Bleeding Heart Crochet Pattern 🌸 Easy Floral Applique
There is something quietly magical about the bleeding heart flower. Those delicate, heart-shaped blooms that dangle in graceful arcs from slender stems have captured the imagination of gardeners and artists for centuries. With their distinctive silhouette — a perfectly formed heart with a tiny teardrop pendant dropping from its base — they feel almost too whimsical to be real. And yet, there they are every spring, nodding gently in the breeze.
If you have ever wanted to bring that same gentle magic into your fiber arts, you are in exactly the right place. This bleeding heart crochet pattern creates a stunning floral applique that you can use in dozens of ways — stitched onto a baby blanket, pinned to a hat, arranged into a wreath, glued onto a greeting card, or gathered into a garland that you drape across a mantle. The possibilities are genuinely endless, and once you make one, you will almost certainly want to make twenty more.
This pattern is written for beginners and confident beginners alike. If you know how to make a magic ring, chain, single crochet, and double crochet, you have everything you need. The finished applique measures approximately 2.5 to 3 inches tall, which makes it a satisfying quick project you can complete in an hour or less.
Let’s dive in.
What You’ll Need
Before you pick up your hook, gather your supplies. Having everything within reach makes the process smoother and more enjoyable.
Yarn: Any fingering weight or sport weight yarn works beautifully for this pattern. You will need a primary color (traditionally a deep rose or dusty pink, but burgundy, lavender, white, and coral are all stunning choices) and a small amount of a contrasting color for the inner teardrop pendant — typically cream or white. You will not use much yarn at all; a single skein of each color is more than enough for dozens of appliques.
Hook: A 2.5mm or 3.0mm hook is ideal for fingering weight yarn. If you are working with sport weight, try a 3.5mm hook. The key is achieving a tight, clean fabric so the applique holds its shape without being stiff.
Other supplies: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and if you plan to attach the applique by sewing it on, a hand sewing needle and matching thread. If you want to use it as a pin or brooch, a small pin back and fabric glue or a hot glue gun will do the job.
Gauge: Gauge is not critical for an applique, but working to a tighter tension will give you crisper, more defined edges and a flower that lies flat rather than curling.
Understanding the Bleeding Heart Shape
Before you begin crocheting, it helps to understand the anatomy of the flower you are recreating. The real bleeding heart bloom consists of two outer petals that form the characteristic heart shape, two inner petals that peek out from the center, and a small protruding teardrop or droplet at the very bottom. The stem is arching and delicate.
In crochet terms, you will be creating the two outer heart lobes separately and then joining them at the top and bottom, then adding the inner structure and the pendant teardrop. Each element builds on the last, and the construction is actually quite logical once you see the finished piece in your hands.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
MR — Magic ring
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
hdc — Half double crochet
dc — Double crochet
tr — Treble crochet
dc2tog — Double crochet two together (decrease)
sk — Skip
sp — Space
rep — Repeat
RS — Right side
WS — Wrong side
The Pattern: Bleeding Heart Crochet Applique
Part One: The First Heart Lobe
This first lobe forms the left side of the heart shape.
Round 1: Using your main color, make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 4 dc into the ring, ch 2, work 5 dc into the ring. Do not join. Pull the magic ring closed. (10 dc, 1 ch-2 space)
Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc in first dc, dc in next dc, hdc in next dc, sc in next 2 dc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the ch-2 space, sc in next 2 dc, hdc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in top of turning chain.
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sl st across to the ch-2 point at the top of the lobe. Ch 3. This forms the connection point for joining the two lobes.
Fasten off and leave a tail for joining.
Part Two: The Second Heart Lobe
Round 1: Using your main color, make a new magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 4 dc into the ring, ch 2, work 5 dc into the ring. Pull the magic ring closed. (10 dc, 1 ch-2 space)
Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc in first dc, dc in next dc, hdc in next dc, sc in next 2 dc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the ch-2 space, sc in next 2 dc, hdc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in top of turning chain.
Do not fasten off.
Part Three: Joining the Two Lobes
Now comes the satisfying part — bringing the two lobes together to form the recognizable heart silhouette.
With your working yarn still attached to the second lobe, align the ch-3 loop you left at the top of the first lobe with the working end of the second lobe. Using a slip stitch, join the two pieces at the top of both lobes, passing through both the ch-3 loop of the first lobe and the corresponding stitch on the second. This creates the center dip at the top of the heart.
Continue working down the inner edges of both lobes: sc evenly down the inner edge of the second lobe, then continue sc evenly down the inner edge of the first lobe. When you reach the bottom of both lobes, work (sc, ch 3, sc) at the very bottom tip of the heart. This creates the base from which the teardrop pendant will hang.
Sl st to close the bottom tip securely. Do not fasten off yet.
Part Four: The Outer Edging
This step gives the heart its clean, finished outline and makes the entire shape crisp and flat.
Edging Round: Still using your main color, work a round of sc all the way around the outer edge of the heart, working approximately 1 sc per stitch along the straight sections and 3 sc into any corner or point to help the shape lie flat. When you reach the top center dip of the heart, work a sl st into the center join point to define the dip cleanly. When you reach the bottom point, work (sc, ch 2, sc) to create a neat tip.
Sl st to first sc to join. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Part Five: The Inner Petal Layer
This element is optional but adds beautiful dimension and authenticity to the finished piece. Use a slightly lighter shade of your main color or a contrasting tint — dusty rose over burgundy, for example, or pale pink over deep magenta.
Make a small oval: Ch 6. Starting in the second ch from hook, sc in next 3 ch, hdc in next ch, 5 hdc in last ch (working around the tip of the chain now). Continue working back along the other side of the foundation chain: hdc in next ch, sc in next 3 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Sl st to first sc to close the oval.
Work one more round of sc all the way around this oval, working 3 sc at each end to keep it flat and oval-shaped rather than round. Fasten off.
Position this inner oval in the center of your heart applique, slightly toward the top. Use your yarn needle and matching thread or a length of your main yarn to tack it down with a few invisible stitches around its perimeter.
Part Six: The Teardrop Pendant
This is the tiny droplet that makes the bleeding heart instantly recognizable. Work this piece in your contrasting color — cream, white, or pale yellow all work beautifully.
Make the teardrop: MR. Ch 2, work 2 hdc into the ring, work 1 dc into the ring, work 2 hdc into the ring, ch 2, sl st into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (This creates a small pointed oval shape.)
Work one round of sc around the entire teardrop, working 3 sc at the rounded top and allowing the ch-2 point at the bottom to remain as a natural tip. Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch tail.
Using your yarn needle, thread this tail up through the ch-3 loop at the very bottom of your heart. Pull the teardrop snug so it hangs just below the heart’s tip, the same way the real flower has its tiny pendant dangling below the heart-shaped outer petals. Knot securely on the wrong side and weave in the tail.
How to Make Multiple Bleeding Hearts on a Stem
If you want to create a full bleeding heart spray — several blooms hanging from a single arching stem, just like the real plant — here is how to do it.
Make the stem: Using green yarn and your hook, ch 50 (or however long you want your stem to be). Sl st in second ch from hook and in every ch across to create a rounded, firm cord. Fasten off.
For branching stems, make shorter ch lengths (ch 12–15) and attach them to the main stem at intervals by slip stitching them on, leaving 1–2 inches between each branch point. These shorter branches are where your individual blooms will hang.
Make 5–7 individual bleeding heart appliques and attach one to the end of each branch, sewing through the ch-3 loop at the base of each heart so the pendant teardrop hangs freely below.
You can also add small leaf shapes by making simple oval pieces in green: ch 8, work along both sides of the chain with a mix of sc and hdc stitches, increasing at each end, then joining and fastening off. Tack a leaf or two at each branch join for a lush, natural look.
Finishing and Blocking
Even small appliques benefit from a light blocking. Once all your ends are woven in, lightly mist your finished heart with water or hold it over steam from a kettle for just a few seconds. Gently press it flat between your fingers and pin it to a foam blocking mat or a folded towel, shaping the lobes and smoothing the edges as you go. Allow it to dry completely before unpinning.
Blocking makes a noticeable difference, especially if your yarn has any tendency to curl at the edges. The heart will lie flatter, the definition between the lobes will be more pronounced, and the whole piece will look more polished and intentional.
Ideas for Using Your Bleeding Heart Applique
This is where the real fun begins. Once you have a collection of bleeding heart appliques, the creative possibilities are enormous.
Baby items are perhaps the most popular application. Stitch a cluster of three blooms onto the corner of a white or sage green baby blanket for a subtle, botanical-inspired accent. Add a single bloom to the toe of a pair of booties or along the brim of a newborn hat. The delicate scale of the finished flower is perfectly proportioned for baby items.
Hats and beanies look gorgeous with a single large bloom or a small cluster pinned near the brim. Because you are using a pin back rather than sewing the applique directly to the hat, you can move it from project to project and change things up with the seasons.
Tote bags and pouches take on a handcrafted, cottage-core aesthetic instantly when you stitch a few bleeding hearts across the front panel. Arrange them in a gentle arc to suggest a trailing stem, even without a separate stem cord.
Framed fiber art is a wonderful option if you make enough blooms. Arrange a full bleeding heart stem on a piece of linen or linen-colored fabric, stitch everything down, and frame it for a piece of textile art that looks like something from a Victorian botanical print.
Hair accessories — headbands, barrettes, and hair clips — are quick to make and make wonderful gifts. Glue a bloom or two to a plain headband with fabric glue, or use a hot glue gun to attach one to a metal barrette finding.
Greeting cards and gift tags can be elevated with a crochet applique. Glue a single bleeding heart to the front of a handmade card, or loop a tiny loop of ribbon through the ch-3 base of the heart and use it as a gift tag.
Wreaths and garlands allow you to make use of a large number of appliques. String individual hearts onto a length of twine or thin ribbon, spacing them a few inches apart, for a delicate garland perfect for a nursery, a spring mantle, or a wedding backdrop. Alternatively, hot glue a collection of blooms to a grapevine wreath base, mixing them with crocheted or dried real leaves and other filler flowers.
Yarn Color Suggestions
The real bleeding heart flower (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra spectabilis) comes in a few cultivated color variations, all of which translate beautifully to yarn.
The classic variety is a deep rose pink with a white pendant — try Aran-weight yarn in something like Dusty Rose or Deep Blush paired with a clean Cream for the teardrop. The white variety, known as “Alba,” is entirely white with a white pendant and looks absolutely ethereal crocheted up. There is also a dark red cultivar that makes an especially dramatic applique; pair it with a pale yellow teardrop for striking contrast.
If you want to go outside the natural color palette, there is no reason not to experiment. A deep burgundy bloom with a gold teardrop has an almost Victorian jewel-toned quality. Soft lilac with a lavender teardrop feels ethereal and cottagecore. Black with a bright red teardrop would make a stunning gothic or Halloween-season accessory.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
My heart lobes won’t lie flat. This almost always comes down to tension. Try going down a hook size and working each stitch a little more firmly. Blocking will also help significantly.
The two lobes look uneven. Count your stitches carefully at the end of each row. Even a single extra or missing stitch can throw off the symmetry. It also helps to block both lobes individually before joining them.
The inner oval puckers when I sew it down. Make sure you are tacking it at enough points around its perimeter — at least 6–8 small stitches distributed evenly. If it still puckers, try adding a tiny bit of fiberfill or a flat button behind it before closing up the stitching.
My teardrop pendant won’t hang straight. Make sure you are threading the tail through the center of the ch-3 loop at the bottom of the heart rather than to one side. Tug gently to center it and then knot before trimming.
A Note on Scale and Sizing
This pattern as written produces a heart approximately 2.5 inches tall. To scale up, simply use a heavier yarn weight and a correspondingly larger hook. Working in worsted weight on a 5mm hook produces a heart closer to 4 inches, which is wonderful for larger projects like pillows, wall hangings, or tote bags. Working in bulky weight produces a very chunky, bold statement piece.
To scale down, use a lace weight yarn and a 1.5mm or 1.75mm hook. The resulting hearts will be tiny and delicate — perfect for earrings if you stitch them onto small earring findings, or for embellishing doll clothes.
Share Your Makes
If you use this bleeding heart crochet pattern to create something beautiful, please consider sharing it — whether on social media, in a craft community, or simply by giving the finished piece to someone who will love it. Handmade items carry something that purchased items never quite can: the specific hours and care of the person who made them. A bleeding heart applique stitched in an afternoon becomes a small, lasting token of that time.
Happy crocheting, and may your finished blooms be as lovely as the real thing. 🌸
