Lavender Butterfly Purse Free Crochet Pattern

I call this little purse “Violet,” and I just love how whimsical and useful she is at the same time! This butterfly-shaped crossbody bag opens at the top centre, hidden cleverly behind the stuffed body, so you get all the magic of a sculptural art piece with all the practicality of an everyday purse.

We will build her from four wing panels worked in a gorgeous ombre gradient — cream, soft lavender, medium purple and deep purple — joined with a lacy scalloped border, then add a sweet three-dimensional crocheted body down the centre. White cotton lace trim frames the edges for that delicate, vintage feel.

The finished purse measures approximately 13 inches wide by 9 inches tall, not including the antennae and strap. It is the perfect size for your phone, wallet, keys and a few essentials. This is an intermediate project, and if you are a motivated beginner comfortable with flat panels, colour changes and basic amigurumi, you can absolutely make her with patience.

Materials

• Colour A: approximately 120 yards (110 m) cream or off-white worsted weight cotton yarn
• Colour B: approximately 100 yards (91 m) soft lavender worsted weight cotton yarn
• Colour C: approximately 100 yards (91 m) medium purple worsted weight cotton yarn
• Colour D: approximately 80 yards (73 m) deep purple worsted weight cotton yarn
• Approximately 60 inches (152 cm) white cotton crochet lace trim, 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch wide
• Small amount of polyester fibre fill stuffing for the body
• US G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook
• 4 stitch markers
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Sewing needle and white thread for attaching the lace
• 1 magnetic snap closure, 3/4 inch (18 mm)
• Removable locking stitch markers or safety pins for seaming

Abbreviations

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• inc: increase, 2 sc in the same stitch
• dec: invisible decrease
• sk: skip
• st/sts: stitch / stitches
• RS: right side
• WS: wrong side
• BLO: back loop only
• FLO: front loop only
• sp: space
• rep: repeat
• rem: remaining
• YO: yarn over
• pm: place marker
• MR: magic ring

Special Stitches

• Shell stitch (used in the border): skip 2 stitches, work 5 dc into the next stitch, skip 2 stitches, slip stitch into the next stitch. This completes one shell unit across 6 stitches.
• Scallop border (used on wing edges): join yarn in any stitch, ch 1, sc in the same stitch, skip 1 stitch, work 5 dc in the next stitch, skip 1 stitch, sc in the next stitch, and repeat steps around the wing edge. This stitch requires a count divisible by 4 along the edge.
• Surface slip stitch (used for wing vein detail): hold the yarn behind the fabric, insert your hook from front to back through a stitch on the fabric surface, catch the yarn held behind and pull up a loop to the front, then insert your hook through the next stitch along the vein line, catch the yarn, and pull through both the fabric and the loop on your hook. Continue along your vein line.

Gauge & Size

• Finished size: approximately 13 inches wide by 9 inches tall, not including antennae and strap
• Gauge: 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 inches (10 cm), worked flat in single crochet with a G-6 (4.0 mm) hook after blocking. Gauge is critical for the finished size — if your swatch is too big, go down a hook size; too small, go up a hook size
• Construction: four wing panels for the front and four for the back, joined with a scalloped border, with a stuffed body sewn down the centre
• Skill level: Intermediate
• Colour changes follow a gradient: Rows 1–5 use Colour A, Rows 6–10 use Colour B, Rows 11–16 use Colour C, Rows 17 to the end use Colour D. Change colours by completing the last yarn over of the last stitch in the current colour with the new colour
• All flat panels begin with a foundation chain and are worked back and forth in rows with a turning chain of 1, which does NOT count as a stitch

Upper Wing Panel Pattern

Make 4 total: 2 identical panels, then 1 mirrored pair, for the front and back. The upper wing is the larger, rounder portion of the butterfly wing, and it tapers to a point where it meets the body centre. With Colour A, ch 5 to start.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 3 ch, ch 1, turn. (4 sc)

Row 2: Inc in first st, sc in 2 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (6 sc)

Row 3: Inc in first st, sc in 4 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (8 sc)

Row 4: Inc in first st, sc in 6 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (10 sc)

Row 5: Inc in first st, sc in 8 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (12 sc)

Change to Colour B.

Row 6: Inc in first st, sc in 10 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (14 sc)

Row 7: Inc in first st, sc in 12 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (16 sc)

Row 8: Inc in first st, sc in 14 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (18 sc)

Row 9: Inc in first st, sc in 16 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (20 sc)

Row 10: Inc in first st, sc in 18 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (22 sc)

Change to Colour C.

Row 11: Inc in first st, sc in 20 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (24 sc)

Row 12: Inc in first st, sc in 22 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (26 sc)

Row 13: Sc across all 26 sts, ch 1, turn. (26 sc)

Row 14: Inc in first st, sc in 24 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (28 sc)

Row 15: Sc across all 28 sts, ch 1, turn. (28 sc)

Row 16: Inc in first st, sc in 26 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Change to Colour D.

Row 17: Sc across all 30 sts, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Row 18: Inc in first st, sc in 28 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (32 sc)

Row 19: Sc across all 32 sts, ch 1, turn. (32 sc)

Now begin the upper wing taper on the right side (the inner body edge).

Row 20: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 30 sts, ch 1, turn. (31 sc)

Row 21: Sc in 29 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Row 22: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 28 sts, ch 1, turn. (29 sc)

Row 23: Sc in 27 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (28 sc)

Row 24: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 26 sts, ch 1, turn. (27 sc)

Row 25: Sc in 25 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (26 sc)

Row 26: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 24 sts, ch 1, turn. (25 sc)

Row 27: Sc in 23 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (24 sc)

Row 28: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 22 sts, ch 1, turn. (23 sc)

Row 29: Sc in 21 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (22 sc)

Row 30: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 20 sts, ch 1, turn. (21 sc)

Row 31: Sc in 19 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (20 sc)

Row 32: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 18 sts, ch 1, turn. (19 sc)

Row 33: Sc in 17 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (18 sc)

Row 34: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 16 sts, ch 1, turn. (17 sc)

Row 35: Sc in 15 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (16 sc)

Row 36: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 14 sts, ch 1, turn. (15 sc)

Row 37: Sc in 13 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (14 sc)

Row 38: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 12 sts, ch 1, turn. (13 sc)

Row 39: Sc in 11 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (12 sc)

Row 40: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 10 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (10 sc)

Row 41: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 6 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (8 sc)

Row 42: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 4 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (6 sc)

Row 43: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in rem 2 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (4 sc)

Row 44: Dec, dec. (2 sc)

Row 45: Dec. (1 sc) Fasten off.

To mirror for the opposite side, reverse the taper direction in Rows 20–45: work decreases at the beginning of odd rows and the end of even rows. Each completed upper wing panel should measure approximately 7 inches wide at its widest point and 8 inches tall.

Lower Wing Panel Pattern

Make 4 total: 2 identical and 1 mirrored pair. The lower wing is smaller, rounder at the outer bottom edge, and tapers sharply to points. With Colour A, ch 4 to start.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, ch 1, turn. (3 sc)

Row 2: Inc in first st, sc in 1 st, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (5 sc)

Row 3: Inc in first st, sc in 3 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (7 sc)

Row 4: Inc in first st, sc in 5 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (9 sc)

Row 5: Inc in first st, sc in 7 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (11 sc)

Change to Colour B.

Row 6: Inc in first st, sc in 9 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (13 sc)

Row 7: Inc in first st, sc in 11 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (15 sc)

Row 8: Inc in first st, sc in 13 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (17 sc)

Row 9: Sc across all 17 sts, ch 1, turn. (17 sc)

Row 10: Inc in first st, sc in 15 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (19 sc)

Change to Colour C.

Row 11: Sc across all 19 sts, ch 1, turn. (19 sc)

Row 12: Inc in first st, sc in 17 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (21 sc)

Row 13: Sc across all 21 sts, ch 1, turn. (21 sc)

Row 14: Inc in first st, sc in 19 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (23 sc)

Row 15: Sc across all 23 sts, ch 1, turn. (23 sc)

Row 16: Inc in first st, sc in 21 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (25 sc)

Change to Colour D.

Row 17: Sc across all 25 sts, ch 1, turn. (25 sc)

Row 18: Inc in first st, sc in 23 sts, inc in last st, ch 1, turn. (27 sc)

Row 19: Sc across all 27 sts, ch 1, turn. (27 sc)

Now taper both sides to shape the lower lobe.

Row 20: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 23 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (25 sc)

Row 21: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 21 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (23 sc)

Row 22: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 19 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (21 sc)

Row 23: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 17 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (19 sc)

Row 24: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 15 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (17 sc)

Row 25: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 13 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (15 sc)

Row 26: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 11 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (13 sc)

Row 27: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 9 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (11 sc)

Row 28: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 7 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (9 sc)

Row 29: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 5 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (7 sc)

Row 30: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 3 sts, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (5 sc)

Row 31: Dec over first 2 sts, sc in 1 st, dec over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (3 sc)

Row 32: Insert hook in all 3 sts together, YO, pull through, YO, pull through 2 loops (sc3tog). (1 sc) Fasten off.

Each completed lower wing panel should measure approximately 6 inches wide and 6 inches tall.

Butterfly Body Pattern

The body is worked in continuous rounds in Colour A using the magic ring method.

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6 sc)

Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sc)

Rounds 3–8: Sc in each st around. (12 sc)

Round 9: Dec 6 times evenly spaced. (6 sc)

Do not fasten off. Stuff lightly with fibre fill.

Round 10: Inc in each of 6 sts. (12 sc)

Rounds 11–12: Sc around. (12 sc)

Round 13: Dec 6 times evenly. (6 sc)

Stuff the head lightly. Slip stitch to close. Fasten off, leaving a 12-inch tail for sewing. The body should measure approximately 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Antennae Pattern

Make 2. With Colour A, ch 18.

Row 1: Sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in next 2 ch (this forms the curled tip), sc in rem 15 ch. Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch tail.

Sew the antennae tails to the top of the head, spacing them approximately 0.5 inches apart.

Finishing & Assembly

Wet block all wing panels before assembly. Soak each panel in cool water for 10 minutes, gently squeeze out the excess water, pin it to a foam blocking board in the desired wing shape, and allow it to dry completely. Blocking is especially important for the scallop border.

To assemble each wing half: hold the upper wing panel with the tapered point facing downward, and hold the lower wing panel with the point of Row 1 facing upward. Align the inner straight edges — the foundation chain of the upper wing and the tip of the lower wing will meet at the centre body seam line. Using Colour D and a yarn needle, whip stitch the inner edges together along approximately 1.5 inches (4 cm) to join the upper and lower wing into one complete half-butterfly silhouette. Leave the remaining inner straight edges open; these will be covered by the body. Repeat for all four wing halves.

To join the front and back panels: hold the front left and back left panels with wrong sides facing each other and align the edges. Using Colour D, work a single crochet join around the outer edge only, inserting your hook through both layers simultaneously. Work 1 sc per row end or 1 sc per stitch around curved edges, and at each sharp wing tip point work 3 sc into the same spot to turn the corner. Leave the inner straight body-facing edge open. Repeat for the right wing pair. Then hold the joined left wing and joined right wing side by side — the two open inner edges will face each other and form the bag opening at the top. Using Colour D, single crochet the bottom centre seam to close the base of the bag, and leave the top centre opening (approximately 3 to 3.5 inches wide) completely open. The assembled bag should measure approximately 13 inches wide and 9 inches tall, with a top centre opening of approximately 3 inches.

For the wing edge border, join Colour D at the top left shoulder point of the bag. Work 1 round of sc evenly around the entire outer perimeter, working 3 sc at each wing tip point. The total stitch count should be approximately 196 sc, adjusted to the nearest multiple of 4 for the scallop border. Slip stitch to join and do not turn. For the scallop border round: ch 1, sc in first st, skip 1 st, 5 dc in next st, skip 1 st, sc in next st, and repeat around. Slip stitch to join and fasten off (approximately 49 scallops). Pin the white cotton lace trim around the outer edge just inside the scallop border so the lace peeks out from beneath, and hand sew it in place.

For the vein details, use Colour D and the surface slip stitch technique. On each upper wing, work one curved line from the inner body seam outward toward the upper outer tip, plus 2 additional shorter lines branching from the main vein. On each lower wing, work one line from the inner seam toward the outer lower tip, plus 1 shorter branching line toward the rounded lower edge. Create small dot-like spots at the end of each vein line by working 1 sl st in a tight circle of 3 adjacent stitches.

Before sewing the body to the bag, install the magnetic snap inside the top opening. Position one half on the front interior at the centre, approximately 0.5 inches down from the opening edge, and the matching half on the back interior. Secure with the metal backing plates provided, and reinforce with a small square of felt behind each snap plate to protect the crochet fabric.

To attach the body: centre the completed body vertically over the front seam where the left and right wing panels meet, with the head at the top and the antennae pointing upward. Using the long tail and a yarn needle, sew the body down the centre of the bag using whip stitches — the body covers the inner seam line and the sides of the top opening. Sew around the entire perimeter of the body to secure it flat.

For the strap, with Colour A, cut 6 strands of yarn each measuring 120 inches long. Fold all 6 strands in half to create 12 working strands each 60 inches long, and attach the midpoint to one side of the body and seam at the top shoulder using a lark’s head knot. Divide the 12 strands into 3 groups of 4 strands each, and braid or twist the groups together firmly for the full length. Knot securely at the end, and attach the free end to the opposite shoulder point using an overhand knot or by stitching with your yarn needle. The finished strap should be approximately 48 inches long. As an alternative, you can purchase a 48-inch twisted cotton rope in cream and attach it at both shoulder points.

After assembly and body attachment, lightly mist the finished bag and smooth it into shape by hand, then allow it to dry flat. Weave in all yarn ends on the interior using a yarn needle, running each end through at least 1 inch of stitches in two directions before trimming.

Tips

Choose 100% cotton or a cotton-blend yarn for structure. Acrylic yarn will produce a bag that stretches and loses its shape over time, and wool or animal fibres are best saved for a purely decorative version.

For a smaller child-sized version, use DK weight yarn and a US E-4 (3.5 mm) hook, and work through Row 28 on the upper wings and Row 24 on the lower wings before tapering. This produces a bag approximately 9 inches wide by 7 inches tall.

For a larger tote-style version, use bulky weight cotton and a US J-10 (6.0 mm) hook, and add 8 additional rows of increases to both the upper and lower wing panels before beginning the tapers. This produces a bag approximately 17 inches wide by 12 inches tall.

Hand wash your finished purse in cool water with gentle detergent. Do not wring. Reshape and lay flat to dry, and store it flat or hanging when not in use.