The African flower granny square strikes the perfect balance between soft, feminine petals and clean geometric lines. The mix of shapes and color possibilities makes these motifs a joy to stitch, and every block feels like its own little work of art.
Whether you like bold and bright or soft and subtle, these patterns let your creativity lead the way. This collection features 13 beautiful designs for you to explore, experiment with, and enjoy.
African Flower Granny Square Patterns for Every Season
There are so many delightful variations of the African flower motif, and exploring them is half the fun. We’ve gathered a mix of shapes and styles from different talented designers, along with project ideas to help you put them to use. In this collection, you’ll find patterns for:
Plus the latest updates from Annie Design Crochet!
- African Flower Hexagon
- African Flower Granny Square
- African Flower Half Hexagon
- African Flower Pentagon
- African Flower Dishcloth
- African Flower Bag
- African Flower Tote Bag
- African Flower Purse
- African Flower Sea Turtle
- African Flower Mandala
- African Flower Ruana
- African Flower Crochet Stocking
- Christmas Flower Baubles
History of the African Flower Granny Square
This beloved motif seems to have started with the African flower hexagon. Some sources say it was originally designed by Lounette Fourie and Anita Roussouw and published in a South African magazine called Sarie.
Since then, this design has exploded in popularity. Designers have reimagined the classic African flower hexagon in different shapes – squares, pentagons and more. This versatility makes them wonderfully adaptable. You can join them into blankets, pillows, bags, sweaters, or even small items like coasters and pincushions. This collection represents just a sample of the limitless creative possibilities of this beautiful motif!
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13 African Flower Granny Square Patterns
Classic African Flower Hexagon + Petal Variation
This hexagon pattern includes instructions for the original style of African flower motif, pictured on the left, as well as a pretty variation. To get the version you see on the right, simply change where you insert your hook when working the last round of the petals. Which one is your favorite?
African Flower Granny Square
This beautiful African Flower Square starts with an 8-petal version of the popular motif, squared off in a contrasting color that makes the flower centers pop! One advantage of this square version is your project will end up with straight edges, rather than the zigzags or gaps left when joining hexagonal blocks. You can use these anywhere you would use a traditional granny square, like in one of these projects.
African Flower Half Hexagon
If you want to stick with hexagons, another way to achieve straight edges on an African flower project is by using half hexagons like these. These half motifs will fill the larger gaps along two edges of your project. To fill in the less dramatic zigzags on the other two sides, use different height stitches (sc, hdc, dc, tr and so on).
African Flower Pentagon
These African flower pentagons offer another fun shape that lends itself well to 3D projects like tailored garments, balls, or stuffies. In fact, these pentagons can be combined with African flower granny squares to make a cropped tank top. This video also includes a tutorial for the square shaped motif.
African Flower Dishcloth
This pretty dishcloth brightens your kitchen and gives the African flower design a useful application. Extra rounds of double crochet make a nice-sized cloth for cleaning. For those who prefer to work from a diagram, this free pattern includes an African flower crochet chart only (no written instructions). You can also use this chart to make the classic motif—just skip the last two rounds.
Cosmos Granny Bag
This stunning African flower tote adds a bold, boho-inspired touch to outfits. It’s generously sized to hold everything you need at a farmer’s market or festival. This bag is a relatively quick make that requires just 13 squares. The easy pattern includes photos of each round and assembly of the squares.
African Flower Tote Bag
This fun tote uses a different layout of African flower granny squares for a rectangular bag. With the clever placement of a few snaps, the bag becomes convertible so you can easily adjust it to three different sizes!
African Flower Purse
This stylish purse uses a mix of traditional hexagon African flowers and four-petal flower squares to give it a cute flared shape. The free pattern shows you how to lay out and assemble motifs, and instructions for lining and handles are provided in a separate post.
African Flower Sea Turtle
This adorable sea turtle plush uses an African flower hexagon to give it a patterned shell—make it in natural green and browns or use bright colors for a whimsical look. The pattern walks you through making the turtle step by step, with lots of detailed photos for each component. This would make a fun gift or a unique piece of ocean-themed decor.
African Flower Mandala
This lovely mandala starts with an 8-petal African flower, which is surrounded by rounds of different decorative stitches. This mandala would make a beautiful piece of table decor. Or mount it on an embroidery hoop like this one to make a dream catcher or a piece of wall art.
African Flower Ruana
African flower granny squares can also make an eye-catching accent on a larger project, like in this African flower ruana. The bright floral squares contrast with the richly-textured pieces of this L-shaped wrap, adding a bit of sunshine and warmth to chilly days.
African Flower Stocking
Often, we think of floral patterns for spring and summer. But this Christmas stocking gives African flower hexagons a festive treatment! The tutorial tells you how to join the squares into a one-of-a-kind stocking that would look fabulous hanging on your mantel or staircase!
Christmas Flower Baubles
These charming Christmas ornaments would make a special handmade gift! They use two African flower motifs each, sewn together around a bauble. This pattern comes with only a crochet chart, so you’ll need to know how to read a crochet diagram.
I hope you have enjoyed these free African flower granny square patterns and have found a beautiful project to stretch your creativity!
The photographs and pattern contained on this page are the property of Annie Design Crochet.com.
You are welcome to use this pattern to make items to sell, and I would appreciate that you include a link to the free pattern with credit for the designer, thank you!
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