = single crochet; hdc = half double crochet; dc = double crochet; sl st = slip stitch; st(s) = stitch(es); sp = space; rep = repeat; MR = magic ring.

A note on counting: this flower has eight petals because the very first round has eight stitches, and every later round is a multiple of eight. If your stitch count is ever not a multiple of eight, stop and fix it on that round rather than the next — the petals can only come out even if the base stays even. For a bigger, more layered bloom once you have mastered this one, the layered 12 petal flower crochet pattern builds on exactly the same idea.

Step 1: Work the Centre Ring

With your centre colour, make a magic ring. Chain 1 (this does not count as a stitch), then work 8 single crochet into the ring. Pull the ring closed firmly and join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. You have 8 single crochet — one for each future petal. If you prefer not to use a magic ring, chain 4 and slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring, then work the 8 single crochet into that ring instead; the result is the same, with a slightly larger hole at the very centre that the next round covers. Place your stitch marker in the first stitch if you are using one, and give the tail of the ring a second gentle tug once the join is made so the centre stays tightly closed.

Step 2: Double the Centre Circle

Chain 1, then work 2 single crochet in every stitch around — 8 increases in total. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. You now have 16 single crochet, and the circle should lie perfectly flat at about 1¼ in (3 cm) across. If it is cupping upward, your first round was probably a little tight; if it is ruffling, the increases are too loose — either way, this is the moment to check, because a centre that does not lie flat will never give you a flat flower. At the joining slip stitch, change to your petal colour: pull the new colour through for the slip stitch itself, then fasten off the centre colour, leaving a short tail to weave in later.

Step 3: Build the Petal Base Ring

This round creates the eight openings the petals will grow from. With the petal colour, chain 3 (this counts as the first double crochet), then work 1 more double crochet in the same stitch, chain 1, and skip the next stitch. *Work 2 double crochet in the next stitch, chain 1, skip the next stitch; repeat from * six more times. You should have 8 groups of 2 double crochet, separated by 8 chain-1 spaces, using all 16 stitches of the previous round. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the starting chain-3. Count the chain spaces before you move on — there must be exactly 8, because each one becomes one petal in the next round. This base ring is the same kind of foundation used in the centre of the sunburst granny square crochet pattern, which is a lovely next project once flowers feel easy.

Step 4: Crochet the Eight Petals

Slip stitch into the first chain-1 space. Now work one whole petal into that space as follows: chain 1, then single crochet, half double crochet, 3 double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet — 7 stitches in total, all in the same chain-1 space. *Move to the next chain-1 space and work the same petal (single crochet, half double crochet, 3 double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet); repeat from * six more times, until all 8 spaces hold a petal. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet of the first petal. You now have exactly 8 petals and 56 stitches in the round. The flower will look a little ruffled at this stage, which is normal — the edging round and a light finger-press settle the petals flat. Count the petals, not just the stitches: eight distinct scallops, each rising to a point at its middle double crochet.

Step 5: Add the Picot Edge and Finish

Chain 1. Work around each petal in turn: single crochet in each of the first 3 stitches of the petal, then at the fourth stitch — the centre double crochet, which is the petal tip — work a single crochet, chain 2, and slip stitch into the top of that same single crochet to form a small picot point, then single crochet in each of the remaining 3 stitches of the petal. Repeat around all 8 petals: 56 single crochet and 8 picots in total. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet, fasten off leaving a tail of about 8 in (20 cm) if you plan to sew the flower onto something, or a short tail for weaving in. Weave in all ends on the back of the flower, then press the petals flat with your fingers or under a book for a few minutes. Your flower is finished — flat, even, and ready to sew down.

Troubleshooting: Flat Flowers Every Time

Three small problems account for almost every wobbly flower, and all three are easy to fix. If your centre circle cups into a little bowl after Round 2, your magic ring was pulled too tight or your single crochet is naturally snug — block the finished flower under a damp cloth for an hour, or simply work Round 1 a touch more loosely next time; a slight cup at this stage disappears once the petals are added and the flower is sewn down. If the circle ruffles like a lettuce leaf instead, you are probably adding an extra stitch at the joins; count aloud on Round 2 until the rhythm of two-in-every-stitch feels automatic. Uneven petals almost always come from one chain-1 space in Round 3 being skipped or doubled — count the spaces before starting Round 4, because a petal round worked over 7 or 9 spaces can never be coaxed into eight even petals afterwards. Finally, if a visible hole remains at the very centre, thread the magic ring tail onto your needle, run it once around the base of the first round on the back, and pull gently: the hole closes completely and stays closed.

Simple Variations on the Basic Flower

Once the basic flower feels easy, small changes give you a whole garden. Work Rounds 1 and 2 in the petal colour as well for a solid-colour bloom, or change colour again before Round 4 so the base ring and petals contrast. For a smaller flower, stop after Round 4 and skip the picot edge; for a frillier one, replace the 3 double crochet in each petal with 5. The construction is also a gentle introduction to the layered look of the multi petal crochet flower pattern and the festive shape of the poinsettia crochet flower pattern, both of which start from this same eight-stitch logic.

Ways to Use Your Finished Flowers

Sew one flower to the corner of a baby blanket, a row of them along the brim of a sun hat, or a cluster of three to the strap of a tote bag, using the long tail and small stitches through the back of the centre so nothing shows from the front. A dozen in mixed colours thread beautifully onto a chain for the mini crochet flowers garland pattern, and a single flower with a button sewn at its centre makes a brooch or hair clip your gift recipient will actually wear. Because each one takes minutes and grams, they are the friendliest stash-buster on the site — make a few tonight, and you will be surprised how quickly a whole bouquet accumulates.