This crochet Popcorn Flower (Craspedia) pattern is part of my Lucy Wall Bouquet series – a growing collection of crochet flowers designed to be combined into a textured, long-lasting floral display.
Often described as “sunshine on a stalk”, craspedia are known for their cheerful, spherical blooms that seem to carry their own light wherever they are placed. It is perhaps no surprise that they symbolise joy and optimism — small, bright reminders that even the simplest shapes can hold a surprising amount of happiness.
Also known as woollyheads (or Billy Buttons), craspedia are frequently used in dried flower arrangements and are often dyed in a wide range of colours. While I have made my crochet version in a soft golden yellow (because some things really do feel like sunshine), you can easily customise your own crochet Popcorn Flower in any colour you like – from delicate pastels to bold, modern shades.
And yes… there is something about them that makes me think of popcorn — specifically the popcorn-on-a-stick that dotted my childhood birthday parties. I can’t unsee it now!
Crochet Popcorn Flower Pattern (Craspedia)
This free crochet craspedia pattern is presented as a written-only pattern, with charts by the talented Masako Kawahara from Crochethmmm. If you have any problems with the instructions, please look at the Video Tutorials listed below.
Resources
- Other Patterns in this Crochet Flower Series (as they become available)
- Video Tutorials:
- Instagram: #crochetCraspediaLAWIM
Abbreviations
US Terminology
- BLO – Back loop only
- Ch – Chain
- FLO – Front loop only
- Rem – remaining/remains
- Sc – Single crochet
- Sc2tog – Single crochet two together
- Sl st – Slip stitch
- SM – Stitch marker
- St/sts – Stitch/stitches
- [] – Stitches to be worked into the same st/sp
- () – Repeat instructions between parentheses the number of times specified
Special Stitches
Sc Popcorn – Make 4 sc in the same st. Remove your hook from the last st, insert it into the first st, and pull the last st through the first st. Ch 1 to close the Popcorn. Please see my Sc Popcorn Tuturial if you need help with this.
Chart Legend
Materials
- 4mm crochet hook (I use Clover Amour, available HERE on Amazon)
- Yarnsmiths Pebble Haze DK (50g/145m; 33% acrylic, 67% cotton) – available from Wool Warehouse HERE.
- Yellow – 2C110 Yellow Amber
Notes
- For my Lucy Wall Bouquet, I made 2 Craspedia. Each one used approximately 6g of yarn.
- Rounds 1 – 8 are joined at the end of every round. The ‘Knobbly Bits’ are worked in a spiral. If you need some help with that, you can see This Joining Tutorial. If you are tempted to do Rounds 1 – 8 in a spiral, please note that your Craspedia will look less ‘organic’. In this pattern, we will be counting the sl st as a st when making the Knobbly Bits.
Instructions
Round 1
With a sl knot already on your hook and working into a magic ring: Ch 1 (doesn’t count as a st throughout), 6 sc. Join to the BLO of the first sc with a sl st. Mark the FLO of this same st with a SM. {6 sc and 1 sl st}
Round 2
Ch 1, make 2 BLO sc in each st around. Join to the BLO of the first sc with a sl st. {12 BLO sc and 1 sl st}
Round 3
Ch 1, (make 2 BLO sc in the next st, BLO sc in the next st) 6 times. Join to the BLO of the first sc with a sl st. {18 BLO sc and 1 sl st}
Round 4
Ch 1, make a BLO sc in each st around. Join to the BLO of the first sc with a sl st. {18 BLO sc and 1 sl st}
Rounds 5 and 6
As Round 4.
Before continuing, turn your work inside-out and work your initial yarn end away. Then turn it right-side out again.
Round 7
Ch 1, (BLO sc2tog over the next 2 sts, make a BLO sc in the next st) 6 times. Join to the first sc2tog with a sl st (through both loops). {12 BLO sc and 1 sl st}
Round 8
Working through both loops of each st: ch 1, (make a sc2tog over the next 2 sts) 6 times. Join to the first sc2tog with a sl st. Fasten off, leaving a 10cm/4″ yarn end. You will use this end to sew the Craspedia to your bouquet later on.
Making the Knobbly Bits
When making the Knobbly Bits, you will work into the unworked front loops only. These will form a dotted line around your ball. When identifying which stitches to work into or skip, please count the sl sts as well (marked with white arrows in the photo below). This will ensure that you ‘Knobbly Bits’ are offset and ‘organic’. Green arrows indicate the first FLO of each round.
With a slip knot already on your hook and starting in the first (marked) FLO of the Ball, [sl, ch 1, Sc Popcorn, sl st] in every second FLO until 1 FLO rem. Fasten off and work away your end. {48 Sc Popcorns}
Stuff the ball, then sew it to your bouquet using the yarn end from Round 8.
I hope you enjoy making this crochet craspedia as much as I did. Whether you see it as a little burst of sunshine or a piece of popcorn-on-a-stick, it adds such a cheerful texture to your crochet flower collection.
If you are building your own Lucy Wall Bouquet, I would love to see how you style and colour your flowers — each one adds its own personality to the arrangement. If you share your flowers, please tag them with #LucyCrochetWallBouquet so I can see and celebrate them with you. And if this is your first flower, welcome… There are plenty more blooms waiting for you.
More Crochet Flowers for Your Bouquet
More crochet flowers are on the way!
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