Crochet Lily of the Valley Keychain: Easy Pattern + Step by Step Tutorial

If you’ve been searching for a small, charming crochet project that you can finish in an afternoon and gift to just about anyone, this crochet lily of the valley keychain is exactly what you need. These delicate little bells are one of the most beloved flowers in the world, and recreating them in yarn gives you something that lasts forever — no watering required. Whether you’re a beginner looking for your first wearable project or an experienced crocheter wanting a quick and satisfying make, this tutorial walks you through everything from materials to finishing touches.

Why Crochet a Lily of the Valley Keychain?

Lily of the valley flowers have a soft, nostalgic quality that makes them perfect for accessories. Their cascading white bells on a slender green stem translate beautifully into crochet, especially when worked in small scale. As a keychain, this project is portable, practical, and endlessly giftable. You can make them for birthdays, spring celebrations, Mother’s Day, bridal gifts, or simply to brighten up your own bag. They’re also a wonderful stall filler for craft markets, since they’re quick to make and appeal to people of all ages.

One of the best things about this project is how few materials you need. If you already have a modest yarn stash, there’s a good chance you can make this keychain completely from supplies you have on hand. The finished result sits in the palm of your hand and looks impressively complex despite being made from just a few basic crochet stitches.

Materials You Will Need

Before you begin, gather everything together so you can work uninterrupted. Having your tools ready makes the process feel smooth and enjoyable.

You will need white yarn in a light worsted or DK weight, though you can also use fingering weight for an even more delicate result. For the stems and leaves, you’ll need green yarn in the same or similar weight. A crochet hook sized appropriately for your yarn — usually between 2.5mm and 4mm — will work well. For fingering weight, use a 2.5mm or 3mm hook. For DK or worsted, a 3.5mm or 4mm hook is ideal.

You’ll also need a small amount of polyfill stuffing or cotton wadding to give the bells a slightly rounded shape, a yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, a keychain ring (the split ring variety works best), a small length of thin wire or pipe cleaner for the stem if you want it to hold a shape, green floral tape (optional but lovely for a more realistic finish), and a stitch marker.

Optional materials include small white or green seed beads if you want to add a decorative touch, a dab of fabric glue to secure certain elements, and small amounts of embroidery floss in white for any texture detail you want to add to the petals.

Understanding the Basic Stitches

This pattern uses only a handful of stitches, making it accessible even if you’re a relative beginner. You should be comfortable with the magic ring (also called a magic circle), chain stitch (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), double crochet (dc), and increases, which simply means working two stitches into the same stitch.

If you’re not yet confident with the magic ring, you can substitute it with a chain-2 and work your starting stitches into the first chain. It won’t be quite as neat at the center, but it works perfectly well.

All stitches in this pattern are worked in the American terminology. If you use UK terminology, remember that a US single crochet equals a UK double crochet, and a US double crochet equals a UK treble crochet.

Pattern Overview

The lily of the valley keychain consists of three main elements: the flower bells (you’ll make at least three to five for a full, realistic sprig), the stem, and the leaf. Each element is made separately and then assembled at the end. Once you’ve made one bell, you’ll find the second goes faster, and by the third you’ll be working almost on autopilot.

The finished keychain measures approximately 7 to 10 centimeters in length depending on how long you make the stem, which is easy to customize.

Step One: Making the Flower Bells

The flower bell is the heart of this project. Each one is worked in the round starting from the bottom opening of the bell, which means you’ll be working from the rim upward and then drawing in the top to create the characteristic rounded, closed shape.

Begin with your white yarn and make a magic ring. Chain one — this does not count as a stitch throughout the pattern. Work six single crochets into the magic ring, then pull the ring closed snugly. You now have six stitches in your first round. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch so you can track your rounds.

Round two is your increase round. Work two single crochets into each stitch around. You now have twelve stitches total.

Round three creates the flared rim of the bell. This is where the flower starts to take its shape. Work one single crochet in the first stitch, then two single crochets in the next stitch. Repeat this sequence — one sc, then two sc in the following stitch — all the way around. You’ll finish with eighteen stitches.

Round four gives the bell its characteristic slight flare. Work one single crochet in each of the first two stitches, then work one hdc and one dc in the next stitch (which counts as two stitches), then one dc and one hdc in the stitch after that, then one single crochet in each of the next two stitches. Continue this sequence around the circle to create gentle scalloping. This round is worked more loosely to give the rim a natural, open appearance.

If you want a simpler bell that still looks beautiful, you can skip this scalloping and simply slip stitch around the rim after round three. Both approaches work well depending on how much detail you want.

Round five is where you begin to close the bell. Decrease evenly: work a single crochet decrease (insert hook into next stitch, pull up loop, insert hook into following stitch, pull up loop, yarn over and pull through all three loops) across the round. You should reduce your stitch count from twelve or so stitches back toward eight.

At this point, if you want to stuff the bell, add a small pinch of polyfill and push it gently inside. Don’t overstuff — you want a soft, rounded shape rather than a firm ball.

Continue decreasing in the following round until you have four stitches remaining. Cut your yarn leaving a tail of about ten centimeters, thread it onto your yarn needle, and draw it through all remaining stitches, pulling tight to close the top of the bell completely. Weave the end in securely inside the bell.

Before you make the next bell, leave a long tail at the beginning of each one. You’ll use this tail to attach the bells to the stem in the assembly step.

Repeat this process to make as many bells as you like. Three bells make a sweet, simple keychain. Five or six make a fuller, more impressive sprig.

Step Two: Making the Stem

The stem can be made in a few different ways. The simplest method is to crochet a foundation chain in your green yarn and then work a row of single crochets back along it, which creates a firm, flat strip. For a more rounded, realistic stem, you can crochet a tightly worked tube or work over a piece of wire or pipe cleaner.

For the wire method, which gives you the best result in terms of shaping, cut a piece of floral wire or thin pipe cleaner to approximately ten to twelve centimeters. Fold a small loop at one end — this loop will attach to your keychain ring. Begin crocheting: make a slip knot with your green yarn, attach it near the loop end of the wire, and work single crochets closely over the wire, essentially encasing it in crochet as you go. This technique is called crocheting over wire and is commonly used in floral crochet projects.

Work along the full length of the wire, keeping your stitches snug and even. When you reach the end, fasten off and weave in the end using your yarn needle, tucking the tail into the crochet covering.

If you prefer not to use wire, simply crochet a chain of approximately twenty to twenty-five stitches, then slip stitch back along the chain. This creates a simple cord-like stem that works beautifully for a softer, more relaxed keychain.

Step Three: Making the Leaf

The lily of the valley has one of the most distinctive leaves in the plant world — broad, arched, and elegantly simple. For the keychain, you’ll make a scaled-down version that still captures that shape beautifully.

With your green yarn, make a magic ring and chain twelve. Working back along the chain, place a single crochet in the second chain from the hook, then one hdc in the next stitch, one dc in each of the following seven stitches, one hdc in the next stitch, and three single crochets in the final stitch. Now you’ll work back along the opposite side of the foundation chain: one hdc in the next stitch, then one dc in each of the next seven stitches, one hdc in the next stitch, one sc in the last stitch, and join with a slip stitch to the magic ring.

This creates a leaf shape with a pointed tip and a wider base. You can leave it as is for a clean, simple look, or add a row of slip stitches around the entire edge to give it a neater border. If you want more definition, use a slightly darker green for this edging round.

Fasten off and leave a long tail for attaching to the stem.

Step Four: Assembling the Keychain

Now comes the most satisfying part — putting everything together. Lay out your stem, bells, and leaf on a flat surface and decide how you want them arranged before you start sewing.

Begin by attaching the bells to the stem. Traditionally, lily of the valley flowers hang from small, curved secondary stems called pedicels, but for a simplified keychain version, you’ll attach the bells directly along the main stem in a staggered arrangement. Thread the long tail from each bell onto your yarn needle and sew it firmly to the stem, positioning the bells so they hang at slightly different heights for a natural look. Start with the bell that will sit lowest on the keychain and work upward.

Once all the bells are attached, sew the leaf to the base of the stem. If you used wire, you can gently bend the leaf to curve slightly outward, which looks very natural and realistic.

Finally, attach your keychain ring to the loop at the top of the stem. If you crocheted a chain stem without wire, simply thread the chain through the keychain ring before fastening it off, or attach it with a small jump ring for a more polished finish.

Finishing Touches and Tips

Take a few minutes to weave in any remaining yarn tails. Even small loose ends can unravel over time, especially on an item that will be handled frequently, so secure everything well with a small knot before trimming.

If you used wire in the stem, you can gently shape the whole sprig by curving the wire slightly, just as a real lily of the valley stem would naturally arc. This small detail makes a huge difference to the finished look.

For an even more polished result, you can wrap any exposed wire or crochet join points with green floral tape, which is sticky when stretched and bonds to itself. This is completely optional but gives a professional, finished appearance that looks wonderful.

If you want to add a tiny detail to the bells, thread a length of white embroidery floss and make a small French knot at the very top of each bell before closing it completely. This simulates the tiny pistil inside the real flower and adds a lovely touch of realism.

Variations and Customization

Once you’ve mastered the basic pattern, there are endless ways to make it your own. You can change the color scheme entirely — soft lavender bells on a cream stem look stunning, as do pink bells for a more whimsical take. For a winter version, try using a sparkle or metallic yarn for the bells and add a tiny clear bead at the center of each one.

For a more advanced variation, try adding a second or even third leaf to the stem. Real lily of the valley plants typically have two large leaves flanking the flower stem, and recreating this makes for a more botanical, true-to-life piece.

You can also skip the keychain ring entirely and sew a small brooch pin to the back of the stem to make a wearable pin. Alternatively, thread a length of thin ribbon through the top loop for a gift tag decoration or ornament. The flower sprig shape works beautifully as a decorative element on gift wrapping, tied around a small box or bag.

Caring for Your Crochet Keychain

Because this keychain will likely spend time in a bag or pocket, a little care goes a long way toward keeping it looking fresh. Avoid placing it in a pocket with keys or sharp objects that could snag the yarn. If the bells get a little squashed, simply fluff them gently with your fingertips and they’ll regain their shape. Most standard yarns can be hand-washed gently if the keychain gets dirty; just avoid wringing or stretching it while wet and let it air dry flat.

If you used pipe cleaners rather than floral wire, be aware that these can rust slightly over time when exposed to moisture, so consider sealing the ends with a tiny dab of clear nail polish or swapping them out for coated floral wire, which is more resistant to moisture.

Making These as Gifts

Few handmade gifts feel as thoughtful as a small, intricate crochet piece, and this lily of the valley keychain sits in that sweet spot between impressively detailed and genuinely practical. A set of three keychains packaged in a small box or on a card makes a lovely gift for bridesmaids, teachers, mothers, or friends. They’re also wonderful as favors for spring-themed events, garden parties, or botanical weddings where you want something handmade that ties into the theme without breaking the budget.

Because each one takes only about an hour or two once you’ve got the technique down, you can realistically make a batch of ten to fifteen in a weekend. If you plan to make a large quantity, it helps to work in stages — make all the bells at once, then all the stems, then all the leaves, and finally assemble everything in a single session. This assembly-line method is much faster than making each keychain from start to finish one at a time.

Final Thoughts

The crochet lily of the valley keychain is one of those projects that earns far more admiration than the effort it requires, which is always a wonderful thing. The combination of delicate white bells and crisp green foliage is timelessly pretty, and the fact that it’s functional makes it something people will actually use and see every day. Whether you make one for yourself or a dozen to give away, there’s something genuinely satisfying about transforming a small amount of yarn into something this lovely.

If you make this keychain, share it with the crochet community — these little projects bring people together and inspire so many others to pick up a hook for the first time. Tag your finished makes, save this tutorial for reference, and enjoy the process. Happy crocheting!