Crochet Bell Flower Bag Charm Tutorial — Brilliant Life Hacks
There is something deeply satisfying about adding a handmade touch to an everyday accessory. A bag charm is one of those small details that transforms a plain tote, purse, or backpack into something that feels entirely your own. And when that charm takes the shape of a delicate crocheted bell flower, swaying gently as you walk, the effect is nothing short of charming. This tutorial will walk you through everything you need to know to create a beautiful crochet bell flower bag charm from scratch — no prior experience with floral motifs required.
Whether you are a seasoned crocheter looking for a quick and satisfying project or a beginner eager to move beyond simple squares and scarves, this guide is written with you in mind. By the end, you will have a finished flower charm ready to clip onto your favorite bag, give as a gift, or sell at a craft fair. Let’s get into it.
Why Crochet Bag Charms Are Having a Moment
Before we dive into the stitches, let’s talk about why crochet bag charms have become such a popular accessory trend. Fashion has been leaning hard into the handmade aesthetic for several years now, and accessories are no exception. Luxury brands have been selling knotted, beaded, and woven bag charms for eye-watering prices, but the crochet community figured out long ago that you can make something equally beautiful — or even more beautiful — for a fraction of the cost.
The bell flower in particular is a beloved design in the crochet world because of its three-dimensional, trumpet-shaped petals. Unlike a flat floral appliqué, a bell flower has real depth and movement. When made in a lustrous yarn and attached to a swivel lobster clasp, it becomes a tiny sculpture you can wear. Pair it with a few small beads, a tassel, or some seed pearls, and you have an accessory that looks like it belongs in a boutique window.
Beyond aesthetics, crochet bag charms are a brilliant life hack for your wardrobe. They take about an hour or two to make, use very little yarn, and can completely change the look of a bag you already own. A structured black leather tote with a cluster of ivory crochet flowers suddenly looks romantic and vintage. A canvas backpack with a bright poppy-red bell flower charm feels playful and intentional. One project, endless possibilities.
Materials You Will Need
One of the best things about this project is how inexpensive it is to start. Here is everything you need to gather before you begin.
Yarn: Choose a fingering weight or sport weight yarn for a delicate, refined look. Cotton or cotton-blend yarn works beautifully because it holds its shape well and has a slight sheen. If you want something with more drape and shimmer, a silk-blend or bamboo-blend yarn is gorgeous. For a more casual, boho feel, you can use DK weight yarn and size up your hook slightly. Avoid bulky yarns for this project — the petals tend to lose their bell shape with heavier fiber.
Crochet Hook: For fingering weight yarn, a 2.25mm to 2.75mm hook is ideal. For sport or DK weight, a 3.0mm to 3.5mm hook works well. If you crochet tightly, go up half a size to keep the petals from becoming stiff.
Stitch Markers: A few locking stitch markers will help you keep track of your rounds.
Yarn Needle: For weaving in ends and assembling the flower if you choose to make multiple layers.
Scissors
Swivel Lobster Clasp: Available at most craft stores, bead shops, or online. These are the small metal clasps used for keychains and bag charms. They come in gold, silver, antique brass, and rose gold finishes. Choose one that suits your style and the hardware of your bag.
Jump Ring: A small jump ring to attach the finished flower to the clasp.
Optional Embellishments: Small pearl beads, seed beads, a tassel, a small decorative button for the center of the flower, or a piece of thin ribbon to tie around the base of the charm.
Optional: A few inches of thin chain if you want the flower to dangle from a longer drop rather than attaching directly.
Understanding the Bell Flower Shape
Before you start crocheting, it helps to understand what gives the bell flower its distinctive shape. The magic is in the combination of working into the back loop only on certain rounds and increasing the stitch count strategically so the petals flare outward like the bell of a trumpet or a lily.
The flower is typically worked in the round from the base upward. The center starts tight and closed, then the petals open wide. Some patterns work each petal separately and join them, while others — like the one in this tutorial — work all the way around continuously, which makes for a neater finish and fewer ends to weave in.
You do not need to be an advanced crocheter to execute this shape well. The key is tension consistency and making sure you are inserting your hook into the correct loops when the pattern specifies front loop or back loop only.
Abbreviations Used in This Tutorial
This tutorial uses standard US crochet abbreviations.
ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
hdc — half double crochet
dc — double crochet
tr — treble crochet (also called triple crochet)
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
st(s) — stitch(es)
sp — space
rnd — round
rep — repeat
The Crochet Bell Flower Bag Charm Pattern
This pattern creates one bell flower approximately 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter when made with fingering weight cotton yarn on a 2.5mm hook. You can make it larger by using heavier yarn and a larger hook, or by adding an extra round of taller stitches.
Foundation Ring: Ch 4, join with a sl st to form a ring (or use a magic ring if you prefer a tighter center).
Round 1: Ch 1, work 8 sc into the ring. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (8 sts)
Round 2: Ch 1. Work 2 sc into each stitch around. Join with sl st. (16 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1. Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st. Repeat from to around. Join with sl st. (24 sts)
Round 4 — This is the turning round that creates the bell shape: Working in BLO only, ch 1. Sc in each stitch around. Join with sl st. (24 sts) This round creates a ridge line that causes the flower to cup and lift upward. Do not skip it — it is the secret to the three-dimensional shape.
Round 5: Ch 1. Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st. Repeat around. Join with sl st. (32 sts)
Round 6 — The petal round: This is where the bell flower blooms. You will create 8 petals by working clusters of stitches into every 4th stitch and then turning back with a slip stitch to separate each petal. Follow these steps for each petal:
In the next stitch, work: (sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, 2 tr, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) — this is one petal. Skip 3 stitches, then continue to the next petal. Repeat 8 times in total, or as many times as your stitch count allows evenly. If your count is slightly off, adjust by adding or removing one tr in the middle of any petal.
Join with sl st when all petals are complete.
Round 7 — Optional extra petal definition: If you want your petals to be more pronounced and cup-shaped, work a row of sc around the outer edge of each petal, working up one side and down the other. This adds body and a gentle ruffle effect to each bell. Fasten off and weave in the end.
At this point your flower is finished. The petals should naturally curl upward and inward at the tips, forming that signature bell shape.
Making the Stem and Loop for the Clasp
Now you need to create the attachment point that turns your flower into a charm. You have a couple of options here.
The simplest method is to thread a piece of yarn through the center of the flower base, thread both ends through a jump ring, and tie them securely before threading the ends back into the flower and weaving them in. Then attach your lobster clasp to the jump ring.
For a more polished look, crochet a small cord stem:
Rejoin your yarn at the base of the flower on the wrong side (the inside of the bell). Ch 12. Turn and sl st back along the chain, working one sl st in each chain. This creates a tight, cord-like stem. Fold the cord through itself or attach it directly to a jump ring using a lark’s head knot. Attach the lobster clasp to the jump ring. This gives your charm a short, firm stem with the flower sitting just below the clasp.
Alternatively, attach a 2-3 inch piece of thin jewelry chain between the jump ring and the flower for a longer drop. This makes the flower dangle and sway more freely, which looks especially beautiful when the charm is attached to a tote handle.
Finishing and Blocking
Blocking is optional for a small project like this, but it makes a noticeable difference. Blocking simply means wetting the finished flower, shaping it gently with your fingers while it is damp, and letting it dry completely in the shape you want.
To block your bell flower, submerge it briefly in cool water, then gently press out the excess moisture without wringing. Open each petal with your fingers and curve them slightly outward and upward to emphasize the bell shape. Pin the petals lightly to a foam blocking mat if you want very precise shaping, or simply lay the flower on a clean towel and shape by hand. Let it dry completely before attaching the clasp.
If you used a yarn with some natural starch content (like certain mercerized cottons), the blocked shape will hold beautifully.
Creative Variations to Try
Once you have mastered the basic bell flower, the possibilities for customization are almost endless.
Two-tone flowers: Work Rounds 1 through 4 in one color, then switch to a contrasting color for the petal rounds. A cream base with blush pink petals is romantic and elegant. A forest green base with white petals has a vintage botanical illustration quality.
Beaded center: Before you close the base of the flower, thread a few seed beads onto your yarn and let them settle into the center of the ring. They will peek out from the interior of the bell like stamens, which looks remarkably realistic.
Cluster of mini flowers: Make three small bell flowers using a 2.0mm hook and thinner thread, then attach all three to a single jump ring and clasp. A cluster of tiny flowers looks fuller and more luxurious than a single large one, and you can vary the colors across the cluster.
Tassel combination: Attach the bell flower at the top of a handmade tassel. Wrap yarn around a piece of cardboard about 20 times, tie the bundle at the top, cut the bottom loops, and trim the ends evenly. Thread the tassel loop through the same jump ring as the flower. The movement of the tassel below the flower is incredibly satisfying.
Embroidered details: Use a needle and a strand of contrasting embroidery floss to add tiny running stitches along the edges of the petals, or small French knots at the tips. This adds a folk art quality to the charm that looks absolutely stunning.
Tips for a Professional Finish
A few small habits will take your charm from homemade to handcrafted in the best possible sense.
Weave in your ends meticulously. A yarn needle with a bent tip makes this much easier, especially working through the tight stitches at the flower base. Run each end through at least two different directions within the fabric before trimming.
Use a metal clasp that matches the hardware on the bag you plan to attach it to. Gold clasps with gold-toned bag hardware, silver clasps with silver or chrome hardware. This sounds like a minor detail, but it is the difference between a charm that looks considered and one that looks like an afterthought.
If you are making multiple charms to sell, photograph them against a plain, light-colored background with natural lighting. The texture and dimension of the crochet stitches show up best in natural daylight.
Store finished charms in a small zip bag or box so the petals do not get crushed before you use them.
The Perfect Handmade Gift
If you are looking for a thoughtful, personalized gift, a crochet bell flower bag charm is one of the most universally loved options you can make. It is small enough to feel like a sweet token rather than an obligation, but detailed enough to show real care and effort. Make one in a person’s favorite color, pair it with a small card explaining that it is handmade, and you have a gift that genuinely cannot be bought in any store.
They are also wonderful additions to gift wrapping. Tie one to a ribbon instead of a standard bow and the packaging becomes as beautiful as the present inside.
Closing Thoughts
The crochet bell flower bag charm is proof that small things made with care carry real weight. A few hours of your time, a handful of yarn, and a tiny clasp from the craft store — that is all it takes to create an accessory that brings a genuine smile every time you catch it swaying from your bag.
This is the kind of project that reminds you why you started crocheting in the first place. It is quick enough to feel like a treat rather than a commitment, beautiful enough to wear with pride, and versatile enough to make again and again in new colors for every season and every person you want to celebrate. Try it once and you will find yourself reaching for your hook to make another before the first one is even dry.
Happy crocheting.
