Filet Crochet Butterfly Square

A pretty butterfly dances on a field of mesh in this filet crochet butterfly square. Learn filet crochet with this fun and easy pattern! Make it with any yarn or thread, with solid wings or lacy wings, and as a stand-alone square or as part of a larger project. So many possibilities!

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Updated in 2023

I first designed this in 2015. 8 years later, I felt like it needed a makeover. The new charts are clearer and, by request, I also added written instructions for both versions of the pattern.

The butterfly design itself hasn’t changed, but the overall motif used to be more of a rectangle. There are now 4 extra rows of mesh (2 above and 2 below the butterfly) to make it square.

Learn Filet Crochet

This filet crochet butterfly square is a great way to learn filet crochet! It uses only basic blocks and mesh, with no advanced stitches. Learn the basics in this basic filet crochet tutorial, then try out your skills on the butterfly square!

Make it your way!

There are 2 versions of this filet crochet butterfly square. The main pictures show the lacy version. Here is a sample of the solid version.

I did this one in 3 colors, using about 42 yds each for the bottom and top mesh, and about 90 yds for the butterfly.

Choosing a yarn or thread

You can make this square in any yarn or thread. I used worsted weight yarn for the lacy sample, and fingering weight yarn for the solid sample.

The size will vary based on the yarn you use. Try it with thread for a coaster or doily! Use a hook 1 size smaller than you normally would with your chosen yarn or thread.

You can calculate how big your finished project will be by making a small swatch of either plain double crochet or the open mesh pattern to measure your gauge.

Gauge calculations

The butterfly square is worked over 33 blocks (100 stitches), and 39 rows. To calculate the width of your motif, divide 33 by the number of blocks you get in 1 inch, or divide 100 by the number of stitches you get in one inch. To calculate the height, divide 39 by the number of rows you get per inch.

You could also just make the first few rows and measure the width. Since the butterfly is a square, the finished height will be the same as the width.

What to make with your filet crochet butterfly square

Your square doesn’t have to stay square! Just like any square motif, it can be incorporated into a wide variety of projects. For my lacy sample, I threaded a dowel rod in and out of the mesh on the top row to make a wall hanging.

Layer your square on top of solid fabric for a decorative pillow. Add a border to make a tablecloth. Use it as part of an heirloom blanket. It can be a focal point surrounded by granny squares, or make the whole blanket out of butterfly squares!

I even used the same butterfly design to make a sarong-style swimsuit cover-up. It’s available in 9 sizes from xs to 5x.

The top that didn’t work out

I originally designed this butterfly chart as part of a swimsuit cover-up shirt. This is what the back piece looked like.

I didn’t particularly love the actual shirt when it was done. The filet crochet butterfly turned out great, but the shaping and fit of the shirt was just OK. I never did publish the pattern.

Butterfly Coasters

I loved this butterfly design so much, that I even used it for coasters! I traced the chart to draw the outline of a butterfly, then filled it in with special, thermal transfer markers. Check out this fun project!

Filet Crochet Butterfly Square

Add this to your Ravelry queue

Gauge

Gauge will depend on the yarn/thread and hook you choose.

Worsted weight sample

• 16 dc x 6.25 rows = 4 inches after blocking
• (5 mesh + 1 dc) x 6.25 rows = 4 inches after blocking

Fingering weight sample

• 29 dc x 11 rows = 4 inches after blocking
• 9.5 mesh x 11 rows = 4 inches after blocking

Abbreviations used

This pattern uses US terms.

• ch = chain
• dc = double crochet
• sk = skip
• st(s) = stich(es)

Recommended Resources

• Long Starting Chains – Crochet Tips and Tricks
• Chainless Starting Double Crochet (csdc)
• Basic Filet Crochet

Instructions

Lacy Butterfly:

Scroll down for chart

Bottom mesh

Ch 102

Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook (skipped chs count as first dc), dc in next 2 chs, [ch 2, sk next 2 chs, dc in next 4 chs] across. (68 dc, 16 ch-2 sps)

Row 2: Beg mesh, mesh across. (1 dc, 33 mesh)

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), block, mesh across to last ch-2 sp, block. (1 dc, 2 blocks, 31 mesh)

Rows 4-9: Repeat rows 2-3 twice more.

Butterfly

Row 10: Beg mesh, 7 mesh, 4 blocks, 9 mesh, 4 blocks, 8 mesh. (1 dc, 8 blocks, 25 mesh)

Row 11: Ch 3, block, 6 mesh, 2 blocks, 2 mesh, 3 blocks, 5 mesh, 3 blocks, 2 mesh, 2 blocks, 6 mesh, block. (1 dc, 12 blocks, 21 mesh)

Row 12: Beg mesh, 5 mesh, block, mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, mesh, block, 5 mesh, block, mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, mesh, block, 6 mesh. (1 dc, 8 blocks, 25 mesh)

Row 13: Ch 3, block, 5 mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, 3 mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, 5 mesh, block. (1 dc, 10 blocks, 23 mesh)

Row 14: Beg mesh, 5 mesh, 2 blocks, [mesh, block] 8 times, mesh, 2 blocks, 6 mesh. (1 dc, 12 blocks, 21 mesh)

Row 15: Ch 3, block, 5 mesh, [block, mesh] twice, 4 blocks, mesh, 3 blocks, mesh, 4 blocks, [mesh, block] twice, 5 mesh, block. (1 dc, 17 blocks, 16 mesh)

Row 16: Beg mesh, 6 mesh, block, mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, 5 blocks, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, mesh, block, 7 mesh. (1 dc, 11 blocks, 22 mesh)

Row 17: Ch 3, block, 7 mesh, 2 blocks, 5 mesh, 3 blocks, 5 mesh, 2 blocks, 7 mesh, block. (1 dc, 9 blocks, 24 mesh)

Row 18: Beg mesh, 9 mesh, 13 blocks, 10 mesh. (1 dc, 13 blocks, 20 mesh)

Row 19: Ch 3, block, 7 mesh, 17 blocks, 7 mesh, block. (1 dc, 19 blocks, 14 mesh)

Row 20: Beg mesh, 6 mesh, block, 7 mesh, 3 blocks, 7 mesh, block, 7 mesh. (1 dc, 5 blocks, 28 mesh)

Row 21: Ch 3, block, 5 mesh, 21 blocks, 5 mesh, block. (1 dc, 23 blocks, 10 mesh)

Row 22: Beg mesh, 5 mesh, block, 5 mesh, 2 blocks, mesh, 3 blocks, mesh, 2 blocks, 5 mesh, block, 6 mesh. (1 dc, 9 blocks, 24 mesh)

Row 23: Ch 3, block, 5 mesh, block, 4 mesh, block, 2 mesh, [block, mesh] twice, block, 2 mesh, block, 4 mesh, block, 5 mesh, block. (1 dc, 9 blocks, 24 mesh)

Row 24: Beg mesh, 4 mesh, 6 blocks, 2 mesh, block, mesh, 3 blocks, mesh, block, 2 mesh, 6 blocks, 5 mesh. (1 dc, 17 blocks, 16 mesh)

Row 25: Ch 3, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, 2 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, mesh, 3 blocks, mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 2 mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block. (1 dc, 15 blocks, 18 mesh)

Row 26: Beg mesh, 3 mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 2 mesh, block, 4 mesh. (1 dc, 9 blocks, 24 mesh)

Row 27: Ch 3, block, 3 mesh, 4 blocks, 2 mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block, mesh, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, 2 mesh, 4 blocks, 3 mesh, block. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 28: Beg mesh, 3 mesh, block, mesh, block, 2 mesh, 2 blocks, [3 mesh, block] twice, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, 2 mesh, block, mesh, block, 4 mesh. (1 dc, 10 blocks, 23 mesh)

Row 29: Ch 3, block, 3 mesh, [block, mesh] twice, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 5 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, [mesh, block] twice, 3 mesh, block. (1 dc, 12 blocks, 21 mesh)

Row 30: Beg mesh, 4 mesh, 4 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 7 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 4 blocks, 5 mesh. (1 dc, 10 blocks, 23 mesh)

Top mesh

Row 31: Ch 3, block, [9 mesh, 2 blocks] twice, 9 mesh, block. (1 dc, 6 blocks, 27 mesh)

Rows 32-38: Repeat rows 2-3 twice, then repeat row 2 once more.

Row 39: Ch 3, block, [mesh, block] across. (1 dc, 17 blocks, 16 mesh)

Finishing

Weave in all ends.

Wash and block. As with most lace, blocking is very important to open up the mesh.

Lacy Butterfly Chart

Solid Butterfly

Scroll down for chart

Bottom mesh

Ch 102

Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook (skipped chs count as first dc), dc in next 2 chs, [ch 2, sk next 2 chs, dc in next 4 chs] across. (68 dc, 16 ch-2 sps)

Row 2: Beg mesh, mesh across. (1 dc, 33 mesh)

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), block, mesh across to last ch-2 sp, block. (1 dc, 2 blocks, 31 mesh)

Rows 4-9: Repeat rows 2-3 twice more.

Butterfly

Row 10: Beg mesh, 7 mesh, 5 blocks, 7 mesh, 5 blocks, 8 mesh. (1 dc, 10 blocks, 23 mesh)

Row 11: Ch 3, block, 6 mesh, 7 blocks, 5 mesh, 7 blocks, 6 mesh, block. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 12: Beg mesh, 5 mesh, 9 blocks, 3 mesh, 9 blocks, 6 mesh. (1 dc, 18 blocks, 15 mesh)

Row 13: Ch 3, block, 5 mesh, 3 blocks, 2 mesh, 4 blocks, 3 mesh, 4 blocks, 2 mesh, 3 blocks, 5 mesh, block. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 14: Beg mesh, 5 mesh, 3 blocks, 2 mesh, 5 blocks, mesh, 5 blocks, 2 mesh, 3 blocks, 6 mesh. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 15: Ch 3, block, 5 mesh, 21 blocks, 5 mesh, block. (1 dc, 23 blocks, 10 mesh)

Row 16: Beg mesh, 6 mesh, 19 blocks, 7 mesh. (1 dc, 19 blocks, 14 mesh)

Row 17: Ch 3, block, 7 mesh, 17 blocks, 7 mesh, block. (1 dc, 19 blocks, 14 mesh)

Row 18: Beg mesh, 10 mesh, 11 blocks, 11 mesh. (1 dc, 11 blocks, 22 mesh)

Row 19: Repeat row 17.

Row 20: Repeat row 16.

Row 21: Repeat row 15.

Row 22: Beg mesh, 4 mesh, 23 blocks, 5 mesh. (1 dc, 23 blocks, 10 mesh)

Row 23: Ch 3, block, 4 mesh, 10 blocks, mesh, block, mesh, 10 blocks, 4 mesh, block. (1 dc, 23 blocks, 10 mesh)

Row 24: Beg mesh, 3 mesh, 10 blocks, mesh, 3 blocks, mesh, 10 blocks, 4 mesh. (1 dc, 23 blocks, 10 mesh)

Row 25: Ch 3, block, 3 mesh, 10 blocks, mesh, 3 blocks, mesh, 10 blocks, 3 mesh, block. (1 dc, 25 blocks, 8 mesh)

Row 26: Beg mesh, 3 mesh, 3 blocks, 2 mesh, 4 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 4 blocks, 2 mesh, 3 blocks, 4 mesh. (1 dc, 15 blocks, 18 mesh)

Row 27: Ch 3, block, 3 mesh, 2 blocks, 2 mesh, 4 blocks, 3 mesh, block, mesh, block, 3 mesh, 4 blocks, 2 mesh, 2 blocks, 3 mesh, block. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 28: Beg mesh, 3 mesh, 7 blocks, [3 mesh, block] twice, 3 mesh, 7 blocks, 4 mesh. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 29: Ch 3, block, 3 mesh, 6 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 5 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 6 blocks, 3 mesh, block. (1 dc, 16 blocks, 17 mesh)

Row 30: Beg mesh, 4 mesh, 4 blocks, 3 mesh, block, 7 mesh, block, 3 mesh, 4 blocks, 5 mesh. (1 dc, 10 blocks, 23 mesh)

Top Mesh

Row 31: Ch 3, block, [9 mesh, 2 blocks] twice, 9 mesh, block. (1 dc, 6 blocks, 27 mesh)

Rows 32-38: Repeat rows 2-3 twice, then repeat row 2 once more.

Row 39: Ch 3, block, [mesh, block] across. (1 dc, 17 blocks, 16 mesh)

Finishing

Weave in all ends.

Wash and block. As with most lace, blocking is very important to open up the mesh.

Solid Butterfly Chart

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I hope you enjoyed this filet crochet butterfly pattern. A downloadable pdf of this pattern is available on Ravelry for a small fee. The fee for the pdf format is to offset the advertising revenue lost when you print or download the pattern rather than viewing it online.

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