Easy Potted Flower Keychain Pattern: Coneflower in a Mini Vase

If you’ve been looking for a charming little crochet project that works up quickly, makes a wonderful gift, and doubles as a functional accessory, you’ve found it. This easy potted flower keychain pattern features a miniature coneflower — that beloved, cheerful bloom with its distinctive raised center and swept-back petals — nestled inside a tiny crocheted vase. The result is an adorable, three-dimensional keychain that looks far more complex than it actually is.

Whether you’re a beginner crocheter looking to try your first amigurumi-style project or an experienced maker seeking a quick stitch-up for a craft fair table, this pattern has something for everyone. It uses a small amount of yarn, works up in an evening or two, and produces something genuinely delightful. Let’s dive in.

Why You’ll Love This Pattern

There’s something irresistible about miniature things, and crocheted miniatures are no exception. This tiny coneflower keychain captures all the personality of the full-sized garden flower in a form you can carry on your keys, zip it to your backpack, clip it to a tote bag handle, or gift to someone who needs a little handmade love.

Coneflowers, also known as echinacea, are a staple of cottage gardens and wildflower meadows across North America. Their distinctive shape — a bold, spiky center cone surrounded by long, slightly drooping petals — makes them immediately recognizable and incredibly fun to recreate in yarn. The mini vase grounds the whole piece and adds that extra touch of whimsy that makes people stop and ask, “Did you make that yourself?”

Beyond the aesthetics, this project is genuinely practical for makers. It uses less than 20 yards of yarn in total across all the colors you choose, it works up on a small hook that most crocheters already own, and the finished piece is sturdy and durable enough to actually use as a keychain day after day.

Materials You’ll Need

Before casting on (or in this case, before making your first magic ring), gather the following supplies. Having everything on hand before you start makes the process smooth and enjoyable.

Yarn: You’ll need a small amount of worsted weight yarn in three colors. Choose a warm purple or pink for the petals, a deep brownish-orange or terra cotta for the center cone, and whatever color speaks to you for the vase — earthy terracotta, creamy white, sage green, and classic cobalt blue all look stunning. Leftover yarn from other projects works perfectly here.

Hook: A 3.5mm or 4mm crochet hook works well for worsted weight yarn. If you’re working in fingering or DK weight, size down accordingly. The goal is a tight gauge so the stuffing doesn’t show through and the piece holds its shape.

Stuffing: A small pinch of polyester fiberfill stuffing for both the vase and the center cone. You really don’t need much — a little goes a long way in miniature projects.

Keychain hardware: A small keychain ring with a lobster clasp, or simply a split ring. These are inexpensive and widely available at craft stores or online.

Extras: A yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing pieces together, scissors, stitch markers (optional but helpful), and a few inches of wire or pipe cleaner if you want to add internal structure to the flower stem.

Gauge and Sizing

Gauge is flexible for this project since the finished size isn’t critical — a little bigger or smaller won’t ruin anything. That said, aiming for approximately 4 single crochets per inch and 4 rows per inch in single crochet with worsted weight yarn will give you a finished keychain that’s roughly 3 to 3.5 inches tall (including the vase) with a flower head diameter of about 1.5 inches.

If you want a chunkier, more statement-making keychain, use bulky yarn and a 5mm to 5.5mm hook. For a delicate, fine keychain more suited to a purse charm, try fingering weight yarn on a 2.5mm hook.

Understanding the Stitches

This pattern uses only basic crochet stitches, making it accessible to beginners who know the fundamentals. Here’s a quick reference:

Magic ring (MR): Also called a magic circle, this is how most amigurumi pieces begin. It creates an adjustable loop so you can pull the center closed tightly with no hole.

Single crochet (sc): The primary stitch throughout this pattern. Simple, tight, and perfect for amigurumi.

Increase (inc): Two single crochets worked into the same stitch, which adds a stitch and widens the piece.

Decrease (dec): An invisible decrease worked over two stitches, which removes a stitch and narrows the piece. The invisible decrease (also called sc2tog done through front loops only) keeps the surface smooth.

Slip stitch (sl st): Used to join rounds and for some finishing touches on the petals.

Chain (ch): Used to create the hanging loop at the top of the keychain.

Front loop only (FLO) and back loop only (BLO): Working into only the front or back loop of a stitch creates a ridge or texture, which is used here to define the rim of the vase.

If you’re new to any of these techniques, a quick search online will bring up video tutorials for each one. Watching a short video alongside written instructions is one of the best ways to learn crochet.

The Pattern

Part One: The Vase

The vase is worked in continuous rounds from the bottom up. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round.

With your vase color yarn and a 3.5mm or 4mm hook:

Round 1: Start with a magic ring, sc 6 into the ring. Pull tight to close. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)

Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: Work in BLO — sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches) This creates a slight ledge at the base of the vase, giving it a flat-bottomed, stable appearance.

Rounds 5–9: Sc in each stitch around in both loops as normal. (18 stitches each round)

Round 10: Working in FLO — [sc 1, inc] repeat around. (27 stitches) This is the rim of the vase. Working in FLO creates a visible ridge that gives the vase that classic pottery look.

Round 11: Sc in each stitch around through both loops. (27 stitches)

Slip stitch to next stitch and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff the vase lightly with fiberfill before you close it up — you want it to hold its shape but not be rock-hard.

Part Two: The Flower Stem

Cut a piece of green yarn, wire, or pipe cleaner approximately 2 to 2.5 inches long. If you’re using wire, fold a tiny loop at one end to prevent poking through the yarn. Wrap the stem loosely with green yarn and secure at both ends with a dab of craft glue or a few stitches. Set aside. Alternatively, you can work a simple chain in green yarn (chain 10 to 15 depending on your gauge, then slip stitch back along the chain to form a cord) for a fully yarn stem.

Part Three: The Flower Center (Cone)

The center of a coneflower is its most distinctive feature — a raised, dome-shaped, almost prickly-looking disc. You’ll crochet a small dome shape and then add texture to mimic that spiky surface.

With your terra cotta or brownish-orange yarn:

Round 1: MR, sc 6 into ring. Pull tight. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)

Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches)

Round 5: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 stitches)

Begin stuffing the cone now — a small pinch of fiberfill is all you need.

Round 6: Dec around. (6 stitches)

Fasten off, leaving a tail. Use your yarn needle to weave through the remaining 6 front loops and pull tight to close. Weave in and hide the tail inside the piece.

To add texture to the cone: using a contrasting color like dark brown or deep orange, thread your needle and make small, random French knots or simple cross stitches across the surface of the dome. This gives it that characteristic bumpy echinacea center. If you prefer a simpler approach, leaving the cone smooth is also perfectly charming.

Part Four: The Petals

Coneflower petals are long and slightly drooping, which makes them fun to work in crochet. You’ll make 8 to 10 individual petals and attach them around the base of the cone.

For each petal, use your pink or purple yarn:

Foundation: Chain 8.

Row 1: Starting in the second chain from the hook, sc 1, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1, sc 1. (7 stitches) Do not turn.

Continuing along the other side of the foundation chain: Working along the bottom of the chain you just made, sc 1, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1, sc 1.

Slip stitch to the beginning to close the petal into a leaf shape. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Repeat until you have 8 petals (or 10 if you want a fuller flower head).

To attach the petals, arrange them in a circle around the base of the center cone, slightly overlapping each other and angling them outward and slightly downward the way real coneflower petals droop. Using the tail ends and your yarn needle, sew each petal securely to the underside of the cone. When all petals are attached, the flower head should look full and dimensional.

Part Five: Assembly

Now comes the satisfying part — putting everything together.

First, insert the stem (either your yarn-wrapped wire or your chain stem) into the center of the vase, pushing it down to the base and out through the top opening. If using wire, you can poke it right through the bottom of the vase for extra stability and bend a small loop on the outside bottom to anchor it. If using a yarn chain stem, sew it to the inside base of the vase with a few stitches.

Next, attach the flower head to the top of the stem. Sew through the underside of the flower center and into the top of the stem, securing it firmly so the flower doesn’t flop around. You can also add a small drop of craft glue for extra hold if you’re making this as a functional keychain that will see daily use.

Finally, attach your keychain hardware. You have two options here. The most straightforward is to create a small hanging loop by chaining 8 to 10 stitches in your vase color yarn, joining them into a ring, and sewing the ring to the back of the vase. Thread your keychain ring through this loop. Alternatively, you can sew a small jump ring directly to the top of the vase using a needle and thread.

Weave in all remaining ends, give the piece a gentle tug to make sure everything is secure, and your potted coneflower keychain is complete.

Customization Ideas

One of the best things about a pattern this size is how easy it is to personalize. Here are some ideas to make your keychain uniquely yours.

Change the flower: The basic petal shape works beautifully for daisies, black-eyed Susans, or sunflowers. Simply adjust the petal color and the center color accordingly. For a sunflower, make 12 to 14 petals in golden yellow and use a deep chocolate brown for the center.

Try different vase styles: A taller, narrower vase gives a more elegant look. A short, wide vase reads as a cute little pot. You can also add surface decoration — small stitched dots, stripes worked in alternating colors, or a simple chain stitch design sewn on after the fact.

Add leaves: Work two or three small leaf shapes in green (using the same basic method as the petals but slightly shorter) and attach them partway up the stem. This adds realism and a lovely pop of color.

Use gradient or variegated yarn: A hand-dyed or self-striping yarn in the vase color creates beautiful, unexpected color variations that make each piece completely unique, even when you’re making a batch of them.

Make a set: These are so quick to make that whipping up a set of six or eight in different colors for a gift bag, a craft fair display, or a school fundraiser is entirely realistic in a single weekend.

Tips for Success

A few things that will make your coneflower keychain turn out beautifully:

Work tightly. The biggest challenge with amigurumi-style projects is keeping your stitches snug so the stuffing doesn’t peek through. If you’re a loose crocheter by nature, go down half a hook size.

Count your stitches. At this small scale, one missed increase or decrease can change the shape noticeably. Stitch markers are your friend.

Don’t overstuff. It’s tempting to cram in as much fiberfill as possible, but a lightly stuffed piece holds its shape more elegantly and looks more polished. Aim for firm but not bulging.

Block your petals. A quick spritz with water and a gentle reshaping on a flat surface will help your petals lie flat and look uniform before you sew them on.

Secure your knots. Since this will live on a keychain and take a fair bit of jostling, weave in your ends carefully and consider using a dab of fabric glue on the final knots for insurance.

Sharing Your Makes

If you make this pattern, please share your version online! Seeing how different color choices and personal touches transform the same base pattern into something that feels entirely individual is one of the most joyful parts of the crochet community. Tag your projects so other makers can find inspiration in your choices.

This pattern is written for personal use. You are welcome to sell finished items made from this pattern, but please credit the pattern and do not reproduce or redistribute the written instructions themselves.

Final Thoughts

The coneflower in a mini vase keychain is exactly the kind of project that reminds you why you started crocheting in the first place. It’s small enough to carry in your pocket, works up quickly enough to stay interesting, and finishes as something genuinely lovely that you’ll be proud to use or give away. The combination of the spiky, textured center, the delicate drooping petals, and the chubby little vase creates a piece that has real character — a miniature garden you can carry with you wherever you go.

Whether this is your first amigurumi adventure or your hundredth, I hope this pattern brings you a few hours of happy stitching and a finished piece that makes you smile every time you reach for your keys.

Happy hooking!