Free Pattern: Simply Sunflowers

There is something about a sunflower that feels like a promise. Whether you’re stitching it onto a kitchen towel, quilting it into a wall hanging, or working it into a crochet square, the sunflower carries that particular warmth of late summer — golden, generous, and impossible to ignore. Today I’m sharing a completely free pattern called Simply Sunflowers, designed to be accessible for beginners while still giving experienced crafters something satisfying to work with. Whether you knit, crochet, cross-stitch, or quilt, I’ve included notes for adapting this pattern to your craft of choice, but the core design remains the same: bold petals, a rich center, and the kind of cheerful simplicity that never goes out of style.

Pull up a chair, brew something warm, and let’s make something beautiful together.

Why Sunflowers?

Before we dive into the pattern itself, I want to talk a little about why sunflowers make such a perfect subject for fiber arts and needlework projects. The answer is partly about color — that irresistible combination of golden yellow, burnt orange, and deep brown creates natural contrast that translates beautifully into yarn, thread, or fabric. But it’s also about shape. The sunflower’s architecture is almost mathematical in its elegance. The petals radiate outward from a dense center in a pattern that’s both predictable and organic, which means once you understand the basic structure of the design, you can scale it up or down, simplify it or add complexity, and it will always read clearly as a sunflower.

There’s also a long tradition of sunflower motifs in American folk art, particularly in quilting and embroidery. If you’ve ever visited a state fair in Kansas, Ohio, or anywhere across the Midwest, you’ve probably seen sunflower quilts displayed with enormous pride. This pattern is my contribution to that tradition — updated for modern crafters, simplified for busy lives, but rooted in the same love of the form that has made sunflowers a staple of handmade textiles for over a century.

Materials You’ll Need

This pattern is written primarily as a crochet pattern, but I’ll include notes for cross-stitch and quilting at the end. For the crochet version, here’s what you’ll want to gather before you begin.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn in the following colors — sunshine yellow (approximately 50 yards), golden orange or dark yellow for the outer petals (approximately 30 yards), dark brown or chocolate brown for the center (approximately 20 yards), and green for any stem or leaf additions (approximately 25 yards if using). Acrylic yarn works beautifully for this project, especially if you’re making items that will be washed frequently, like dishcloths or placemats. Cotton yarn is another excellent option and gives the finished piece a slightly crisper, more structured look.

Hook: Size 5mm (US H/8) crochet hook for worsted weight yarn. Adjust as needed for your personal tension.

Other supplies: Yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and stitch markers if you like to use them. Optional: a small amount of fiberfill if you want to make a three-dimensional sunflower rather than a flat motif.

Gauge: Approximately 14 stitches and 16 rows in single crochet to 4 inches. Gauge matters most if you’re planning to join multiple motifs together into a larger project like a throw blanket or table runner. For standalone decorative pieces, gauge is less critical.

Pattern Notes and Abbreviations

This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology. Here’s a quick reference for the abbreviations used throughout.

ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
hdc — half double crochet
dc — double crochet
tr — treble crochet
st(s) — stitch(es)
sp — space
MR — magic ring (also called magic circle)
rep — repeat
rnd — round
BLO — back loop only

A note on the magic ring: if you’re not comfortable with the magic ring technique, you can substitute a chain 4 joined with a slip stitch to form a ring. The magic ring simply gives you a tighter, neater center, which is particularly nice for sunflowers since the center is such a focal point of the design.

The Simply Sunflowers Crochet Pattern

The Center (Dark Brown)

Begin with your dark brown yarn.

Round 1: Create a magic ring. Ch 1, work 6 sc into the ring, pull the tail to close the ring, join with sl st to first sc. (6 sts)

Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. (12 sts)

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, rep from to around, join with sl st to first sc. (18 sts)

Round 4: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, rep from to around, join with sl st to first sc. (24 sts)

Round 5: Ch 1, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, rep from to around, join with sl st to first sc. (30 sts)

Fasten off and leave a tail for weaving in. Your center should measure approximately 2.5 inches across. If you want a larger sunflower, add another round following the same increase pattern (sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st, around) to bring the stitch count to 36.

The Inner Petals (Sunshine Yellow)

Join your sunshine yellow yarn to any stitch of Round 5 with a standing sc or a slip stitch followed by ch 1 and sc.

Round 6: Working in BLO, sc in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. (30 sts)

Round 7 (Petal Round): Ch 1. In the next st, work (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) for one petal. Skip 1 st. Rep from to around until you have worked 15 petals, or as many petals as your stitch count allows. Join with sl st to first sc.

Take a moment here to look at your work. The petals should be fanning out nicely from the brown center. If any petals look too tight or too loose, make a note to adjust your tension slightly on your next sunflower. The beauty of a practice motif is that you learn something every time.

Fasten off sunshine yellow. Join your golden orange yarn to the base of any petal at Round 6.

The Outer Petals (Golden Orange or Dark Yellow)

Round 8: Working into the front loops you skipped in Round 6 (or into the skipped stitches between petals), join golden orange in any of these spaces.

Ch 4, tr in same st, ch 4, sl st in same st. Sl st to move to next available space. Rep from to around to create a second layer of longer, more dramatic petals.

Alternatively, for a slightly simpler outer petal, work: ch 3, dc in same st, ch 3, sl st to same st, sl st forward — this gives a slightly shorter, rounder petal that some crafters prefer.

There is no single “right” petal here. I encourage you to try both versions on a swatch and see which shape speaks to you. The first version gives a more elongated, realistic sunflower silhouette. The second version creates a rounder, more stylized look that works beautifully for things like potholders or appliqués.

Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Making It a Coaster or Potholder

The basic motif as written creates a flat circle that’s perfect for use as a coaster. To make it more durable as a potholder, simply make two identical motifs and join them with a round of single crochet worked through both layers simultaneously. Use a contrasting color for a fun border effect, or match the brown of your center for a more polished look. Adding a chain loop at any point during the joining round gives you a convenient hanger for display.

Making It a Wall Hanging

To turn your Simply Sunflowers motif into a wall hanging, make three to five motifs of slightly varying sizes by adding or subtracting increase rounds from the center. Arrange them on a length of rustic wooden dowel or a found branch, and attach them with lengths of green yarn twisted to resemble stems. You can crochet simple leaf shapes (a ch 10, work sc back along the chain with increases at the midpoint, join) and attach them to the stems for a more botanical look. This style of fiber wall art has been enormously popular for the past few years, and a sunflower version makes a particularly lovely piece for a kitchen, sunroom, or child’s bedroom.

Simply Sunflowers Cross-Stitch Adaptation

For cross-stitchers, the sunflower motif translates beautifully onto 14-count Aida cloth. Here’s a simplified design guide.

Work the center in a deep chocolate brown (DMC 938 or DMC 801) using full cross-stitches over a roughly circular area about 20 stitches in diameter. Ring the center with a row of dark gold stitches (DMC 783) and then add a row of medium yellow (DMC 743). The petals radiate outward from this center ring, each petal approximately 8 to 10 stitches long and 4 stitches wide at the base, tapering to a point. Work the petals alternately in DMC 743 (medium yellow) and DMC 725 (light topaz) for dimension. Outline the entire design in backstitch using DMC 370 (muted brown-green) for the petal outlines and DMC 938 for the center outline. Adding a stem and two leaves below the flower in DMC 469 (medium avocado green) completes the picture.

This design fits nicely on a 5×7 inch hoop for display, or can be worked smaller on 18-count Aida for use on bookmarks, ornament backs, or jar toppers.

Simply Sunflowers Quilting Notes

Sunflowers are a natural fit for quilting, and the basic structure of this design adapts well to a Dresden Plate-style block. Cut 16 wedge-shaped pieces in your petal fabrics — choose a mix of gold, yellow, and amber prints for maximum impact. Arrange them in a circle, sew them together along their long edges, and press seams open for a flat finish. Cut a circle of dark brown fabric for the center, turn under the edges, and appliqué it over the joined wedge tips. The resulting block can be appliquéd onto a background square (12 inches works beautifully) or incorporated into a larger quilt layout.

For a wall quilt, consider making nine blocks in a 3×3 arrangement with sashing in a warm cream or tan. The sashing frames each sunflower individually while letting the overall composition read as a unified piece. Finish with a border of solid deep green for a look that echoes a garden in full summer bloom.

Caring for Your Finished Project

If you’ve used acrylic yarn, your Simply Sunflowers project is machine washable and dryer safe on low heat, which makes it wonderfully practical for everyday use. Cotton yarn items can also be machine washed but may benefit from air drying to maintain their shape over time. For cross-stitched pieces intended for framing or display, there’s no routine care needed beyond keeping them out of direct sunlight, which can fade the thread colors over time.

If you’ve created a quilted sunflower block or project, follow the care instructions for your specific fabrics. In general, prewashing your fabrics before cutting will prevent shrinkage in the finished quilt and ensure that your colors don’t bleed into one another the first time the quilt is washed.

Ideas for Gifting and Sharing

One of the things I love most about small motif patterns like this one is their versatility as gifts. A set of four sunflower coasters tied with twine makes a charming housewarming present. A framed cross-stitch sunflower is a thoughtful teacher gift at the end of a school year. A simply sunflowers wall hanging would be welcome in almost any home. If you’re part of a crafting group or guild, this pattern makes an excellent group project — each person can make a motif or two, and you can join them into a communal piece to donate to a local charity auction or give to a deserving member of your community.

I also love the idea of using this pattern to introduce a new crafter to the hobby. The early rounds are straightforward enough that someone who has just learned to crochet can follow along, and the petal rounds introduce just enough technique to make the experience feel like a genuine skill-builder. If you know someone who has been curious about crochet, this pattern is a wonderful starting point.

A Few Final Tips for Success

Don’t skip the magic ring if you can help it. A tight center makes the whole motif more polished and professional-looking, and it’s worth the few minutes it takes to get comfortable with the technique.

Block your finished motifs if you want them to lie perfectly flat. Even a quick wet blocking — soaking the piece, gently pressing out the water with a towel, and pinning it to shape on a foam mat — can transform a slightly wavy crochet circle into something crisp and display-ready.

Play with color. The yellow-and-brown sunflower is classic, but there’s no law requiring you to follow nature exactly. A pink-and-teal sunflower makes a quirky, modern statement. Deep burgundy petals with a charcoal center create something sophisticated and unexpected. Make this pattern your own.

Finally, share what you make. Tag your projects online, leave a comment here with questions or photos, and know that every time someone completes this pattern, it brings a little more warmth and color into the world. That’s the whole point of making things by hand, isn’t it? To put something beautiful into the world that didn’t exist before you made it.

Happy crafting, and may your sunflowers always turn toward the light.