Easy Crochet Lavender Stem Keychain Pattern & Photo Tutorial
There is something quietly wonderful about carrying a little handmade object with you everywhere you go. A crochet keychain does exactly that — it is small enough to finish in a single afternoon, practical enough to use every single day, and charming enough that people will stop and ask where you got it. This lavender stem keychain is one of those projects that feels almost meditative to make. The repetitive stitches, the purple tones, the tiny green stem — it all comes together into something that looks far more complicated than it actually is.
Whether you are brand new to crochet or you have been crocheting for years and just want a quick, satisfying project to work on between larger pieces, this pattern is for you. The finished keychain looks like a delicate sprig of lavender, complete with a little green stem and clusters of purple “blossoms.” It makes a beautiful gift, a sweet addition to your own keys or bag, and a great stash buster for small amounts of leftover yarn.
Let’s walk through everything you need to know, from materials to the finished product.
Why You’ll Love This Project
Before diving into the pattern itself, here is why this little lavender keychain has become such a beloved project in the crochet community.
It is genuinely beginner-friendly. If you know how to chain, single crochet, and slip stitch, you have everything you need to complete this project. There are no complicated stitch sequences, no reading charts from the wrong end, no increases or decreases that require counting every row. The structure of a lavender sprig is naturally forgiving — slight variations in stitch count or tension just make each keychain look more organic and handmade, which is exactly what you want.
It is fast. Depending on your experience level, you can finish one of these keychains in anywhere from 45 minutes to about two hours. That makes it perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, a long car ride (as a passenger, of course), or a crafty evening in front of a show you have already seen three times.
It uses almost no yarn. This is the ideal project for those little leftover balls of yarn that are too small for anything else but too pretty to throw away. You need less than 20 yards of purple yarn and less than 15 yards of green yarn. If you buy new yarn, one small skein of each will give you enough for dozens of keychains.
It is endlessly giftable. A lavender keychain is the kind of gift that suits almost anyone — a coworker, a grandmother, a best friend, a teacher. It is elegant without being fussy, handmade without looking rough, and inexpensive to make without feeling cheap.
Materials You Will Need
Gathering your materials before you start is always a good idea, especially for a small project where stopping mid-way to search for a hook or scissors breaks the whole rhythm.
Yarn: You will need a small amount of purple or lavender-colored yarn and a small amount of green yarn. Worsted weight (size 4) yarn is what this pattern is written for, though you can absolutely size it up or down depending on what you have. A sport weight or DK yarn will give you a more delicate, slender sprig, while a bulky yarn will give you something chunkier and more modern-looking. Classic purple shades work beautifully, but dusty mauve, lilac, violet, and even a deep plum all look stunning. For the stem, any medium green works well — sage, forest green, or olive all feel very natural and botanical.
Crochet Hook: A 4mm or 5mm hook pairs well with worsted weight yarn. If you are going down in yarn weight, reduce your hook size accordingly. The specific size matters less here than your tension — you want the stitches to be tight enough that the stuffing (if you use any) does not show through, but not so tight that the hook becomes difficult to maneuver.
Stuffing: A small pinch of polyfill stuffing is optional but recommended. It gives the blossom tips a little dimension and helps them hold their rounded shape. If you do not have polyfill on hand, a tiny bit of cotton wool or even a little scrap of yarn bunched up inside works just as well.
Keychain Ring: You will need one keychain ring, available at any craft store or online. The standard split ring style works perfectly. The size is up to you — a 25mm ring looks proportionate with a standard-size sprig, but smaller or larger rings both work.
Additional Tools: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and stitch markers (optional, but helpful if you are new to crocheting in the round).
Understanding the Pattern: A Quick Overview
The lavender keychain is made in three separate sections that are then assembled together. This modular approach makes the project feel even more manageable because you can complete one piece at a time.
The first section is the blossom cluster, which forms the top of the sprig. It consists of three small oval or tubular shapes worked in purple yarn that represent the lavender flowers. Each one is worked in a simple back-and-forth or in-the-round construction, stuffed lightly, and closed off.
The second section is the stem, worked in green yarn. This is a simple crocheted tube or chain that connects the blossoms to the keychain ring. Its length can be adjusted depending on how long you want the finished keychain to hang.
The third section is the attachment, which involves a simple loop or slip knot that connects your crocheted stem to the metal keychain ring.
Once all three sections are made, assembly is quick — just a few stitches with your yarn needle and some careful weaving to hide the ends.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
inc — increase (two single crochets in the same stitch)
MR — magic ring (also called a magic circle)
FO — fasten off
YO — yarn over
Pattern Instructions
Part One: The Lavender Blossoms (Make 3)
You will make three identical blossom pieces. Each one is small and works up very quickly.
Using your purple yarn and 4mm hook, begin with a magic ring. If you are not comfortable with a magic ring, you can chain 2 and work your stitches into the first chain instead.
Round 1: Work 6 single crochets into the magic ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. You will have 6 stitches. Place a stitch marker in the last stitch of the round so you can track where each round ends. (6 sts)
Round 2: Work 1 increase in each stitch around. You will have 12 stitches. (12 sts)
Round 3: Single crochet in each stitch around. (12 sts)
Round 4: Single crochet in each stitch around. (12 sts)
Round 5: Work a decrease in each pair of stitches around — that is, insert your hook in the first stitch, yarn over and pull through, insert your hook in the next stitch, yarn over and pull through, then yarn over and pull through all three loops. Repeat around until you have 6 stitches remaining. (6 sts)
Before closing the blossom completely, insert a small pinch of polyfill stuffing inside. You do not need much — just enough to give it a gentle rounded shape.
Close the remaining 6 stitches by threading your yarn needle through each front loop and pulling tight to cinch the opening. Fasten off, leaving a tail of about 6 inches for assembly later. Do not cut the tail yet.
Repeat this process two more times so you have three purple blossoms in total.
Part Two: The Stem
Switch to your green yarn.
Chain 20. This gives you a stem of roughly 2 to 2.5 inches depending on your tension. If you want a longer stem, chain 25 or 30 instead. If you prefer a shorter stem, chain 15.
Row 1: Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (19 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail on each end.
Alternatively, for a rounder, more three-dimensional stem, you can work a simple crocheted tube instead of a flat strip. To do this, chain 4, slip stitch to join into a ring, and then single crochet in each stitch around for as many rounds as you want the stem to be long. This takes a little more time but creates a beautiful cylindrical stem that looks even more realistic.
Part Three: The Attachment Loop
Using green yarn, chain 8. Slip stitch into the first chain to form a loop. This loop is what you will thread through your keychain ring. Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
If you prefer, you can skip making a separate attachment loop and simply use the end of your stem piece — just make sure to leave a long enough tail at the top of the stem to thread through the keychain ring and secure it.
Assembly Instructions
Assembly is where the magic happens. Take your time here, and do not rush the weaving-in of ends — secure finishing is what makes a keychain last for years.
Step 1: Arrange your three blossoms. Hold all three together so their closed tops are aligned. Using the long tails you left on each blossom, stitch the three blossoms together side by side in a loose cluster. The goal is not a perfectly uniform arrangement — a slightly staggered grouping looks more natural, like a real lavender sprig where the blossoms are not all at exactly the same height.
Step 2: Attach the blossoms to the stem. Thread one of the blossom tails through the yarn needle and stitch the blossom cluster to one end of the green stem, pulling the stitches snug enough to hold but not so tight that the stem buckles. Weave through several times to make sure the connection is secure. Weave in and trim all tails on the blossom end.
Step 3: Attach the stem to the keychain ring. Thread the attachment loop through the keychain ring, fold it back on itself, and stitch it securely to the top of the green stem. If you are using the stem tail instead of a separate loop, thread it through the split ring, bring it back down through the stitches of the stem, and secure it with several passes of the yarn needle before trimming.
Step 4: Final check. Tug gently on the blossoms and on the keychain ring to make sure everything is secure. If anything feels loose, reinforce it with a few more stitches before trimming your yarn ends.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Tension matters more than hook size. Especially for the blossoms, you want your tension to be snug enough that the stuffing does not peek through. If your stitches look open and loopy, try going down half a hook size or simply pulling your yarn a little more firmly as you work.
Use a stitch marker every round. When working in the round with just 6 or 12 stitches, it is very easy to lose track of where one round ends and the next begins. A stitch marker — even just a small piece of contrasting yarn looped through — saves a lot of frustration.
Blocking helps. A light steam or a quick soak and reshape of the finished keychain makes the stitches settle and the blossoms look neater. For something this small, just dip it in cool water, squeeze out the excess gently, shape it with your fingers, and let it dry flat.
Experiment with color. While classic purple lavender is the obvious choice, there is no reason you cannot make these in other colors. Imagine a deep burgundy for dried roses, a soft pink for cherry blossoms, or bright yellow for sunflowers. The same basic structure works for many different botanical keychains.
Make a bunch at once. Once you have worked through the pattern once and your hands know the motions, working in an assembly-line style — making all three blossoms at once, then all the stems, then assembling all of them — is much faster and very satisfying.
Gifting Ideas and Display Suggestions
A single lavender keychain is lovely on its own, but a small bundle of three or five tied together with a ribbon makes a beautiful packaged gift. Add a tag with a note about what the item is and that it is handmade, and you have an entirely personalized present that costs almost nothing but means a great deal.
These keychains also look charming clipped to a tote bag, hanging from a zipper pull on a backpack, or tied to a gift package as a decorative accent that doubles as a little bonus present. Some crafters make a small display of them in a glass jar or hanging from a ribbon-strung branch as home décor — the effect is surprisingly lovely, like a little field of lavender in miniature.
If you sell at craft fairs or on platforms like Etsy, lavender keychains are consistently popular sellers, especially in spring and summer. Because they are so inexpensive and fast to make, the profit margin is excellent, and they photograph beautifully for product listings — which brings us to the next point.
Photography Tips for Your Tutorial Photos
Since this is both a pattern and a photo tutorial, capturing beautiful step-by-step photos is part of sharing it effectively. Here are a few quick tips for getting photos that do your work justice.
Natural light is your best friend. Photograph near a window in the morning or on an overcast day. Harsh midday sun creates deep shadows that obscure your stitch detail, while flat, diffused light makes every individual stitch visible and clear.
Use a simple background. A piece of linen fabric, a wooden cutting board, a marble surface, or even a piece of plain white paper all make excellent photo backdrops. Avoid backgrounds that compete visually with the yarn colors — for purple lavender, a neutral cream, white, or warm grey works beautifully.
Photograph from directly above for overview shots and at a slight angle for shots that show the three-dimensional shape of the blossoms.
Include a hand or a set of keys in at least one photo to give a sense of scale. A finished lavender keychain is quite small, and showing it in context helps viewers understand what they are making.
Final Thoughts
This crochet lavender stem keychain is exactly the kind of small, joyful project that reminds you why you fell in love with crochet in the first place. It requires almost no materials, takes very little time, produces something genuinely beautiful, and can be adapted in dozens of ways to suit your yarn stash and personal style.
If you make this pattern, consider sharing a photo — there is real joy in seeing how different yarn choices and individual tension give each maker’s version its own character. No two handmade keychains are ever exactly alike, and that is entirely the point.
Happy crocheting, and may your stems be straight and your blossoms beautifully full.
