Bougainvillea Flowers

This is my own crochet rendition of the beautiful flower bougainvillea. I worked very hard in making this pattern so it is very special to me. I made this when I was learning Irish Crochet. I made the white bougainvillea decorated with white hat veiling to wear as hair ornament.

A cluster of Bougainvillea Flowers with white hat veiling. Use as corsage or hair ornament.

A note about the bougainvillea: The actual flower of a bougainvillea plant is very small and is often white. However, each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three (or six) bracts of bright colors including pink, lilac, red, yellow, orange and white. A bract is a modified or specialized leaf associated with a plant’s reproductive structure. Bracts are often, but not always, visually different from the actual leaves of a plant.

Each bougainvillea cluster in this pattern consists of three white bracts bearing three white flowers with green stems; and three green bracts sewn at the base of the three white bracts. Two bougainvillea clusters are made. Four green leaves are then sewn at the base of the two bougainvillea clusters.

Yarn: White glitter crochet cotton thread size 8 or 10
White crochet cotton thread size 8 or 10
Green crochet cotton thread size 8 or 10

Hook: 1mm

Notions: Sewing needle and thread

Instructions:

Bract and Flower: (Make 6 to make two clusters)

With white glitter thread, ch 13.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, dc in next 3 ch, tr in next ch, 2 tr in next ch, 5 dc in next ch to turn to other side of bract, 2 tr in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, dc in next 3 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, sc in next 3 ch, 3 sc in ch at tip of bract to turn to other side of bract.

Row 2: Sc in next 3 sc, hdc in next 3 hdc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 2 tr in each of next 3 tr, 2 dc in each of next 2 dc, dc in dc, 2 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 tr in each of next 3 tr, 2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc, hdc in next 3 hdc, sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in sc at tip of bract, ch 1.

Run sl st down the midrib of the bract.

Row 3: (Midrib of bract, refer to photograph above) Insert hook in first sc at tip of bract, pull thread through sc and loop on hook (sl st made); make 17 more sl sts down the middle of the bract, keeping the sl sts fairly loose so that crocheting the flower stem on it later will not be difficult. At base of bract, ch 2. Fasten off.

To make the flower/bud stem, make the sc by inserting the hook in both loops of the sl st made along the midrib of the bract.

Flower Stem: With light green thread, attach to base of bract with sc in ch. Insert hook in both loops of the first sl st along the bract’s midrib, pull thread through, YO, pull thread through both loops on hook (sc just made); make 7 more sc in next 7 sl st along the bract’s midrib. (Refer to photograph above).

Ch 8; holding the ch taut with the thumb and middle finger of the left hand, YO, point the hook towards you and swing it under the chain, catch the thread from under the chain and pull it up – there should now be three loops over the hook (one “over” completed). Make a total of 4 overs. YO and pull thread through all 9 loops on hook, (lightly push the loops upward and pull the thread to tighten the loops into a neat ball), ch 1 to tighten the loops into a knot, sl st in ch at base of knot (Clones Knot completed).

(It can be tricky pulling the thread through all the loops on the hook. I have found that it is easier to do this if I push the overs near the shank of the hook as I make them. This will make the loops of the overs a bit bigger and more even so passing the hook and thread through them will be easier. So don’t work the overs too close to the tip of the hook. Also, when you are about to pull the thread through all the loops, relax your grip on the loops/overs, just let the tip of the hook do all the work of catching the thread and passing it through all the loops. I have found that there’s less chance of the hook getting caught in the overs if you release your grip on them.)

8 sc around the ch (be careful not to twist the ch), then sl st in sc at the point where stem and bract connect and down to end of stem, ch 1, fasten off.

Flower: 

With white thread, attach with sc at the base of the Clones Knot. [Ch 3, sl st in loop of sc (picot made)] 5 times to make 5 ch-3 picots around the Clones Knot. Fasten off.

Sewing the bracts together at the base.

Sewing the bracts together at the base.

Assembly: You should make 6 bracts to make 2 bougainvillea clusters (there are 3 bracts in a cluster). Sew together along the base of each bract at the back, refer to photograph below.

Green Bracts: (Make 6)

With green thread, ch 13 and follow instructions for making bracts. Do not make stem or flower, just the bracts.

Assembly: Sew three green bracts underneath each of the bougainvillea clusters, alternating with the white glitter bracts.

Leaves: (Make 4)

With light green thread, ch 13.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, dc in next 3 ch, tr in next ch, 2 tr in next ch, 5 dc in next ch to turn to other side of leaf, 2 tr in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, dc in next 3 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, sc in next 3 ch, 3 sc in ch at tip of bract to turn to other side of leaf.

Row 2: Sc in next 3 sc, hdc in next 2 hdc, ch 2, sk 2 dc, dc in next dc, ch 2, sk 2 tr, 2 tr in next 2 tr, 2 dc in each of next 5 dc, 2 tr in each of next 3 tr, ch 2, sk 2 dc, dc in next dc, ch 2, sk 2 hdc, hdc in next hdc, sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in sc at tip of leaf, ch 1.

Row 3: Sc in each st to ch-2 sp, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in each of next 10 sts, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in remaining sts to tip of leaf. Make 2 sc in st at tip of leaf, ch 1.

Row 4: Insert hook in first sc at tip of leaf, pull thread through sc and loop on hook (sl st made); make 17 or 18 more sl sts down the middle of the leaf. At base of leaf, ch 2. Fasten off.

The bougainvillea flowers made in red.

Assembly: Assemble the 4 leaves in an alternating order then sew together. Sew the base of this leaf arrangement to the bougainvillea cluster with the green bracts. Then sew the second bougainvillea cluster at the base of the arrangement of 4 leaves.