Daisy Mini Plush Crochet Pattern: DK Cotton Yarn & Safety Eyes

There is something endlessly satisfying about crocheting a tiny stuffed flower that looks like it could have been plucked straight from a sunny meadow. The daisy mini plush is one of those projects that manages to be beginner-friendly enough to finish in an afternoon while still producing something genuinely charming — the kind of thing you want to line up on a windowsill or tuck into a gift bag as a handmade surprise. This pattern uses DK weight cotton yarn and safety eyes to give your daisy personality and structure, and once you make one, you will very likely make a dozen more.

Whether you are new to amigurumi-style crocheting or you have been making stuffed animals for years and are looking for a quick, satisfying project, this daisy mini plush pattern is worth adding to your collection. Below you will find everything you need: a full materials list, gauge information, abbreviations, the complete pattern worked in rounds, assembly instructions, and a few tips to help you get the cleanest, most polished results possible.

Why Cotton DK Yarn Is the Right Choice for This Project

Before diving into the pattern itself, it is worth taking a moment to talk about yarn choice, because it makes a real difference with a project like this.

Cotton yarn has a natural stiffness and structure that synthetic yarns do not always provide. When you are making a small stuffed piece, that structure helps the petals hold their shape without needing to be blocked or steamed repeatedly. DK weight — which sits between sport weight and worsted on the thickness scale — is the sweet spot for mini plush work. It is light enough to allow fine shaping and detail, but substantial enough that your stitches are easy to see and count, which matters enormously when you are working in tight rounds.

Cotton is also a wonderfully forgiving material for safety eyes. Because it does not stretch the way acrylic yarn does, the backing washer on your safety eye snaps on firmly and stays put. If you plan to give this plush to a child old enough for safety eye toys (typically three years and older as a guideline, though always use your own parental judgment), cotton’s tight weave gives you confidence that nothing is going to shift.

Good cotton DK options include Paintbox Simply DK, Drops Safran, Rico Creative Cotton DK, and Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton. Any of these will give you a clean stitch definition and a finished piece that photographs beautifully — which matters if you plan to share your work online or sell it at a craft fair.

Materials You Will Need

Gathering everything before you start makes the crocheting itself much smoother. Here is what you will need for one daisy mini plush:

Yarn: DK weight cotton in white (for petals), yellow (for the center disc), and green (for the stem and leaf, if making). You will not use large quantities — each color requires less than 20 grams, making this a perfect stash-buster project.

Hook: A 3.0 mm or 3.5 mm crochet hook. The smaller hook gives you tighter stitches that keep stuffing from showing through, which is particularly important with white yarn. Choose whichever size feels comfortable in your hand while still producing a firm fabric.

Safety eyes: One pair of 6 mm black safety eyes. These sit in the center disc of the daisy and give the plush its expression. If you prefer a more embroidered look, you can substitute with black yarn and a tapestry needle.

Stuffing: A small amount of polyester fiberfill. You will need surprisingly little for a mini plush — this is a great way to use the last scraps from larger projects.

Tapestry needle: For weaving in ends and sewing petals to the center disc.

Stitch markers: Optional but helpful for marking the beginning of each round, especially when working in white yarn where the stitches can be tricky to distinguish.

Scissors: Sharp embroidery scissors make clean yarn cuts and help with precise assembly.

Gauge

Gauge is not critical for a stuffed plush in the way it is for a wearable garment, but it does affect the final size of your piece. Working with a 3.0 mm hook and DK cotton, a magic ring with 6 single crochets, worked into 6 rows, should produce approximately a 4 cm square swatch. Your finished daisy center disc should measure roughly 3.5 to 4 cm in diameter before stuffing, and each petal should be approximately 3 to 3.5 cm long.

If your gauge runs larger, your daisy will be slightly bigger. If it runs smaller, slightly tinier. Both are perfectly lovely — a daisy that is a centimeter wider or narrower is still a daisy.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

This pattern is written in US crochet terminology.

• MR — magic ring
• ch — chain
• sc — single crochet
• inc — increase (2 single crochets into the same stitch)
• dec — invisible decrease (insert hook into front loop of next stitch, then front loop of stitch after that, yarn over, pull through both loops, yarn over, pull through remaining loops)
• sl st — slip stitch
• BLO — back loop only
• FLO — front loop only
• st(s) — stitch(es)
• rnd — round
• rep — repeat
• PM — place marker
• [x] — number of stitches at end of round

The Pattern

Part One: The Center Disc (Yellow Yarn)

The center disc is worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise noted. Use a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round.

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring, pull ring closed. [6]

Round 2: Inc in each st around. [12]

Round 3: Sc in next st, inc in next st, rep 6 times. [18]

Round 4: Sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st, rep 6 times. [24]

Round 5: Sc in next 3 sts, inc in next st, rep 6 times. [30]

Round 6: Sc in each st around. [30]

At the end of Round 6, your disc should be a flat circle. This is the time to insert your safety eyes. Place them side by side in the center of the disc, slightly below the midpoint to give the daisy a sweet, slightly upward-gazing expression. The eyes should be roughly 4 to 5 stitches apart. Push the posts through the fabric, snap the washers on securely from the wrong side, and give a gentle tug from the front to confirm they are locked in place.

Round 7: Sc in next 3 sts, dec, rep 6 times. [24]

Round 8: Sc in next 2 sts, dec, rep 6 times. [18]

Now begin stuffing the disc firmly. The center of a daisy is slightly rounded and raised, so do not be shy with the fiberfill. Stuff until the disc feels plump and the surface is evenly rounded.

Round 9: Sc in next st, dec, rep 6 times. [12]

Round 10: Dec 6 times. [6]

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Thread through the tapestry needle and run the needle through the front loop of each remaining stitch, pull tight to close, and weave in the end securely.

Part Two: The Petals (White Yarn)

Each petal is worked as a flat piece. You will make eight petals total, though you can make six for a simpler look or ten for a fuller, more dramatic daisy.

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring, pull ring closed. [6]

Round 2: Inc in each st around. [12]

Round 3: Sc in next st, inc in next st, rep 6 times. [18]

Round 4: Sc in each st around. [18]

Round 5: Sc in next st, dec, rep 6 times. [12]

Round 6: Sc in each st around. [12]

Round 7: Dec 6 times. [6]

Do not stuff the petals. They should remain flat or just slightly puffy. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Close the opening as you did for the center disc — thread through the remaining stitches, pull tight, but instead of weaving in the end, leave it long for assembly.

Repeat this entire process seven more times for a total of eight petals.

Part Three: The Stem and Leaf (Green Yarn, Optional)

If you want a full daisy with a stem, this section produces a simple, sweet stem that can stand in a small vase or be stitched into a bouquet arrangement.

The Stem: Chain 25 (or more for a longer stem). Sl st back down the chain from the 2nd chain from hook. Fasten off, leaving a tail to attach to the disc.

The Leaf:

Row 1: Chain 8. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 4 sts, inc in next st, sc in last st. Turn. [8]

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 7 sts, inc in last st. Turn. [9]

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in next 8 sts, inc in last st. Turn. [10]

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in next 9 sts, inc in last st. Turn. [11]

Row 5: Ch 1, sc across. Turn. [11]

Row 6: Ch 1, dec, sc to last 2 sts, dec. Turn. [9]

Row 7: Ch 1, dec, sc to last 2 sts, dec. Turn. [7]

Row 8: Ch 1, dec, sc to last 2 sts, dec. Turn. [5]

Row 9: Ch 1, dec, sc 1, dec. [3]

Fasten off and weave in one end, leaving the other for sewing. Working single crochets evenly around the entire edge of the leaf gives it a cleaner, more defined outline and is worth the extra five minutes.

Assembly

Assembly is where the daisy comes together, and it is genuinely the most rewarding part of the process. Lay your center disc with the safety-eye side facing up. Arrange the eight petals around the perimeter of the disc, spacing them as evenly as possible. The closed tip of each petal should point outward, and the open base should sit flush against the edge of the disc.

Pin the petals in place before sewing if you find it helpful — even straight pins work fine for a piece this small. Using the long tail at the base of each petal and your tapestry needle, sew each petal to the disc with a few firm stitches. Work through both the petal base and the edge stitches of the disc. When all petals are attached, go back around and add a second pass of stitches to make sure each petal is really secure. Weave in all remaining ends carefully, since the back of a stuffed piece can look untidy if you are not thorough.

If you made a stem, attach it to the center back of the disc with several stitches, knotting securely before weaving in. The leaf can be stitched to the upper portion of the stem at whatever angle looks natural and pleasing to you. There is no single right answer here — trust your eye.

Tips for the Best Results

Work tightly. The single most important technical tip for any stuffed plush is to keep your tension firm enough that the fiberfill does not show through your stitches. If you are seeing stuffing through the fabric, try going down half a hook size.

Use a magic ring. Some crocheters prefer to chain 2 and work into the first chain rather than using a magic ring. Both are valid, but the magic ring gives you a tighter, cleaner center point, which is especially visible in a small piece like this.

Count your stitches. Amigurumi-style work can unravel very quickly if you miss an increase or decrease. Count at the end of every single round and use a stitch marker religiously. It only takes a few seconds per round and saves enormous frustration later.

Safety eye placement matters. Take your time deciding where to place the eyes before snapping the washers on, because they are essentially permanent once locked. Some makers use pins to mark potential positions and step back to look from a small distance before committing.

Press the finished piece lightly. A gentle press under a damp cloth and a cool iron can do wonders for a cotton plush, smoothing out any uneven stitches and giving the petals a crisp look. Do not use steam directly on safety eyes, as high heat can damage them.

Ideas for Using Your Finished Daisy Mini Plush

The obvious use is simply as a decorative object — a row of mini daisies on a shelf or desk is a genuinely joyful thing. But there are plenty of other lovely applications worth considering.

You can attach a ribbon loop to the back and use the daisy as a gift topper instead of a bow. It can be sewn onto a tote bag or a denim jacket as a patch-style embellishment. A cluster of three or five daisies in slightly different sizes makes a beautiful corsage or a brooch when pinned to a safety-pin backing. For baby gifts, a single daisy attached to a soft rattle or sewn onto a burp cloth adds a sweet handmade touch (always use embroidered eyes rather than safety eyes for items intended for babies and very young children).

If you enjoy making sets, consider crocheting a bouquet of mixed mini plush flowers — daisies alongside sunflowers, tulips, and roses — and presenting them in a small ceramic pot with the stems held in floral foam. These make exceptional gifts that last far longer than fresh flowers, and they require only a small investment of time and materials.

Customizing the Pattern

Once you are comfortable with the basic daisy, the pattern opens itself up to a lot of playful variation. Changing the yellow center to pink gives you a whimsical fantasy flower. Using two strands of finer yarn held together creates interesting texture. Petals worked in pastel variegated yarn produce a soft ombre effect that is particularly beautiful in photographs. You can also scale the pattern up by using worsted weight yarn with a 4.0 or 4.5 mm hook to create a larger, pillow-like daisy that works beautifully as a pin cushion.

Working the center disc in a deep terracotta or burnt orange and the petals in cream produces a stunning vintage-inspired look that would feel at home in a maximalist or cottagecore-styled room. The basic structure of the pattern is flexible enough to take on almost any color palette you bring to it.

Final Thoughts

The daisy mini plush crochet pattern is one of those rare projects that delivers a genuinely polished result without demanding advanced skills or expensive materials. The combination of DK cotton yarn and safety eyes produces a piece that is structured, expressive, and surprisingly professional-looking for something you can complete in a single sitting. It is a wonderful pattern for beginners building confidence, for experienced crocheters looking for a meditative afternoon project, and for anyone who simply loves making small, beautiful things with yarn and a hook.

If you make this daisy, consider sharing it — on social media, in a local craft group, or simply as a gift to someone who would appreciate a handmade something made just for them. There is a particular kind of generosity in giving away something you made with your own hands, and a tiny stuffed daisy carries that spirit perfectly.

Happy crocheting.