This little butterfly is made almost entirely of covered rings. Each of its four wings is an open loop packed with single crochet, so the edges look like rounded rope and the centers stay airy and light. A short wrapped body pulls the wings together, two tiny knob-tipped antennae sit on top, and a chain hanging loop finishes the charm.
The sample is shown in a deep plum and a soft blush pink. Either color works on its own, since each butterfly is one solid color. The look is calm and simple, a little boho, and suits window charms, gift tags, bag clips, or seasonal décor.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished butterfly measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall across the wings. The hanging loop and stem add another 3.5 in (8.9 cm), so the full charm is 7 in (17.8 cm) long.
How it’s made: you chain one anchor stitch, then make four chain rings off that same point and cover each ring with single crochet as you go. Wrapping the center makes the body. Next come the antennae and hanging loop, and a slip-stitch rim on each wing finishes the edge.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide × 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall across the wings
- Total length with hanging loop: 7 in (17.8 cm)
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), smooth cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single motif, worked in one piece)
- Layout: 4 wing rings joined at one center anchor, upper pair larger than lower pair
- Upper wing ring: about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long × 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide
- Lower wing ring: about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long × 1 in (2.5 cm) wide
- Size before border: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) × 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Border depth: about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) on every outer edge
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, firm worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton keeps the rings round and gives clear stitches. Fuzzy or very soft acrylic will blur the rope texture and makes the rings floppy.
- Main color (Plum): 10 g / about 17 m (18.6 yd) for one butterfly
- Alternate color (Blush Pink): 10 g / about 17 m (18.6 yd) for one butterfly, if you’re making the pink version
Each butterfly is one color, so pick one per motif. These quantities include a margin of about 30% for your gauge swatch, the 40 in (101.6 cm) body-wrapping tail, and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 1 locking stitch marker
– Scissors
– Ruler or tape measure
– Spray bottle and a blocking mat or folded towel
– Rustproof pins
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
Special stitch – Knob (kn): Ch 2. (Yo, insert hook in 2nd ch from hook, yo, pull up a loop) 3 times. You now have 7 loops on your hook. Yo and pull through all 7 loops, then ch 1 to close. This makes a small round bead at the tip of each antenna.
Working “into the ring”: When you cover a ring, insert your hook through the center of the chain loop, not into the chains. Every sc wraps around the whole chain bundle, which hides it completely.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge is not critical for a charm, but it controls the ring sizes. Make one complete butterfly first and measure it before you make more.
- Chain gauge: 4 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm), so 24 ch = 6 in (15.2 cm) when gently straightened.
- Single crochet gauge: 18 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) in a flat test row.
Checkpoints:
1. After the first upper wing: the covered ring lies flat with no chain showing and pinches into a teardrop about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long.
2. After the first lower wing: the teardrop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long.
3. After all four wings, before the border: the butterfly measures 4.25 in (10.8 cm) × 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
4. After the border: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) × 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
If your butterfly is too big: switch to a 3.5 mm (E-4) hook, or take 2 ch off each upper ring and 2 ch off each lower ring. Reduce the sc count by 3 for every 2 ch you remove so the ratio stays the same.
If it’s too small, or the sc won’t fit: switch to a 4.5 mm (7) hook. If the sc start to ruffle, the ring is overfilled. Remove 2 sc and try again.
Part 1: Anchor and Wings
All four wings come off a single anchor chain. Don’t fasten off between wings.
Anchor: Make a slip knot and ch 1. Put the stitch marker in this ch. This is the anchor ch, and every ring closes back into it.
Upper Right Wing
– Ch 24, sl st in the anchor ch to close the ring. (Ring of 24 ch)
– Ch 1 (doesn’t count as a stitch). Work 36 sc into the ring, sliding the stitches together so they sit snugly and cover the chain completely.
– Sl st in the anchor ch. (36 sc)
That’s 3 sc for every 2 ch, which is enough to pack the ring firmly without making it wavy.
Lower Right Wing
– Ch 16, sl st in the anchor ch to close the ring. (Ring of 16 ch)
– Ch 1. Work 24 sc into the ring.
– Sl st in the anchor ch. (24 sc)
Lower Left Wing
– Ch 16, sl st in the anchor ch. Ch 1, work 24 sc into the ring, sl st in the anchor ch. (24 sc)
Upper Left Wing
– Ch 24, sl st in the anchor ch. Ch 1, work 36 sc into the ring, sl st in the anchor ch. (36 sc)
Wing total: 36 + 24 + 24 + 36 = 120 sc
Fasten off and leave a 40 in (101.6 cm) tail for the body. Remove the marker.
Shaping: Lay the piece flat with the larger rings on top. Gently pinch the outer tip of each ring so it becomes a soft teardrop. Point the upper wings up and outward at about 45 degrees, and the lower wings down and outward. The wing bases should all meet at the anchor.
Part 2: Wrapped Body
- Thread the 40 in (101.6 cm) tail onto the tapestry needle.
- Hold the four wing bases together so the upper pair sits just above the lower pair. The body runs vertically between them.
- Wrap the tail firmly around the gathered center 12 times, working from top to bottom. Lay each wrap snugly beside the last one with no overlaps. The body should be 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long and about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.
- To lock the wraps, pass the needle up under all of them on the back and out at the top of the body. Leave the remaining tail in place for now; you’ll weave it in after the antennae.
Checkpoint: The wings shouldn’t swivel. If they do, unwind and wrap again with more tension.
Part 3: Antennae
Use a new length of yarn about 24 in (61.0 cm) long. Join with a sl st through the top wrap of the body, just left of center.
Left Antenna: Ch 5, kn, then sl st in each of the 5 ch back down to the body. (5 sl st)
Sl st through the top wrap again, just right of center.
Right Antenna: Ch 5, kn, sl st in each of the 5 ch back down. (5 sl st)
Each antenna is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long, including the knob. Working slip stitches back down the chain makes a firm, slightly twisted stem that stands up instead of drooping.
Don’t fasten off. Sl st through the top wrap at the exact center, between the two antennae.
Part 4: Hanging Loop
- Ch 22, sl st in the 17th ch from the hook. This closes a loop of 16 ch.
- Sl st in each of the remaining 5 ch down to the body. (Stem of 6 ch, loop of 16 ch)
- Sl st through the top wrap. Fasten off.
The stem is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, and the loop folds flat to 2 in (5.1 cm). Together they add 3.5 in (8.9 cm) above the wings.
Weave the antenna yarn tail and the body tail under the back of the wraps, then trim.
Border: Braided Wing Rim
The rim is one round of slip stitches worked in the back loops of the covering sc. It pulls the outer edge into a crisp chain braid and adds about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) to every outer edge.
Border gauge: 1 sl st in each sc, with no increases or skips. The rim should lie as flat as the ring underneath it.
Work each wing separately. Join the yarn at the first sc beside the body and finish at the last sc on the other side of the body.
- Upper Right Wing: Join with a sl st in BLO of the first sc, then sl st in BLO of each remaining sc. (36 sl st) Fasten off.
- Lower Right Wing: Sl st in BLO of each sc. (24 sl st) Fasten off.
- Lower Left Wing: Sl st in BLO of each sc. (24 sl st) Fasten off.
- Upper Left Wing: Sl st in BLO of each sc. (36 sl st) Fasten off.
Border total: 36 + 24 + 24 + 36 = 120 sl st, which matches the 120 sc from Part 1 exactly.
Why the math works: A slip stitch is about as wide as the sc it sits on. Working one in each stitch keeps the rim the same length as the ring’s outer edge, so it neither pulls the wing into a cup nor ruffles it. The rim only adds height to the edge: 0.125 in (0.3 cm) on each side. That takes the butterfly from 4.25 in (10.8 cm) to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide and from 3.25 in (8.3 cm) to 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
Weave each border tail under the body wraps on the back so it’s hidden.
Final Blocking
- Mist the butterfly lightly with water until it’s damp but not soaked.
- Lay it face up on a blocking mat or folded towel.
- Shape each wing into a smooth teardrop with the openings evenly rounded.
- Pin the upper wing tips 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart, and set the full height from upper wing tip to lower wing tip at 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
- Stand the antennae up in a slight V and pin each knob in place.
- Pin the hanging loop straight up from the body.
- Leave it to dry completely, usually 4 to 6 hours, then unpin.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- No chain is visible through the sc on any of the four rings
- Upper rings have 36 sc each; lower rings have 24 sc each
- Each rim has the same number of sl st as the sc below it (36, 24, 24, 36)
- Body wraps are snug and even, and the wings don’t swivel
- Both antennae are 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long and their knobs are round and closed
- The hanging loop is centered between the antennae
- The butterfly measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) × 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- All ends are hidden under the body wraps
Troubleshooting
The chain shows between stitches: The ring needs more sc. Add 1 or 2 more and slide everything together.
Wings ruffle or twist: The ring is overfilled, or the rim is too tight. Remove 2 sc, or redo the rim with a looser hand.
The rim makes the wing cup: Your slip stitches are too tight. Go up 0.5 mm in hook size for the border only.
Wings flop around the center: The body wraps are too loose. Unwind and rewrap with firm, even tension.
Antennae droop: The return slip stitches were too loose. Redo them more firmly, or block the antennae standing upright.
Knob looks flat: Close the cluster with ch 1 and tug the tail gently to round it.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Press out the water in a towel, reshape, and dry flat, pinning the wings back into shape if needed.
Final Notes
Everything here builds from one measurement to the next. At 4 ch per 1 in (2.5 cm), the 24-ch and 16-ch rings take 36 sc and 24 sc. That gives teardrops of 2.25 in (5.7 cm) and 1.5 in (3.8 cm), and a butterfly of 4.25 in (10.8 cm) × 3.25 in (8.3 cm) before the border. The 120-stitch slip-stitch rim brings it to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) × 3.5 in (8.9 cm). The 3.5 in (8.9 cm) hanging loop makes the full charm 7 in (17.8 cm) long. If your first butterfly hits these checkpoints, every one after it will match.
Happy crocheting!