Learn how to make a simple and easy crochet butterfly with this free pattern and step-by-step tutorial. You can view the pattern completely free on this page, or you can buy the ad-free, printable PDF from our shop.
UPDATED: AUGUST 14, 2023 BY BRITTANY
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Skill Level | Easy
Finished Size | 3.5 wide; 3″ tall
A crochet butterfly is the perfect finishing touch for a hat, baby blanket, or any project, really! They make unique wall decorations and are absolutely darling in a frame or shadow box. You can even attach magnets to the back to brighten up your refrigerator!
Each one of these cute little crochet butterflies works up in less than 20 minutes with any medium-weight scrap yarn you have lying around.
About this Pattern
This project is a great way to practice double treble stitches, which are notoriously challenging to get the tension just right. This crochet butterfly pattern is forgiving enough that if your double trebles aren’t perfect, it’ll still look cute!
I found that using cotton or cotton blend yarn makes the sturdiest butterfly that looks perfect right off the hook. But you can use any medium-weight yarn in your stash. I experimented with a few yarns, and I’ll share some photos and details about the yarn below.
Keep reading for more frequently asked questions, and pattern details, or jump down to the free pattern.
Pattern Overview:
- Buy the ad-free, printable pattern
- The Basics of This Crochet Butterfly
- Supplies
- Abbreviations
- Special Stitches
- Crochet Butterfly Pattern Notes
- How to Make a Bigger or Smaller Crochet Butterfly
- Gauge & Finished Size
- Yarn Options
- Crochet Butterfly Pattern Instructions
- How to Add the Antennae
- Finishing the Butterfly
- Crochet Butterfly Step-by-Step Video
- More Quick & Easy Tutorials + Free Patterns
You can view the pattern completely free on this page. But, if you prefer having a digital copy that you can save or print, we’ve got you covered with that option as well.
If you’d like to support our work here at B.Hooked, purchasing the digital pattern is a wonderful way to do so!
The Basics of This Crochet Butterfly
While this crochet butterfly looks like it might be difficult to crochet, it’s actually quite easy! You don’t need to be a pro to crochet this butterfly. You only need to be comfortable crocheting in the round, and be familiar with a few basic stitches: double crochet, double treble crochet, and slip stitches. Plus you’ll get to learn how to crochet a double crochet cluster stitch!
Since you only need about 12 yards of yarn for each butterfly, this makes it great for using up scrap yarn. Choosing bold colors will help it stand out, but it honestly looks great with every color of yarn I tried. I’ll share the details of the yarns I tried with the pictures below!
Recommended Supplies
- Approx 12 yards; Any Medium Weight (#4) Yarn
- 5 mm Crochet Hook
- Yarn Needle
- Scissors
Abbreviations
This pattern is written using standard US crochet terminology.
- Ch Chain
- 4 Dc CL* Four Double Crochet Cluster
- Dc Double Crochet
- Dtr Double Treble
- Rep Repeat
- Slst Slip Stitch
- YO Yarn Over Hook
Special Stitches
** Four Double Crochet Cluster (4 Dc CL): [YO and insert hook into designated stitch, YO and pull up a loop. YO and pull through two loops] four times. YO and pull through all loops on the hook.
Crochet Butterfly Pattern Notes
This crochet butterfly is crocheted in two rounds, and the body/antennae are added separately. When you use a medium-weight yarn and the recommended hook size, your crochet butterfly will measure about 3.25″ at the widest point, and about 3″ from top to bottom. If your measurements aren’t exactly the same, there’s nothing to worry about.
To make a bigger crochet butterfly: Use a bulky weight yarn and a 6.5 mm crochet hook
To make a smaller crochet butterfly: Use a lightweight yarn and a 4 mm crochet hook.
You can experiment with different yarn weights and hook sizes to change the finished size of your butterfly, and there’s no need to make any adjustments to the pattern. This is the easiest way to crochet a bigger or smaller butterfly.
Gauge:
Use the finished size to check the gauge.
Finished Size:
3.25″ at widest point; 3″ top to bottom
Not sure what gauge is? Check out our comprehensive guide to learn all about it here.
Yarn Options
You can drastically change the look of your crochet butterfly simply by changing up the yarn! While medium-weight is optimal for this butterfly, it also works well with lightweight, bulky, and super-bulky yarns.
Scheepjes Stone Washed XL yarn is my favorite yarn for this crochet butterfly. This cotton-acrylic blend makes a nice sturdy butterfly that doesn’t need to be wet-blocked, plus the coloration makes it look like a work of art.
I also tried one of my favorite variegated yarns of all time: Red Heart Unforgettable. The long sweeping color transitions in this yarn give this crochet butterfly a subtle change of color as you progress through the rounds. This yarn, while still in the medium-weight category, is slightly thinner than others so I found that using a 4.5 mm crochet hook worked better.
I also tried using contrasting colors for each round. In this crochet butterfly, the first round used Lion Brand Jeans, which is a cotton acrylic blend yarn. And round two used Lion Brand’s Comfy Cotton Blend. The speckling of this yarn made the wings look really interesting!
If you’re not sure which yarn to use, try starting with a yarn that has some interesting color qualities to it. This can be a self-striping yarn, a speckled or mosaic type of yarn, or even a yarn with subtle tonal changes in color throughout.
Crochet Butterfly Pattern Instructions
Round 1: Ch 4 and join with a slst to the first ch to form a ring. [Ch 3 and 4 Dc CL in center of the ring. Ch 3 and sc in center of the ring] four times. Do not join.
Round 2: [In the loop that closed the next CL, 5 dc. Ch 2 and slst in 5th dc. Make 5 more dc in the same space. Sc in next sc] two times. [In the loop that closed the next CL, 5 Dtr. Ch 3 and slst in the 5th Dtr. Make 5 more Dtr in the same space. Sc in next sc] two times. Make a slst in the last sc instead of a sc.
Antennae Assembly
Step 1: With the wrong side facing you, in a contrasting color, fasten on in the sc between the two larger wing sections.
Step 2: Ch 14. Wrap the chain around the butterfly down the front and around to the back. Slst in the same single crochet. Fasten off.
Step 3: Tie a knot with the two ends and trim them about an inch long for the antenna.
Finishing the Crochet Butterfly
Your crochet butterfly should look pretty great right off the hook, and you don’t need to take additional steps to finish it (other than weaving in your ends of course!) The top wing sections will curl inward a little, and that adds to the charm of this crochet butterfly.
If you prefer blocking your finished projects, you can do that with these crochet butterflies as well. If you’re unfamiliar with blocking, we have another article that will show you everything you need to know about it!
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Crochet Butterfly Step-by-Step Video
This video tutorial will show you every step of this crochet butterfly pattern. So no matter what skill level you are, you can follow along and make this butterfly!
Video not displaying? Watch this tutorial on YouTube instead.
Left-Handed Tutorial on YouTube
Right-Handed Tutorial on YouTube
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More Quick & Easy Crochet Tutorials + Free Patterns
- Simple Crochet Bag
- Crochet Butterfly
- Crochet Rose
- 3D Crochet Flower
- Simple Crochet Mug Cozy
- Simple Round Crochet Placemats
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