Red and White Poinsettia Star Flower Bedspread

This is the Christmas bedspread people stop and stare at: a field of eight-petal poinsettia stars, red flowers and snow-white flowers set in a checkerboard, every bloom finished with a raised golden centre and an open eyelet down the middle of each petal. A red scalloped border frames the whole thing, and two matching pillow shams with oversized single blooms finish the bed. It is a true heirloom project – written for experienced crocheters who are comfortable reading stitch counts, controlling tension across hundreds of motifs and joining-as-they-go without a seam in sight.

About this design

Every motif starts with a tight golden centre worked in continuous rounds, then grows eight pointed petals from long chain arches. Because each petal is worked over a ch-5 arch rather than into stitches, a natural eyelet opens down its middle – that is the delicate “vein” you can see in the photo. The petals are then caught in a white background round that alternates tall corner points with low side points, squaring the octagonal flower off so the motifs tile perfectly. Two colourways are made: Motif A (red petals) and Motif B (white petals). Laid in a checkerboard, the white petals almost disappear into the background, and the red flowers seem to float on a snowfield – which is exactly the illusion that makes this bedspread look so rich.

Who this pattern is for

This is rated advanced, not because any single stitch is difficult, but because of the discipline the project demands:

• You need rock-solid, repeatable tension – 132 motifs must block to the same 19 cm square.
• You should be comfortable with standing stitches, the invisible join, and join-as-you-go (JAYG) on the final round.
• You will be managing three colours and roughly 800 ends, so a weaving-in strategy is essential (see below).
• You should be able to read a round, predict its stitch count, and catch an error before it compounds.

Yarn & fibre choices

We designed this in DK-weight mercerised cotton. Mercerisation gives the high sheen you see on the petals, crisp stitch definition and colour that will not fade after years of washing. A plain (unmercerised) cotton works but the petals will look flatter. Avoid 100% acrylic for this one – the petal points will not hold a sharp shape after blocking.

Yardage planning. One Motif A uses about 9 g red, 6 g white and 1.5 g gold; one Motif B uses about 15 g white and 1.5 g gold. For a queen layout of 11 x 12 motifs (66 A + 66 B), plus the border and shams, budget roughly 1,000 g red, 1,900 g white and 230 g gold. Always buy the whole quantity of each colour from one dye lot – on a piece this large, a lot change shows as a visible band.

Gauge and sizing maths

Gauge matters more here than in almost any other project. Make one complete Motif A, wet-block it, and measure: it should be 19 cm edge to edge. If it is larger, drop to 3.25 mm; if smaller, go up to 3.75 mm. To resize the bedspread, divide your target width by 19 and round to the nearest whole number. Useful layouts:

• Throw: 7 x 8 motifs (approx. 135 x 155 cm)
• Double: 10 x 11 motifs (approx. 195 x 215 cm)
• Queen: 11 x 12 motifs (approx. 215 x 235 cm)
• King: 13 x 12 motifs (approx. 250 x 235 cm)

Keep the motif count odd in at least one direction so the checkerboard has the same colour at all four corners – it looks far more balanced.

Advanced techniques used

Standing stitches

Every colour change starts with a standing stitch (yarn over the hook, slip knot on hook, work the stitch as normal) instead of a slip stitch and chain. That removes the visible “step” at the join and keeps the petal tips perfectly symmetrical.

The invisible join

At the end of each colour round, cut the yarn, pull it through the last stitch, thread a needle, pass under both loops of the first real stitch, and back down into the last stitch. The join disappears – vital on the gold centre, where a slip-stitch join would leave a lump.

Petals over a chain arch

Working the petal into the ch-5 arch (instead of into stitches) creates the open eyelet. Keep the arch chains loose – if they are tight the petal will cup forwards. Some makers go up a hook size for the arches only.

Join-as-you-go on the last round

From the second motif on, Round 8 is worked as a join: at each corner, work 1 sc, then instead of the middle sc, slip stitch into the corner of the neighbouring motif, then complete the corner. Along the sides, replace every 4th sc with a slip stitch into the matching stitch of the neighbour. At four-way corners, always join to the same corner slip stitch to avoid a hole.

Managing ends on a big project

With around six ends per motif, the finishing can feel endless. Our approach: crochet over the tail of the previous colour for the first 6–8 stitches of every new round, then weave the remaining tails at the end of each motif before you join it. Never leave weaving for “later” on a 132-motif project – batch it as you go and the final assembly is pure joy.

Blocking & finishing

Pin each motif to a 19 cm square template (a printed grid on foam mats is ideal), with a pin in each petal tip and corner. Spray thoroughly with water, leave to dry completely, and only then join. After the border, give the whole bedspread a light steam – never press an iron directly onto the gold centres or you will flatten their texture.

The pillow shams

Each sham front is one giant motif: work Rounds 1–6 as written, then repeat Round 7 four more times (adding 4 dc to every side each time) until the square measures about 45 cm. Back with a plain white sc panel, join the two layers with red sc, and finish with the same scallop edge as the bedspread.

Styling it at home

Crisp white sheets, a natural jute rug and a pine garland across the headboard let the red read as pure Christmas. Out of season, flip to the white-flower side of the room and pair it with soft greens – the white flowers carry it into winter long after the holidays.

Care

Machine wash cool (30°C) inside a large laundry bag on a gentle cycle, or hand-wash in the bath. Dry flat – never hang a crochet bedspread wet, as the weight will stretch it. Red cotton may release dye on the first wash: add a colour-catcher sheet.

Ready to make it?

The complete written pattern – materials, every round with stitch counts, the joining method, border, shams, abbreviations, FAQ and troubleshooting – is right here on this page, 100% free. Make your test motif tonight, block it, and you will know within an evening whether your gauge is ready for the heirloom.

It is a real heirloom: hundreds of crisp, glossy poinsettia stars that look hand-painted on the bed, built with clever construction that keeps every motif perfectly square.

Try burgundy and ivory for a vintage look, emerald and white for a winter-garden version, or all-white with gold centres for a wedding bedspread.

Amigurumi (Japanese: ami = knitted/crocheted + nuigurumi = stuffed toy) is the craft of making small crocheted characters. You start with a magic ring, work in continuous spiral rounds of single crochet, and shape the piece through increases and decreases — no seams, no joins, no turning.

The magic ring creates a closable centre with no hole. Wrap yarn around two fingers, insert the hook, yarn over and pull through. Work your first round into this ring, then pull the tail to close tight. Practise a few times — it becomes effortless quickly.

The invisible decrease — insert your hook through the front loop only of the first stitch, then the front loop only of the second stitch. Yarn over, pull through both loops, then yarn over again and pull through the remaining two. Working through front loops only makes the decrease blend into the fabric instead of leaving a bump.

Tension matters most. Amigurumi needs tight, firm tension so stuffing can't show through. If you can see white fiberfill peeking between your stitches, go down one hook size. The fabric should feel dense and firm — like a tightly woven canvas, not a loose net.