# Sunflower Ear Climber Free Crochet Pattern
Crocheted jewelry looks intimidating — tiny hooks, fine thread, miniature pieces. But here’s the truth: if you can single crochet and double crochet, you can make this sunflower ear climber. Each flower is just three rounds, the leaves are one row each, and the magic is all in the assembly — arranging little botanical pieces along a curved gold wire like a tiny flower crown for your ear.
The finished piece climbs from your earlobe up toward the cartilage, with three golden sunflowers, sage leaves, amber seed beads, and a little chain with wooden beads dangling from the bottom. It’s delicate, it’s dramatic, and it’s the kind of thing people lean in to look at.
What You’ll Need
- Size 10 crochet cotton thread: golden yellow (~25 yards), dark brown (~8 yards), sage green (~12 yards)
- US Steel 7 (1.65 mm) hook
- Curved gold-tone ear climber wire blank, 2.5-3 in long, with ear cuff at top
- Gold-tone flat-pad stud post with back, 4 mm jump ring, 2-inch gold chain segment
- 2 wooden beads (6-8 mm), optional bead caps, 20-24 amber 8/0 seed beads
- 28-gauge gold craft wire (~18 inches), jewelry pliers, wire cutters, jewelry adhesive or fabric stiffener, fine tapestry needle, scissors
Finished size:
- Approx. 2.75 inches tall x 1.25 inches wide on the wire frame
- Each sunflower approx. 0.6 inch across
- Each leaf approx. 0.5 inch long
The Pattern
Skill note: Intermediate — the stitches are basic, but you’re working at miniature scale with thread and wire. Stiffening the motifs before assembly is essential, or the tiny pieces will droop.
Sunflower Motifs (make 3, identical)
Center (brown): Begin with a magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 1 (doesn’t count), 6 sc into ring, pull closed, sl st to join. (6 sc)
Round 2: Ch 1, [sc in next st, ch 1] 6 times, sl st to join. (6 sc, 6 ch-1 sps) Fasten off, leaving a 4-inch tail to reinforce the ring.
Petals (yellow): Join yellow with a sl st in any ch-1 sp. Work one petal stitch into the same space, then [sl st into next ch-1 sp, one petal stitch into the same sp] 5 times. Sl st to the top of the first petal to join. (6 petals) Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch tail for wiring.
Petal stitch (in a ch-1 sp): Insert hook into the sp, yo and pull up a loop, then yo and pull through 1 loop (chain base made). Work 4 partial double crochets into the same sp: (yo, insert hook, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops) 4 times. You’ll have 6 loops on the hook. Yo and pull through all 6, ch 1 to close. Practice this once on scrap thread first — it clicks fast.
Checkpoint: Each flower should be ~0.6 in across after stiffening. Over 0.75 in? Drop to a US 8 (1.50 mm) hook. Under 0.5 in? Go up to a US 6 (1.80 mm).
Leaves (make 4, green)
Ch 6.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, 4 hdc in last ch (the tip). Rotate to the underside: hdc in next ch, sc in next 2 ch, sc in last ch. Don’t join. (12 sts around)
Row 2: Ch 1, sl st in first sc, sc in next, hdc in next, hdc in next, skip 2 tip sts, sl st in center st of the 4-hdc tip, skip 2 tip sts, hdc in next, hdc in next, sc in next, sl st in last sc. (10 sts) Fasten off with a 5-inch tail.
Assembly
1. Stiffen everything. Mix equal parts white craft glue and water (or use liquid fabric stiffener). Dip each flower and leaf, squeeze out the excess, pin flat on a foam board with petals spread, and dry at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Prep the wire blank. If it lacks a stud post, glue the flat-pad post to the bottom loop and let it cure fully. Cut ~18 in of 28-gauge wire for binding.
3. Position the pieces. Lay the blank flat, cuff at top. Space the three sunflowers along the curve ~0.7 in center-to-center — one just below the cuff, one in the middle, one just above the stud post. Tuck leaves between: one between flowers 1-2 angled right, one between 2-3 angled left, one below flower 3 angled right, one above flower 1 angled upward.
4. Wire the flowers on. Thread the 28-gauge wire through the back center of a flower (through the magic ring), wrap 4-5 tight coils around the armature, bring it back through the flower center, twist the ends at the back, and tuck them in. Repeat for each flower with fresh ~5-inch lengths.
5. Wire the leaves on with short 3-4 inch wire lengths through each leaf base, twisting tight at the back and pressing the ends flat so nothing scratches your ear.
6. Add the seed beads: thread 3-5 amber beads onto the armature in the gaps between motifs.
7. Attach the chain: open the jump ring, loop it through the bottom connection point above the stud post, attach the 2-inch chain, and close the ring. String the two wooden beads onto a 2-inch wire length, fold it in half, twist above the beads, thread through the bottom chain link, and wrap to secure. For a staggered look, hang one bead on the main chain and the second on a short separate chain from the same ring.
8. Dab jewelry adhesive on each wire-wrapped join at the back and cure overnight. Run a finger along the back — everything should be smooth.
Sophie’s Tips
- Weave in every thread end before stiffening — unwoven ends show right through the glue.
- Mirror the whole assembly for the left ear (curve the blank the opposite way).
- The stiffened thread isn’t washable — spot clean with a barely damp cotton swab, and keep it away from perfume and moisture.
Make the pair, gift one, keep one — or keep both and wear sunflowers all week!
