Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake: A Six-Pointed Free Ornament
This puff stitch crochet snowflake is a flat, six-pointed ornament: a ring of single crochet, then six fat puff stitches, each topped with three little chain arches. It works up in 24 photo steps and needs only a hook, a length of yarn, scissors and a needle.
Two things to know before you start: the designer of this puff stitch crochet snowflake does not state a hook size, a yarn, or a finished size, and we do not invent them. Also, round 1 has no fixed stitch count. You crochet around the ring until it is covered, so the count depends on the size of your finger. Both points are explained below, with the hooks and sizes that five other designers publish.
- What you need
- Stitches and abbreviations
- The round plan at a glance
- Step by step
- Where it goes wrong
- Hook size
- Yarn amount and finished size
- Five more free puff snowflakes
- FAQ
- More Lace and Winter Motifs
- Sources
What You Need for a Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake
A puff stitch crochet snowflake needs very little: one colour of yarn, one hook, and the tools to finish the ends. Because the pattern names no brand, pick the yarn you like and use the hook advice further down.
| Item | What to use |
|---|---|
| Yarn | One colour. The sample is white; the same design is also shown in green and yellow. |
| Hook | Not stated by the designer. See the hook section below. |
| Round 1 | Single crochet around a ring made on your middle finger, no fixed count |
| Round 2 | Six repeats of one puff stitch and three chain arches |
| Tools | Scissors and a yarn needle to weave in the end |
Nothing else is required. A puff stitch crochet snowflake is a leftover-yarn project, so a small ball is plenty.
Stitches and Abbreviations
The puff stitch crochet snowflake uses four basic moves plus one special stitch. Names differ between two conventions, so both are given.
| Abbreviation | Stitch | Other name |
|---|---|---|
| ch | Chain | Chain |
| sc | Single crochet | Double crochet in the other convention |
| slst | Slip stitch | Slip stitch |
| hdc | Half double crochet | Half treble crochet in the other convention |
| Puff | Five incomplete half double crochets closed together, then 1 chain | Same stitch, same name |
An incomplete half double crochet is one you stop before the final pull-through: yarn over, insert the hook, pull up a loop, and leave the loops on the hook. You do this five times in the same place, then close them all at once.
The Round Plan at a Glance
The whole puff stitch crochet snowflake is one cast-on and two rounds. Round 2 is the only round with a formula, and it is short enough to memorise. There is no stitch multiple to fit here: the ring adapts to your finger, and round 2 simply repeats six times.
| Step | What you do | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cast-on | Wrap yarn 9 times around your middle finger, hook through, 1 chain, slide off | A ring of loops |
| Round 1 | sc around the ring until it is covered, slst to the first sc | A solid ring |
| Round 2 | (2 ch, 1 puff, (4 ch, 1 sc) x 3) x 6 | Six puffs with arches |
| Finish | 2 ch, slst through the first puff chain, cut, weave in | A flat snowflake |
That is round 2 in the shorthand shown on screen in the tutorial. Multiplied out, it is our own count for this puff stitch crochet snowflake: 6 puffs, 30 incomplete half double crochets, 18 arches and 72 arch chains. If your count at the end differs, you know which part to check.
How to Crochet a Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake Step by Step
Work each step slowly and check it against the photo. The photos show the yarn in white.
Step 1: Wrap the yarn around your middle finger
Wrap the yarn around your fingers and finish with nine loops on the middle finger. Hold the loops in place with your thumb.
Step 2: Put the hook into the loops
Insert the hook into all the loops on your finger, under the wraps.
Step 3: Pull through and chain 1
Pull the yarn through the loops with the hook, then make 1 chain. This locks the ring and finishes the cast-on.
Step 4: Slide the loops off your finger
Slide the loops off your middle finger. You now have a small ring of loops held on the hook.
Step 5: Start round 1 with a single crochet
Insert the hook into the ring and work your first single crochet.
Step 6: Keep working single crochet around the ring
Continue with single crochet, working over the loops so that they disappear under the stitches.
Step 7: Stop when the ring is covered
Keep going until the single crochet fully covers the loops, then stop. The number is not fixed, because the size of the loops depends on your finger.
Step 8: Join with a slip stitch
Make a slip stitch into the first single crochet. Round 1 is now finished.
Step 9: Turn the piece over and cut the tail
Turn the work over. Find the spare yarn end from the cast-on, which you no longer need, and cut it off.
Step 10: Chain 2 to start round 2
Chain 2. Round 2 is where the puffs begin.
Step 11: Yarn over and insert the hook into the ring
Yarn over, then insert the hook into the ring. The puff stitch goes into the ring itself, not into a single crochet.
Step 12: Make the first incomplete half double crochet
Pull the yarn through and lengthen the loop, and leave everything on the hook. This is your first incomplete half double crochet.
Step 13: Repeat until you have five
Repeat the same move four more times in the same place. The five incomplete half double crochets sit side by side on the hook.
Step 14: Pull through all the loops
Yarn over and pull the yarn through all the loops on the hook at once.
Step 15: Chain 1 to close the puff
Make 1 chain to lock the puff. Pay attention to this chain: it is the anchor for everything that follows, because you crochet into it next.
Step 16: Chain 4 and put the hook into the puff chain
Chain 4, then insert the hook into the chain you just made at the top of the puff.
Step 17: Work a single crochet, then repeat three times
Make 1 single crochet in that chain. That completes one arch. Repeat the pair of 4 chains and 1 single crochet until you have three arches on the same puff.
Step 18: Start the second point
Chain 2, then make a new puff stitch in the ring beside the first: five incomplete half double crochets, pull through, 1 chain. Then work the three arches again.
Step 19: Finish the second point
You now have two complete points. Every further point uses the same formula, so you can skip ahead if you already know it.
Step 20: Repeat until six points cover the ring
Repeat the formula until six points cover the ring. Six is the number that fits the ring, and it gives the snowflake its shape.
Step 21: Chain 2 and join at the first puff
Chain 2, then put the hook into the closing chain of the first puff.
Step 22: Slip stitch to close
Bring the yarn behind the work, pull the loop through and make a slip stitch. This joins the round.
Step 23: Cut the yarn
Cut the yarn and pull the tail through the last loop.
Step 24: Weave in the end
Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and hide it in the stitches. Your snowflake is finished.
A colour idea
Nothing about the puff stitch crochet snowflake depends on white. The same design works in green and yellow, and a bright colour makes the puffs read even more clearly.
Where a Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake Goes Wrong
Most trouble with a puff stitch crochet snowflake comes from three places, and each has a simple fix.
Uneven puffs
If the puff looks thin or lopsided, the five loops were pulled up to different heights. Lengthen every loop by the same amount before you leave it on the hook.
Forgetting the closing chain
The 1 chain after each puff is not decoration. You crochet the three arches into it, and you crochet the final slip stitch into the first one. If you skip it, the arches have nowhere to sit.
A ring that is too tight or too loose
Round 1 has no fixed count, and that is the trap. Too few single crochets leaves a gap in the ring, and too many makes it buckle. Stop when the loops are covered and the ring lies flat. Then check that six puffs fit, since six is what a puff stitch crochet snowflake needs.
Hook Size for a Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake
The pattern does not say which hook to use, so we compared five designers of a puff stitch crochet snowflake. Their hooks run from 1.5 mm to 4 mm.
The Craft Yarn Council crochet range is 2.25 to 3.5 mm for weight 1, 3.5 to 4.5 mm for weight 2 and 4.5 to 5.5 mm for weight 3. Three of the five designers name a yarn weight, and all three use a hook below that range: 4 mm on a weight 3 yarn, 4 mm on another weight 3 yarn, and 1.75 mm on weight 1. That is deliberate, because a puff needs a dense fabric to hold its shape. Start a size or two below the label and test a ring.
None of the five prints a gauge, so a swatch is not possible here. Test on the ring instead.
Yarn Amount and Finished Size of a Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake
Nobody publishes a firm yarn amount for a puff stitch crochet snowflake, and this pattern gives none either, so we will not estimate one. The only figure among the five is 13 m / 15 yd for the 12 cm designer, printed for 5 g of DK cotton; the two numbers differ by about a yard, so treat both as approximate.
Size is decided by your yarn and hook. The five designers give 4 cm, 4.5 cm, 7 cm and 12 cm (printed as 5 in).
| Yarn and hook | Finished size |
|---|---|
| Fine cotton, 1.75 mm | 4 cm |
| Fine cotton, 2 mm | 4.5 cm (page says just under 2 in) |
| Thicker cotton, 3.25 mm | 7 cm (page says just under 3 in) |
| DK cotton, 4 mm | 12 cm (printed as 5 in) |
Thread and fine cotton give an ornament small enough for a card. DK gives a snowflake big enough for a window.
Stiffening the snowflake
A soft puff stitch crochet snowflake droops, and stiffening is what turns it into an ornament. One of the five designers lists three ways: cornstarch, fabric stiffener spray and a white glue solution. The tutorial does not stiffen the sample, and none of the other four designers gives stiffening steps, so test whichever you pick on a spare puff stitch crochet snowflake first.
Five More Free Puff Snowflakes to Compare
Each of these is free on the designer’s own page. Compare their hooks and sizes with yours before you commit.
| Pattern | Hook | Yarn | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floral Crochet Snowflake, Look At What I Made | 2 mm, or 3.25 mm for the larger version | Thin cotton, two versions | 4.5 cm or 7 cm |
| Easy Puff Stitch Snowflake, LisaAuch Crochet | 4 mm, or 3 mm on thread | DK, or thin nylon thread | Varies with puffs |
| Helina Snowflake, K.A.M.E. Crochet | 4 mm | DK cotton | 12 cm |
| Free Crochet Snowflake Pattern, Moara Crochet | 1.75 mm | Fingering cotton | 4 cm |
| Crochet Snowflake #2, Beautiful Crochet Stuff | 1.5 mm | Fine cotton | Not printed |
The last pattern sits in a post of five snowflakes with one shared materials list, so check that the hook applies to the puff version before you buy anything. Paid puff snowflakes exist too, but this list is free patterns only.
Puff Stitch Crochet Snowflake FAQ
Is this puff stitch crochet snowflake good for beginners?
Yes, if you can chain, single crochet and slip stitch. The puff is the only new move, and it is just five pulled-up loops closed together.
How many stitches are in round 1?
There is no fixed number. You crochet around the ring until it is covered, and that depends on how big the loops are.
What hook should I use?
The pattern does not say. Five other designers use 1.5 to 4 mm, and the ones that name a yarn weight go below the label range, so start smaller than the label and test a ring.
How many puffs does the snowflake have?
Six, one at each point. Each has three chain arches.
Can I make it in other colours?
Yes. The same design is shown in green and yellow, and any colour works.
Do I need to stiffen it?
Only if you want it to hang flat. One designer suggests cornstarch, fabric stiffener spray or white glue solution, and it is best to test on a spare piece.
More Lace and Winter Motifs
After your puff stitch crochet snowflake, browse more free crochet patterns, learn more stitches and squares, or try the moss stitch for a textured project, or pair the snowflake with something from our accessories. For more winter lace, the free crochet snowflake pattern is a good partner.
Sources
- Look At What I Made, Floral Crochet Snowflake
- LisaAuch Crochet, Easy Puff Stitch Snowflake
- K.A.M.E. Crochet, Helina Snowflake
- Moara Crochet, Free Crochet Snowflake Pattern
- Beautiful Crochet Stuff, 5 Free Crochet Snowflake Patterns
- Craft Yarn Council, yarn weight system
Pattern credit: the puff snowflake design comes from the crochet channel pam crochet studio.
