My Crochet Applique Butterfly Pattern is one of the easiest methods to make a 3D applique butterfly. Soon you’ll have a whole swarm of butterflies ready for your next project.
With just a little time and creativity, you’ll soon have a whole swarm of butterflies ready to brighten up your next project, whether it’s a cozy blanket, a stylish bag, or even a decorative wall hanging!
Initially, I always thought that making a crochet mini butterfly was a challenging task based on how intricate they looked when finished. The delicate curves and details gave the impression that they required advanced skills.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they are actually quite simple to construct! Once my interest was piqued, I decided to give it a try, and I was amazed at how quickly I could whip up these lovely little creatures.
Here’s a little secret: the construction of these crochet butterflies is very similar to making a flower or an African flower, but with 8 petals instead of the usual 5 or 6. This straightforward approach makes it accessible for crocheters of all skill levels, allowing anyone to create beautiful crochet butterflies that can add a whimsical touch to any project.
If you find making the African crochet flowers fun and beautiful, check out my other patterns that use them! Like my crochet turtle coaster pattern and my crochet African flower bag pattern!
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✏️ Things To Note:
- Yarn Type. I used regular worsted weight acrylic yarn for this mini crochet butterfly project, but you can use any type of yarn. Even scrap yarn can work because it uses very little amount of yarn!
- Scrap Yarn. I utilized scrap yarn to make the butterflies since they are so small and require very little yarn. This is a great scrap yarn buster project, or you can use new skeins of yarn if you prefer. Some of my favorite scrap yarn projects include my crochet solar system pattern and my crochet moss stitch scarf pattern.
- Finished Size. The finished butterfly is roughly 2.5-3 inches long when using worsted weight yarn.
🪡 Materials Needed
- Scrap yarn
- 4.5mm hook
- Tapestry needle
💭Abbreviations to Remember (US terms)
- Magic ring - mr
- Double crochet - dc
- Chain - ch
- Slip stitch - sl st
🧋Variations
- Try out different color combinations!
- You can also attach a keychain to the butterfly to make it a crochet butterfly keychain.
🍵Instructions for Crochet Applique Butterfly Pattern
The Crochet Applique Butterfly Pattern is made in rounds.
Round 1: Start with a mr, ch x3 (counts as a dc) and dc x1 into the mr.
Ch x1, then *dc x2, ch x1. Repeat from * 6 more times.
Then sl st to the beginning chains at the start of the round. There Should be 16 dc and 8 ch spaces in the circle.
If you are making a 2 toned butterfly, now is the time to fasten off the first color and switch the color to your second color right where you left off.
Round 2: With the newly joined second color, ch x1 and make a *sl st between the set of dc posts (not the chain space).
Dc x6 into the ch space. Repeat from * 7 more times.
Sl st to the first sl st in the round. Fasten off. (8 petals in total)
Now is when you need to weave in any yarn tails before assembling the butterfly.
The flower should not lay flat, it would be slightly wavy.
Fold the 8 petaled flower in half. Make sure the petals from one side line up with the other side. Now you should see that the petals look like 4 wings, 2 on each side.
Butterfly Middle:
With the black yarn ch x11 and fasten off. Leave a 3 inch tail in the beginning and at the end of the chain.
Fold the chain over the middle of the butterfly with the 2 ends at the top. Tie the 2 ends together and slightly trim the antennas.
And now you have a small crochet butterfly made from my crochet applique pattern! I hope you enjoyed the pattern!
If you make the mini crochet butterfly into a keychain, you can add it to my crochet lemon bag pattern or my crochet strawberry bag pattern for extra whimsy.
🐌Expert Tips
- Weaving in Ends: Weaving in your ends before assembling the butterfly is important. If you do it after assembly, it can be difficult and fiddly.
- Yarn Choice: Consider using yarn with a slight sheen for a more vibrant butterfly effect.
- Experiment with Shapes: You can experiment with different petal shapes for a unique butterfly design.
🧵Pattern FAQs
Absolutely! The butterfly will be closer to 4-5 inches if you make it with chunky yarn.
You can make it into a keychain by carefully inserting a keyring into one of the top wing crochet stitches. Just be careful not to snag the yarn! You can check out my crochet rainbow keychain pattern to use more yarn scraps.
You can sew the bottom wings to your project with yarn used for the butterfly wings.
🧶More Crochet Spring Patterns
If you tried this Crochet Applique Butterfly Pattern (or any other pattern on my website), please let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Crochet Applique Butterfly Pattern
Materials
- Scrap yarn
- 4.5 mm hook
- Tapestry needle
Abbreviations (US terms)
- Magic ring - mr
- Double crochet - dc
- Chain - ch
- Slip stitch - sl st
Notes
- Yarn Type. I used regular worsted weight acrylic yarn for this mini crochet butterfly project, but you can use any type of yarn. Even scrap yarn can work because it uses very little amount of yarn!
- Scrap Yarn. I utilized scrap yarn to make the butterflies since they are so small and require very little yarn. This is a great scrap yarn buster project, or you can use new skeins of yarn if you prefer. Some of my favorite scrap yarn projects include my crochet solar system pattern and my crochet moss stitch scarf pattern.
- Finished Size. The finished butterfly is roughly 2.5-3 inches long when using worsted weight yarn.
Instructions
- The Crochet Applique Butterfly Pattern is made in rounds.
- Round 1: Start with a mr, ch x3 (counts as a dc) and dc x1 into the mr.
- Ch x1, then *dc x2, ch x1. Repeat from * 6 more times.
- Then sl st to the beginning chains at the start of the round. There should be 16 dc and 8 ch spaces in the circle.
- If you are making a 2 toned butterfly, now is the time to fasten off the first color and switch the color to your second color right where you left off.
- Round 2: With the newly joined second color, ch x1 and make a *sl st between the set of dc posts (not the chain space).
- Dc x6 into the ch space. Repeat from * 7 more times.
- Sl st to the first sl st in the round. Fasten off. (8 petals in total)
- Now is when you need to weave in any yarn tails before assembling the butterfly.
- The flower should not lay flat, it would be slightly wavy.
- Fold the 8 petaled flower in half. Make sure the petals from one side line up with the other side. Now you should see that the petals look like 4 wings, 2 on each side.
Butterfly Middle:
- With the black yarn ch x11 and fasten off. Leave a 3 inch tail in the beginning and at the end of the chain.
- Fold the chain over the middle of the butterfly with the 2 ends at the top. Tie the 2 ends together and slightly trim the antennas.
- And now you have a small crochet butterfly made from my crochet applique pattern! I hope you enjoyed the pattern!
Pixiechick says
Thank you so much for sharing!I really appreciate it.It was really enjoyable as well so fast and yet so perfect.
Kimberly Arenas says
Im glad you like the pattern!