Easy Crochet Sunflower Granny Square – Free Pattern

This easy crochet sunflower granny square brings warm garden color to blankets, bags, cushions, and cheerful wall displays. A chocolate-brown center anchors two textured petal rounds, while a sage-green final round turns the flower into a neat square. The motif looks detailed, but its construction is deliberately repetitive: every flower round contains sixteen counted stitches, and four marked positions create the corners.

The finished motif measures approximately 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) after blocking with worsted cotton and a 4.5 mm hook. One square is a satisfying evening project, and a stack of matching motifs creates an especially strong visual effect. Keep the palette botanical for a sunflower look, or replace the yellows with coral, cream, or burgundy for a different flower without changing the stitch plan.

Why You’ll Love This Sunflower Granny Square

This pattern combines recognizable granny-square structure with a dimensional flower center. Puff stitches form the bright inner petals, golden clusters add a second ring of texture, and the sage border frames the flower without hiding it. Because the color changes happen only between rounds, there is no complicated mid-round colorwork. The four corner markers also remove guesswork when the circle becomes a square.

The motif is useful well beyond blankets. Join two squares for a small pouch, arrange four for a cushion front, turn a row into a table runner, or mount one blocked square in a simple embroidery hoop. Cotton creates a crisp, durable result, while acrylic makes a lighter square for larger throws.

Pattern Details

• Skill level: Easy
• Terminology: US crochet terms
• Finished size: Approximately 4.5 in (11.5 cm) square
• Hook: 4.5 mm (7)
• Gauge: Rounds 1–3 measure approximately 3.25 in (8 cm) across
• Construction: Four joined rounds worked from the center outward
• Estimated time: 45–60 minutes

Materials

• 8 yd (7 m) worsted cotton in chocolate brown
• 12 yd (11 m) worsted cotton in sunflower yellow
• 10 yd (9 m) worsted cotton in golden yellow
• 18 yd (16.5 m) worsted cotton in sage green
• 4.5 mm crochet hook
• Four removable stitch markers
• Yarn needle, scissors, ruler, blocking mat, and rustproof pins

Choose smooth yarn with a firm twist so the puff stitches remain distinct. The four colors should be similar in thickness. If one yarn is noticeably finer, the corresponding round can pull inward and make the motif cup. Wind small yarn butterflies from leftovers before starting if you do not want to carry full balls in your project bag.

Abbreviations and Special Stitches

• ch: chain
• dc: double crochet
• rnd: round
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)

Puff stitch: Yarn over, insert the hook in the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop four times. Yarn over and draw through eight loops, then yarn over and draw through the final two loops. Lift each pulled-up loop to the height of a double crochet before closing the puff.

Three-double-crochet cluster: Yarn over, insert the hook in the indicated stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through two loops three times. Yarn over and draw through all four loops on the hook. The cluster counts as one stitch.

Before You Begin

Beginning chains do not count as stitches. Join every round to the first counted stitch, and do not turn the work. Fasten off each color after its round, then join the new color in the first stitch. Place a marker in the first stitch so the joining slip stitch never enters the count. After Round 3, count the golden clusters from the marked first cluster and place markers in clusters 1, 5, 9, and 13.

Complete Crochet Instructions

Round 1: Crochet the Brown Center

With chocolate brown, make a magic ring. Ch 2; this chain does not count. Work 16 dc into the ring. Pull the yarn tail until the center closes, then join with a sl st to the first dc. Fasten off brown. (16 sts)

Spread the sixteen stitches evenly before tightening the ring completely. The center should remain flat. If the stitches overlap, loosen the working loops slightly rather than leaving the center hole open.

Round 2: Add the Bright Puff Petals

Join sunflower yellow in the first brown stitch. Ch 1. Work one puff stitch in each of the 16 stitches around. Join with a sl st to the first puff and fasten off. (16 sts)

Run a finger around the round and lift any short puff gently. Sixteen equal puffs make a full flower without crowding. A very tight closing chain can compress the petal, so keep the final loop comfortable.

Round 3: Add the Golden Petal Tips

Join golden yellow in the first puff. Ch 1. Work one three-double-crochet cluster in the top of each puff around. Join with a sl st to the first cluster and fasten off. (16 sts)

Count the sixteen golden clusters. Beginning with the first cluster, place markers in clusters 1, 5, 9, and 13. These four evenly spaced clusters become the corners. Each side between markers contains exactly three unmarked clusters.

Round 4: Turn the Flower into a Square

Join sage green in marked cluster 1. Ch 2; it does not count. Repeat the following sequence four times: work (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the marked corner cluster, then work 1 dc in each of the next 3 clusters. After the fourth side, join with a sl st to the first dc. Fasten off with a 6-inch (15 cm) tail. (28 sts)

The twenty-eight counted stitches exclude the four two-chain corner spaces. Lay the square flat and confirm that each corner contains four double crochets separated by two chains and that every side contains three ordinary double crochets between the corner groups.

Finishing and Blocking

1. Thread the brown tail onto a yarn needle and weave it around the back of the center stitches to secure the magic ring.
2. Weave each yellow and green tail through the back of its own color for at least one inch, reverse direction, and trim.
3. Wet the motif with cool water and press it in a towel without twisting.
4. Pin the square to 4.5 inches (11.5 cm), aligning opposite corners and straightening every side.
5. Leave the square pinned until it is completely dry.

Helpful Tips

• Protect the count: Keep the joining slip stitch outside every round count.
• Match puff height: Pull all four puff loops to the same height before closing.
• Mark before squaring: Clusters 1, 5, 9, and 13 divide the sixteen-petal ring into four equal sides.
• Relax the corners: Two comfortable chains help the border turn without curling.
• Block consistently: Pin every motif to the same measurement before joining a larger project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use acrylic yarn?

Yes. Smooth worsted acrylic works well for blankets and bags. Cotton gives firmer definition for cushions, wall hangings, and table projects. Use one fiber and one weight throughout a single square.

Why is my sunflower square curling?

Tight puff stitches and short corner chains are the most common causes. Confirm every count, lift the puff loops evenly, keep the two corner chains relaxed, and block the square to the finished measurement.

How many squares make a small blanket?

An eight-by-ten layout uses eighty motifs before joining and border rounds. Measure one blocked square, add the width of your chosen joining method, and adjust the layout to reach your preferred dimensions.

Can I make the square larger?

Yes. Add standard granny-style border rounds after Round 4. Keep a two-chain space at every corner and distribute stitches evenly across each side so the motif stays square.

Conclusion

Once the four marked corners are in place, this easy crochet sunflower granny square becomes a dependable motif you can repeat in an assembly line. Crochet several brown centers, add each petal color across the batch, and finish with matching sage borders. Careful counts and consistent blocking will give you a tidy stack ready for a bright handmade project.