Every December I fall down the same happy rabbit hole: one crochet snowflake becomes ten, ten become a garland, and by the second week my tree, my windows and half my gift wrapping are twinkling with little white flakes. They are the perfect festive project — tiny, quick, gloriously stash-busting, and each one takes so little yarn that a single ball of cotton or thread can see you through a whole blizzard of them. Best of all, no two ever come out quite alike, which feels exactly right for snowflakes.
So here are twenty of my favourite snowflake designs for you, all genuinely free: heirloom thread lace, one-round five-minute flakes, a sparkly appliqué, coasters worked two different ways, a beaded garland and even a whole wreath built from flakes. I have noted the yarn, the finished size and the honest little details for each one as we go. Warm up the kettle, put the fairy lights on, and let's make it snow.
1. Small, Simple — and a Tiny One for Luck
We are starting with thread-lace elegance from Suzann Thompson at TextileFusion, who designed these flakes to scatter through her Snow Globe Doily and then kindly published them on their own. The Small and Simple Snowflake takes just two rounds, finishing each point with a fancy triple picot that gives it that proper crystalline sparkle, and the same post includes a one-round Tiny Flake for filling gaps. In fine thread the small one measures barely an inch and a quarter across; in a heavier cotton yarn it grows to a generous four and a quarter inches, like the one on her pink Christmas tree. Work a handful in thread for the tree and a few in yarn as gift toppers. Suzann suggests a needle join instead of a slip stitch for the neatest finish, and her photo tutorial for it is linked in the post.
Pattern: Small and Simple Snowflake by Suzann Thompson at TextileFusion — Get the free pattern
2. Three Snowflakes, One Round Each
If you want snowflakes tonight, Jennifer Dickerson at Fiber Flux has you covered three times over: her One Round Snowflakes post contains three complete designs — a Circle Ended flake, a Spoked Picot flake and a little Star Snowflake — and every single one is finished in one round. She works hers in worsted weight yarn with a big 6 mm hook, and they come out around two inches across, plump and charming rather than dainty. They are wonderful first snowflakes for beginners, and quick enough to chain together into a chunky garland or scatter across a wrapped present. One honest note: Jennifer offers these for personal and charity use only, so make them for your home, your tree and your favourite charity stall — just not for selling. Within those lines, crochet a whole winter wonderland.
Pattern: One Round Snowflakes (3 Ways) by Jennifer Dickerson at Fiber Flux — Get the free pattern
3. The Scandi Snowflake With Tassels and Beads
Sarah-Jayne Fragola at Bella Coco Crochet gives her snowflake a proper Scandi makeover, and it is such a pretty idea. The flake itself is worked in two strands of yarn held together — her sample pairs cream with gold — and instead of being stiffened flat, it is finished with seven little tassels brushed out along its points and wooden beads threaded onto the hanging loop. The result is less a tree ornament and more a soft, boho wall hanging that would look beautiful on a door handle or above a mantel. The written pattern on her blog is in UK terms, and she includes both right-handed and left-handed video tutorials if you like to crochet along. Try it in undyed cream and natural wood beads for that calm Scandinavian Christmas look.
Pattern: Scandi Snowflake by Sarah-Jayne Fragola at Bella Coco Crochet — Get the free pattern
4. Tall Lace Spokes in Fine Cotton Thread
Elena Rugal at Golden Lucy Crafts is famous for her thread crochet, and her signature snowflake shows you why. It is worked in size 10 cotton thread over four rounds, and the drama comes from double treble clusters — tall, elegant stitches that stretch the flake into long lacy spokes with chain-loop tips. Blocked and starched, it measures about four and a half inches across and looks like something from your grandmother's treasured Christmas box, in the very best way. Elena includes her full blocking and starching method on the page, because a flake like this deserves to be pinned out properly and kept for years. Use finer thread, size 20 or 30, if you want it even more delicate. These are the ones people ask about, every single time.
Pattern: Crochet Snowflake by Elena Rugal at Golden Lucy Crafts — Get the free pattern
5. The Sturdy Worsted Flake That Needs No Stiffener
Not every snowflake wants a bath in starch. Sarah Zimmerman at Repeat Crafter Me designed her snowflake in plain worsted weight yarn with an H hook specifically so it holds its shape all by itself — no blocking, no stiffening, no fuss. Five rounds of completely basic stitches and chains give you a flake with real presence, sturdy enough to hang on the tree, pin to a wreath or even use under a mug. Sarah says once you have made one or two you will have the rhythm memorised, and I believe her; this is a make-a-dozen-while-watching-a-film pattern. It is also a brilliant first snowflake if thread and tiny steel hooks are not your love language. White is classic, but her two-tone version in aqua and white is gorgeous too.
Pattern: Crochet Snowflake Pattern by Sarah Zimmerman at Repeat Crafter Me — Get the free pattern
6. Two Rounds and a Muslin Gift Bag
Here is a vintage blog treasure: the Easy Crochet SnowyFlake from Flower Girl Cottage, a sweet two-round design from 2013 that is all half doubles, chains and slip-stitched picot clusters. It asks for nothing more than a G hook and small bits of cotton yarn — true scrap-basket crochet. The designer sewed her sample onto a little three-by-five-inch muslin bag to make the prettiest gift pouch, and she also stiffens flakes with Mod Podge to use them as gift tags. I love patterns that come with their own styling ideas built in. Because there are only two rounds, you can make a small snowfall of these in one cosy evening. They are charming appliquéd onto stockings, cushions and Christmas cards, too.
Pattern: Easy Crochet SnowyFlake by Flower Girl Cottage — Get the free pattern
7. The Original Snowflake Wishes, in US and UK Terms
British crocheters, this one was written with you in mind. Snowflake Wishes 1 from Wishes in the Rain is given in full in both US and UK terms on the same page, so nobody has to translate a single stitch in their head. It is designed for ordinary yarn rather than thread — about nine centimetres across in DK with a 2.75 mm hook, or eleven centimetres in worsted with a 3.5 mm — which makes it quick, forgiving and very giftable. There is even a clever variation in the final round that swaps one chain space for a long loop, so the hanger is built right in. The designer blocks hers in a mixture of PVA glue, water and iridescent glitter, and her step-by-step blocking photos are half the fun of the post.
Pattern: Snowflake Wishes 1 by Wishes in the Rain — Get the free pattern
8. The Sequel: One Lacy, One Speedy
Wishes in the Rain clearly caught the snowflake bug, because Snowflake Wishes 2 gives you two more complete patterns in a single post. The original version is the lacy one — around eight and a half centimetres in DK, ten in worsted — with pretty picot-tipped points, while a simplified variation swaps in an easier third round and finishes smaller and faster at about seven centimetres. Both are written out in US and UK terms, with round-by-round photos so you can check your work as you go. The self-loop trick from the first pattern works here too: replace one chain-five space with a chain of twenty or twenty-five and your hanger is done. Make the lacy ones for the tree and the speedy ones for last-minute card toppers. Between this post and its older sister, you have four flakes before you have even finished your tea.
Pattern: Snowflake Wishes 2 by Wishes in the Rain — Get the free pattern
9. A Whole Wreath Built From Snowflakes
Now for the showpiece. Hannah Cross at HanJan Crochet gives you not one but two snowflake patterns — a large picot-rich flake and a small one — and shows you how to turn a pile of them into a stunning door wreath. The flakes are worked in fine 4ply cotton with a 2 mm hook, dunked in PVA glue so they dry perfectly crisp, then hot-glued onto a foam ring wrapped in icy blue yarn. Her finished wreath is about twenty-five centimetres across, big flakes at the bottom and small ones finishing the top, tied off with a ribbon. It is the kind of decoration that comes out of the box every year to genuine applause. Of course, the two flake patterns are just as lovely used singly as ornaments if a whole wreath feels ambitious.
Pattern: Snowflake Wreath by Hannah Cross at HanJan Crochet — Get the free pattern
10. Half Snowflake, Half Blushing Flower
Kirsten Holloway's Victorian Blush design lives exactly on the border between snowflake and flower, and it is all the prettier for it. Twelve soft petals ripple out from a clustered centre, a round of back-post stitches adds that sculpted, vintage depth she is known for, and a final round of twelve shells finishes it like lace on a cuff. Worked in a dusty blush pink it reads as a romantic flower; work it in white or silver and it is pure snowflake. The pattern includes a built-in hanging loop, and Kirsten suggests stringing several along twine to make a bunting, or using single flakes as ornaments and gift tags. If your Christmas palette leans blush, gold and cream, this is your flake — start here and thank me later.
Pattern: Victorian Blush Snowflake Flower Ornaments by Kirsten Holloway at Kirsten Holloway Designs — Get the free pattern
11. The Halcyon Snowflake From Snowflake Monday
If any designer on this list lives and breathes snowflakes, it is Snowcatcher, whose Snowflake Monday series has been publishing a new named flake almost every week for years. Her Halcyon Snowflake is named for Alcyone of Greek myth and the calm "halcyon days" her father granted her each winter — a tiny story stitched into a tiny flake. Worked in size 20 thread with a size 12 steel hook it measures just two and a half inches across; use size 10 thread if you prefer it a touch larger. Her materials list is a love letter to proper stiffening: an empty pizza box for pinning, wax paper, water-soluble glue, glitter and fishing line for invisible hangers. Thread veterans, this is your heirloom. Beginners, aspire — her archive will keep you busy for winters to come.
Pattern: Halcyon Snowflake by Snowcatcher — Get the free pattern
12. Sparkle, Appliqué It, Hang It — Your Choice
Crystal Marin at ChristaCoDesign keeps things deliciously simple with her Sparkle Snowflake: three rounds of worsted weight yarn on a 6 mm hook, and you have a five-inch flake with sweet picot points. What I really like is how many endings she offers. Weave in the ends and hang a set in the window, tie off a loop for the tree, or leave a long tail and sew the flake down as an appliqué on a stocking, a cushion or a plain tote bag. She includes a full video tutorial alongside the written pattern, so this is a friendly one to make with a newer crocheter beside you. In a yarn with a touch of metallic sparkle it more than earns its name. It is rated easy, and honestly, it truly is.
Pattern: Sparkle Snowflake by Crystal Marin at ChristaCoDesign — Get the free pattern
13. Branched Arms, Straight From a Real Snowflake
Most crochet snowflakes are six-pointed, but the ByGoldenBerry design grows eight branching arms, each one built from slip-stitched chains that fork like the crystals on a real flake. It looks impressively intricate, yet the whole thing is chains and slip stitches arranged with patience — the pattern walks you through building each branch step by step. There is an option to finish with a neat crocheted hanging loop worked right into the final round, plus a proper little blocking guide at the end so your branches dry crisp and symmetrical. The written pattern is completely free on her blog; she also offers an ad-free PDF in her shops if you prefer printing, but you do not need it to make the flake. In white it is wintry elegance; in silver-grey it could pass for frost on glass.
Pattern: Crochet Snowflake by ByGoldenBerry — Get the free pattern
14. Thread Snowflakes That Became Coasters
Craft Passion solves the eternal question — what do I actually do with all these thread snowflakes? — in the cleverest way: she turns them into coasters. Her snowflake pattern is worked in DMC Pearl Cotton size 8 held double, stiffened with fabric stiffener, and then glued onto a four-inch hexagon of felt, which gives the delicate lace a sturdy, table-safe backing. A set of these under mugs of cocoa on Christmas morning looks like something from a very expensive Scandinavian homeware shop. The page includes full instructions for both the flake and the coaster assembly, right down to pressing them under heavy books while the glue sets. Martha Stewart's water-resistant stiffener gets a mention if you want yours splash-proof. Handmade, practical and beautiful — my favourite combination.
Pattern: Snowflakes Coasters by Craft Passion — Get the free pattern
15. The Mosaic Snowflake Coaster With Fringe
Completely different technique, equally lovely result: the My Crochet Space snowflake coaster is worked in overlay mosaic crochet, in rows rather than rounds. You crochet in back-loop single crochet with one colour per row, and drop-down double crochets reach two rows below to draw the snowflake in a contrasting colour — hers are icy blue, snow white and silver in DK cotton. A full mosaic chart and complete written row-by-row instructions are both free on the page. The yarn ends at each side are not a problem to weave in; they become the fringe, which is the neatest trick in the whole pattern. Finished coasters are about four inches wide, or six and a half including the fringe. It is rated intermediate, but if you have tried any mosaic crochet before, you will fly through it.
Pattern: Crochet Snowflake Coaster by My Crochet Space — Get the free pattern
16. A Beaded Garland of Two Sizes of Flake
If your plan is a mantelpiece moment, Fosbas Designs has the pattern: a garland built from her four-round snowflakes made in two sizes — some with a 3.5 mm hook, some with a 5 mm — blocked crisp, then strung corner to corner on yarn with little beads threaded between each flake. The rows of flakes are then chained together into a swag you can drape along a mantel, a staircase or the top of a window. The beads are optional, but I would not skip them; they catch the fairy lights in the loveliest way. She suggests starching the flakes if you want them to hold their points all season. Because each flake only takes a few grams of yarn, this is a weekend project with enormous decorative payoff. White on white is classic, but a silver-and-pale-blue mix is pure winter morning.
Pattern: Crochet Snowflake Garland by Fosbas Designs — Get the free pattern
17. Winter Whimsy, the Playful One
RaeLynn Endres at Itchin' for some Stitchin' designed Winter Whimsy for her Let It Snow! crochet-along, and playful really is the word: instead of delicate lace, this flake has bold, cross-like points radiating from a simple centre, so it reads clearly from across the room. That makes it a brilliant choice for a front door wreath, a window where fine lace would disappear, or chunky yarn experiments. The written pattern and a step-by-step video tutorial are both free on the post as part of the crochet-along — she also sells the twelve CAL flakes together as an ebook, but this one costs nothing to make. Use it as an ornament, a garland star or a confident gift topper. Newer crocheters will love how forgiving those strong shapes are. Whimsy by name, and very much by nature.
Pattern: Winter Whimsy Snowflake by RaeLynn Endres at Itchin’ for some Stitchin’ — Get the free pattern
18. The Five-Minute Bulky Snowflake
The fastest flake on this list, by a mile: SeeLoveShare's easy snowflake is one single round of chain arms worked in bulky number-five yarn with a big 8 mm hook, using nothing but chains, slip stitches and single crochet. The designer reckons five minutes per flake once you have the rhythm, and because the yarn is chunky, those five minutes give you a big, statement-sized snowflake rather than a wisp. String a dozen into a garland, hang singles in the window, or use them as dramatic gift toppers that double as part of the present. Her sample uses a creamy maker yarn, and she notes cotton blends block the cleanest if you want to stiffen yours. This is the one to teach a friend over hot chocolate. Instant snowfall, zero stress.
Pattern: Easy Crochet Snowflake by SeeLoveShare — Get the free pattern
19. Sparkling Snow Stars From DROPS
DROPS Design calls this one Sparkling Snow, and it is their charted star-flake worked in smooth Muskat cotton with a 3.5 mm hook. The pattern gives you two diagrams: one version with a hanging loop for the tree or window, and one without, which lies flat as a coaster — a star about eleven centimetres wide. Like all DROPS patterns it is completely free on the Garnstudio site; just know before you start that it is a charted diagram pattern rather than written-out rounds, which chart lovers will find blissfully clear and quick. DROPS suggests stiffening the finished stars in sugared water or a colourless fizzy drink, the old Scandinavian trick, so they hang neatly. A bowl of these on the Christmas table, in white or soft red, is simple perfection.
Pattern: Sparkling Snow (DROPS Extra 0-1517) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
20. The Tiny Snow Tag for Your Prettiest Parcels
We are finishing small — five centimetres small. DROPS' Snow Tag is a miniature charted star in Cotton Light, designed to be tied onto Christmas gifts as the tag itself, and one 50-gram ball makes flake after flake. Worked from a single diagram with a 3.5 mm hook, each star weighs about three grams, so this is the very definition of a stash scrap project. Stiffen them the DROPS way, in sugared water or colourless fizzy drink laid flat to dry, then write the recipient's name on a tiny card and tie both to the ribbon. It turns ordinary brown-paper wrapping into something people photograph before they open it. Like its big sister above, the pattern is chart-based and entirely free. Make twenty, keep them in a tin, and you are the person whose presents are famous.
Pattern: Snow Tag (DROPS Extra 0-1481) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty snowflakes, my friend — thread heirlooms and five-minute chunky flakes, tasselled Scandi hangings and beaded garlands, coasters two ways and a whole wreath's worth of inspiration, every single one free. My best advice is to make a mixed batch: a few fine thread flakes for the tree, a garland for the mantel, and a tin of tiny tags ready for wrapping day. Pin them out, give them their starch bath, and let them dry somewhere the cat cannot sit on them — learned that one the hard way.
Now tell me — are you team delicate thread lace or team five-minute bulky flake, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
