Chicory Flower Brooch Crochet – Easy DIY Tutorial + Free Pattern (Part 1: Flower & Flower Center)

There is something quietly magical about chicory. If you have ever driven down a country road in late summer, you have probably spotted those cheerful blue-violet blooms nodding along the roadside, their petals so delicate they look almost painted by hand. The chicory plant has inspired artists, herbalists, and foragers for centuries, and now it is inspiring crocheters too. Today I am walking you through Part 1 of a complete chicory flower brooch crochet tutorial — covering the flower petals and the flower center — so you can recreate that wild, sunny roadside charm in yarn form and wear it pinned to your coat, bag, or favorite cardigan.

This pattern is written for beginners and near-beginners. If you can chain, single crochet, and slip stitch, you have everything you need to follow along. The finished brooch is small, lightweight, and endlessly versatile. Make one for yourself, a handful to give as handmade gifts, or a whole basket of them to sell at your next craft fair. Once you get the rhythm of the petals, these little flowers work up surprisingly quickly — often in under an hour once you have made a few.

Let’s get into it.

A Little Inspiration: Why Chicory?

Before we pick up our hooks, it is worth spending a moment with the flower itself. Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a perennial wildflower native to Europe but now naturalized across North America and much of the world. Its blooms are a very specific shade of blue — not quite lavender, not quite cornflower, but something in between, with a soft violet undertone that shifts depending on the light. Each flower head is made up of multiple strap-shaped petals called ray florets, and each petal has a charmingly ragged, toothed tip.

That toothed tip is the detail that makes a crochet chicory flower feel authentic rather than generic. Most simple crochet flower tutorials produce smooth, rounded petals. The chicory is different. It has personality, a little wildness in its outline. Capturing that in yarn is what makes this project so satisfying. We will use a simple combination of chain stitches and slip stitches to mimic those notched petal edges, and the result is a flower that is immediately recognizable to anyone who has paused on a summer walk to look more closely at the weeds along the fence line.

What You Will Need

Gathering your materials before you start makes everything smoother. Here is what you need for one chicory flower brooch, including the flower, flower center, and a backing for the brooch pin (the backing is covered in Part 2).

Yarn: A small amount of blue-violet or cornflower blue yarn in a fingering or light DK weight. I used a fingering weight yarn with a subtle sheen, which gives the petals a delicate, almost translucent quality similar to real chicory blooms. You can also use a DK weight for a slightly larger, chunkier flower. For the flower center, you will need a small amount of yellow or golden yellow yarn.

Hook: A 2.5 mm or 3.0 mm crochet hook works well with fingering weight yarn. If you are using DK weight, a 3.5 mm hook is a good choice. Adjust as needed to get a firm, neat fabric — you do not want the crochet to be too loose or the flower will look limp.

Notions: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and a brooch pin or safety pin for finishing (covered in Part 2). Optional: a small amount of stiff felt in a coordinating color, fabric glue, and a toothpick for applying glue neatly.

Gauge: Gauge is not critical for this project. The finished flower will be approximately 6–7 cm (about 2.5 inches) across when made with fingering weight yarn on a 2.5 mm hook. It will be slightly larger with DK weight. As long as you love how it looks, you are doing it right.

Abbreviations used in this pattern:

ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
hdc — half double crochet
dc — double crochet
sp — space
st — stitch
MR — magic ring (also called magic loop or adjustable ring)

Understanding the Chicory Flower Structure

A real chicory flower head is composed of roughly 10 to 20 ray florets arranged in a single flat layer radiating from a central disk. For our crochet version, we will work 12 petals in a single round, which gives the flower a full, layered look without being too bulky. The petals are worked individually in a fan pattern, each one anchored to a foundation ring.

The flower center in the real plant is a small cluster of tiny florets in a slightly deeper blue or blue-violet. For our brooch, we will render the center as a small textured button shape in yellow — a creative interpretation rather than a strictly botanical one — because the yellow pops beautifully against the blue petals and reads as a flower center at a glance. You can absolutely make your center blue-violet if you want something more realistic.

We will work the flower in two separate pieces: the petal ring and the center button. At the end of Part 1, you will have both pieces ready to assemble. Part 2 will cover joining them, adding the backing, and attaching the brooch pin.

Part 1A: The Chicory Flower Petals

Let’s start with the main flower. Take your blue-violet yarn and your hook.

Foundation Ring

Make a magic ring. If you are not comfortable with the magic ring yet, you can chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to form a small ring. The magic ring gives a neater center with no hole, so it is worth practicing if you have not tried it before.

Round 1 (base round): Work 12 sc into the magic ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. Join with a sl st to the first sc. You now have 12 sc arranged in a circle. (12 sts)

This round forms the foundation that each petal will be attached to. It is important to work these stitches firmly and evenly so the petals spread out uniformly.

Do not turn your work. You will continue working on the right side throughout.

Round 2 (petal round): This is where the magic happens. You will work one petal into each of the 12 sc from Round 1. Each petal is worked as follows:

One Petal:
In the next sc: ch 8, then working back along the chain, sl st in the 2nd ch from hook, sl st in the next ch, ch 3, sl st in the next ch, sl st in the next ch, ch 3, sl st in the next ch, sl st in the next ch, ch 3, sl st into the first ch (the one at the base of the chain). Then sl st into the same sc at the base of the petal to anchor it.

I know that looks like a lot of text, so let me break the petal down more simply before you start. When you chain 8 and work back toward the base, you are creating a long central spine. Each time you chain 3 and slip stitch, you are forming one of the little teeth or notches along the side of the petal. This is what gives the chicory petal its characteristic ragged edge. Work slowly the first time, holding the chain so it does not twist, and the shape will become clear almost immediately.

Repeat this petal sequence in each of the 12 sc around the ring. At the end of the last petal, join with a sl st to the first st of Round 2.

Fasten off, leaving a tail of about 15 cm (6 inches) for sewing.

Finishing the Petal Round

Before weaving in your ends, take a moment to gently shape your petals. Hold the flower face up and use your fingers to spread the petals evenly, pressing each one lightly flat. You can use a damp cloth and a warm iron held just above the surface (not touching) to set the shape if you are using a natural fiber yarn. Acrylic yarn can be steamed very gently or blocked with cold water pinning. Blocking makes a noticeable difference in how neat and open the petals look, so it is worth the extra five minutes.

If any of your petals are twisting or curling, the chain stitches may have twisted as you worked back along them. This happens to everyone at first. You can ease the twist out with your fingers or, if it is persistent, gently unravel that petal and work it again, being careful to hold the chain flat as you go.

Part 1B: The Flower Center

The flower center is a small, slightly raised disk worked in yellow yarn. It is designed to sit on top of the petal ring and give the brooch a finished, dimensional look.

Foundation: Make a magic ring in yellow yarn.

Round 1: Work 6 sc into the magic ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (6 sts)

Round 2: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each sc around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (12 sts)

Round 3: Ch 1. Sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc. Repeat from to around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (18 sts)

At this point, check the size of your center against your petal ring. The center should sit comfortably over the central hole of the petal ring without being so large it covers the inner portions of the petals. If it looks too small, work one more increase round (Round 4: sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat around — 24 sts). Most fingering weight centers will be the right size at 18 sts; DK weight may need the extra round.

Adding Texture: Real chicory flower centers have a slightly rough, bumpy texture from the densely packed florets. You can mimic this with a simple surface detail. After completing your final round, do not fasten off yet. Instead, work a round of slip stitches into the front loops only of the last round. This creates a subtle ridge around the edge of the center disk that catches the light nicely and adds visual interest.

Once you are happy with the size and texture, fasten off, leaving a long tail of about 20 cm (8 inches). You will use this tail to sew the center onto the flower in the assembly stage.

Tips for Getting the Colors Right

Color choice is one of the most enjoyable and also most consequential decisions in a project like this. Chicory blue is a very specific shade, and not every “blue” yarn will capture it. Here are some things to look for.

The truest chicory color sits in the blue-violet range — think of it as the blue that leans just slightly toward purple without ever quite becoming purple. In yarn terms, this often appears in colorways labeled periwinkle, cornflower, lavender blue, or chicory (some indie dyers do actually name colorways after the flower). Avoid yarns that are too bright or too saturated; real chicory petals have a certain softness, almost a dustiness, to them.

If you want to be very precise, take a photo reference with you when you shop for yarn — a quick image search for “chicory wildflower” will give you dozens of beautiful reference shots. Hold your yarn options next to the photo on your phone screen and trust your instincts.

For the center, a warm golden yellow — not too orange, not too lemony — works beautifully. Some crocheters prefer a cream or pale yellow for a more subtle contrast. Both are lovely. You could also experiment with a variegated yellow-gold yarn if you have one in your stash; the variation in color adds depth to the tiny center disk.

Common Questions About This Pattern

Can I use cotton yarn instead of wool or acrylic? Absolutely. Cotton gives a crisper, more structured petal, which can actually look very nice on a brooch because it holds its shape well throughout the day. The trade-off is that cotton does not have much stretch, so it can be a little harder to work into tight spaces — use a hook one size larger than you would for wool at the same weight.

What if I want a larger flower? Work the foundation ring with more stitches — try 16 sc for a fuller, rounder bloom — and increase the number of chains in each petal from 8 to 10 or 12. Longer chains mean longer, more graceful petals. A larger flower with longer petals leans more toward a decorative hair clip or bag charm than a delicate brooch; both are wonderful.

Can I make this in a different color? Of course. White or cream chicory brooches look lovely on dark fabrics. A pale lilac version is lovely for spring. You could even go non-botanical and make the flower in deep burgundy or blush pink — crochet has no obligation to be realistic. The petal structure works beautifully in any color.

My petals are bunching up and not lying flat. What do I do? This usually means either the foundation ring is too tight, or the individual petals are a little too long for the ring size. Try pulling the magic ring a little looser before you close it, and make sure each petal is anchored firmly in its own sc before moving to the next. Blocking also helps enormously — even a quick press with a damp cloth can relax the stitches and help everything lie flat.

Caring for Your Finished Brooch

Once your brooch is complete (after Part 2), caring for it is simple. Hand wash gently in cool water with a mild detergent, pressing out excess water without wringing, and lay flat to dry. If the petals lose their shape after washing, simply reshape them by hand while the brooch is still damp and let it dry that way. Most small crochet accessories can be stored in a small zip bag or a section of a jewelry box — anything that keeps them from being crushed.

If you are using acrylic yarn, the brooch is even easier to care for. Acrylic is surprisingly resilient, holds its color well, and can be gently spot-cleaned without a full wash. For a brooch that will be worn frequently or sold, acrylic is a very practical choice.

What Comes Next: Part 2 Preview

In Part 2 of this tutorial, we will put everything together. I will show you how to sew the flower center onto the petal ring, how to cut and prepare a felt backing, how to attach the brooch pin securely so it sits correctly when worn, and a few optional finishing touches — including adding a tiny bead or button to the flower center for extra sparkle, and using a starch spray to firm up the petals for a more structured look.

I will also share some ideas for variations: a two-tone petal version where the tips are worked in a slightly lighter shade, a mini version worked in thread with a steel hook, and a cluster brooch with three small chicory flowers grouped together on a single backing.

Save This Pattern

Before you close this page, take a moment to save or bookmark it. If you are on Pinterest, pin the project image so you can find it easily when you are ready to sit down and crochet. If you share your finished flowers on Instagram, I would absolutely love to see them — tag your posts so the crochet community can find and admire your work.

And if you have any questions as you work through the pattern, drop them in the comments below. Whether it is a stitch count that does not seem right, a petal that will not behave, or a color question, I read every comment and do my best to answer promptly.

Now, pick up your hook, pull out that skein of blue-violet yarn, and make yourself a little piece of the summer roadside. The chicory is waiting for you.

Happy crocheting, and I will see you in Part 2.