Learn how to crochet flower granny squares. Doesn't everyone have a soft spot in their heart for a granny square? What do you think of the idea of mixing the pattern of a granny square with some bright and gorgeous flowers? This tutorial will show you 4 easy crochet flower granny square patterns.

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Flower Granny Squares Tutorial

There are patterns available for almost any flower you can imagine! You can choose simple, flat flowers or elaborate three-dimensional flowers depending on your skills, patience, and time available.

You can mix and match colors as you please. Realistic flower colors or original, quirky, unexpected color combinations? Contrast background or toning background? These squares just lend themselves to creativity. Flower granny squares are super because they are not only pretty but a portable craft as well. You can take your yarn and hook with you wherever you go, especially if you expect to wait for a while. Just have one ball of each color you need, and work on one square at a time.

Supplies Needed

CROCHET YARN - Yarn in the colors of your choice. You will need one color for the center of the flower, one or two colors for the petals, depending on the pattern, and another color for the background. You will need more background yarn than the other colors.
HOOK - Crochet hook suitable for the weight of your chosen yarn. Your ball band on the yarn will recommend a size hook.
GENERAL CROCHET TOOLS - Yarn needle, scissors, markers.

How Much Yarn for Flower Granny Squares

The amount of yarn you will need depends on what you are making and how many flower squares you plan to crochet. A very rough guide would be:

A small crochet bag - one ball of each color.
A crochet lap blanket- 2 balls for centers, 4 balls for petals, and 7 or 8 balls for background color.

Best Yarns for Flower Granny Squares

Your yarn choice will depend on the size of the squares that you want to make. If you want quick squares of thick, warm yarn, then choose chunky or bulky yarn. If you want dainty, delicate little squares, then choose fine crochet cotton.

The yarn most commonly used is light worsted weight yarn, size 3 or 4, also called double knitting yarn.

Stitches and Abbreviations for Flower Granny Squares

The stitches you will need for the majority of flower granny squares, including the patterns I have listed here, are:

All instructions are written in US crochet terms.

If you need a refresher on how to work any of these stitches, read my article on basic crochet stitches.

How to Crochet a Flower Granny Square

Here are 3 styles of flower granny squares

Daisy Granny Square
African Flower Granny Square
Sunflower Granny Square

Style 1- Daisy Granny Square Pattern

This is the easiest type of flower granny square pattern and is suitable for beginners. A daisy granny square is really pretty and simple to work.

This pattern will make a square of about 2 ½ x 2 ½ “ (6.4x6.4cm). if using a #3 (DK) yarn. If you want a larger square, use a thicker yarn or work an extra round of crochet, following a normal granny square pattern.

Daisy Center

Use the color you have chosen for the center of the daisy.
Make a magic ring or chain 4 and join it into a ring with a slip stitch.
Into this central ring, chain 1, work 8 single crochets.
Join with a slip stitch. (8 stitches)
Cut yarn and fasten off.

First Daisy Petal

Attach petal color. Every time you change colors, leave a long tail for easy weaving in later.
Chain 3.
* Yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, and draw up a loop.
Yarn over, and pull through the first 2 loops on the hook.
Repeat from * twice more into the same stitch.
Yarn over, then pull through all 4 loops on the hook. (1 cluster was made)
Chain 2.

Remaining Daisy Petals

*Yarn over, insert the hook into the next stitch, and draw up a loop.
Yarn over, and pull through the first 2 loops on the hook.
Repeat from * 3 more times into the same stitch.
Yarn over, and pull through all 5 loops on the hook. (next cluster made)
Chain 2.
Repeat each petal 6 more times. You will now have 8 petals.
Join to the first petal with a slip stitch.
Cut yarn and fasten.

Border of Daisy Granny Square

In any chain space, attach the background color.
Chain 5. (Counts as 1 dc +ch2)
Make 3 double crochet in the same space.
Make 3 half double crochet in the next chain space.
*(Make 3 dc, ch2, 3 dc) in next space. (This is a corner)

Make 3 hdc in the next space
Repeat from * 2 more times.
Make 2 dc in the first corner.
Join round using slip stitch into 3^rd chain of the starting chain. Slip stitch into the chain space.
Cut yarn and fasten off.

Extra Rounds

Follow the normal granny square pattern for extra rounds to make your square larger.

Style 2- African Flower Granny Squares

This one is more of a hexagon than a square, but the pieces fit together beautifully. It is slightly more elaborate than the daisy square, but not really any more difficult!

I am not sure why it is called an “African” flower, but the story goes that somebody found this pattern in a South African community and called it the African Flower. It is also known as the Paperweight Granny Square.

For this one, you will need one extra color for the round, which outlines the petals. Each flower will be around 2 ¾” (7 cm) without the background color.

Foundation:

With your center color, work a magic ring or create a ring of 6 chains, joined with a slip stitch to make a circle.

Round 1:

Chain 3, 1 double crochet, chain 1,
*2 dc, chain 1,
Repeat from * until you have six spaces and six 2dc.
Slip stitch to the third chain made in the first round. Cut yarn and fasten off.

Round 2:

Join in the petal color and begin in a space.
Chain 5, 2 dc in same space.
*(ch1, 2 dc, ch2, 2 dc) in the next space.
Repeat from * 5 times.
1 dc
Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the first chain.

Round 3:

Chain 3,
6 dc in the 2-chain space, chain 1.
* dc7 in the next 2-chain space, chain 1.
Repeat from * 5 times.
Slip stitch the third chain in the first round.
Cut yarn and fasten off.

Round 4:

Join petal outline color.
Chain 1.
Single crochet around, and between each flower petal in round 2, make a long stitch down. (So sc into each stitch, then when you get to the end of the petal, insert your hook into the previous row, round 2. Then work your sc very loosely, so that it pulls back up the level of the round 3 petals.)

Work all the way around.
Finish with a slip stitch.
Cut yarn and fasten.

Round 5: (Optional)

Join in the background color.
Ch1, sc in next 2 stitches. (Only crochet in the back loops)
*3sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, (skip long stitch of previous round),
sc in next 3 sts, repeat 5 times, *3sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, (skip long stitch of previous round), sc in next 3 sts, slst to ch from beginning of round.
Cut yarn and fasten off, keep a long tail for joining flowers together.

Style 3- Sunflower Granny Squares

Just recently, these sunflower or sunburst granny squares have seen a surge in popularity. You can choose any sunflower-like colors. Shades of yellow, gold, bronze, copper, or brown, plus a background color. The finished size will be around 5x 5” (12.7 cm)

Special stitches - Puff stitch and cluster stitch.

Center of Sunflower

Start with a magic ring, or chain 5, and join into a ring with a slip stitch.
Chain 3 (first dc)
Work 15 more double crochet into your ring.
Join with a slip stitch at the top of the chain 3.
Cut yarn, and fasten off.

Flower Granny Squares - Sunflower Center

Round 2 (First Petal Color)

Join the first petal color in any double crochet stitch.
Chain 2, puff stitch into the same stitch.

To make puff stitch:

* Yo, insert hook into next ch,
yo, draw yarn through 2 loops on hook.
You have now made an incomplete dc. You should have 2 loops on your hook.
Now into the same stitch, repeat from * twice. You should have 4 loops on your hook.
Yo and draw hook through all the loops on the hook.
After the yarn is pulled through all the loops, make a ch st. This keeps all those loops together and secures the puff stitch. You will also need these spaces to work into for the next round.

Work puff stitch (made up of 4 incomplete dc) into each dc round the circle.
Join with sl st to first puff stitch.
16 stitches.
Cut yarn, fasten off.

Flower Granny Squares - Sunflower Round 2

Round 3: Second Petal Color

Join new yarn into any ch1 space.
Ch 2.

Now you will be working cluster stitches. Ch2 is the first part of the first cluster.

*YO, insert hook into same stitch, YO, pull up loop. YO pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * twice more. 4 loops on hook. YO, pull through all 4 loops. (1 cluster).

Now work cluster stitch,

ch2 in next ch space, and into each ch space all the way round.
SO HAVE 5??????
Join with a sl st. 16 clusters.
Cut yarn. Fasten off.

Flower Granny Squares - Sunflower Round 3

Round 4: Background Color

Join new yarn in any chain-2 space.
Chain 4 (counts as the first tr) and then crochet 2 tr in the same space.
3 dc in the next ch-2 space,
3 hdc in the next ch-2 space,
3 dc in the next ch-2 space. This forms the first side of the square.

First corner: 3 tr in the next ch-2 space, ch 3, 3 tr in the same ch-2 space. This forms the first corner.

Flower Granny Square - Sunflower Round 4

Now, repeat that side + corner pattern to make the other sides and corners.

Second side: 3 dc in the next ch-2 space, 3 hdc in the next ch-2 space, 3 dc in the next ch-2 space.
Second corner: 3 tr in the next ch-2 space, ch 3, 3 tr in the same ch-2 space.
Third side: 3 dc in the next ch-2 space, 3 hdc in the next ch-2 space, 3 dc in the next ch-2 space.
Third corner:3 tr in the next ch-2 space, ch 3, 3 tr in the same ch-2 space.
Last side: 3 dc in the next ch-2 space, 3 hdc in the next ch-2 space, 3 dc in the next ch-2 space.
Last corner: crochet 3 tr in the same space as the beginning treble stitches, ch 3 and join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning ch-4.

Here the white square has single crochet around the edge to give it an attractive contrast border.

Blocking Your Flower Squares

What does blocking mean? Blocking is the process of using water and/or heat to carefully loosen the yarn fibers and change the shape or size of your work.

Blocking is a great way to give your project a professional finish and really show off the pattern. It can also be used to fix the size of more than one piece if you find that your tension changed between the beginning and end of a project.

You can block your crochet flower granny squares in different ways. The type of yarn you are working with has a lot to do with the method you choose. If you use the wrong method, your hard work could be ruined (for example, you should never put direct heat on acrylic yarn because it will melt).

How to Block Flower Granny Squares

One method is to simply wet the squares with a spray bottle or put them in water for a few minutes. Then lay them out flat to dry. If necessary, you can pin the edges and corners into place to help them dry straight.

If you have a blocking board, you will simply place your squares onto the board in the correct measurements. If you don’t have one, use a kid's foam play mat or a yoga mat, and push pins in to get the correct size and shape.
Carefully stretch your granny square to the tension and shape you want. Start in the middle and work your way out to the edges.
Put your first pins in the middle of each side, and then slowly stretch and pin your way to the corners.
You may find that the edges of your work have pulls or dips. If this is the case, continue to move and stretch the fabric, adding pins to split the space between the two pins you just used to make sure the edges are straight.
After you have stretched your work to the size and shape you want, steam it until it is damp. Use the steam function of your iron, but do not place the iron directly on the surface of your acrylic yarn!
Leave your work pinned in the shape you want until it is fully dry, which usually takes between 2 and 4 hours. How long something takes to dry depends on how big it is and how much water you add.

Joining Your Flower Granny Squares

If you want a detailed lesson on joining granny squares, have a look here.

1. Whip Stitch Join Method

To do this, you will hold the squares together and simply whip stitch through the outer loops of each crochet stitch along the edge of your block. If you use the same color yarn as the outer edge of your squares, the seam will be hardly noticeable.

Thread yarn into yarn needle. Insert it through back loops at top of both squares.
Lift the yarn up and over, and insert from right to left again through the back loops of the next crochet stitch.
Keep stitching in this way until blocks are joined.

2. Ladder Stitch

Ladder stitch gives an invisible finish to your flower granny square joins.

Lay the squares next to each other, front side up. I like to work from the bottom to the top of the squares.
Join your yarn to the back of one square.
Insert your sewing needle from left to right through both loops of the crochet stitch on the left-hand square.
Now insert the needle from right to left through both loops of the crochet stitch on the adjacent right-hand square.
Continue doing this, inserting the needle into each stitch. While the sewing is loose, it looks like a little ladder going up between your squares.
After a few stitches, pull the yarn firmly to pull the squares together, but not too tightly so that the crochet fabric puckers and gathers!

Your seaming yarn will disappear into the crochet fabric.

3. Crochet Joins

Many crocheters do not want to sew their blocks together, they prefer to actually use crochet stitches for joining.

Single Crochet Joins

This leaves a neat little ridge between your blocks, which makes them stand out beautifully.

Once you have decided on the layout of your squares, simply place adjacent squares together, wrong sides facing together, then work a row of single crochet, inserting your hook into the edge stitches of each square before making the single crochet stitch.

Slip stitch Joins

This joining method is very similar to the single crochet join discussed above, but you will work a slip stitch instead of a single crochet. This gives a slightly flatter seam.

As above, first lay out your blocks in a suitable arrangement. Then, when you have decided which squares go together, place them next to one another. Now, working on the outside loop of the squares, insert the hook through two adjacent loops and work a slip stitch. Work all the way along each square. It will look like a row of chain stitches along the join.

How To Use Flower Granny Squares

These squares are a lot of fun to make, but what can you do with them? They can be used to make blankets, shawls, scarves, bags, pillows, and even cardigans or sweaters. I have even seen stuffed toys made from African Flower Squares!

FAQs About Flower Granny Squares

How easy are flower granny squares?

Very easy, very quick, and a lot of fun to make. Even for beginners! Most just need the basic crochet stitches and can be made in a medium-weight yarn.

What is the best flower granny square pattern for beginners?

Style number 1 which is the daisy granny square is the simplest in this tutorial. It uses mainly double crochet stitch.

How long do flower granny squares take to crochet?

They are generally quick to make. A simple square will take an experienced crocheter around 15 minutes to make, and a beginner around 45 minutes. It does, of course, depend on the complexity of the pattern!

Flower Granny Squares - In Conclusion

A granny square is how many people learn to crochet. They are small enough to be portable and perfect for practicing your stitches. But the flower granny square is a wonderful way to transform the basic square into something different and unique. Have a go at playing around with various colors and stitches, and you will create a wonderful, one-of-a-kind item!

More Free Crochet Patterns

Flower Granny Square Patterns

3 styles of flower granny square patterns for beginners. Easy step by step instructions.

5/5 - (14 votes)

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Difficulty: Easy Beginner

Keyword: Crochet

Total Time: 15 minutes

Tools

Crochet Hook
Scissors

Materials

Yarn

Instructions

Daisy Flower Granny Square

Center: Make a magic ring or chain 4 and join it into a ring with sl st. Into this central ring, chain 1, work 8 sc. Join with sl st. (8 stitches). Cut yarn and fasten off.
Attach petal color. Ch3.* Yarn over, insert hook into next st, draw up a loop. YO, and pull through the first 2 loops on the hook. Repeat from * twice more into the same stitch. YO, then pull through all 4 loops on the hook. (1 cluster) Ch2.
YO, insert the hook into the next st, and draw up a loop. YO, and pull through the first 2 loops on the hook. Repeat from * 3 more times into the same stitch. YO, and pull through all 5 loops on the hook. (next cluster made) Chain 2. Repeat each petal 6 more times. You will now have 8 petals. Join to the first petal with a slip stitch. Cut yarn and fasten.
Border of Daisy Granny Square: In any chain space, attach the background color. Chain 5. 3 dc in the same space. Make 3 hdc in the next ch space. *(Make 3 dc, ch2, 3 dc) in next space. 3 hdc in the next space. Repeat from * 2 more times. Make 2 dc in the first corner. Join round using slip stitch into 3^rd chain of the starting chain. Slip stitch into the chain space. Cut yarn and fasten off.
Follow the normal granny square pattern for extra rounds to make your square larger.