Crochet Hanging Plant for Car Pattern (Free Charm)

A tiny crochet plant hanging from your rearview mirror turns every drive into something a little brighter. A mini terracotta pot, a few green leaves, and a trailing vine, all small enough to dangle without blocking your view. This free crochet hanging plant for car pattern walks you through every part, from the little pot to the leaves and the hanging cord that loops over the mirror.

This is an original Little Loop Finds design, written in US terms and completely free. The plant is a mini amigurumi charm, not a full size potted plant, which means it works up fast and hangs lightly from a rearview mirror. Each charm takes about 3 hours, uses only small amounts of yarn, and makes a sweet gift for a new driver, a plant lover, or anyone who spends a lot of time in the car. If you can crochet a magic ring, a single crochet increase, and a chain, you can crochet this hanging plant.

A quick note on scope: this post is about one specific mini potted plant car mirror charm, a small hanging decoration with a pot, leaves, and a cord. It is not a full size crochet potted plant for a shelf or a windowsill. If you want that bigger version, our crochet plant pattern is a full size potted succulent. This charm is the mini version, made to hang in a car.

Key Takeaways

• Free original pattern: this crochet hanging plant for car pattern is a Little Loop Finds original mini amigurumi charm, written in US terms, and completely free.
• A mini car mirror charm: a tiny terracotta pot, green leaves, a trailing vine, and a hanging cord that loops over a rearview mirror.
• Beginner friendly amigurumi: simple single crochet shaping and flat leaves, with a stitch count at the end of every round.
• Quick gift project: one charm takes about 3 hours and uses about 40 yards of yarn, so it is a great stash buster.
• Many ways to use it: hang it in the car, on a bag, or in a window, or make a set for gifts and market stalls.

Table of Contents

• Why You Will Love This Crochet Hanging Plant for Car
• Finished Size, Skill Level, and Time
• Materials You Need
• Abbreviations (US Terms)
• Gauge and Sizing Notes
• Part 1: The Mini Terracotta Pot
• Part 2: Soil, Leaves, and Trailing Vine
• Part 3: Hanging Cord and Assembly
• Variations: Colors, Plants, and Uses
• Troubleshooting Plants That Tip or Tangle
• Care Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why You Will Love This Crochet Hanging Plant for Car

There is something cheerful about a little plant swaying gently as you drive. It does not need water, it never wilts in a hot car, and it adds a soft handmade touch to a space that is usually all plastic and glass. A crochet hanging plant brings a bit of green into the daily commute, the school run, and the long road trip, and it always gets noticed by passengers.

A hanging plant charm is also a wonderful small amigurumi project. The pot teaches you how to shape a container in the round, the leaves teach you flat leaf shaping, and the cord teaches you how to finish a hanging piece so it stays secure.

Finished Size, Skill Level, and Time

• Finished size: about 4 inches tall from the bottom of the pot to the top of the tallest leaf, and about 2 inches wide across the pot, not counting the hanging cord. The cord adds about 6 inches of hanging length.
• Skill level: Easy. You need a magic ring, chains, slip stitches, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, increases, and invisible decreases, plus a little sewing to attach the leaves.
• Time: about 3 hours per charm: roughly 1 hour for the pot, 1 hour for the leaves and vine, and 1 hour for the cord, stuffing, and assembly.

Materials You Need

DK weight yarn is the best choice for a car mirror charm because it keeps the finished plant small and light, so it hangs neatly without swinging wildly or blocking the mirror. A smooth cotton or acrylic yarn works well, because it shows clean stitch definition and it holds up in a warm car. Avoid fuzzy or eyelash yarns, because they hide the shaping and make the small rounds hard to count.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• 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 = decrease, single crochet 2 stitches together
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• rnd(s) = round(s)
• rep = repeat
• MR = magic ring
• BLO = back loop only
• FLO = front loop only

Gauge and Sizing Notes

Gauge for a mini amigurumi plant is about keeping the stuffing inside and the pot standing upright, not about hitting an exact number. Work the first 4 rounds of the pot and look at the fabric. You should not be able to see through the stitches, and the fabric should feel firm, not loose and holey. If you can see daylight through your stitches, go down a hook size. If the fabric is stiff and hard to work, go up a hook size.

To make a smaller charm, use fingering weight yarn with a 2.75 mm hook for a plant about 3 inches tall, which hangs very lightly from a mirror. To make a larger charm, use worsted weight yarn with a 4.5 mm hook for a plant about 5 inches tall. The stitch counts stay the same in every size. Keep the finished plant light, because a heavy charm swings hard when the car turns and can tap against the windshield.

Part 1: The Mini Terracotta Pot

The pot is worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a magic ring at the base and increasing to the full width, then working straight up the sides and flaring out into a rim at the top. Work in a continuous spiral and use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round. The rim is worked in the front loops only, which makes it flare outward like a real terracotta pot.

Pot

With the terracotta yarn, MR, ch 1.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6 sc)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around. (12 sc)
• Rnd 3: (sc in next st, inc in next st) rep 6 times. (18 sc)
• Rnd 4: (sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st) rep 6 times. (24 sc)
• Rnd 5: sc in BLO in each st around. (24 sc)
• Rnd 6-9: sc in each st around. (24 sc)
• Rnd 10: in FLO only, (sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st) rep 8 times. (32 sc)
• Rnd 11: sc in each st around. (32 sc)
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Do not close the top of the pot.

Your finished pot should be about 2 inches tall and 2 inches wide, with a flat base that sits neatly on a table and a rim that flares out at the top. The back loop round at round 5 creates a crisp edge where the base meets the sides, which helps the pot sit flat. Stuff the pot lightly with fiberfill, just enough to hold its shape, and do not overstuff it, because a heavy pot swings too much in the car.

Part 2: Soil, Leaves, and Trailing Vine

The soil is a flat brown circle that sits inside the rim of the pot and hides the stuffing. The leaves are pointed ovals worked in rows along a chain, and the trailing vine is a long chain with tiny leaves spaced along it. Make six leaves and one vine, and keep the tails long for sewing.

Soil

With the dark brown yarn, MR, ch 1.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6 sc)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around. (12 sc)
• Rnd 3: (sc in next st, inc in next st) rep 6 times, sl st in first sc to join. (18 sc)
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

The soil circle should be about 1.5 inches across, just small enough to sit inside the rim of the pot. Sew it to the top of the stuffing with a few small stitches around its edge, so it sits flat and hides the fiberfill completely.

Leaves (make 6)

With the leaf green yarn, ch 9.

• Row 1: sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next 2 ch, dc in the next 2 ch, hdc in the next ch, sc in the last ch, ch 1, then work back down the other side of the foundation chain: sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next 2 ch, hdc in the next 2 ch, sc in the next ch, sl st in the last ch. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Each leaf should be about 2 inches long and three quarters of an inch wide, pointed at both ends and slightly wider in the middle. The mix of single, half double, and double crochet stitches gives each leaf a gentle curve, like a real plant leaf. Make all six leaves the same way, and keep them in pairs of similar size so the plant looks balanced.

Trailing Vine

With the leaf green yarn, ch 24.

• Row 1: sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, then work tiny leaves along the chain: (ch 4, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, sl st in the next ch of the vine chain) rep 5 times, spacing each tiny leaf 3 chains apart, sl st in the last ch of the vine chain. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

The vine should be about 4 inches long with five tiny leaves spaced along it. It will drape over the side of the pot and sway gently in the car, which is what makes the charm look alive.

Part 3: Hanging Cord and Assembly

Assembly is where the plant comes together. Pin every part in place before you sew anything, then step back and look at the plant from the front. The leaves should fan out in different directions, the vine should drape over one side of the pot, and the pot should hang level when you hold it by the cord.

Sew the soil circle into the top of the pot first, then arrange the six leaves on top of the soil, fanning them out like a small bouquet, with the tallest leaves in the middle and the shorter ones around the edges. Sew each leaf on with a whip stitch through its base only, so the tips lift up and curl naturally. Next, sew the top end of the vine to the soil near the back of the pot, and let the rest of the vine drape over the rim and down the side.

For the hanging cord, cut a length of terracotta yarn about 18 inches long, fold it in half, and thread the folded end through the rim of the pot on one side, then through the rim on the opposite side, so the cord forms a loop that cradles the pot from below. Tie the two ends together at the top with a firm knot, leaving a loop about 6 inches long above the knot for hanging over the mirror. Test the charm by hanging it from a hook and checking that the pot sits level and does not tip to one side.

To hang the charm in the car, slip the loop over the rearview mirror and let the pot rest against the windshield side of the mirror, so it does not block your view of the road. The plant should hang about 6 inches below the mirror and sway gently without hitting the dashboard.

Variations: Colors, Plants, and Uses

• Classic terracotta plant: work the pot in terracotta with leaf green leaves and a dark brown soil circle, the colorway in the photos, for a plant that looks like a real potted succulent. Our crochet strawberry pattern makes a matching fruit charm for the same mirror.
• Sage modern pot: make the pot in sage green with cream leaves for a calm modern plant that suits a neutral car interior. Our crochet tote bag pattern uses the same sage colorway for a matching set.
• Trailing ivy version: skip the upright leaves and make two trailing vines instead, for a plant that drapes down both sides of the pot like ivy.
• Keychain plant: make the small 3 inch version with fingering weight yarn and add a keychain ring to the cord loop for a bag charm. Our crochet keychains stocking stuffers collection has more small charm ideas in the same size.
• Gift set: make three plants in terracotta, cream, and dusty blue for a gift set or a market stall display. Change only the pot color, and the same pattern makes the whole set.

Troubleshooting Plants That Tip or Tangle

• My pot tips to one side when it hangs. The cord is not centered, or one side of the pot is heavier than the other. Move the cord attachment points until they sit exactly opposite each other, and check that the leaves are spread evenly around the pot.
• My plant swings too much in the car. The charm is too heavy, or the cord is too long. Use lighter DK yarn, stuff the pot less firmly, and shorten the hanging loop so the plant sits closer to the mirror.
• My leaves flop flat. Sew only the base of each leaf, and leave the tips free. A tiny stitch through the middle of a leaf can lift it, but do not sew the whole leaf down flat.
• My vine tangles around the cord. The vine is too long for the car. Shorten the vine chain to 18 stitches, or sew the bottom of the vine to the side of the pot so it stays in place.
• My stuffing shows through the pot. Your stitches are too loose for the yarn. Go down a hook size on the next plant, and use a slightly denser fiberfill so it does not poke through the gaps.

Care Instructions

Hand wash a crochet hanging plant gently in cool water with a tiny amount of mild soap, squeeze gently without wringing, and lay it flat to dry so the leaves keep their shape. If the yarn label says machine washable, use a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag, and lay the charm flat to dry. Do not put a hanging plant in the dryer on high heat, because the fiberfill can clump and the leaves can lose their shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this crochet hanging plant safe to hang in a car?

Yes, when it is made small and light as written. The charm is about 4 inches tall and hangs about 6 inches below the mirror, so it does not block your view of the road. Keep the cord short, hang it on the windshield side of the mirror, and check that it does not swing into your line of sight before you drive.

What yarn is best for a crochet hanging plant for a car?

DK weight yarn is the best choice, because it keeps the charm small and light. A smooth cotton or acrylic yarn works well and holds up in a warm car. Terracotta for the pot, leaf green for the leaves, and dark brown for the soil give the classic look.

How big is the finished hanging plant?

About 4 inches tall from the bottom of the pot to the top of the tallest leaf, and about 2 inches wide across the pot, not counting the hanging cord. Use fingering weight yarn for a small 3 inch version, or worsted weight yarn for a large 5 inch version. The stitch counts stay the same in every size.

How do I keep the plant from swinging too much?

Keep the charm light by using DK yarn and stuffing the pot only lightly, and keep the hanging loop short so the plant sits close to the mirror. If it still swings, sew the bottom of the vine to the side of the pot so the charm holds its shape.

Can I hang this plant somewhere other than a car?

Yes, the same charm hangs nicely from a bag, a window latch, a nursery mobile, or a rearview mirror. Add a keychain ring to the cord loop for a bag charm, or lengthen the cord to hang the plant in a window where the leaves catch the light.

Can I sell hanging plants made from this pattern?

Yes, you may sell finished hanging plants made from this free pattern, with credit to Little Loop Finds. Please do not sell or republish the pattern text itself. Car charms sell well at craft markets, and a set of three plants in different pot colors makes a sweet gift bundle.

Happy stitching, and may your little hanging plant bring a bit of green to every drive.