Crochet Pattern: Little Bee & Poppy Flower

A cheerful little bee and a bold, bright red poppy – together they make a lovely duo that brings a touch of summer into your home. The bee, with its tiny wings, legs, and antennae, works up quickly and looks extra cute with its friendly face. The poppy, featuring a black flower center and large overlapping petals, gives the bee the perfect spot to rest.

This project is beginner-friendly and lots of fun thanks to the mix of animal and flower. The finished piece makes a sweet decoration, a thoughtful handmade gift, or simply a cheerful project to brighten your day.

Materials

• Cotton yarn suitable for a 2.5–3 mm crochet hook (or size of your choice):

  • Yellow (body)

  • Black (stripes, legs, antennae, flower center)

  • White (wings)

  • Color of your choice for the flower

  • Green (calyx leaves)

• Crochet hook size 2.5–3 mm

• Fiberfill stuffing

• Yarn needle

• Scissors

• 2 safety eyes (6 mm) or black yarn for embroidery

• (Optional) a bit of blush or fabric paint for the cheeks / pink embroidery thread

Measurements

Using a 3 mm crochet hook, the bee measures approx. 6 cm (2.4 in) in length, and the flower has a diameter of about 10 cm (4 in).

Abbreviations

• st = stitch

• sc = single crochet

• sl st = slip stitch

• hdc = half double crochet

• dc = double crochet

• inc = increase (2 sc in the same st)

• dec = decrease (sc 2 sts together)

• (…) x n = repeat the instructions in brackets n times

Notes

Unless otherwise stated, all pieces are worked in continuous rounds (spiral rounds), even if the pattern says e.g. “3 rounds sc.” The number at the beginning of each step indicates the round/row. The number in brackets at the end of each step shows the stitch count at the end of that round.

Yarn and Hook Tip

If you crochet loosely, using a smaller hook can help keep your stitches tight. This is especially important for the flower center and the bee to prevent the stuffing from showing through. It’s best to make a small swatch to check if you’re happy with your yarn and hook combination.

Pattern

Body

Start with yellow.

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
Rounds 6–9: 30 sc (4 rounds)
              Change color to black.
Rounds 10–11: 30 sc
              Change color back to yellow.
Rounds 12–15: 30 sc (4 rounds)
Round 16: (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24) – lightly stuff
Round 17: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Place safety eyes between rounds 3 and 4, spaced 3 sts apart.
Round 18: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12) – stuff firmly
Round 19: 6 dec (6)

Fasten off, thread through remaining stitches, and weave in the end.

Wings (make 4)

Using white:

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Round 2: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (12)

Leave a long tail for sewing to the top of the body.

Legs (make 6)

Using black:

Row 1: ch 6
Row 2: sc 5 back along the chain, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook

Leave a long tail for sewing to the lower sides of the body.

Antennae (make 2)

Using black:

Row 1: ch 5
Row 2: starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc 1, sl st 3
Leave a long tail and fasten off.

Large Poppy Flower

Black Seed Center (middle)

Using black:

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Round 5: Make the fringe: ch 5, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sl st 4 back along the chain. Then sc 1 in the stitch of the previous round. Repeat 23 more times until the end of the round (24)
Round 6: (2 sc, dec) x 6 – work only into the sc of the previous round. Keep the fringes facing forward and do not crochet them in; they form the edge of the flower center (18)
Round 7: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12) – lightly stuff
Round 8: 6 dec (6), fasten off

Petals (make 6, each separately)

Using red:

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
Round 6: (4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)

Finishing: ch 2, work (1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc) in the next st, sl st in the next st – repeat 6 times
Leave a long tail and fasten off.

Calyx

Using green, start at the base of the flower:

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around (12)
Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Round 4: 18 sc (1 round)
Round 5: Make 9 calyx leaves: ch 5, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sl st 4 back along the chain, sl st in the next st, sc 1 – repeat around

Finishing the Wings:

First, take two wings and sew them together to form one larger wing. Repeat with the other two wings.

Position the two resulting wings at the height of the eyes, centered on the body. Pin them in place and then sew securely to the body.

Next, attach the six legs. First, pin them in place so you can easily adjust their position.

Start with the middle leg and position it on the black stripe of the body. Then attach the two remaining legs at the same distance in front and behind. Once you are happy with the positioning, sew them securely to the body.

Place the two antennae above the eyes, about two rows up, aligned with the outer edges of the eyes.

Using the tail end of the yarn, you can also embroider a small mouth at the same time.

Now use some pink embroidery thread or a fabric marker to add small cheeks.

Your bee is now complete and can be set aside.

Assembling the Flower Petals:

First, lay out all six petals so that they slightly overlap each other. Sew them together in this position using the yarn tails.

Next, join the last petal to the first in the same way, forming a small funnel shape with the petals.

Now sew the black flower center to the bottom of the petal funnel. The fringes should be positioned along the outer edge of the flower center, lying freely on top of the petals.

You can use black yarn and stitch through the petals, as the calyx leaves will cover the stitches later.

Finally, sew the last round of the calyx to the flower petals, taking care not to attach the individual calyx leaves themselves.

Your Little Bee with Flower is Complete :)

I hope you enjoyed this pattern! If you have any questions or run into any issues, please feel free to leave a comment. I would also be delighted to receive your positive feedback :)

Have fun crocheting! Feel free to check out my other free blog posts or take a look at my shop, where you’ll find many more sewing and crochet patterns for practical items as well as cute stuffed animals and amigurumi.