Crochet Tung Blossoms Pattern Free (PDF + Beginner Tutorial)
There is something quietly magical about tung blossoms. Those delicate five-petaled flowers that drift down in pale clusters every spring have inspired artists, painters, and textile makers for generations. If you have ever wanted to capture that softness in yarn, you are in exactly the right place. This free crochet tung blossom pattern walks you through everything you need to create your own beautiful floral pieces, whether you want to scatter them as appliqués on a bag, string them into a garland, pin them to a hat, or arrange them in a little yarn bouquet that never wilts.
The best part? This pattern is beginner-friendly. If you can chain, single crochet, and slip stitch, you have every skill you need to make these flowers. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a finished tung blossom in hand and the confidence to make a whole basketful.
What Are Tung Blossoms and Why Crochet Them?
The tung tree, known botanically as Vernicia fordii, blooms in late spring across parts of East Asia, Taiwan, and the American South. Its flowers are small, trumpet-shaped, and arranged in loose clusters of white and pale pink, with delicate veining in reddish-purple at the center. In Taiwan especially, the tung blossom has become a beloved cultural symbol, sometimes called the “snow of May” because the petals fall so thickly they look like a late-season snowfall blanketing the hillsides.
Crocheting these blossoms lets you carry that fleeting beauty with you year-round. Unlike the real flower, which stays on the tree for only a week or two, a crocheted tung blossom will last as long as you take care of it. It also gives you tremendous creative flexibility. You can make them in pure white for a realistic look, add a soft blush pink for romance, work them up in bold jewel tones for a more artistic statement, or match them to any project you are embellishing. The five-petal structure is iconic and instantly recognizable, making these little flowers deeply satisfying to craft and to give as gifts.
Materials You Will Need
Before you cast on, gather your supplies. You do not need much, and most of what you need you may already have in your stash.
Yarn: Any lightweight yarn works beautifully for this pattern. Fingering weight (size 1) gives a delicate, lifelike result, while DK weight (size 3) produces a slightly bolder flower that is easier to handle if you are new to crochet. For the petals, choose white, cream, or pale blush pink. For the flower center, a soft yellow, gold, or deep red-purple works well.
Hook: Use a hook appropriate to your yarn weight. A 2.5mm to 3.5mm hook is ideal for fingering to DK weight yarn. The pattern is written with a 3mm hook and DK weight yarn, which gives a finished flower approximately 6 to 7 centimeters across.
Scissors: A small, sharp pair for clean yarn cuts.
Yarn needle: For weaving in ends and, optionally, for adding embroidered details to the center.
Stitch markers: Optional but helpful for keeping track of your rounds.
Embroidery floss or thread: If you want to add the distinctive reddish-purple veining of the real tung blossom, a small amount of embroidery floss in a wine or burgundy color lets you stitch those details on afterward.
Wire stems and floral tape (optional): If you want to make a bouquet, 22-gauge floral wire and green floral tape let you attach the finished flowers to bendable stems.
Gauge and Sizing
For this pattern, gauge is not critical in the way it is for a fitted garment. Your finished flower size will vary slightly depending on your yarn weight and hook size, and that variation is perfectly fine. As a general reference, using DK weight yarn and a 3mm hook, the finished blossom measures approximately 6 to 7 centimeters (about 2.5 inches) across from petal tip to petal tip. Using fingering weight with a 2.5mm hook, expect a flower closer to 4 to 5 centimeters across.
If you want a larger, bolder flower for a statement brooch or a wreath, simply go up a yarn weight or two. Worsted weight yarn with a 4mm hook gives you a flower around 9 centimeters across.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology.
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
tr = treble crochet
sp = space
MR = magic ring (also called a magic circle)
rep = repeat
st(s) = stitch(es)
YO = yarn over
Free Crochet Tung Blossom Pattern
Round 1 — The Center
Start with your center color (yellow, gold, or deep red-purple).
Make a magic ring. If you are not comfortable with a magic ring, you can chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to form a small ring instead.
Chain 1. Work 5 single crochets into the ring. Pull the magic ring tail gently to close the center. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. You now have 5 stitches in a tight circle. (5 sc)
This center circle forms the heart of your blossom. Fasten off if you are changing colors for the petals, leaving a 15cm tail for weaving in. Alternatively, carry both colors if you prefer to avoid extra ends.
Round 2 — Building the Petal Bases
Join your petal color (white, cream, or blush pink) to any stitch of Round 1. You will now work a series of increases around the ring that will create five distinct petal bases.
In the same stitch as your join: chain 1, work 2 sc.
Move to the next stitch: work 2 sc.
Repeat from around all 5 stitches. (10 sc total)
Join with a slip stitch to the first sc. Do not turn.
Round 3 — Forming the Petals
This is the round where your blossom truly comes to life. Each petal is worked separately across a 2-stitch section, then you return to the base ring to begin the next petal. Read through the full petal instruction once before you begin.
Petal 1:
Working into the next 2 stitches of Round 2 as your petal base:
Ch 1. Sc in the first petal base stitch. In the same stitch, work: hdc, dc, tr. Chain 1.
In the second petal base stitch, work: tr, dc, hdc. Sc in the same stitch. Ch 1.
Sl st into the base of the petal (into the junction between the two petal base stitches, or back into Round 1 between the relevant stitches) to close and shape the petal.
This sequence creates a gentle pointed arch — the characteristic shape of the tung blossom’s elongated, slightly cupped petal.
Petals 2 through 5:
Repeat the same sequence for each of the remaining four pairs of petal base stitches, always returning with a slip stitch to anchor each petal before moving to the next.
After completing all 5 petals, join with a slip stitch to the base of Petal 1. Fasten off, leaving a tail for weaving in.
You now have a complete five-petal flower with a defined center.
Finishing the Center
Thread your yarn needle with the center color tail. Weave in ends securely on the wrong side of the flower. If desired, use a small length of your center color yarn or embroidery floss to make 3 to 5 straight stitches radiating from the very middle of the flower outward, like stamens. These tiny stitches add incredible realism and depth.
For the reddish-purple veining of a real tung blossom, thread a needle with burgundy or wine-colored embroidery floss and work a single straight stitch up the center of each petal, stopping about halfway to the tip. This detail is entirely optional but elevates the finished flower beautifully.
Tips for Perfect Petals
Getting the petals to lie flat and fan evenly is the main challenge of this pattern, and it is one that gets easier every time you make a flower. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Keep your tension consistent throughout the petal increases. Because you are building height quickly within a few stitches, it is tempting to tighten up as you go. Resist that urge and let the taller stitches breathe a little. They need that extra height to curve gracefully outward.
The slip stitch that closes each petal is important. Pull it firmly enough to define the petal’s shape but not so tightly that the base puckers. Think of it as a gentle anchor, not a knot.
Blocking makes an enormous difference with floral crochet. Once you have finished your blossom, wet it lightly, shape each petal between your fingers, and lay it flat to dry on a towel or blocking board. Even five minutes of blocking transforms a slightly uneven flower into something that looks professionally made.
If your flower looks a little lumpy or the petals overlap awkwardly, try going up half a hook size. A slightly looser fabric gives the petals more room to spread.
How to Download the Free PDF
You can save this pattern as a PDF directly from your browser by selecting “Print” and then choosing “Save as PDF” from your printer options. This gives you a clean, formatted copy you can store on any device or print out for your project bag.
If you prefer a formatted pattern sheet with stitch diagrams, you can also pin this post to your Pinterest boards or bookmark it for easy reference later. Stitch diagrams for each round of this pattern are wonderful tools if you are a visual learner, and many crocheters find it helpful to follow both written instructions and a diagram simultaneously.
Ways to Use Your Crochet Tung Blossoms
One of the greatest joys of making small crochet flowers is discovering how many ways you can use them. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Hair accessories: Attach a crochet tung blossom to a plain hair clip or headband with a few stitches of matching thread. A cluster of three flowers at different sizes looks especially lovely.
Bag and purse embellishments: Stitch a scattering of blossoms across the front of a tote bag or the flap of a crossbody bag. Mix white flowers with a few pale pink ones for a naturalistic effect.
Greeting cards and gift wrapping: Attach a single blossom to the front of a handmade card with a dab of fabric glue, or tie one onto a gift tag with ribbon. It makes even a small gift feel genuinely special.
Garlands and bunting: Make 20 to 30 blossoms and thread them onto a length of thin cord or ribbon, spaced evenly or in little clusters. A tung blossom garland strung across a mantel or along a bookshelf is effortlessly beautiful.
Brooches: Sew a pin back onto the wrong side of a finished flower and you have a wearable piece of floral art. These make lovely gifts for teachers, mothers, and grandmothers.
Bouquets: Attach your finished flowers to floral wire stems using a yarn needle and floral tape, then arrange them in a small vase. They look particularly beautiful paired with crocheted leaves worked in a soft green yarn.
Wreaths: Hot glue a collection of blossoms onto a small grapevine or foam wreath base, filling in the gaps with small crocheted leaves or purchased ribbon greenery.
Crocheting a Simple Leaf to Pair With Your Blossoms
No flower is complete without a little greenery. Here is a quick leaf pattern that pairs beautifully with your tung blossoms.
Using green yarn and a 3mm hook, chain 10.
Row 1: Starting in the second chain from the hook, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st in the last 3 chains.
Do not turn. Working back along the other side of the starting chain: sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc. Join with a sl st to the beginning.
Fasten off and weave in ends. Block lightly to shape. This gives you a simple, elongated leaf approximately 4 centimeters long that nestles perfectly behind or beside your blossoms.
Making a Tung Blossom Garland — Step-by-Step
If a garland is your goal, here is a simple method for stringing your finished flowers into a beautiful display piece.
Make at least 20 to 30 blossom motifs. For variety, try making them in slightly different sizes by switching yarn weights — a few larger flowers in worsted weight mixed with finer fingering-weight blossoms creates a natural, organic look.
Cut a length of thin cotton cord, jute twine, or ribbon to your desired garland length, adding about 30 centimeters extra on each end for hanging loops.
Using a tapestry needle and a length of the same cord or matching thread, stitch each flower onto the cord at your desired spacing. You can keep them evenly spaced for a formal look or cluster them in groups of two or three with longer gaps between clusters for something more whimsical.
Interleave your crocheted leaves between the flowers as you go. The combination of white blossoms and soft green leaves against a natural jute cord is stunning.
Finish the ends of your cord with simple overhand loops for hanging.
Caring for Your Crocheted Flowers
Crochet flowers made from cotton or cotton-blend yarn can be hand-washed gently in cool water with a mild soap and laid flat to dry. Wool or wool-blend flowers should be handled with extra care — a quick soak in cool water without agitation, then rolled in a towel to remove excess water and reshaped before drying.
Flowers used as appliqués that have been stitched to fabric should be spot-cleaned or cleaned along with the item they are attached to.
If your flowers have been glued to a non-washable surface (like a paper card or a foam wreath), simply dust them lightly with a soft brush.
Final Thoughts
The crochet tung blossom is one of those patterns that rewards you quickly. A single flower takes only 15 to 20 minutes once you have made two or three and found your rhythm, which means an afternoon of pleasant crafting can produce enough blossoms for a garland, a wreath, or a beautiful bundle of blooms. There is something deeply meditative about working through the same five-petal sequence again and again, and each finished flower feels like a small, complete thing — delicate and satisfying in your hand.
Whether you are new to crochet and looking for an approachable floral project, or you are an experienced maker wanting a quick and pretty appliqué, this pattern has something to offer. Save your free PDF, gather your yarn, and let the blossoms begin.
Happy crocheting, and may your yarn never tangle.
