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 butterflies that can add a whimsical touch to any project.
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✏️ Things To Note:
- Yarn Type. I used regular worsted weight acrylic yarn for this project, but you can use any type 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 x1, dc x2,
and (ch x1 and dc x2) 7 more times for a total of 8 times in the circle. There Should be 16 dc and 8 ch spaces in the circle.
Then sl st to join. 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.
Round 2: With the newly joined second color, ch x1 (Skip 1 stitch, sl st between the first 2 dc posts made in the previous round. Skip 1 stitch and then dc x6 into the ch space) Repeat what is in the parentheses 7 more times.
After the 8th petal, sl st on top of the first stitch in the round to join. 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.
With the black yarn ch x14 and fasten off. Leave a 4 inch tail in the beginning and 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 butterfly 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 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
- I used regular worsted weight acrylic yarn, but any type works for this project.
- I used scrap yarn for the butterflies since they're small and require very little yarn.
- This is a great scrap yarn buster, but new skeins can be used if preferred.
- Finished butterflies are about 2.5-3 inches long with worsted weight yarn.
Instructions
- The butterfly crochet pattern is made in rounds.
- Round 1: Start with a mr, ch x1, dc x2, and (ch x1 and dc x2) 7 more times for a total of 8 times in the circle. There Should be 16 dc and 8 ch spaces in the circle.
- Then sl st to join. 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.
- Round 2: With the newly joined second color, ch x1 (Skip 1 stitch, sl st between the first 2 dc posts made in the previous round. Skip 1 stitch and then dc x6 into the ch space) Repeat what is in the parentheses 7 more times. After the 8th petal, sl st on top of the first stitch in the round to join. 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.
- With the black yarn ch x14 and fasten off. Leave a 4 inch tail in the beginning and 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! I hope you enjoyed the pattern!
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