When I began looking for floral patterns for my spring purse, I came across a beautiful one for tulips. It’s one composed only of symbols, but it is straightforward. Handmade-Paradise.ru is where I found it. The website is in Russian, but navigable because of the universal language of crochet. These tulips are especially tiny because of the thread and hook used. It takes quite some patience and an eye for detail to make these, but I think they are worth it.

Pictured above are some of the tools needed. This was the second time trying to work with these flowers, so I ended up needing more tools before finishing the project. Here is a complete list of what I used:

Size 8 Hook

Size 20 Lizbeth Yarn

Scissors

Flush Cutters

Floral Wire Gauge 22

Sewing Needle

Fabric Glue

Crocheted Flower Parts

Nylon Flat-Nosed Pliers

Tulip Symbol Pattern

Before putting the tulips together, the parts must be constructed. Below are the symbol diagrams for the leaf, stem, and fringed tulip parts. Crochet one stem and one leaf, or two, if desired. Then crochet both parts of the tulip. Start with a green color for the base of one of the petal layers. After round 3, switch from green to whatever color is desired for the tulip. The second petal layer can be crocheted all with the same color chosen for the tulip.

Below are some pictures of the process of construction. First, I took the solid-colored petal layer and put the floral wire through two different holes so that it was centered. Then I took the green petal layer and pulled the center hole over the doubled wire. After making sure the petals were positioned properly, I used flat-nosed pliers to crimp them in place. I twisted the wire as best I could for added security. At this point, I took the stem piece and slip-stitched it around the floral wire. Once I got to the end of the stem, I used the flush cutters to cleanly cut the wire. Then I sewed the leaves onto each stem and glued the ends to avoid fraying.

This project was very enjoyable, and now I have a pretty, non-fading bouquet. The basket below is one I crocheted from a pattern I found on snowcatcher.net. That site has been my go-to for years when it comes to snowflake patterns. There are other gems like the basket as well. The wonderful lady who comes up with the patterns offers a PDF booklet for donations. There are some patterns in the booklet that are not on her site. It’s definitely worth a look.