Free Mini Crochet Tulip Pattern for a Small Gift
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This mini crochet tulip pattern reduces the center, petals and leaf as well as the stem. It makes a compact flower for a small vase or gift wrap. A shorter stem alone would produce a short standard flower; this version changes the crochet pieces too.
The mini is an editorial adaptation, not a second pattern supplied in the PDF. It uses an 18-stitch maximum center, a 12-chain petal foundation, a one-round compact leaf and a 13 cm finished-height target.
Materials and US crochet terms
- Fingering / super-fine yarn in flower colors and green. Use the same thickness for all crochet pieces.
- A hook suitable for that yarn; 2 mm is a possible swatching starting point, not a hook size specified by the source. Adjust for dense, flexible fabric.
- Polyester fiberfill, tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers and a ruler.
- Covered floral wire that fits inside a six-stitch stem tube, plus suitable cutters and pliers. Round both ends into small loops and cover them with floral tape.
- Ribbon or paper for wrapping, if desired.
The source lists 70 yards (about 64 m) of yarn for its single flower, without a color split or a precise hook/gauge combination. Treat this as a starting allowance only. The altered stem length and your yarn choice change actual consumption. Reserve extra yarn until you have weighed or measured a completed sample.
Terms: ch = chain; sc = single crochet; hdc = half double crochet; dc = double crochet; sl st = slip stitch; inc = 2 sc in one stitch; dec = single-crochet two stitches together; BLO = back loop only; st = stitch. Work the center and stem in a continuous spiral, without joining or turning. Move a marker to the first stitch of each round. Petals and leaves have their own joining or turning instructions.
Set the size by measuring your own crochet
The supplied pattern mentions an overall height of approximately 18 cm / 7.08 inches but provides no numerical gauge or hook size. Its fixed round counts therefore cannot guarantee that height in another yarn. This tutorial uses a ruler to set the stem after the head is complete.
| Piece / arrangement | Overall height target |
|---|---|
| Mini flower | 13 cm / 5.12 in |
- Complete the center and attach its petals. Measure the head vertically from the stem attachment point to the highest petal tip; call this H.
- Subtract H from the desired total height T. The exposed stem target is T − H. Example only: an actual 4 cm head with an 18 cm target needs about 14 cm of exposed stem.
- Crochet the sleeve to that measured length, temporarily position the head and remeasure the complete flower. Add or remove whole stem rounds before inserting wire and sewing.
If you want a round-count estimate, count your own rounds per centimetre on the stem tube. Estimated total stem rounds = desired sleeve length × measured rounds per centimetre. Count from the closed base. Use the ruler for the final adjustment, since seams and shaping affect the assembled height. Petal and leaf dimensions should be recorded from your first sample; no verified centimetre dimensions are available for them.
Crochet the stuffed center
Use the flower color. Make one center. Close the beginning magic ring fully; the stem is sewn underneath it rather than pushed through an opening.
| Round | Instructions | Total stitches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 sc in a magic ring. | 6 |
| 2 | Inc in each stitch. | 12 |
| 3 | (Sc, inc) 6 times. | 18 |
| 4–5 | Sc in each stitch for 2 rounds. | 18 |
| 6 | (Dec, sc in next 4 sts) 3 times. | 15 |
| 7 | Sc in each stitch. | 15 |
| 8 | (Dec, sc in next 3 sts) 3 times. | 12 |
| 9 | Sc in each stitch. | 12 |
| 10 | Dec 6 times. | 6 |
Add small amounts of stuffing before the final decrease rounds, keeping the center softly shaped. At the end, cut the yarn, thread it through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and draw the opening closed. Secure and bury the tail. The narrow tapered end is the top; the broad magic-ring end is the bottom where the stem will attach.
Crochet the separate petals
Make 3 petals per flower. Leave a 25 cm starting tail at the base if convenient for assembly. Ch 12.
- Round 1: starting in the second chain from the hook, sc in the next 10 chains. Work 2 sc in the remaining far-end chain. Rotate around the end and sc in each of the 10 unused chain loops down the opposite side. Total: 22 stitches. Do not add a joining slip stitch.
- Round 2: continue into the first sc of Round 1. Work sc in the next stitch, hdc in the next, dc in the next 5 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, and sc in the next stitch. Inc in each of the next 2 stitches at the far end. On the return side, work sc in the next stitch, hdc in the next 2 stitches, dc in the next 5 stitches, hdc in the next, and sc in the last stitch. Total: 24 stitches.
- Round 3: hdc in each of the 24 stitches. Sl st into the first hdc to finish, without counting the slip stitch. Fasten off with a sewing tail.
Count check: Round 1 is 10 + 2 + 10 = 22. Round 2 consumes those 22 stitches and adds two increases, producing 24. Round 3 retains 24. This is the deliberately smaller petal adaptation.
Mark the base near the starting tail so you do not attach the petal upside down. Match all petal lengths before sewing. A slightly cupped shape is useful; do not stretch the edges flat to force a particular measurement.
Compact leaf: make one
With green, ch 14. Start in the second chain from the hook. Work 2 sc, 2 hdc, 5 dc, 2 hdc and 1 sc over the next 12 chains. In the remaining far-end chain, work 5 sc. Rotate around that end and return through the unused chain loops: 1 sc, 2 hdc, 5 dc, 2 hdc and 2 sc. You have 29 stitches: 12 + 5 + 12.
Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off, leaving a 25 cm sewing tail. Do not count the slip stitch. This compact leaf has one circuit only; no second row is needed. Leave its base flexible for attaching to the stem.
Crochet a fitted stem sleeve
With green, work 6 sc into a magic ring and close it firmly (Round 1: 6 sts). For Round 2, sc in the back loop of each stitch (6 sts). For Round 3 onward, sc through both loops of each stitch (6 sts per round), making a narrow tube.
Continue to the sleeve length calculated in the measurement section. The source uses 30 total rounds, but this tutorial intentionally fits the sleeve to the chosen height. Count rounds and measure the relaxed tube without pulling it longer. Leave the top open and leave a 30 cm tail for attaching it.
Measure and prepare the covered wire so that its finished, looped ends fit fully inside the tube with a little clearance. Allow extra wire for bending those loops, then check the finished support against the actual sleeve; do not use a universal cut length. Insert it through the open top. Both ends must remain completely covered and must not press through the closed base or flower head.
This is a decorative wired flower, not a toy. Keep exposed wire, cutters and small parts away from children while making it.
Assemble the flower
Attach and shape the petals
Place the three short petal bases evenly around the broad bottom of the mini center. Baste them before sewing so you can check their height. Overlap neighboring edges slightly and stitch through the lower third of each petal and the center. Keep the three petal tips free. Use small amounts of stuffing; overfilling is especially noticeable at this scale.
Sew the stem to the center
Hold the open six-stitch rim of the sleeve against the broad bottom of the flower center. Sew through the sleeve rim and the center’s base stitches all the way around, taking a second pass if needed. Keep the narrow tapered flower tip pointing upward. The support stays inside the sleeve; it should not protrude into a petal or out of the flower.
Check the overall height with a ruler before securing the final knot. If it needs adjustment, undo the temporary attachment and add or remove sleeve rounds; refit the support if the sleeve length changes. Secure the seam and bury the tails only after the head sits upright.
Attach the leaf
Place the leaf base against the stem, point directed upward and slightly outward. For the standard, open and mini versions, start by positioning the base around the upper third of the exposed stem. For the long-leaf version, place it lower if necessary so it does not obscure the head. Wrap the narrow base around the sleeve and sew through crochet stitches, not through the wire. Adjust the position by eye before tightening.
Finishing and presentation
Make the entire first mini before preparing a batch. Compare its head with the available wrapping and vase opening. Keep the same yarn thickness throughout: combining a fine center with thicker petals can overwhelm a small flower even when each stitch count is correct.
Photo references for color and arrangement
The photographs are not evidence that this edited pattern was test-crocheted. Different petal shapes, filler flowers and other centers shown in them are not automatically included in this tutorial.
Checks before making more flowers
- Count every round before continuing; a missing increase affects how the petals fit.
- Baste petals first and check the silhouette from several sides.
- Confirm that both support ends remain covered and the head is firmly attached.
- Record actual head height, leaf length, total height, hook size and yarn details.
- Compare yarn used on one completed sample before estimating a larger batch.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this mini by changing only the hook?
A smaller hook alone may make the fabric too stiff. This pattern already reduces the stitch and row counts; first use a hook that creates dense but workable fabric, then evaluate the completed sample.
Are the dimensions guaranteed with any yarn?
No. The overall height is a target you set by measuring and fitting the stem. A numerical gauge, exact source hook size and physically verified dimensions for the edited versions were not supplied. Do not interpret a photograph as a scale reference.
Can I wash the finished flower?
Follow the yarn and support-material care instructions. Gentle surface cleaning is the practical starting point for a wired decorative stem. Avoid soaking unless every component is suitable and dry it fully.
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