Crochet Lace Flower Motif – Elegant Table Runner and Bag Video Tutorial
There is something timeless about lace. It whispers of grandmother’s parlors, of delicate hands moving thread with purpose and patience, of heirlooms folded carefully in tissue paper and passed from one generation to the next. And yet, lace is not a relic. In the hands of modern crocheters, lace flower motifs are experiencing a genuine renaissance — not just as decorative table coverings, but as design elements for bags, wall hangings, clothing accessories, and more. If you have been looking for a project that is both challenging enough to hold your attention and beautiful enough to inspire you to finish, a crochet lace flower motif table runner or tote bag might be exactly what you need.
This tutorial walks you through everything you want to know about working with lace flower motifs — from choosing your thread and hook to joining motifs, finishing edges, and adapting the same pattern for a structured bag. Whether you are an intermediate crocheter looking to push your skills or an adventurous beginner who wants to try something new, this guide (and the accompanying video tutorial) will give you a clear, step-by-step path forward.
Why Lace Flower Motifs Are So Versatile
A motif is essentially a self-contained crochet unit — a small, complete piece of fabric worked in the round and usually geometric or floral in shape. The flower motif is one of the most popular choices because it has natural visual rhythm. The petals radiate outward in a pattern that the eye instinctively finds pleasing, and when you join multiple motifs together, you create a lacy mesh that looks far more complicated than it actually is to make.
What makes lace flower motifs so adaptable is precisely this joining quality. A single motif can be a coaster, a brooch, or a patch on a denim jacket. A row of joined motifs becomes a table runner. A rectangle of joined motifs becomes the body of a bag. The same flowers bloom across wildly different projects, and once you have mastered making one, you have essentially unlocked an entire universe of possibilities.
The elegance of the lace flower also makes it a perennial favorite for gifts. A hand-crocheted lace table runner is the kind of gift that people use for decades and that carries real sentimental weight. A crocheted lace bag has an artisanal quality that mass-produced accessories simply cannot replicate.
Materials You Will Need
Before you press play on the video tutorial, gathering your materials will make the whole experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Thread: For a traditional, delicate look, cotton crochet thread in size 10 is the classic choice. It produces crisp stitch definition, blocks beautifully, and holds up to washing over time. White and ecru are the most classic options, but dusty rose, sage green, soft lavender, and pale gold all produce stunning results. If you want a sturdier fabric for the bag version, you can move up to size 3 crochet thread or even a fine DK-weight cotton yarn, which will give you more structure without sacrificing too much of the lacy aesthetic.
Hook: For size 10 thread, a steel crochet hook in size 7 (1.65 mm) or size 6 (1.8 mm) is typical. For thicker thread or fine yarn, you will move into the aluminum hook range, usually somewhere between 2.25 mm and 3.5 mm. As always, your gauge swatch is your guide — the finished motif should be approximately the size indicated in your pattern before blocking.
Scissors and tapestry needle: You will need sharp scissors for cutting thread and a blunt tapestry needle for weaving in ends. When you are working with size 10 thread, a needle with a fine enough eye to pass the thread through without fraying is important.
Stitch markers: Locking stitch markers are useful for marking the first stitch of each round and for keeping track of joining points when you begin assembling motifs.
Blocking supplies: Blocking is not optional with lace — it is what transforms a slightly puckered, unassuming piece of crochet into something that looks professionally made. You will need blocking mats (foam puzzle mats work perfectly), rust-proof T-pins or blocking wires, and a spray bottle filled with water. If you choose to wet-block rather than spray-block, a clean towel for pressing out excess moisture is also helpful.
For the bag version: You will additionally need a lining fabric (a lightweight cotton or linen works well), fabric scissors, sewing needle and thread or a sewing machine, bag handles (either purchased wooden or acrylic rings, or twisted cord handles you can make yourself), and optionally a magnetic snap closure.
Understanding the Lace Flower Motif Pattern
The lace flower motif at the heart of this tutorial is built in rounds, beginning with a small center ring and expanding outward through petals and picot lace edging. Here is a round-by-round breakdown of the structure, which the video tutorial demonstrates in real time.
Round 1 – The Center Ring: Begin with a slip ring (also called a magic ring) or chain a small number of stitches and join them into a ring with a slip stitch. Work a set of single crochet stitches into the ring, then pull the tail to close. This forms the tight, tidy center of your flower.
Round 2 – The Petal Base: Chain a specific number (the video will show you exactly), skip a stitch, and slip stitch into the next. Repeat this process all the way around the ring to create the looped arches that will become the inner petals. Each arch is the foundation of one petal.
Round 3 – Petal Formation: Into each arch from Round 2, work a combination of single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, and single crochet stitches to create the rounded petal shape. When you complete Round 3, you have a small but recognizable flower.
Round 4 – Background Mesh: This round begins to move the design outward into the mesh lattice that gives lace its characteristic airy quality. Chain lengths and slip stitches alternate between the petals, creating anchor points for the next round.
Round 5 – Outer Petals and Picot Edging: A second, larger ring of petals emerges in this round, often with delicate picot stitches (typically a chain-3 picot) along the edges of each petal. Picots are the tiny loops you see along the edges of traditional lace — they are made by chaining a small number of stitches and slip stitching back into the base stitch to form a little bubble of thread. They add elegance and texture without adding complexity.
Round 6 – The Joining Round: The final round creates the connecting points that allow you to attach one motif to the next. These are typically corner chains and side chains arranged in a square or hexagonal configuration, depending on the pattern. The video tutorial shows both a flat join (sewn or slip-stitched together after all motifs are complete) and a join-as-you-go method (where you connect each new motif to the previous ones while working the last round), so you can choose whichever approach suits your working style.
Making the Table Runner
A table runner typically consists of a long, rectangular arrangement of joined motifs. The width of a standard table runner is usually between 12 and 16 inches, and the length can range from 36 inches for a coffee table to 90 inches or more for a formal dining table. Before you begin crocheting your first motif, measure your table and decide how many motifs wide and how many motifs long you want your runner to be.
If each finished motif (after blocking) measures approximately 4 inches across, a three-motif-wide runner is a lovely standard size. For a 54-inch runner, you would need approximately 13 or 14 rows of three motifs, for a total of around 39 to 42 motifs. For a 72-inch runner, you are looking at around 54 motifs. This sounds like a lot, but once you have made ten or fifteen and found your rhythm, each one takes very little time. Many crocheters find the repetitive process genuinely meditative.
Working order: The video tutorial recommends crocheting all of your motifs first if you are using the flat join method, then laying them out on a blocking mat in your desired arrangement before joining. This lets you see the overall design before committing to the assembly, and it gives you the opportunity to rotate individual motifs so that any slight tension inconsistencies are balanced across the runner.
For join-as-you-go, you begin with your first motif, then work the second motif in sequence, connecting it to the first during its final round. Continue row by row, connecting each new motif to its neighbors on whichever sides are adjacent to completed motifs. This method eliminates most of the finishing work and is especially efficient if you are making a very large piece.
Finishing the runner edges: Once all of your motifs are joined, the outer edges of the runner will have a somewhat scalloped or uneven profile from the partial arches of the outermost petals. A border round worked around the entire runner smooths this out and gives the piece a polished, finished appearance. A simple border of single crochet with chain-3 picots at regular intervals echoes the lace quality of the motifs and frames the runner beautifully.
Blocking the runner: Lay your runner flat on your blocking mats and pin each picot and outer arch firmly in place. Spray generously with water until the thread is fully saturated, then leave it to dry completely — usually overnight or up to 24 hours depending on humidity. When you unpin the runner, the difference is dramatic. The motifs will be flat, the mesh will be open and even, and the runner will hold its shape and lay perfectly flat on your table.
Adapting the Motif for a Bag
The transition from table runner to bag is less of a leap than it might seem. Where a runner is a long, narrow rectangle of joined motifs, a bag body is simply a wider, more square rectangle — or two rectangles joined at the sides and bottom.
Planning your bag dimensions: A practical everyday tote measures roughly 12 inches wide and 12 to 14 inches tall. If your motifs are 4 inches each, a three-by-three arrangement for each side panel gives you a 12-inch square — a perfect bag front and back. You will crochet two identical panels.
Thread choice for the bag: As mentioned above, moving to size 3 thread or a fine cotton yarn will give your bag enough structure to hold its shape when filled. If you prefer to keep working in size 10 thread for the delicate lace effect, adding a firm lining fabric inside the bag is essential — without it, the lace mesh will stretch under the weight of bag contents and quickly lose its shape.
Constructing the bag: Once both panels are blocked and finished, hold them with wrong sides together and join them along the sides and bottom using a slip stitch seam or a whip stitch seam worked through the outer edge stitches. Leave the top edges open. Work a border round around the top opening for a clean finish, and add handles — either by attaching purchased handles through the top edge stitches or by crocheting twisted cord handles and securing them at each side of the bag.
The lining: Cut your lining fabric to the dimensions of your bag interior, adding a seam allowance on all sides. Sew the lining pieces together, fold the top edge under, and slip the lining inside the bag with wrong sides facing. Stitch the lining to the top of the bag by hand using a whip stitch, just below the border round. If you want a closure, sew a magnetic snap to the lining before inserting it, centering each half about an inch below the top edge.
Optional additions: A crocheted lace flower motif works beautifully as an applied embellishment on the outside of the bag — stitch a single finished motif to one panel as a decorative focal point. You can also add a small interior pocket cut from matching lining fabric, which is enormously practical for keeping keys and small items organized.
Tips for Success With Lace Crochet
Working with fine thread requires a little more patience than working with bulky yarn, but a few simple practices will make the experience much more pleasant.
Good lighting is genuinely important. Fine thread against a white or light-colored background is easier to see than thread held against a dark surface. If your crafting setup allows it, work near a window during daylight hours.
Maintain consistent tension throughout your work. This is the quality that most separates experienced lace crocheters from beginners. If your tension is too tight, the motif will cup and be difficult to block flat. If it is too loose, the stitch definition will be muddy and the motif will feel floppy. Practice on a few motifs before committing to your project yarn and trust that tension improves with every piece you make.
Do not skip gauge swatching. Blocking changes the dimensions of lace crochet dramatically, so your gauge swatch must be blocked before measuring. Work one full motif, block it according to the instructions above, and measure it after it has dried completely. Adjust your hook size up or down until your blocked motif matches the pattern dimensions.
Weave in your ends thoroughly and in different directions. In lace work, ends have a way of working loose over time because the mesh structure offers fewer anchoring points than solid fabric. Weave each end in at least two or three different directions through the thread of the motif before trimming.
Finally, enjoy the process. A lace table runner or bag is not an afternoon project, and that is actually part of its value. The time you spend is part of what makes the finished object meaningful — whether you keep it for yourself or give it to someone who will understand what went into it.
Watch the Video Tutorial
The video tutorial companion to this post walks you through every step in real time — from making the slip ring and working the first round to the join-as-you-go technique, the border round, and the bag construction. Seeing the hook movements and thread tension in action is invaluable for lace work, especially if you are newer to working with fine thread. Pause freely, rewind as often as you need, and work alongside the tutorial at your own pace.
If you make either the table runner or the bag using this pattern and tutorial, please share your finished project — the colors you chose, the modifications you made, and the story behind who you made it for. Crochet is a living tradition, and every finished piece is part of its continuation. Happy crocheting.
