African Flowers Crochet Ideas

Have you ever heard of African Flower? This crochet motif is very popular because it’s easy to do and you can adjust it to any shape you like. You will find these cute flowers used in afghans, baby blankets, as coasters, or even as parts of amigurumi animals.

Never tried it before? Read the article to learn all about it, and look for free patterns, video tutorials, and color inspiration! Below you can see a little snippet of what’s to come.

click for photo sources: top, top left, bottom left, bottom right. All of the sources are properly credited later in the article.

Popular and Versatile

Today’s hero has a simple center and rounded petals, usually six of them, but you can find lots of variations. The shape of the petals is the most characteristic part of this motif, and you will recognize it without problems, even if the pattern is slightly modified from the original.

The most popular way to use an African Flower is by putting it in a square, or a hexagon. This allows you to easily join them together and create repeating patterns. As I mentioned at the start, you will most likely find it in Afghan designs, baby blankets, or used as coasters. There is a whole bunch of amazing patterns, which use it to create amigurumi, too! I will write more about it further in the post.

How to Crochet African Flower Motif

To make your own African Flower motif, you can use any type of yarn with a corresponding hook.

PSST! Learn more about Yarn Ball Types or Yarn Weights and Ply!

Below you can see the simplified process of making it, as shown by Bella Coco in her video tutorial.

stills from a YouTube video by Bella Coco – source: part 1, part 2

Sarah starts with a slip knot and 6 chain stitches, joined in a loop with slip stitch, because her version has a little hole in the middle. If you want your African Flower to have a tight center, start with a magic ring instead.

Next rows alternate double crochet stitches, single crochets and chains. If you follow Sarah’s tutorial, remember that she uses UK terms, which are different than US terms.

See the full video by Bella Coco on YouTube here: part 1, part 2, or check out her post on bellacococrochet.com for written instructions.

The Best African Flower Crochet Ideas

The African Flower motif is definitely one of my favorites, and in this part of the post, you will see exactly why. I believe that an abundance of colors, clever versions, and simple ideas will make you find your own way with this crochet project. Below you will see a collection of the most beautiful projects featuring African Flower, so let’s not waste any more time and dive right into it!

Read carefully for free crochet patterns and tutorials.

6 Petal African Flowers Designs

African Flower Blanket by Little Dove Crochet

Faye, the creator behind Little Dove Crochet, chose three colors to create her hexagon blanket. The flower motif pops with the distinct mustard center, white petals, and teal border. Looking closely at the photos, you will see an interesting joining technique she used – a braided three-dimensional seam.

photos by littledovecrochet on Instagram: source

Make a similar blanket using a free crochet pattern called Colourful Baby Blanket by Kaia Uglane, available on hobbycrochetknitting.blogspot.com and on ravelry.com.

African Flowers by Mamlik

This cute blanket by Mamlik uses seven pastel colors, which look phenomenal together – just take a look at the photo below to see for yourself! Simple hexagons employ colors in strategic places, but by mixing and matching, the whole project looks very thought-through and polished. Pay attention to beautiful half-hexies in the edges, because it’s a great idea for straightening the whole piece up!

photos by @mamlik_etsy on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern –African Flower Hexagon by Lounette Fourie & Anita Rossouw.

You may also like this article – Catherine Wheel Stitch Ideas.

African Flower Hexagon by Ella and the Ricks

Ella decided to go for multicolored yarn and make all the flowers from it, and I must admit that it was a great idea! Just look at how the color flows from one flower to another, but what’s more, a simple white background makes all of them pop! To make spaces between the flowers even bigger, she did two rounds of double crochet in the outermost part of the hexagon, so keep it in mind – it’s a clever technique!

photos by Ella and the Ricks from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here: African Flower Hexagon by Heidi Bears. More info is on Ravelry here.

African Flowers by Raquel Porter

Pale palettes like a pop of color, and this blanket by Raquel definitely proves it right. Neutral borders, delicate pastel flowers with mixed and matched petals… and suddenly, a pop of red! Take a look at the photos below and admire the beauty of the unexpected.

photos by @_woolala_ on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern – African Flower Centerpiece by Glowing Grace.

You may also like this article – Larksfoot Stitch Ideas.

African Flower by knittinghun

Such a simple pattern as an African Flower can look very different, depending on the color scheme you choose. The order of the colors is crucial, too, because it changes the vibe very much! Take a look at Knittinghun’s flowers in the photo below, and see how many different combinations you can make, using a very limited color palette.

photos by knittinghun from ravelry.com

This project was based on a paid pattern for African Flower Shoulder Bag by JOs Crocheteria.

African Flower Hexagon Blanket by Gemini & Crochet

Pastels don’t always have to be sweet, and this delicate blanket will be perfect for both boys and girls. Simple cream background makes the hues of blue-green really stand out, because of the subtle contrast. If you don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, go for this kind of neutral palette.

photos by @geminicrochet on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern – African Flower Hexagon by Heidi Bears. More info is on Ravelry here.

If you need a joining tutorial, check out the free crochet pattern here: Single Crochet Join-as-You-Go by The Hat & I.

African Flower Hexagon by Ella and the Ricks

Another beautiful baby blanket by Ella stunned me with the sharpness and simplicity of its colors. Once again, the author used multicolored yarn to achieve delicate color flow in the flowers, which is a great idea, because the effect is so unexpected! Notice, that she used pure white yarn for half-hexagons on the sides so that they are not grabbing any attention.

photos by Ella and the Ricks from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here: African Flower Hexagon by Heidi Bears. More info is on Ravelry here.

You may also like this article – Millstone Stitch Ideas.

African Flower Hexagon Blanket by Gemini & Crochet

Four colors are enough to create an eye-catching design with an African Flower motif. In this beautiful blanket, which you can see below, the author chose contrasting dark yarn to go next to the petals, because it creates depth. Simple cream is a great choice for background, as usual, because it makes the flowers sing!

photos by @geminicrochet on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern – African Flower Hexagon by Heidi Bears. More info is on Ravelry here.

If you need a joining tutorial, check out the free crochet pattern here: Single Crochet Join-as-You-Go by The Hat & I.

African Flower Hexagon Blankets by Sinems Crochet

This may not be the first choice to make with scraps of yarn, but it definitely works as one! Just take a look at these lovely blankets and tell me, that they are not stunning – of course, they are! In fact, you need very little yarn to make an African Flower work, so gather all of your leftovers and make a blanket out of them!

photos by @sinemakbalaban on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern – African Flower Hexagon by Heidi Bears. More info is on Ravelry here.

If you need a joining tutorial, check out the free crochet pattern here: African Flower Hexagon Joining by Heidi Bears.

You may also like this article – Moss Stitch / Linen Stitch Ideas.

African Flowers by Sinems Crochet

We’ve seen a lot of light, pastel palettes, but this one is something different. Each color in this project is a statement – dark violet, vibrant yellow, electric blue, or cheerful pink? They all work perfectly well together, but who would have thought? As you can see in the photos, experiments are worth taking some risks, because you can come up with projects as beautiful as this one.

photos by @sinemakbalaban on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern – African Flower Pincushion by Camilla N. Skjoenhaug. More info is on Ravelry here.

8 Petal African Flower Designs

Colorful African Flower Squares by hobim.motif

As you can see, using a different color for each round of the African Flower Square creates a stunning result. The maker behind Hobimmotif chose a bunch of yarns and experimented with the order of the colors. Each square looks different, but they all stay within the same color palette. By adding a white border to all, you can be sure the blanket will look polished.

photos by hobim.motif on Instagram: top, bottom

African Flower Blanket by hy_granny1213

This blanket will suit both vintage style enthusiasts and pastel lovers. Hiro used a classic eight-petal African Flower motif but enclosed it in a delicate square with openwork in the corners. As you can see, there’s a lacy X wherever any four squares meet, and a delicate openwork line in the border.

photos by hy_granny1213 on Instagram: source

There’s no pattern for this particular project. If you’re looking for a decorative blanket version, try a free crochet pattern called Pink & Green African Flower Baby Blanket by Denise Thomas, available on ravelry.com.

African Flower Baby Blanket by Bean Crochet

The combination of pinks and greens always makes me think of spring. The creative mind behind Bean Crochet used a popular free pattern for the squares (linked below the picture), then joined them with a flat slip stitch join. For the border, she used a simple double crochet and a mini bobble edging pattern from attic24.typepad.com.

photos by bean_crochet on Instagram: source

The author of this project used a free crochet pattern called African Flower Square by Barbara G Smith, which is available on made-in-k-town.blogspot.de and ravelry.com.

Cotton African Flower Blanket by Sinem Torun

Sinem’s blanket design is super interesting. It features a cohesive color palette but uses the colors in various combinations. If you look closely, you’ll see that each flower is unique, even though many share the same background color. Those with the same border color are arranged diagonally, which creates a truly eye-catching effect.

photos by sinemakbalaban on Instagram: top, bottom

African Flower Baby Blanket by Adri Smit

This project is a pink explosion! A vibrant and colorful blanket like this will look fantastic in a girls’ bedroom, or in an eclectic interior. Adri chose juicy colors for her squares, and decided to use pink for the details – you can see it in the join, as well as in an edging. A Lacy border is a great idea that complements flowers beautifully!

photos by Adri Smit from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here: African Flower Square by Barbara G Smith. More info is on Ravelry here.

African Flower Blanket by Arzu Ürkmez

The classic color combo of blue, yellow, and white is a color choice well-known to designers! This cheerful palette will be suitable for both boys and girls – just take a look at the photo and see for yourself! Cute spiky edging with two colorful stripes is a perfect finishing touch.

photos by @altinorgu_ on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern here – African Flower with 8 Petals by Laura Pavy.

You may also like this article – Popcorn Stitch Ideas.

African Flower Afghan by Linda

If you like to use flower motifs as details, you’ll like this project by Linda, because she decided to take a different approach than other authors. In her blanket, the flower is at the center of the square, but the square itself is quite big. In addition, she decided to go for contrasting thick join, which further underlines the graphic character of the whole blanket.

photos by labullard from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here – African Flower with 8 Petals by Laura Pavy.

African Flower Blanket by Fehime Öztürk

This gender-neutral blanket is a true gem, and Fehime did a fantastic job! As you can see in the pictures, it’s all in the details – two colors for the join, or lovely petal-like edging in corresponding colors. She also decided to make her squares one row bigger than usual, which is a very clever concept, because it makes the flowers pop even more on the lovely cream background.

photos by @byfehimeozturk on Instagram: top, bottom

African Flower Squares by Marun Crochet

As I mentioned before, an African Flower can have more than six petals, but nevertheless you will recognize it in an instant. This project by Marun Crochet featured a two-row center and eight petals, which makes the whole motif bigger. In addition, the author decided to enclose it in a square, which has lovely teardrop eyelets in each corner. Beauty!

photos by @marun_crochet on Instagram: top, bottom

You can find a similar project as a free crochet pattern – African Flower Centerpiece by Glowing Grace, or use this free pattern for African Flower with 8 Petals by Laura Pavy.

Do you like working with squares? Great, because you may also like this article – Battenberg Blanket Crochet Ideas.

African Flower Baby Blanket by Victoria

The eight-petal African Flower needs a bigger center, but you can also play with the way you divide the petals. Victoria decided to add a very simple, yet powerful detail – elongated single crochet is anchored all the way down, at the center. This graphic line makes the flower even more interesting!

photos by victoriaoc from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here – African Flower with 8 Petals by Laura Pavy.

African Flower Blanket by Katya Novikova

How to achieve the perfect balance between romantic and elegant? Katya chose a truly timeless palette, which is a combination of cream, dusty green, and hues of pink and violet. I’m sure, that a blanket like this one would look amazing both in a modern interior and a classic one. Take a look below to see, how good it looks when finished off with a wide granny border.

photos by Katyanovikova from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here: African Flower Square by Barbara G Smith. More info is on Ravelry here.

African Flower Blanket by sinemakbalaban

This color palette, which you can see in the photos, is one of my favorites ever because it reminds me of classic old-school teddy bears! Cream, chocolate, and blue sounds like an ultimate combination for a little boy, but I’m sure that every little girl will be happy to receive it, too! The lovely scalloped edging is a perfect finishing touch to this amazing project by Sinemakbalaban.

photos by @sinemakbalaban on Instagram: top, bottom

African Flower Motif in Accessories

African Flower Bag by Nica

Why not transform these flower squares into a stylish accessory? Nica used a classic 13-square bag pattern which creates a beautiful shape without much hassle. To make it even more unique, she added circular handles instead of straps. Admire the before and after in the photos below.

photos by boho_dream_nicol on Instagram: top, bottom

To make a similar bag, use a free crochet pattern called Cosmos Granny Bag by Carmen Heffernan, available on anniedesigncrochet.com and ravelry.com.

African Flower Pouch by chocolat.r.ka

Are you in need of a quick project? A crochet pouch may be a way to go! All you need is four crochet squares, some lining, and a zipper. In this case, the author used a ready-made bag made with synthetic leather. Such an interior is super easy to keep clean – a great choice for a toiletry bag.

photos by chocolat.r.k on Instagram: source

To make a similar project, consider using a free crochet pattern called Easter Flower Square by Carmen Heffernan, available on anniedesigncrochet.com and ravelry.com.

African Flower Pot Holder by Hard Days Knit

Do you need a simple project, or have enough of these blankets? Well, these potholders are a perfect design for you, especially if you don’t have a lot of time for crocheting. Simply adding a couple of rows to an African Flower hexagon can transform it into a potholder, table centerpiece or set of coasters.

photos by HardDaysKnit from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here – African Flower Mandala Pot Holder by Crochet with Raymond. More info is on Ravelry here.

You may also like this article – Easy V-Stitch Ideas.

African Flower Hot Air Balloon by Ina Rho

Oh yes, you definitely can make amigurumi projects with this motif, so don’t waste any more time! This absolutely adorable hot air balloon will be a beautiful addition to a nursery or a decoration of a kids’ room. Ina came up with the brilliant idea of simply making a crochet cover for a regular white balloon. Clever!

photos by Ina Rho from ravelry.com

You can find this free crochet pattern here – African Flower Hot Air Balloon by Ina Rho. More info is on Ravelry here.

Are you a fan of the African Flower motif? Take a look at amazing paid patterns by Heidi Bears here, because they feature lots of amigurumi animals.

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