Stitch by Stitch Through Autumn: The PlanetJune Maple Leaf Crochet Pattern You’ll Want to Make All Season Long
There is something quietly magical about the moment autumn arrives. The air shifts, the light turns golden, and suddenly every tree becomes a spectacle of red, orange, and amber. For those of us who crochet, that seasonal shift also brings an irresistible creative urge — to capture the beauty of a fallen maple leaf in yarn and hold onto it long after the real ones have blown away.
If you’ve been searching for the perfect maple leaf crochet pattern, look no further than the Maple Leaf Collection by June Gilbank of PlanetJune. Known across the crafting world for her meticulous design process and beautifully realistic results, June has created a maple leaf pattern that stands apart from the dozens of simplified versions floating around the internet. This one has character. It has dimension. It looks, unmistakably, like a real maple leaf.
In this post, we’re going to explore everything you need to know about this pattern: what makes it special, how to approach it as a beginner or an experienced crocheter, what yarn and hook choices will give you the best results, and the many wonderful ways you can use your finished leaves. Whether you’re planning a seasonal home display, personalizing handmade gifts, or building toward an ambitious autumn wreath project, this pattern deserves a permanent place in your collection.
Who Is June Gilbank and Why Does PlanetJune Matter?
Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the designer behind it. June Gilbank is a Canadian crochet designer who has been sharing patterns and tutorials through her website, PlanetJune, since the mid-2000s. She is particularly celebrated for her amigurumi and nature-inspired designs, and her approach has always been rooted in careful observation of the real world.
What sets June apart from many other designers is her commitment to accuracy. She doesn’t just sketch a rough impression of a leaf or a creature and call it done — she studies proportions, considers how crochet stitches can mimic natural textures, and tests her patterns extensively before releasing them. The result is a body of work that feels alive, grounded, and satisfying to make.
Her maple leaf pattern is a wonderful example of this philosophy. Rather than producing a generic, vaguely leaf-shaped piece, June’s design captures the distinctive lobed silhouette of the true maple leaf, complete with the pointed tips and the natural indentations that make this particular leaf so iconic. Canada, Japan, and countless autumn landscapes owe much of their visual identity to this shape, and June has honored it in yarn form with real care.
What Is the Maple Leaf Collection?
The Maple Leaf Collection from PlanetJune typically includes options for crocheting maple leaves in different sizes, giving you flexibility depending on your project. This is one of the most practical aspects of the pattern — having access to a small, medium, and large version means you can mix and match for a more natural, realistic look when using the leaves together, or choose the right scale for a specific project without improvising.
The pattern is worked flat, which makes it approachable for crocheters of varying skill levels. If you’re comfortable with basic stitches like single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, and slip stitches, you have everything you need in your technical toolkit to get started. The shaping comes from thoughtful stitch placement and careful increases and decreases, not from advanced techniques — which is part of what makes this pattern so satisfying. The complexity of the finished leaf feels earned through attention rather than through a steep learning curve.
The instructions are clear and detailed, which is a hallmark of PlanetJune patterns. June writes for real human beings who are actually trying to follow along, not for an abstract ideal crafter who never gets confused. Stitch counts are given consistently, which helps you catch mistakes early rather than discovering them six rows later.
Choosing Your Yarn: Color, Weight, and Fiber
One of the most enjoyable parts of planning a maple leaf crochet project is choosing your yarn colors. Autumn gives you an extraordinary palette to work with, and the maple leaf is one of nature’s most dramatic examples of seasonal color change. Here are some directions you might consider:
Classic Autumn Tones
Russet red, pumpkin orange, golden yellow, and warm amber are the obvious choices, and for good reason — they’re beautiful. If you want leaves that look as though they’ve just fallen from a tree at peak color, these are your shades. Variegated yarns that blend two or three of these colors together can create a particularly realistic effect, with the leaf appearing to transition from green at the stem to blazing orange at the tips.
Deep Burgundy and Wine
Some maple varieties turn a spectacular deep red-purple in autumn, and crocheted leaves in burgundy or wine-colored yarn have a richness that photographs beautifully. These darker tones also work well for year-round décor that doesn’t read as exclusively seasonal.
Forest Green
Don’t overlook summer green as an option. Crocheted maple leaves in forest green can be used as embellishments on spring and summer projects, woven into floral arrangements, or added to fiber art pieces that incorporate botanical elements.
Ombré and Hand-Dyed Yarns
If you have access to hand-dyed or semi-solid yarns in autumnal colorways, the Maple Leaf Collection is an excellent project for showing them off. Because each leaf is a small, self-contained piece, you can see the full range of a variegated yarn’s color story without the muddying effect that sometimes occurs in larger projects.
For yarn weight, a worsted weight yarn will produce leaves that are large and bold, ideal for wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. Sport or DK weight gives you a finer, more delicate leaf that works beautifully as a brooch, a bookmark, or an embellishment on a hat or bag. Cotton yarn produces crisp, firm leaves with excellent stitch definition — great if you want the lobes and points to hold their shape without any stuffing or blocking. Wool gives you a softer, slightly more rustic result, and blocks particularly well if you want to flatten and define your leaves after crocheting.
Hook Size and Gauge
Because the finished leaves don’t need to fit a body or a container, gauge is flexible in this pattern — you’re not going to end up with a sweater that doesn’t fit. That said, hook size does matter in terms of the final dimensions and the drape of the fabric.
Generally speaking, using the hook size recommended on your yarn’s label will give you a medium-density fabric that holds its shape well. Going down a hook size will give you a tighter, denser fabric with crisper edges; going up a hook size will give you a more relaxed, slightly larger leaf with a softer feel. Both approaches can be perfectly valid depending on your intended use.
If you’re making multiple leaves for a project like a wreath or a garland, it’s worth crocheting a test leaf first and being consistent with your hook choice throughout, so all your leaves end up roughly the same size. The variation in the different sizes within the collection already gives you a natural range; you don’t want accidental variation on top of that.
Step by Step: What to Expect When You Sit Down to Crochet
Every crocheter approaches a new pattern with a mix of excitement and mild apprehension. Here’s what the experience of working the Maple Leaf Collection is likely to feel like, from cast on to finishing.
The leaf is typically worked from the stem upward, which is a logical and intuitive approach that mirrors the natural growth direction of a real leaf. You’ll begin with a foundation chain, then build outward and upward to create the leaf’s lobes. Each lobe is shaped individually, which means you’ll be working in sections — a rhythm that many crocheters find satisfying and meditative.
The pointed tips of the maple leaf’s lobes require some careful attention to the stitch sequence, and this is where a first-time attempt might need a few read-throughs of the pattern before beginning. June’s instructions are detailed enough that once you understand the logic of what’s happening — you’re creating a point by working into a specific stitch in a specific way — the technique becomes repeatable and intuitive.
Don’t rush the finishing. The leaf will benefit enormously from a light blocking: simply wet it, gently shape the lobes and tips with your fingers, pin it flat if desired, and allow it to dry. This step transforms a slightly uneven, curled piece of fabric into something that genuinely looks like a pressed autumn leaf. It’s not strictly necessary, but it makes a real difference to the final result.
Creative Ways to Use Your Finished Maple Leaves
This is where the fun really begins. A finished pile of crocheted maple leaves is a creative resource with dozens of applications, and the more leaves you make, the more possibilities open up.
Autumn Wreaths
A wreath base wrapped in twine or natural fiber, decorated with a layered arrangement of crocheted maple leaves in graduating sizes and a mix of autumn colors, makes a stunning front-door decoration. Add a few acorn or pinecone embellishments — June also has patterns for these — and you have a wreath that will outlast any arrangement made from real foliage.
Seasonal Garlands
String your leaves along a length of twine, jute, or ribbon to create a garland for a mantelpiece, a staircase banister, or a windowsill. Varying the colors and sizes as you go creates a naturalistic effect, and you can adjust the length of the garland to fit any space.
Gift Toppers and Gift Tags
A single crocheted maple leaf tied onto a wrapped gift adds an artisanal, personal touch that elevates even simple wrapping. Write the recipient’s name on a small card attached to the leaf’s stem, and you have a gift tag that doubles as a keepsake.
Headbands and Hair Accessories
Attach a leaf to a plain headband or hair clip for a seasonal accessory that’s charming on children and adults alike. A cluster of three leaves in different autumn colors makes a particularly lovely hair decoration.
Brooches and Pins
Stiffen a leaf with spray starch or fabric stiffener, attach a pin back, and you have a handmade brooch. These make lovely gifts for teachers, coworkers, and family members who appreciate handmade things but might not be crafters themselves.
Scrapbooking and Fiber Art
Crocheted leaves can be incorporated into mixed-media art pieces, fabric collages, and scrapbook pages. Their dimensional quality adds texture that flat paper and printed embellishments can’t achieve.
Bowl Fillers and Table Scatters
A bowl filled with crocheted maple leaves in autumn colors makes a simple but effective seasonal centerpiece. Unlike real dried leaves, these won’t crumble or fade, and you can store them and bring them out again next year.
Coasters and Trivets
Worked at a larger scale in cotton yarn, the maple leaf shape can function as a practical coaster. A set of four or six leaves in coordinating colors makes a beautiful, functional gift.
Tips for Success: Getting the Most Out of This Pattern
A few practical notes for anyone sitting down with this pattern for the first time:
Read through the entire pattern before you begin. This is good advice for any crochet project, but it’s particularly useful for shaped pieces like this one, where understanding the overall structure helps you follow each instruction more confidently.
Use stitch markers liberally. Marking the first stitch of a round, or a key stitch you’ll need to return to, removes a lot of guesswork and saves you from having to unravel rows to find where you went wrong.
Don’t skip the weaving-in of ends. A maple leaf has multiple points where you’ll need to end and rejoin yarn, and taking the time to weave in ends securely — ideally in multiple directions — ensures that your finished leaf is neat and durable, especially if it will be handled frequently.
Photograph your progress. The stages of a leaf coming together are genuinely interesting, and documenting your process lets you troubleshoot more easily if something doesn’t look right, and share your progress with the crochet community if you’re so inclined.
Sharing Your Makes: The PlanetJune Community
One of the most rewarding aspects of working with PlanetJune patterns is the community that surrounds them. June has cultivated a warm and supportive following over the years, and sharing your finished makes — whether on Ravelry, Instagram, or the PlanetJune website itself — connects you with other makers who share your enthusiasm for well-designed, nature-inspired crochet.
When sharing, tagging your photos with the pattern name and the designer’s handle helps other crafters discover the pattern and gives credit to June for her work. If you’ve made modifications — a different yarn weight, an unusual color choice, a creative application — sharing those details contributes to the collective knowledge of the community and might inspire someone else’s project.
Final Thoughts: Why This Pattern Belongs in Your Collection
There are simpler maple leaf crochet patterns out there. There are ones that work up in five minutes and produce a serviceable, vaguely leaf-shaped result. But if you want a leaf that genuinely delights you every time you look at it — one that has the graceful, pointed lobes and the authentic proportions of the real thing — June Gilbank’s Maple Leaf Collection is the pattern you’ve been looking for.
It respects the integrity of the natural form it’s representing. It’s written by someone who genuinely cares about the crafter’s experience. And it produces something beautiful.
Autumn is generous with its beauty, but it’s brief. With yarn, a hook, and this pattern, you can hold onto those brilliant leaves a little longer, in a form that will last from one autumn to the next and well beyond. Make a few. Make a dozen. Give them away, hang them up, scatter them across a table, stitch them onto a hat, press them between the pages of a book as a fiber bookmark that will never crumble.
The maple leaf is one of the most beloved shapes in the natural world. In the hands of June Gilbank, it becomes something you can carry with you always.
