Crochet Sunflower Keychain Free Pattern: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Bring a little bit of sunshine into your daily routine with this adorable crochet sunflower keychain! Whether you are looking for a cheerful accessory for your keys, a cute bag charm, or a thoughtful handmade gift for a friend, this sunflower is the perfect project. This pattern is designed to be beginner-friendly, using basic stitches to create a 3D flower that looks professional and polished.

Sunflowers symbolize happiness, loyalty, and longevity, making them a wonderful motif for any crochet project. In this tutorial, we will walk you through creating the petals, the fuzzy brown center, the green base, and the delicate leaves. Let’s grab our hooks and get started!

Materials & Abbreviations

To create this sunflower keychain, you will need a few different colors of yarn. While the original design uses specific brands, any DK weight cotton or cotton-blend yarn will work beautifully to provide the necessary stitch definition and durability for a keychain.

Materials Needed

• Yarn:
  • Dark Yellow (DK weight) – for the petals
  • Brown (DK weight) – for the flower center
  • Green (DK weight) – for the base, sepals, and leaves
• Crochet Hooks: 2.2mm and 2.5mm
• Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill (poly-fill)
• Tools: Yarn needle, scissors, and a metal keychain ring or lobster clasp

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch: chain
• sc: single crochet
• inc: increase (2 sc in one stitch)
• dec: decrease (sc 2 stitches together)
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• tr: treble crochet
• dtr: double treble crochet
• trtr: triple treble crochet
• sl st: slip stitch
• MR: magic ring
• BLO: back loops only

Step-by-Step Instructions

The Sunflower Petals

You will need to create 9 petals in total using the dark yellow yarn and a 2.2mm hook.

Creating a Single Petal:
Start by chaining 8. Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work the following stitches along the first side: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. In the final chain stitch, work 3 sc to turn the corner. Now, working back along the opposite side of the chain, work: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc.

Assembling the Petals:
To give the flower a more natural, layered look, we will join the petals together. For the first petal, simply fasten off and weave in the ends. For the second petal, do not fasten off. Place the second petal against the first and join them by working a slip stitch and a chain 1 (sl st, ch 1) around the outer edges of both petals, effectively fusing them together. Repeat this process until you have a ring of 9 petals.

The Flower Center

Using the brown yarn and a 2.2mm hook, we will create the textured center of the sunflower.

• Round 1: Work 8 sc into a magic ring. (8 sts)
• Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (16 sts)
• Round 3: (1 sc, inc) repeat 8 times. (24 sts)
• Round 4: (3 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
• Round 5: (4 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
• Round 6-8: sc in each stitch around. (36 sts)

Joining to Petals:
Switch to your green yarn. Join the green yarn to the brown center. Working in the back loops only (BLO), work a round that joins the center to the petals using the pattern: (8 sc, inc) repeat 4 times. (40 sts).

The Flower Base (Backing)

This piece creates the sturdy back of the flower and allows it to be stuffed. Use green yarn and a 2.2mm hook.

• Round 1: Work 8 sc into a magic ring. (8 sts)
• Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (16 sts)
• Round 3: (1 sc, inc) repeat 8 times. (24 sts)
• Round 4: (3 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
• Round 5: (4 sc, inc) repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
• Round 6: (8 sc, inc) repeat 4 times. (40 sts)
• Round 7: sc in each stitch around. (40 sts)
• Fasten off and weave in ends.

The Sepals (The Green Fringe)

Switch to a 2.5mm hook and green yarn. We will now create the small green leaves (sepals) that sit behind the yellow petals.

Join your yarn to the flower center and work in the back loops only (BLO). You will create 20 sepals by alternating the following two sequences:

• Sepal A: sl st into the next stitch, ch 5. Working back down the chain: 1 sc, 3 hdc, sl st into the next base stitch.
• Sepal B: sl st into the next stitch, ch 6. Working back down the chain: 1 sc, 4 hdc, sl st into the next base stitch.

Continue alternating Sepal A and Sepal B until you have completed the circle of 20 sepals.

The Hanging Loop & Leaves

The Loop:
With green yarn and a 2.5mm hook, work 1 sc into a magic ring. Then, work (ch 1, sc) 15 times. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

The Leaves:
Make 2 leaves. Chain 15. Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work the first side: 1 sc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 2 dtr, 4 trtr, 2 dtr, 1 tr, 1 dc, and 3 sc in the last chain. Working back along the other side: 1 sc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 2 dtr, 4 trtr, 2 dtr, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 sc.

To make the leaves thicker, join two leaf pieces together by working a slip stitch and chain 1 (sl st, ch 1) around the edges, similar to how the petals were joined.

Finishing

Now it is time to put everything together! Place the brown center (with its attached petals and sepals) on top of the green flower base. Using a yarn needle or your hook, join the two pieces together by working 40 sc around the edge. As you crochet, firmly stuff the center of the flower with poly-fill to give it a plump, 3D shape.

Finally, sew the hanging loop to the top of the green base and attach the leaves to the bottom or sides of the base. Attach your metal keychain ring to the loop, and your sunflower is complete!

Tips for Success

• Tension Matters: When working the petals and leaves, keep your tension consistent. If the petals feel too loose, try dropping down half a hook size.
• Stuffing: Don’t overstuff the center, or the flower might lose its flat shape. Stuff it just enough so it feels firm but still looks like a natural sunflower.
• Invisible Joins: When finishing the brown center or the green base, use an invisible join to make the transition seamless.
• Customization: Feel free to experiment with colors! You can make a “Autumn Sunflower” using burnt orange and deep red yarn.