The Frosted Petal Star Snowflake is a lacy six-point ornament with a soft, sculpted center. Six plump puff-stitch petals bloom around a small open ring. A light chain-lace star frames them, and each star point ends in a tiny three-picot trefoil.
This design is worked in one color: a warm cream or ivory cotton that looks like fresh frost against green branches. The style is classic and a little vintage, with smooth petals against crisp chain lines. Hang it on the tree, tie it onto a gift, or block a batch flat for window decorations.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished snowflake measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) from point to point after blocking. The hanging loop adds about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
The snowflake is worked in the round as one piece. You start with a single crochet ring, add six puff petals, and link the petal tips into a chain hexagon. Next you add spokes with small tip rings. A final outline round adds the trefoil picots and the inward-dipping star edges. Blocking with starch sets the shape.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) point to point, blocked
- Hanging loop: 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall
- Skill level: Intermediate (tall puffs and chain-lace placement)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 3.0 mm (US C/2 or D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1 single snowflake
- Layout: Single motif, worked in the round
- Piece size before outline round (Rnds 1–4): 4 in (10.2 cm) ring to ring
- Outline (border) depth: about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at each point
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, mercerized sport weight cotton. It shows the ridges on the puff petals clearly and holds starch well. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy acrylics, because the chain lines will sag.
- Cream / ivory: 10 g, about 30 m (33 yd)
One snowflake uses about 6 g, or 18 m (20 yd). The quantity above includes a margin for your gauge swatch, the hanging loop, and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 3.0 mm crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch marker
– Blocking board or foam mat, plus rustproof pins
– Fabric stiffener or spray starch
– Ruler or measuring tape
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- yo – yarn over
- Rnd – round
Special stitches
Petal puff (PP): [Yo, insert hook in st, yo, draw up a loop to 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall] 6 times. You now have 13 loops on the hook. Yo and draw through all 13 loops, then ch 1 tightly to close. The closing ch-1 is the petal tip. It is not counted as a stitch.
Picot (p): Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge matters for the snowflake’s shape: the chain lengths are calculated so the lines lie flat and straight. Make one test snowflake through Rnd 2 before you commit to a batch.
Chain gauge: 8 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm), relaxed and not stretched.
Checkpoints:
– After Rnd 1: The ring measures 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
– After Rnd 2: Petal tip to opposite petal tip measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
– After Rnd 3: The chain hexagon lies flat and the petals don’t buckle. Corner to opposite corner still measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
– After Rnd 4: Tip ring to opposite tip ring measures 4 in (10.2 cm).
– After Rnd 5 and blocking: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) point to point.
If your piece is too large: Go down to a 2.75 mm hook, or pull the puff loops a little shorter, to about 0.6 in (1.5 cm).
If your piece is too small: Go up to a 3.25 mm hook. If the hexagon chains in Rnd 3 pull the petals inward, add 1 chain to each ch-9 (making ch-10) and keep everything else the same.
The Pattern
Rnd 1: Center Ring
Ch 6, sl st in the first ch to form a ring.
Ch 1, work 12 sc in the ring, sl st in the first sc to join. (12 sc)
The ring keeps a small open hole in the center, as in the finished piece. Checkpoint: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
Rnd 2: Puff Petals
Ch 1, sc in next sc, ch 2, PP in next sc, ch 2; repeat from * 5 more times. Sl st in the first sc to join. (6 sc, 6 PP, 12 ch-2 sps: 36 sts)*
Count per repeat: 1 sc + 2 ch + 1 PP + 2 ch = 6 sts, and 6 repeats = 36 sts.
Each PP stands out from the ring as a tall oval with visible ridges where the drawn-up loops sit side by side. Gently straighten the petals with your fingers so they point outward like the spokes of a wheel.
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Checkpoint: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) from petal tip to opposite petal tip.
Rnd 3: Petal-Tip Hexagon
Join yarn with a sc in the ch-1 tip of any petal. Ch 9, sc in the ch-1 tip of next petal; repeat from * 4 more times. Ch 9, sl st in the first sc to join. (6 sc, 6 ch-9 sps: 60 sts)*
Count: 6 sc + (6 × 9) ch = 6 + 54 = 60 sts.
The petal tips are about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) apart. At 8 ch per inch, 9 chains measure just over 1.1 in (2.9 cm), so the hexagon lies slightly taut and holds the petals in place without bending them. Don’t fasten off.
Rnd 4: Spokes and Tip Rings
Ch 1, sc in the same sc as the join (or in the next petal-tip sc on later repeats), ch 10, sl st in 4th ch from hook to form a tip ring, ch 6, sc in the same petal-tip sc, ch 4, sc in the center (5th) ch of the next ch-9 sp, ch 4; repeat from * 5 more times, working the first sc of each repeat in the next petal-tip sc. Sl st in the first sc to join. (28 sts per repeat, 168 sts total)*
Count per repeat: 1 sc + 10 ch + 1 sl st + 6 ch + 1 sc + 4 ch + 1 sc + 4 ch = 28, and 6 repeats = 168 sts.
How it works:
– The first 6 chains of the ch-10 run out from the petal tip. The last 4 chains close into a small tip ring.
– The ch 6 back to the same sc makes the second line of the spoke. This forms the narrow double-chain spoke behind each point.
– The sc worked in the middle of each ch-9 sp is the anchor sc. In Rnd 5, the star edges dip in to meet it.
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Checkpoint: 4 in (10.2 cm) from the outer edge of one tip ring to the outer edge of the opposite tip ring.
Border: Rnd 5 Star Outline
The outline round is the border on this single motif. It adds a trefoil to each point and draws the concave star edges.
Border gauge: Each edge chain of 9 spans about 1.1 in (2.9 cm). That is the distance from a tip ring to the next anchor sc after light blocking.
Join yarn with a sl st in any tip ring.
Ch 1, in tip ring work [2 sc, p, sc, p, sc, p, 2 sc]; ch 9, sc in the next anchor sc of Rnd 4, ch 9; repeat from * 5 more times. Sl st in the first sc to join. (37 sts per point section, 222 sts total)*
Count per point section:
– Tip ring: 6 sc + 3 picots × 4 sts (3 ch + 1 sl st) = 6 + 12 = 18 sts
– Edges: 9 ch + 1 sc + 9 ch = 19 sts
– Section total: 18 + 19 = 37 sts, and 6 sections = 222 sts
Why the math works: Each star point has one tip ring and two half-edges. A half-edge runs from that point down to an anchor sc and is shared with the neighboring point. Because every point section uses exactly one anchor, the 6 anchors and 6 tip rings alternate evenly around the round. The tip rings sit about 2 in (5.1 cm) from the center. The anchors sit about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) from the center, at the middle of each hexagon side. A straight line between those two spots is about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) long. The ch-9 is a little shorter than that unstretched, so it pulls taut into a clean inward V. That gives you 6 sharp outer points and 6 inner corners.
The three picots fan around the outer half of the tip ring, so each point ends in a small trefoil.
Hanging Loop
Don’t fasten off. Sl st across to the center picot of the top point. Ch 24, sl st in the same picot to form a loop. Sl st back along the first 2 chains of the loop to reinforce it. Fasten off.
The loop stands about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall. If you prefer a ribbon hanger, skip this step.
Weave in all ends along chain lines, where they disappear completely.
Final Blocking
- Mix fabric stiffener as the label directs, or have spray starch ready.
- Soak the snowflake fully and squeeze out the excess. Don’t wring it.
- Lay it face up on a blocking mat over a printed hexagon or a 6-point guide.
- Pin the center ring open with one pin through the hole.
- Pin each petal tip at 1.25 in (3.2 cm) from the center.
- Pin each tip ring at 2 in (5.1 cm) from the center. The points then measure 4 in (10.2 cm) across before picots.
- Pin each anchor sc so every edge forms a crisp inward V.
- Pin out the three picots at each point so they fan apart.
- Measure: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) point to point, including picots.
- Let it dry completely, at least 12 hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Center ring is open and round, 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
- Six petals are evenly spaced, equal in height, and show clear ridges.
- Hexagon chains are straight, with no slack loops.
- Every spoke has two parallel chain lines and ends in a small round ring.
- Every tip ring carries exactly three picots.
- All six star edges dip inward evenly to an anchor.
- Point-to-point measurement is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) in all three directions.
- The hanging loop is secure and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.
- All ends are woven in and trimmed.
Troubleshooting
Petals are uneven heights. Pull every PP loop up to the same 0.75 in (1.9 cm) height before you yo. Holding a pencil beside the hook can help as a guide.
Puff loops tangle when closing. Use a hook with a smooth, tapered throat, and keep the loops on the wide part of the shaft.
Center ring cups like a bowl. Your 12 sc are too tight. Work Rnd 1 more loosely, or start with ch 7 instead of ch 6.
Hexagon ruffles in Rnd 3. Your chains are loose. Go down to ch 8 between petal tips.
Star edges don’t dip inward. The ch-9 edges are too loose. Work ch 8 for each edge chain instead. That’s 35 sts per section, 210 total.
Points curl after drying. Re-wet, re-pin each picot, and use a stronger stiffener mix.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then re-block and re-starch to restore the shape. Store flat between tissue paper so the points don’t bend.
Final Notes
The measurement chain for this snowflake is simple:
– 0.75 in (1.9 cm) ring after Rnd 1
– 2.5 in (6.4 cm) petal spread after Rnd 2
– A flat 2.5 in (6.4 cm) hexagon after Rnd 3
– 4 in (10.2 cm) ring to ring after Rnd 4
– 4.5 in (11.4 cm) point to point after the outline round and blocking
Check each stage as you go and the final shape will come out right. Once your first snowflake matches the checkpoints, the rest of the batch goes quickly.
Happy crocheting!