Lily of the Valley Crochet Pattern (Free + Easy Bag Charm)

This is the bag charm I keep wanting to clip onto every tote I own. Two little bell flowers, a soft green cord, and a leaf that sits right between them.

The pattern is named after lily of the valley, but the version below is worked in red. The shape is the giveaway. Skip the red if you want the true white botanical, the stitches do not change.

The whole charm finishes around 3 to 4 inches and uses small amounts of yarn. Beginner crocheters who already know sc, hdc, and dc can finish this in an afternoon.

Quick Info

• Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate
• Finished size: 3 to 4 inches, depending on yarn and tension
• Stitches used: sc, hdc, dc, inc, dec, sl st
• Time to make: About 1.5 hours start to finish
• Best for: Bag charms, keyrings, phone straps, gift toppers

Materials

• 3-ply milk cotton yarn in red (for the flowers)
• 3-ply milk cotton yarn in green (for the cord and leaf)
• 3 mm crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors
• Optional: split ring and lobster clasp for the bag charm finish

Milk cotton holds the bell shape better than acrylic. If you only have acrylic on hand, drop down a half hook size to keep the petals tight.

Abbreviations

• MR = Magic Ring
• ch = Chain
• sc = Single Crochet
• hdc = Half Double Crochet
• dc = Double Crochet
• inc = Increase
• dec = Decrease
• sl st = Slip Stitch
• R = Round

Flower (Make 2)

Work both flowers in red yarn. The body is six rounds of plain shaping, then a single petal round that flares the bell open.

1. R1: 6 sc in MR. [6]
2. R2: inc in each st. [12]
3. R3: (1 sc, 1 inc) × 6. [18]
4. R4 to R7: sc around. [18]
5. R8: (1 sc, 1 dec) × 6. [12]
6. R9 (petals): [(sc, hdc, dc) in same st, (dc, hdc, sc) in next st] × 6.
7. Fasten off, cut yarn, hide ends neatly inside the body.

R8 is what gives the flower its bell silhouette. Skip the dec and you get a cone. The petal round in R9 then flares the cinched-in opening back out.

Do not stuff the flower. The bell shape comes from the stitch geometry, not from filling.

String (Connecting Cord)

The green cord is one long chain that holds the two flowers together with a leaf threaded through the middle.

1. Chain 35 in green yarn. Leave a 4 inch tail on both ends.
2. Insert one tail into the center of the first flower with a tapestry needle.
3. Turn the flower inside out and tie the outer tail to the inner yarn tail securely. The knot lives inside the bell where it will not show.
4. Repeat with the second flower on the other end of the chain.
5. Cut excess tail close to the knot once everything is secure.

You can adjust the chain count to change the dangle. Chain 50 for a longer hanging charm, chain 25 for a tight zipper-pull length. The rest of the pattern stays the same.

Leaf

The leaf is a single piece worked along both sides of a starting chain. The first half builds one side of the leaf, the (sc, ch 1, sc) at the tip pivots, and the second half mirrors back along the other side of the chain.

1. Ch 16 in green yarn.
2. Start in the 2nd ch from the hook.
3. sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc.
4. (sc, ch 1, sc) in the last stitch. This is the tip of the leaf.
5. Turn your work and crochet down the other side of the chain.
6. hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc.
7. sl st in the first stitch to close. Fasten off and hide the tail.

The two 3 dc clusters per side are what give the leaf its rounded outer curve. Crowding all three dc into one chain space is the right call. It makes the leaf read soft and full instead of pointy.

Assembly

This is the part that makes the whole charm hang together. The leaf threads onto the green string and floats between the two flowers.

1. Insert your crochet hook through the center of the leaf, between the two halves where the chain pivots.
2. Grab the green string with the hook.
3. Pull the string through the leaf so the leaf slides onto the cord.
4. Adjust the leaf position so it sits centered between the two flowers.
5. Optional: a tiny dab of fabric glue at the leaf-string intersection keeps the leaf from sliding once you have it positioned.

Bag Charm Finishing

To turn the assembled piece into a clip-on bag charm, fold the green cord at its midpoint and slide a 25 mm split ring through the loop. Add a lobster clasp to the split ring and the charm is done.

For a more secure attachment, work a sl st into the chain at the midpoint to lock the loop, then add the split ring through that locked loop. The locked version stays straight on a backpack zipper better than the loose-fold version.

Tips for Success

• Pull the magic ring tight. Six stitches in a magic ring leaves a hole in the top of the bell if you do not pull it all the way closed before joining R2.
• Read R9 as cluster pairs, not stitch counts. Each pair is (sc, hdc, dc) in one st, then (dc, hdc, sc) in the next. You repeat that pair six times across the 12 stitches of R8.
• Leave generous tails everywhere. The two flower tails get tied off inside the body, and the green chain tails get knotted to the inner flower tail. Short tails make this assembly nearly impossible.
• Adjust the leaf last. Pull the cord through the leaf, position the leaf, then secure. Sewing the leaf in place before threading locks you out of fine adjustments.
• Pair this with another small charm. A single bell flower clipped onto a key ring works on its own, but two bell flowers plus a smaller amigurumi (the bumble bee bag charm works) makes a chunky cluster that catches more attention on a tote bag.

FAQ

Why is this lily of the valley red instead of white?

The botanical flower is white. This pattern uses red to read more like a stylized cherry blossom or red bellflower. The stitch construction is identical, so swap red for white milk cotton if you want the true botanical version.

Can I make this without the leaf?

Yes. The leaf is decorative, not structural. You can skip it entirely and the charm still hangs cleanly. Two flowers on a green cord with a folded loop at the top works as a minimalist version.

What yarn weight should I use?

3-ply milk cotton at sport weight. Anything heavier and the bell shape gets chunky. Anything lighter and the petals do not hold their flare. If you only have light worsted, go down to a 2.5 mm hook to keep tension tight.

How long does the whole charm take?

About 1.5 hours start to finish if you already know the basic stitches. Two flowers at 25 minutes each, the leaf at 15 minutes, the cord and assembly at 15 minutes. Faster the second time once the petal cluster makes sense.

Can I scale this down for earrings?

Yes. Stop after R5 (skip R6 to R8 and the dec round), then go straight to a smaller petal round of (sc, hdc) clusters instead of (sc, hdc, dc). The bell ends up half the size and reads as a flower stud. Attach to an earring hook through the magic ring tail.

Will this hold up on a backpack zipper?

Yes if you use a lobster clasp instead of the basic looped cord. The cotton yarn is durable enough for daily backpack use, and the lobster clasp lets you swap the charm between bags. Avoid leaving it dangling outside in heavy rain. Cotton holds water and gets heavy.

Make One This Weekend

This is the kind of project I keep half-finished pieces of next to my chair. Two flowers can sit waiting for a leaf for a week, and that is fine.

Pin the photos above and work it section by section. Once you finish your first one, the second one comes out cleaner. By the third you will be making them for every bag in your closet.