Smiling Sunflower in a Pot Amigurumi — Free Crochet Pattern
Beginner Friendly
Perfect for those just starting their crochet journey, with clear instructions and simple techniques
Single-Day Project
A satisfying project you can complete in a single afternoon or evening.
Handmade Gift
A beautiful keepsake — free forever. Read online or print at home.
About This Smiling Sunflower in a Pot Amigurumi — Free Crochet Pattern
Welcome to this Smiling Sunflower in a Pot — a happy little amigurumi flower with a round, rosy-cheeked face, bright yellow petals, and two simple leaves along its stem, planted in a cosy crocheted pot with a tiny heart on the front.
Finished, it stands about 14cm tall in its pot, perfect as a no-water desk plant, a cheerful shelf piece, or a handmade gift that never wilts.
The flower head is worked as a single flat disc rather than a stuffed sphere, so there’s no fiddly stuffing to keep even — just a smooth base to embroider the face onto and sew the petals around. The petals themselves reuse a simple pointed-leaf shape, made and sewn on one at a time, so progress is visible the whole way through.
What’s inside
- Full materials list with suggested colours and quantities
- Every stitch explained with a full stitch key
- Round-by-round instructions for the flower disc, petals, stem, leaves, and pot
- Face embroidery and heart appliqué guidance
- Step-by-step assembly instructions
Who this is for
A lovely project for beginners who’ve made one or two amigurumi pieces before — the shapes themselves are simple flat circles and tubes, and sewing on the petals and leaves is a gentle, satisfying way to practice finishing and assembly.
Instant PDF-style pattern, free forever — no login, no email required. Read it on your phone, tablet, or print it out, whichever you crochet best with. 🌻
Starting rounds — magic ring and first increases
Why You'll Love This Pattern 💛
The flower head is a flat disc rather than a stuffed sphere, so there's no fiddly stuffing to keep even on both sides — just a smooth surface to embroider the face onto and build the petals around.
Every petal you sew on makes the piece look noticeably more finished, so progress feels visible the entire way through instead of all coming together at the very end.
And because it's a pot plant, there's no separate stand or backing card to make — the finished piece is shelf-ready the moment the last leaf is sewn on.
Shaping with increases — building the body
Switch Things Up 🎨
Swap the yellow petals for orange, red, or pastel shades to turn this into a different flower entirely — a gerbera daisy or a poppy — using the exact same petal shape and disc base.
Try a different pot colour, or skip the heart appliqué for a plainer, more neutral version that suits any room.
Add a second, smaller flower on a shorter stem beside the first for a fuller "bouquet in a pot" look.
Colour variations — personalise your make
Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them 🔧
Count how many petals you're sewing on before you start (aim for 12), and place them at quarter-points first — top, bottom, left, right — before filling in between. Sewing them on one at a time with no plan is where spacing usually drifts.
Anchor a small ball of scrap yarn or stuffing tightly around the base of the stem inside the pot before securing it, or insert a stiffener like a lollipop stick or floral wire down the centre of the stem for a firmer hold.
This means the increase count drifted. Recount each round carefully — the disc only stays flat if every round adds exactly 6 stitches; missing an increase makes it dome, adding an extra one makes it ruffle.
Embroider the eyes, smile, and cheeks before sewing on the petals, using the middle rounds of the disc as a centring guide — it's much harder to judge centring once the petals are framing the edge.
Weight the base of the pot with a few dried beans, rice, or poly pellets in a small fabric pouch before closing it up, especially if your stem has a stiffener inside.
Assembly stage — pinning pieces before sewing
Materials Needed for Smiling Sunflower in a Pot Amigurumi — Free Crochet Pattern
🧶YARN
Worsted (medium, Category 4) weight yarn in brown (~10g).
Worsted weight yarn in yellow (~15g).
Worsted weight yarn in green (~10g).
Worsted weight yarn in tan or light brown (~15g).
(heart appliqué) and pink (cheek blush, if not using embroidery floss).
🪝TOOLS & NOTIONS
3.5mm, or a size appropriate for your yarn. Go down a size for tighter, more even stitches.
9mm plastic eyes with a locking backing disc, not sew-on buttons.
black for the smile, pink for the cheek blush. A single strand gives a finer, neater line than the full 6-strand thread.
a small amount, just for the stem and pot base.
blunt-tipped, for sewing and weaving in ends without splitting the yarn.
or a small safety pin, anything to mark your round starts.
small, sharp embroidery scissors make trimming yarn tails much easier than fabric shears.
— Gauge:
18 sc = 4 inches in sc
— Finished Size:
~14 cm tall in pot
— Yarn Weight:
Worsted
— Hook:
3.5mm
— Terms:
US Crochet Terminology
— Cost:
FREE ✓
Crochet Abbreviations
Smiling Sunflower in a Pot Amigurumi — Free Crochet Pattern — Full Pattern
🧶FLOWER DISC (brown, worked flat)
🧶PETALS (yellow, make 12)
🧶STEM (green)
🧶LEAVES (green, make 2)
🧶POT (tan/brown)
🧶ASSEMBLY
Assembly & Finishing Tips
💡 Weaving in ends
Use a tapestry needle to weave each tail back and forth through at least 5–6 stitches in different directions. A tiny dot of washable glue on the final stitch before trimming adds extra security for toys used by children.
💡 Sewing pieces together
Pin each piece firmly to the body before sewing. Use mattress stitch for the most invisible join — insert the needle under the same yarn bar on alternating pieces and pull firmly. Knot securely at start and end, weave both tails deep into the body.
💡 Positioning safety eyes
Take time here — eye spacing determines the character's entire personality. Closer eyes look more intense; further apart looks more friendly and playful. Pin both positions and step back before snapping the backs on permanently. Once snapped, eyes cannot be moved without damaging the fabric.
💡 Blocking
Not required for amigurumi, but lightly steam-blocking any warped pieces will relax the fibres. Hold a steam iron a few centimetres away — never let it touch the stuffing or safety eyes directly.
💡 Care instructions
Handwash in cool water with mild detergent, press gently to remove excess water, lay flat to dry. Many acrylic yarns are machine washable on a gentle cycle in a laundry bag — always check your yarn label.
⚠️ Important Notes
- Use stitch markers at the start of every round — don't rely on memory to count.
- Work with consistent tension throughout. Gauge swatch before starting if in doubt.
- Fasten off leaving long tails for sewing — at least 30cm for each piece you'll need to attach.
- Pin and check positioning of all pieces before sewing any of them permanently.
Beginner's Guide to Amigurumi 🌱
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.
The finished Smiling Sunflower in a Pot Amigurumi — Free Crochet Pattern — ready to gift or display
You Ask, We Answer ❓
Completely and permanently free — no login, no email, no payment. Read online, print, or save to your phone. The only ask: don't redistribute or resell the written pattern itself.
Yes — you're welcome to sell handmade finished items crocheted from this pattern. Please credit Cozy Amigurumi as the pattern source when sharing online.
A flat disc keeps the face symmetrical and easy to embroider, and lets the petals lie naturally around the edge like a real sunflower instead of poking out at odd angles the way they would on a curved surface.
It's optional. For a soft, slightly floppy stem, skip it. For one that stands perfectly upright, insert a lollipop stick, chenille stem, or floral wire down the centre before stuffing.
Yes — embroidered eyes work fine too. Mark both positions with pins first and check they're level and evenly spaced before stitching either one.
12 gives the full, classic sunflower look. Fewer, larger petals (8-9) also work and use less yarn, for a slightly different silhouette.
It works well as a second or third project — the shaping is all simple flat-circle and tube increases, and it's a nice introduction to sewing several small pieces onto a base without a complicated body plan.
