Welcome to Grandma’s Crafts! I’m so happy you are here today. I have such a colorful little crochet project to share with you, and this is one of those motifs that immediately makes me want to start pulling different yarn colors out of my basket. The African Flower Square has a beautiful layered look, with a flower in the center and a neat square shape around it that makes it perfect for joining into larger projects.
What I love most about this square is how much personality you can give it just by changing the colors. You can make the flower bright and cheerful, keep everything soft and pastel, or use one neutral shade around the outside to bring several completely different flowers together.
The flower itself has eight petals, and the little spike stitches worked between them really help define the shape. That detail makes such a difference because it gives every petal a clear outline and adds another layer of texture without making the pattern feel overly complicated.
I also like that this is the kind of project you can make one little piece at a time. You do not need to sit down and commit to an entire blanket right away. Make one square, try another color combination, then another, and before long you may have a whole stack waiting to be joined.
From Flower to Crochet Square
The construction is one of the most interesting parts. You begin with a round flower, build the petals, add the textured outline, and only then start shaping everything into a square.
To create the corners, the stitch heights gradually change from shorter stitches along the sides to taller stitches near the corners. This is what allows a round flower to slowly become a proper square without losing the shape of the petals in the center.
Once that squaring round is finished, an additional round around the outside helps straighten the edges and makes the motif much easier to join with others. I think this is especially helpful if you are planning a blanket or pillow cover because neat edges make the joining process so much nicer.
And this is definitely one of those patterns where I would have fun making every flower a little different. You could keep the center yellow on all of them and change only the petals, use several shades from the same color family, or go completely colorful and let every square have its own personality.
If you prefer a more coordinated look, using the same color for the final square rounds is a lovely trick. Even if all the flowers are different, that repeated outer color helps everything look connected once the motifs are joined together.
These squares would be beautiful in a baby blanket, a larger throw, a cushion cover, tote bag, scarf, or even a cardigan. That is one reason I love learning motifs like this. You are really learning one small pattern that can later become so many different projects.
This colorful African Flower Square begins with a classic eight-petal flower and is then shaped into a neat square. The spike stitches worked between the petals create that beautiful outlined flower effect, while the final rounds turn the round motif into an easy-to-join granny-style square.
Skill Level
Confident Beginner to Intermediate
Materials
Yarn in 4 colors
Crochet hook suitable for your yarn
Scissors
Yarn needle
You can use almost any yarn weight for this pattern. Just choose a hook that works comfortably with your yarn.
Abbreviations
ch = chain sc = single crochet hdc = half double crochet dc = double crochet tr = treble crochet sl st = slip stitch st(s) = stitch(es) sp = space spike sc = spike single crochet
Special Stitch: Spike Single Crochet
Insert your hook into the indicated space two rounds below.
Yo and pull up a long loop until it reaches the height of your current round.
Yo and pull through both loops on the hook.
Keep the loop relaxed so the flower does not pucker.
African Flower Square
Round 1
Using Color A, make a magic ring.
Ch 3. This counts as the first dc.
Dc in ring, ch 1.
Repeat:
*(2 dc, ch 1) into ring.*
Repeat from * to * until you have 8 groups of 2 dc.
Join with sl st to top of beginning ch-3.
Fasten off.
16 dc and 8 ch-1 spaces
Round 2
Join Color B in any ch-1 sp.
Ch 3, dc in same sp, ch 1, 2 dc in same sp.
In each remaining ch-1 sp around, work:
(2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc)
Join with sl st to top of beginning ch-3.
You should have 8 shell groups.
Do not fasten off unless you want to change colors.
Round 3
Sl st across to the next ch-1 sp.
Ch 3.
Work 6 dc in same ch-1 sp.
Work 7 dc in each remaining ch-1 sp around.
Join with sl st to top of beginning ch-3.
Fasten off.
You now have 8 petals of 7 dc each.
Round 4
Join Color C in the first dc of any petal.
Sc in the same st and in each of the next 6 dc.
Now work a spike sc down into the ch-1 space from Round 2 between the two petals.
Repeat around:
*Sc in each of the next 7 dc, spike sc into the Round 2 ch-1 sp between petals.*
Join with sl st to first sc.
Fasten off.
You should now have:
56 sc + 8 spike sc
The 8 spike stitches create the beautiful outline between the petals.
Turning the Flower Into a Square
Look at the 8 spike stitches around your flower.
Four alternating spike stitches will become the corners of the square.
The other four will sit approximately in the center of each side.
Round 5
Join Color D in any spike sc that you want to use as a corner.
Ch 4. This counts as the first tr.
Work:
tr, ch 2, 2 tr
in the same spike stitch.
First corner made.
Now work:
Dc in next 3 sts.
Hdc in next 2 sts.
Sc in next 2 sts.
Sc in next spike sc. This spike is the center of the side.
Sc in next 2 sts.
Hdc in next 2 sts.
Dc in next 3 sts.
In the next spike sc, work:
(2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr)
Next corner made.
Repeat this sequence around:
*Dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc in next spike sc, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next spike sc.*
Repeat until all four corners are complete.
Join with sl st to top of beginning ch-4.
Do not turn.
At this point, your flower should already look clearly square.
Round 6
Sl st across to the first ch-2 corner sp.
Ch 2. This does not count as a stitch.
Work:
(2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc)
in the corner sp.
Hdc in each stitch across to the next corner.
In each ch-2 corner sp, work:
(2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc)
Continue around.
Join with sl st to first hdc.
Fasten off.
Finishing
Weave in all yarn ends securely.
Gently block the square to help straighten the sides and define the four corners.
Blocking is especially useful if you plan to join several African Flower Squares together for a larger project.
Color Ideas
One of the nicest things about this square is how different it can look depending on your color choices.
You could use:
Color A: yellow center Color B: pink petals Color C: cream outline Color D: sage green square
Or try several shades of the same color for a softer look.
You can also make each flower completely different and use one neutral shade for the final square rounds to help all the motifs look connected.
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What Can You Make With African Flower Squares?
These squares are beautiful for:
Crochet blankets
Baby blankets
Cushion covers
Tote bags
Scarves
Table runners
Cardigans
Decorative pillows
For a blanket, make as many squares as needed and join them using your favorite granny square joining method.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
The African Flower Square is also a nice project for using smaller amounts of leftover yarn. Since each section only needs a little color, it is a good excuse to finally use some of those pretty scraps we all save because they are too nice to throw away.
If your square looks a little uneven when you finish it, do not worry too much. A gentle blocking usually helps the petals settle, straightens the sides, and makes the corners look much cleaner, especially if you are joining several squares together.
I think this is one of those crochet motifs that becomes more addictive with every color combination. You finish one and immediately start wondering what the next one would look like in pink, blue, green, cream, or whatever yarn happens to be sitting beside you.
I hope you enjoy making your African Flower Squares and playing with all the different color possibilities. And as always, thank you for spending a little crochet time here with me at Grandma’s Crafts.
