Crochet Flowers Tutorial Step by Step | Easy Smiley Daisy Pattern

There is something quietly satisfying about crocheting a flower. Unlike a sweater or a blanket, a crochet flower comes together in minutes rather than weeks, and the result is small, cheerful, and endlessly useful. You can sew them onto hats, bags, and headbands. You can string them into garlands. You can use them as appliqués on baby clothes or stitch them into a bouquet that will never wilt. And among all the flower patterns out there, the smiley daisy is one of the most beloved for beginners and experienced crocheters alike.

This crochet flowers tutorial will walk you through the smiley daisy pattern step by step, explaining every stitch in plain language. Whether you have never held a crochet hook before or you are simply looking for a fun, quick project to fill an afternoon, this guide is written for you. By the end, you will know exactly how to make a bright, cheerful daisy with a smiley face center that looks adorable on just about anything.

What Is the Smiley Daisy Pattern?

The smiley daisy is a flat crochet flower made up of a round center circle and a ring of elongated petals that radiate outward like a classic daisy. What sets it apart from a standard crochet daisy is the embroidered or crocheted detail added to the center to create two little eyes and a curved smile, giving the flower a friendly, cartoon-like face.

The pattern is worked entirely in the round, which means you start at the center and build outward. It uses only basic stitches — chain, slip stitch, single crochet, and double crochet — so it is genuinely accessible for beginners. Even so, it is detailed enough to be satisfying for more experienced makers who want a cute, versatile motif to add to larger projects.

Materials You Will Need

Before you sit down to crochet, gather everything you need so the process flows smoothly from start to finish.

Yarn: You will need two colors of yarn — one for the petals and one for the center. Traditionally, the petals are white and the center is yellow, just like a real daisy. However, this pattern looks equally wonderful with pastel pink petals, a lavender center, bright orange petals with a red center, or any combination that makes you happy. Use worsted weight yarn (size 4) for a standard-sized daisy that measures about 3 to 4 inches across. For a smaller flower, drop down to DK or sport weight yarn. For a larger bloom, try bulky yarn.

Crochet Hook: A size 5.0 mm (H/8) hook pairs perfectly with worsted weight yarn. Adjust your hook size if you are using a different yarn weight, following the guidance on your yarn label.

Yarn Needle: You will use this to weave in your ends and, if you choose to embroider the smiley face rather than crochet it, to add the facial details with yarn or embroidery floss.

Scissors: A small, sharp pair works best for clean cuts close to the work.

Embroidery Floss or Black Yarn: For the smiley face details. Black embroidery floss creates a very neat, fine finish. Thin black yarn works just as well and keeps the project a pure crochet project if you prefer.

Optional — Fiberfill Stuffing: If you want your daisy center to be slightly puffy rather than flat, you can add a tiny bit of fiberfill stuffing before closing the center.

Optional — Stitch Markers: These are helpful for marking the beginning of each round, especially when you are still learning to count stitches.

Understanding the Abbreviations

Crochet patterns use a standard set of abbreviations. Here are the ones used in this tutorial:

ch — chain stitch. The foundation of nearly every crochet project, made by pulling a loop of yarn through the loop on your hook.

sl st — slip stitch. A very short stitch used to join rounds or move the yarn to a different position without adding height.

sc — single crochet. A short, tight stitch that forms a dense, sturdy fabric.

dc — double crochet. A taller stitch made with one yarn over before inserting the hook. It is twice the height of a single crochet.

MR — magic ring, also called a magic loop or adjustable ring. A technique for starting a project in the round that allows you to pull the center closed tightly so there is no hole in the middle of your work.

st(s) — stitch or stitches.

rep — repeat.

( ) — work all the stitches inside the parentheses into the same stitch or space.

How to Make a Magic Ring

If you have never made a magic ring before, take a few minutes to practice this technique before starting the pattern. It is the cleanest way to begin any circular crochet project.

Drape the yarn over your fingers so the tail hangs to the left and the working yarn (connected to the ball) is on the right. Cross the working yarn over the tail to form a loop. Insert your hook through the loop from front to back, catch the working yarn, and pull it through. Chain one to secure the ring. Now you are ready to work your stitches into the ring. When the round is complete, pull the tail end of the yarn to close the hole in the center.

If the magic ring feels frustrating at first, you can substitute it with a simple chain-4 joined into a ring with a slip stitch. The magic ring is just neater, but both methods work.

The Smiley Daisy Pattern: Step by Step

Part One: The Center Circle

Use your center color (yellow, or whichever color you have chosen).

Round 1: Make a magic ring. Chain 1. Work 6 single crochet stitches into the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. (6 sts)

Round 2: Chain 1. Work 2 single crochets into each stitch around. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. (12 sts)

Round 3: Chain 1. Work 2 single crochets into the first stitch, then 1 single crochet into the next stitch. Repeat the instructions between the asterisks all the way around. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. (18 sts)

Round 4: Chain 1. Work 2 single crochets into the first stitch, then 1 single crochet into each of the next 2 stitches. Repeat all the way around. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet. (24 sts)

At this point you have a small, neat circle. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing if you need to attach the center to the petal ring later — but if you are crocheting both pieces as one continuous unit (which is slightly more advanced), you can continue directly from here with a color change.

If you want a slightly puffy center, do not fasten off after Round 3. Instead, make your last round with only a partial closure, tuck in a small pinch of fiberfill stuffing, then complete the final join. This gives the face a soft, dimensional quality that is especially sweet on children’s accessories.

Part Two: The Petal Ring

Now switch to your petal color (white, or your chosen color). If you made the center separately, begin with a magic ring or a foundation chain and join into a ring. If you are continuing from the center, join the new color at any stitch with a slip stitch.

The petals are worked as a series of loops, each made from a chain that is then joined back to the base. This creates the long, narrow petal shape that gives the daisy its classic look.

Foundation Round: With the petal color, chain 1. Work 1 single crochet into each of 12 evenly spaced stitches around the edge of the center circle (or around a new foundation ring of 12 stitches if working the petals separately). Join with a slip stitch. (12 sts)

Now you are going to create the petals. Each petal is made from a longer chain that loops up and back down into the base stitch. Here is how to do it:

Petal Round: Slip stitch into the next stitch. Chain 12. Single crochet into the 2nd chain from the hook. Single crochet into each of the next 10 chains (working back down the chain toward the base). Slip stitch into the same base stitch where you started the petal. Repeat the instructions between the asterisks 11 more times, so that you have a total of 12 petals. Join with a slip stitch to the beginning of the round. Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Take a moment to look at what you have created. Each loop of chain creates a long, slightly rounded petal. As you fasten off and the piece relaxes, the petals will separate and spread outward beautifully. If they seem to bunch together, gently separate them with your fingers and they will fan out naturally.

Part Three: Assembling the Flower (If Made in Two Parts)

If you crocheted the center circle and the petal ring as separate pieces, now is the time to join them. Lay the center circle on top of the petal ring so that the petals frame the circle evenly. Thread your yarn needle with the long tail you left on the center circle. Using a whipstitch or a mattress stitch, sew around the edge of the center circle, attaching it to the petal ring. Try to catch both layers evenly so the center sits flat and centered over the petals. Fasten off and weave in all remaining ends.

Part Four: Adding the Smiley Face

This is the detail that transforms your daisy from a simple flower into the irresistible smiley daisy everyone loves.

For the eyes: Thread a yarn needle with a short length of black embroidery floss (or thin black yarn). Bring the needle up through the center circle at the position of the first eye — roughly at 10 o’clock if you think of the center circle like a clock face. Make two or three small stitches on top of each other to create a small, slightly raised dot. Bring the needle down through the fabric and secure it on the wrong side. Repeat for the second eye at about 2 o’clock.

For the smile: Bring the needle up at a point just below and to the left of center. Using a backstitch or a series of small running stitches, curve gently downward and then back up to create a U-shaped smile. Work the stitches close together so the curve looks smooth rather than angular. The smile should be wide enough to look cheerful but not so large that it dominates the face. Fasten off securely on the wrong side.

If you are making many of these flowers and want a faster approach, you can use a fine-tipped permanent fabric marker to draw the face instead. This works especially well if you are making them as craft fair items or gifts and need to produce them quickly. Test the marker on a scrap of the same yarn first to make sure it does not bleed.

Finishing Touches and Tips

Once your smiley daisy is complete, give it a gentle press with a damp cloth and a warm iron (using a pressing cloth to protect the yarn) or a light steam from a steam iron held a few inches above the flower. This blocks the petals so they lie flat and spread evenly, giving the finished flower a crisp, professional look.

If you plan to use your daisy as a hair accessory, sew a hair clip or bobby pin to the wrong side using strong thread or a small dab of fabric glue. For a brooch, attach a pin back in the same way. For a bag charm, thread a jump ring through one of the petals and attach it to a small clasp.

When sewing daisies onto clothing or accessories, use a thread that matches the yarn color for invisible stitches, or use a contrasting color if you want the sewing to show as a decorative detail.

Ideas for Using Your Smiley Daisies

Part of the joy of a quick pattern like this is how many things you can do with it. A single smiley daisy takes most people between 20 and 40 minutes to make, which means an afternoon of crocheting can yield a whole collection.

Stitch a row of smiley daisies along the brim of a baby hat and you have an instantly charming gift. Sew three or four onto a plain tote bag for a whimsical summer accessory. Make a dozen in graduating sizes and sew them in a vine-like arrangement up the front of a child’s cardigan. String them on twine with small leaves (a simple leaf pattern is just a chain of 8 joined at the top with single crochets worked back down each side) to make bunting for a nursery or party decoration.

You can also use the smiley daisy as the central motif in a larger project. Work a granny square around the finished flower by picking up stitches from the outer petal tips and working outward in rounds with your chosen colors. This gives you a square motif that tiles into blankets, pillows, and wall hangings.

Variations on the Basic Pattern

Once you are comfortable with the standard smiley daisy, there are many ways to play with the design.

For a sunflower effect, use a dark brown or deep yellow center and bright golden-yellow petals. Skip the smiley face and instead texture the center with surface slip stitches worked in a crosshatch pattern to mimic a real sunflower’s seed head.

For a gerbera daisy, work two rounds of petals: one outer ring in a bright color, and then a shorter inner ring in a slightly darker or lighter shade of the same color. The layered petals create wonderful depth.

For a tiny version suitable for jewelry, use fingering weight sock yarn and a 2.25 mm hook. The finished flower will be barely an inch across and absolutely delicate-looking.

For a dimensional version, work the petals in a slightly different way: instead of chaining and returning along the chain, work each petal by chaining 6, then working 2 single crochets, 2 half double crochets, and 2 double crochets along the chain, and sliding one stitch back into the base. The resulting petals are shorter and rounder, more like a tulip or poppy shape, and they curl slightly upward from the center.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

The most common issue beginners encounter with this pattern is uneven petals — some longer, some shorter, some twisted. This usually happens because the chain count varies from petal to petal. A quick fix is to place a stitch marker at the beginning of every chain and count carefully before you work back down. With practice, your chain tension becomes consistent and the petals even out naturally.

Another frequent problem is the center circle cupping upward rather than lying flat. This happens when the increases in Rounds 3 and 4 are not evenly spaced. If your circle cups, try blocking it firmly with steam, or rework the rounds being careful to distribute your increases evenly around the ring. Sometimes switching to a slightly larger hook for the center also helps.

If the smiley face looks wobbly or asymmetrical, use a fabric marking pen to lightly sketch the position of the eyes and mouth before stitching. These marks will disappear with washing or fading, but they give you a guide to work toward so the face ends up centered and even.

A Few Words on Yarn and Color Choices

The magic of the smiley daisy is that it translates beautifully across every possible color palette. Classic white-and-yellow is fresh and sunny. A pale pink center with cream petals feels vintage and romantic. Navy petals with a bright coral center looks graphic and modern. Black petals with a neon yellow center is bold and unexpected. Variegated or self-striping yarn in the petal color creates a flower that shifts from one shade to another as you work, which is especially pretty in a pastel rainbow colorway.

If you plan to wash your finished project (especially anything going on a child’s clothing), choose a machine-washable yarn. Many acrylic and acrylic-blend yarns work perfectly for this pattern and hold their color and shape through many washes. Natural fibers like cotton and bamboo also work beautifully and have a slightly more matte, organic look that suits the flower aesthetic very well.

Crochet flowers are one of those small projects that carry a disproportionate amount of joy. They are fast enough to finish in a single sitting, useful enough to find homes on every project in your wardrobe and home, and pretty enough to make as gifts that people actually love to receive. The smiley daisy in particular has a quality that makes people smile back at it — which is, perhaps, the whole point.

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