🧶 Beautiful ✨ Detailed 💝 Adorable

Butterfly Pattern

Butterfly Pattern
4.0★ Rating
5-7 Hours Time Needed
3.6K Made This
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Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic crochet experience, featuring slightly more advanced stitches and techniques to expand your skills.

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Weekend Treat

Takes 5-7 hours, making it an enjoyable project to finish over a couple of days.

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Cozy Accent

A warm touch for your space that transforms ordinary corners into inviting nooks filled with handmade charm.

About This Butterfly Pattern

This pattern creates a beautifully detailed lace butterfly using fine crochet thread and a 0.6mm hook. The design includes instructions for a small circular wing motif and a larger cord-reinforced right wing, finished with picot edging. It uses techniques like working in back loops, attaching a cord, and making decorative arches and picots.

Butterfly Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

Perfect for intermediate crocheters who enjoy delicate work and shaping with cords. The finished butterfly makes an elegant decor piece or unique gift.

Why You'll Love This Butterfly Pattern

I absolutely love this pattern because it blends delicate lacework with clever structural shaping using a cord, which gives the wings a beautiful sculpted look. The mix of back-loop work, arches and picots keeps each row interesting and satisfying to make. I enjoy how the cord technique lets me control the wing waviness and curve precisely. The finished butterfly feels intricate and special, and it is a wonderful way to showcase fine thread crochet skills.

Butterfly Pattern step 1 - construction progress Butterfly Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Butterfly Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Butterfly Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love how versatile this lace butterfly is for customization; you can swap thread colors to match any decor or season.

Try pastel threads for a soft, vintage look or jewel tones for bold, dramatic wings that stand out on a wall.

If you want a larger butterfly, use a thicker thread and a larger hook; this will give you a chunkier, more dramatic piece.

For a tiny version suitable for keychains, use a thinner thread and a smaller hook to create mini motifs that are super portable.

I often add embroidered bead details along the corded lines for a bit of sparkle and texture without changing the structure.

Consider making a set of three butterflies in graduated sizes and hanging them as a mobile or grouped wall art for visual impact.

Experiment with metallic or variegated threads to create subtle shifts of color across the wings for an artistic finish.

You can stiffen the wings lightly with fabric stiffener or diluted glue before blocking if you want them to hold a very rigid shape.

Try sewing tiny wire into the cord area for posable wings that can be shaped and re-shaped after assembly.

I also like to combine this butterfly with a crocheted body or a small wooden body for a mixed-media look that adds depth and character to the finished piece.

When making mirrored left and right big wings, follow the big wing instructions and mirror the shaping by reversing the cord direction so the pair fits symmetrically.

Finally, consider adding small fringes, beads, or tiny tassels to the lower wing arches to give the butterfly a boho or whimsical effect.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Skipping the correct number of chains when starting the small wing ring can lead to a tight or distorted center; count and join 10 chains exactly and ensure the ring is not twisted before working the first round. ✗ Not working consistently into back loops only where specified causes the cord attachment to sit unevenly; always check the instruction to work in back loops and keep your stitch placement consistent. ✗ Pulling the cord too tightly while attaching it will distort the wing shape and cause excessive waviness; attach the cord gently, then pull and straighten it little by little to align the wing. ✗ Forgetting to hide the starting tail of the small motif can leave an untidy center; after finishing the small wing, cut the yarn, hide the first tail into the middle of the motif and leave the second tail to sew onto the body.

Butterfly Pattern

This delicate butterfly pattern teaches you how to crochet ornate lace wings and a slender body using fine thread and a very small hook. You will create both small and large wing motifs, shape them with a cord technique, and finish with pretty picot edges. The finished piece is a decorative lace butterfly perfect for framing, gifting, or embellishing home decor.

Intermediate 5-7 Hours

Materials Needed for Butterfly Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    DMC Babylo 20 crochet thread (use fine lace thread as shown)

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook size 0.6 mm
  • 02
    Four-thread cord (cord must be minimum 65 cm or longer for big wings)
  • 03
    Scissors
  • 04
    Yarn needle for weaving and sewing
  • 05
    Pins for blocking and shaping
  • 06
    Stitch markers (optional) for marking repeats and loops

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— Small wing :

Round 1 :

10 ch, join into the ring.

Round 2 :

Work 21 sc, 1 slst into the 1st sc to join

Round 3 :

Then work around different crochets, and always make 1 ch between: 2 ch, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 4 tc, 3 dc, 4 tc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc

Round 4 :

Work another round: *make 2 sc into the arch, 1 sc into the loop of PR* - rep till the end. Total 56 sc

Round 5 :

1 ch, turn And work 56 sc in back loops

Round 6 :

1 ch, turn And work 56 sc in back loops

Round 7 :

Turn. 3 ch, 3 dc in the same loop, then work: *1 ch, skip 2 loops, 4 dc in the next same loop* - rep till the end. 1 slst in the 3rd ch Total 19 rapport

Round 8 :

Then make arches: *1 sc in the 1ch of the PR, 5 ch* - rep till the end. 1 slst in the 1st arch

Round 9 :

Work 6 sc in each arch

Round 10 :

Work: *1 sc, 3 ch, 2 sc, 3 ch* - rep till the end

Round 11 :

Small wing is ready Cut the yarn, hide the 1st tail into the middle of motif, and leave the 2nd one to sew to the butterfly body.

— Big right wing :

Round 1 :

Work over the 4thread cord 43 sc (Cord has to be minimum 65 cm or longer)

Round 2 :

Turn and work without the cord in back loops only: 1 sc 1 hdc 1 dc 15 tc 5 dc 1 hdc 4 sc

Round 3 :

Turn and work: 1 ch 3 sc 2 hdc 17 dc 2 hdc 3 sc 1 sc over the cord

Round 4 :

Turn, attach the cord, and work together in back loop 21 sc (attaching the cord to the row) 1 sc over the cord only Pull the cord, straight the cord, make the wing align.

Round 5 :

Turn and work 12 sc with the cord (attaching the cord to wing) on front loops Then work 8 sc over the cord only

Round 6 :

Turn and work without the cord in back loops only: 1 ch 1 sc 1 hdc 1 dc 10 tc 5 dc 1 hdc 1 sc

Round 7 :

Turn and work: 1 ch 2 sc 3 hdc 4 dc 7 tc 1 dc 1 hdc 2 sc 1 sc over the cord only

Round 8 :

Turn and work 16 sc on back loops attaching the cord to the wing. Then leave the cord and make arches on the side of the wing. Try to measure even spaces between arches in every 3rd loop: 1 sc, 2 ch, 1 hdc, 2 ch *1sc, 2 ch* - rep 2 times 1 hdc, 2 ch 1 sc into the 3rd loop of the lower cord. Has to be 6 arches in total

Round 9 :

Turn and work 3 sc in each arch. Then 1 sc into the 1st loop of the wing Then grab the cord and work 11 sc on front loops and over the cord together (attaching the cord to the wing); and then work 13 sc over the cord only

Round 10 :

Turn and work without the cord on back loops only: 1 ch 1 sc 1 hdc 1 dc 13 tc 4 dc 1 hdc 1 sc

Round 11 :

Turn: 1 ch 2 sc 1 hdc 4 dc 10 tc 1 dc 1 hdc 3 sc 1 sc over the cord only

Round 12 :

Turn and work 14 sc on back loops attaching the cord to the wing. Then leave the cord and work without it: 1 sc, 2 ch *1 hdc, 2 ch* - rep 1 time *1 dc, 2 ch* - rep 7 times 1 hdc, 2 ch 1 sc into the 3rd loop of the lower cord (Make crochet on even distance from each other. Total 11 arches)

Round 13 :

Turn and work 3 sc in each arch. Then 1 sc into the 1st loop of the wing Then grab the cord and work 8 sc on front loops and over the cord together (attaching the cord to the wing); and then work 15 sc over the cord only

Round 14 :

Turn and work without the cord on back loops only: 1 ch 1 sc 1 hdc 1 dc 17 tc 7 dc 2 hdc 2 sc

Round 15 :

Turn: 1 ch 4 sc 3 hdc 4 dc 15 tc 2 dc 1 hdc 2 sc 1 sc over the cord only

Round 16 :

Turn and work 21 sc on back loops attaching the cord to the wing. Then leave the cord and work without it. Make arches: 1 sc, 2 ch *1 hdc, 2 ch* - rep 2 times *1 dc, 2 ch* - rep 9 times *1 hdc, 2 ch* - rep 1 time 1 sc into the last loop of the lower cord (Make crochet on even distance from each other. Total 15 arches)

Round 17 :

Turn and work 3 sc in each arch. Then 1 sc into the 1st loop of the wing Then grab the cord and work 16 sc on front loops and over the cord together (attaching the cord to the wing); and then work 11 sc over the cord only

Round 18 :

Turn and work without the cord on back loops only: 1 ch 1 sc 1 hdc 1 dc 16 tc 3 dc 4 hdc 1 sc

Round 19 :

Turn: 1 ch 2 sc 3 hdc 5 dc 13 tc 1 dc 1 hdc 2 sc 1 sc over the cord only

Round 20 :

Turn and work 26 sc on back loops attaching the cord to the wing. Then leave the cord and work without it. Make arches: 1 sc, 2 ch *1 dc, 2 ch* - rep 11 times In the end make 1 dc and 1 sc. (Total 13 arches)

Round 21 :

Turn and work 3 sc in each arch. Then 1 sc into the 1st loop of the wing Then grab the cord and work 24 sc on front loops and over the cord together (attaching the cord to the wing); and then work 1 sc over the cord only

Round 22 :

Turn and work sc till the end on back loops attaching the cord to the wing. Leave the cord and make 1 sc into the last loop The cord is NOT needed anymore

Round 23 :

Turn and work 1 slst into the 2nd loop, then work sc till the lower end of the wing on front loops. Note. On wing tops make additional 2 or 3 sc (on top edges we have made 1 sc over the cord only) On lower edges of the wing insert the hook between the vertical threads of cord loops

Round 24 :

Turn *3 ch, 1 dc into the 2nd loop, 3ch-picot, 3 ch, 1 dc into the 2nd loop* - rep all around the wing. Note. You can correct some waviness by skipping the more loops or working in each loop. Finish last arch approximately 0.5 cm till the end and work slst.

Assembly Instructions

  • Sew the small wing to the butterfly body using the second tail left from the small motif; hide the first starting tail into the center of the motif before attaching.
  • Attach the big wings to the body by aligning the inner curved edges and sewing through the lower loops; secure with several passes to make the join stable.
  • Use the cord ends and remaining tails to shape and align the wings before final stitches; pull and straighten the cord slowly to create the correct wing curve.
  • Block the wings flat and pin into the desired shape, paying attention to picot edges and arches, then allow to dry for a crisp finish.
  • Weave in all loose ends and trim any excess, ensuring picot and arch edges are neat before final mounting or framing.

Important Notes

  • 💡The big wing cord must be at least 65 cm long to allow attaching and shaping; measure before starting.
  • 💡When instructed to work in back loops only, place stitches carefully into the back loop to ensure cord attachment works and layers align.
  • 💡Pull the cord gently and gradually to align the wing curve; over-pulling will cause unwanted waviness and distortion.
  • 💡Make arches evenly spaced by counting loops as indicated (often every 3rd loop) to get consistent decorative arches.
  • 💡Hide the first tail of the small motif into the center and leave the second tail for sewing; this keeps the center tidy.

This lace butterfly pattern combines delicate stitchwork and clever cord shaping to produce an elegant decorative piece. It is perfect for framing, gifting, or adding a handmade accent to your home decor. Enjoy the meditative rhythm of fine thread crochet and watch your butterfly come to life. 🧶✨

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FAQs

What size will the finished piece be?

The finished butterfly size depends on your thread and tension; using DMC Babylo 20 and the recommended 0.6 mm hook will produce a delicate, medium-sized lace butterfly suitable for display.

Can I use different yarn weights for this pattern?

Yes, you can change thread weight, but this will affect the final size and look; use a proportionally larger hook for heavier thread and expect a chunkier, less delicate result.

Do I need prior crochet experience for this pattern?

This pattern is rated intermediate, so basic crochet knowledge plus experience with working in back loops, reading repeats, and making picots or arches is recommended.

How long does this project typically take to complete?

Most crocheters complete this butterfly in 5-7 hours, though time may vary depending on experience, attention to shaping, and blocking.