Looking for a free crochet poinsettia pattern? Here are 20 of them, and each full written pattern is free on the designer's own site, with no sign-up. You'll find realistic poinsettia flowers, quick appliqués for hats and gift bags, tree ornaments, coasters and napkin rings for the Christmas table, and a few bigger projects: a granny square, a stocking and a whole tree skirt. A crocheted poinsettia never drops its leaves, and it's safe around pets, too.
For each pattern I've noted the yarn weight, hook size and finished size where the designer gives them, plus what makes it special. Most need only red, green and a little yellow or gold for the center, so they're great for using up scraps.
A quick guide to choosing: for a fast first flower, try the Maggie's Crochet or Golden Lucy appliqué, which take well under an hour. For the tree, jump to the ornaments. For the dinner table, the coasters and napkin rings make a matching set. And if you want a showpiece, the PlanetJune flower or the poinsettia tree skirt will be the thing people ask about.
Poinsettia flowers and appliqués
Single flowers to pin on a wreath, a pillow, a hat or the top of a present.
Poinsettia — PlanetJune. The most lifelike one here, about 6.5 inches across in worsted yarn on an E/3.5mm hook (a smaller 5-inch version is included). Each bract is worked in a spiral of single crochet and shaped to a soft point, so the petals look slightly puffy, like a real plant. The full pattern is free on the page; a donation gets you the PDF.
Upcycled Poinsettias — Highland Hickory Designs. A clever one: the flower is crocheted around a ring cut from a milk jug. Six rounds in worsted on an H/5mm hook give two rows of red petals and a ring of green leaves, about 6.5 inches across, with gold beads in the middle. Lovely around a candle.
Poinsettia — Maggie's Crochet. An easy 4-inch flower in worsted on an H/5mm hook. Two four-petal flowers are stacked offset, and a coiled gold chenille stem and pearl beads make the center. A great first poinsettia.
Poinsettia Flower Appliqué — GoldenLucyCrafts. Just two rounds for a 2.75-inch flower with five picot-tipped petals, plus leaves worked in a single row. Use worsted on a 4.5mm hook and finish with three yellow beads. Perfect for a hat or a stocking cuff.
Free Crochet Poinsettia Pattern — Simply Yarn. A delicate layered flower in 4-ply cotton on a 3mm hook: a green leaf base, then three red petal layers in graduated sizes, with gold French knots in the center. Note that it uses UK crochet terms (their "dc" is a US single crochet).
Christmas Flower — Fosbas Designs. A big poinsettia stem made in sparkly metallic worsted. Florist wire is crocheted into the edge of each petal so you can bend them into shape, and the layers slide onto a yarn-wrapped wire stem. Put a few in a vase for a centerpiece that lasts for years. Intermediate.
Crochet Poinsettia Flower — Moara Crochet. A large 8-inch flower made from twelve separate bracts in three sizes plus two leaves, each worked around a chain with a picot tip and sewn together. Try it in fluffy mohair for a soft look. Advanced beginner.
Poinsettia ornaments, pins and small gifts
Quick makes for the tree, a gift tag, or a lapel.
Poinsettia Christmas Flower Ornament — Desert Blossom Crafts. A beginner-friendly 2.5-inch flower in worsted on a G/4mm hook, sized for the tree or the top of a package. A five-petal red layer sits on a three-leaf green layer, with three tiny yellow centers.
3D Poinsettia Flower Ornament — Kirsten Holloway Designs. The fine one: size 10 crochet thread on a 1.4mm steel hook, worked as one piece in 12 rounds of picot petals, hollow petals and long spikes. Starch it and back it with felt. Intermediate, and very elegant.
Poinsettia Bauble Ornament — Fiber Flux. Two round motifs, each with a red petal round, a gold round and green and silver rounds, seamed together and stuffed into a puffy 3-inch bauble.
Crochet Holiday Poinsettia — Fiber Flux. No sewing: each petal and leaf is one round in a small ring, glued in a fan onto a felt circle. Add a pin back and you have a brooch to wear to every holiday party.
Poinsettia Heart Ornament — GoldenLucyCrafts. A 4.5-inch white heart, worked with two strands held together, with a red edge and a mini poinsettia on top. The red yarn tails become the hanging loop. A sweet gift-tag ornament.
No-Sew Poinsettia Ornament — Anvi's Granny. A small stuffed amigurumi with green leaf branches and two layers of red petals worked right into its rounds, so there's nothing to sew on. Use DK on a 2.5mm hook or worsted on a 3.5mm hook. You'll need basic amigurumi skills.
Poinsettia coasters and table decor
For the Christmas dinner table.
Christmas Poinsettia Coaster — Off the Hook by Chrissy. A 10-inch flower, tip to tip, in worsted cotton on an I/5.5mm hook. The center coaster is 3 to 4 inches, and long picot petals spread out around it, so it also works as a small doily under a candle. Intermediate.
Poinsettia Christmas Coaster — CraftPassion. Six red "yo-yo" puffs sewn around a green one make a 3-inch flower coaster in DK on a 2.5mm hook. Each puff is only two rounds, so you can make a whole set in an evening.
Poinsettia Christmas Napkin Rings — CraftPassion. A 3-inch layered flower with seed-bead stamens, in doubled pearl cotton on a 1.75mm hook, mounted on a crocheted band. Pair them with the coasters for a matching table.
Poinsettia Coaster Set — Nicki's Homemade Crafts. The cutest gift on this list: flower-shaped coasters in worsted on a 4mm hook that stack inside a little crocheted flower pot, so they look like a potted poinsettia until you need them.
Bigger poinsettia projects
Squares, a stocking and a tree skirt for when you want to go big.
Poinsettia Granny Square Christmas Stocking — Joy of Motion Crochet. Thirteen 4.3-inch poinsettia squares in worsted on a 4.5mm hook, joined into a stocking about 13 inches tall. Each square has eight red petals, green leaves behind and a squared-off border. The designer also has a stand-alone tutorial for the square.
Poinsettia Granny Square — The Crochet Crowd. Red chain-and-stitch petals squared off in white, made in a sparkly soft yarn on a 5mm hook. About 20 squares make an afghan, and a few make a pillow. (The designer notes it's adapted from a square in a Yarnspirations afghan.)
Poinsettia Christmas Tree Skirt — A Crocheted Simplicity. A 56-inch textured cream skirt with ties, trimmed with 12 two-layer poinsettias. It's a big project, so start in October. The poinsettias would also look lovely on their own.
Tips for crocheting poinsettias
- Pick a true Christmas red. Cherry or scarlet looks most like a real poinsettia. Burgundy works too, for a vintage look.
- Stiffen the petals. A little starch or fabric stiffener keeps thread and cotton petals crisp. For worsted flowers, florist wire (like the Fosbas stems) holds the shape.
- Add sparkle to the center. Real poinsettias have tiny yellow buds in the middle. Seed beads, French knots or a coil of gold chenille all copy that.
- Use the flowers everywhere. One small poinsettia can go on a hat, a stocking, a wreath, a gift bag, or a napkin ring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest crochet poinsettia pattern?
The Maggie's Crochet poinsettia and the GoldenLucyCrafts appliqué are the easiest. Both use simple stitches and finish in under an hour. The Desert Blossom Crafts ornament is also beginner-friendly.
What yarn is best for a crochet poinsettia?
Worsted (#4) acrylic or cotton is the most common, and it's easy to find in Christmas red. Size 10 crochet thread gives fine, lacy ornaments. Metallic or sparkle yarn makes a dressy flower for a centerpiece.
How do you make crochet poinsettia petals hold their shape?
Go down a hook size for firm stitches, block the petals flat, and spray them with starch or fabric stiffener. For larger flowers, crochet florist wire into the petal edges so you can bend them.
What can I do with crochet poinsettias?
Pin them to a wreath or garland, sew them onto a stocking or pillow, glue a pin back on for a brooch, tie them on gifts, or put a few on wire stems in a vase. They also make pretty napkin rings for the Christmas table.
More Christmas crochet to make
Tuck a few poinsettias into one of our Christmas wreath patterns or along a Christmas garland. Hang the small ones next to the rest of your Christmas ornament patterns, and use the napkin rings with a set of crochet placemats and a holiday table runner. Poinsettia flowers also make pretty toppers for crochet gift bags, and the tree skirt fits right in with our Christmas tree skirt roundup.
