FREE Stars & Stripes Mandala Pattern

This free mandala pattern is the perfect round complement to our Americana flags and buntings, just in time for your America 250 celebrations. Work it as a special centerpiece or home décor accent you’ll love in red, white, and blue —or in any color palette you choose.

KEY 
beg-dc3tog = beginning double crochet 3 stitches together  
beg-tr3cl = beginning treble 3-stitch cluster  
beg-tr3tog = beginning treble crochet 3 stitches together  
ch = chain  
cl = cluster
​dc = double crochet  
dc3tog = double crochet 3 stitches together  
fpdc = front post double crochet  
fowe = join with ss in beg ch, fasten off, weave ends  
hdc = half double crochet  
hdc2tog = half double crochet 2 together  
rpt = repeat  
sc = single crochet  
sk = skip  
ss = slip st  
st(s) = stitch(es)  
stst = star stitch  
tr3cl = treble 3-stitch cluster  
tr3tog = treble crochet 3 stitches together
​yo = yarn over

YOU WILL NEED:
• To count stitches after every single round, 1 skipped or misplaced st will produce extra sts in subsequent rounds!
• 3 small to medium balls/skeins of yarn: 1 White (A), 1 Blue (B), 1 Red (C) with the suggested hook size for that yarn.
In this pattern, I used:
• #1 Super Fine 8/4 cotton for Small 9.5” Mandala
• #4 Medium worsted/cotton yarn for Large 16” Mandala
• Thread, needle, and snips
GAUGE: Not necessary unless you’re aiming for a specific diameter.
FINISHED SIZE: Approximately 9.5" diameter for the small mandala and 16" diameter for the large, after light blocking, depending on yarn choice and tension. 
LEVEL: Intermediate. A good next step for beginners with knowledge of basic crochet techniques.
NOTE: PLEASE read “Pattern Tips & Design Notes” at the end of this pattern before you start hooking!

PLEASE READ “Mastering Star Stitch” at the end of this pattern before working rounds 9 and 10.

SPECIAL SITCHES
Adjustable ring: search ‘crochet adjustable ring’ online, or ch 4 and join with ss.
beg‑dccl (beginning dc cluster) = Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 2 dc in indicated stitch, drop loop from hook, insert hook from front to back in first dc of the 3 dc just made, return dropped loop to hook and draw through.
beg‑tr3cl (beginning treble 3‑stitch cluster) = Ch 4 (counts as first treble), yo twice, insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook twice (2 loops remain on hook); yo twice, insert hook in same stitch, pull up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
tr3cl (treble 3‑stitch cluster) = *yo twice, insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook twice (2 loops remain on hook); repeat from * 2 more times in the same stitch (4 loops remain on hook), yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook.
beg-tr3tog (beginning treble crochet 3 stitches together) = Ch 4 (counts as first treble of decrease), *yo twice, insert hook in next st, yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook twice; repeat from * 2 more times in the following 2 sts (4 loops remain on hook), yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook.
beg-dc3tog (beginning double crochet 3 stitches together) = yo, insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook 3 times, yo, draw through all 4 loops on hook. Ch 1 to close eye.
dc3tog (double crochet 3 stitches together) = yo, insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook 3 times, yo, draw through all 4 loops on hook.
fpdc (Front post double crochet) = yo, insert your hook from the front to the back and then to the front again around the vertical post of the stitch from the previous round, yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through two loops; yo and draw through the remaining two loops.
tr3tog (treble crochet 3 stitches together) = *yo twice, insert hook in next st, yo and pull up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook twice; repeat from * 2 more times, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook. 
Notes 
• Mandala is worked in joined rounds with right side always facing.
• Thread color is fastened off at the end of each round (fowe) unless otherwise noted; new color is joined at start of next round.

PATTERN
​With A, make an adjustable ring or ch 4 and ss to join. 

Round 1: With A, beg‑tr3cl in ring, *ch 5, tr3cl in ring; rpt from * 4 more times. Ch 5, ss in 3rd ch of beg‑tr3cl, count sts; fowe. 6 tr3cl; 6 ch‑5 spaces. ​

Round 2: Draw up a loop of B in any space, beg‑tr3cl in that space, ch 5, tr3cl in same ch‑5 space; *tr3cl, ch 5, tr3cl in next ch‑5 space; rpt from * around. fowe. Twelve clusters; twelve ch‑5 spaces.

Round 3: Draw up a loop of A in any space, ch 6 (counts as 1 sc, ch 5), *1 sc in next space, ch 5, repeat from * around, ch 5; count sts; fowe in 3rd ch of beginning ch. Twelve sc; twelve ch‑5 spaces.

Round 4: Draw up a loop of C in any space, ch 3 (counts as dc), 5 dc in same ch-5 space, *6 dc in each of next 11 ch-5 spaces; count sts; fowe, joining in top of first ch‑3.  Twelve 6-dc groups.

Round 5: Join A with a sc in first dc of any 6-dc group; ch 1, sc in next 5 dc, fpdc around next sc of Round 3 , *sc in next 6 dc of Round 4, fpdc around next sc of Round 3; repeat from * around; count sts; fowe in first sc. Twelve fpdc; twelve sc groups.

Round 6: Draw up a loop of B in any st, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each st around; count sts; fowe. 84 dc.

Round 7: Draw up a loop of C in any st, beg‑tr3tog (worked over the joined st and next 2 dc), *ch 4, tr3tog over next 3 dc; rpt from * around; count sts; fowe. Twenty‑eight tr3tog; twenty‑eight ch‑4 spaces.

Round 8: Draw up a loop of B in any ch‑4 sp, ch 2 (counts as first hdc), hdc 3 more times around same ch‑4 sp. *Hdc2tog over the top of the tr3tog (st and eye), hdc 4 around next ch‑4 sp. Rpt from * around. Count sts; join with ss in top of beg ch 2; fowe. 28 hdc groups of four; 28 hdc2tog.

​Rounds 9 & 10: With A, work 2 rounds of Star Stitch as described below:
Round 9: Star Stitch, Round 1: 
•    Begin Star St: Insert hook into any hdc, join with 1 sc, yo and pull up a loop in the next st, then pull up a loop in the next 3 sts. You now have 6 loops on your hook. Yo and pull through all 6 loops. Loosely ch 1 to close the star (this creates the “eye” of the star).
•    Continue round:*Insert hook into the eye you just made, pull up a loop, insert hook into the space between the last two spikes of the previous star, pull up a loop, insert hook into the same st as the last spike of the previous star, pull up a loop, insert hook into each of the next 2 sts, pulling up a loop in each st (6 loops on hook), yo and pull through all 6 loops. Loosely ch 1 to close. Rpt from* join with ss, do not fasten off, ch 2, continue to stst, Rnd 10.

Round 10: Star Stitch, Round 2: Hdc at base of ch 2, *loosely work 2 hdc in each eye. Rpt from * around. DO NOT FASTEN OFF; ch 2 and move to stst Rnd 2. 68 star stitches.

Round 11: Draw up a loop of B in any hdc, ch 4 (counts as 1 tr). Tr in nxt 2 st. *Ch 1, sk st, tr in nxt 3 st, rpt from * around. Count sts; join with ss to top of starting ch 4; fowe. Thirty-five 3‑tr groups; thirty-five ch sps. ​

Round 12: Draw up a loop of B in any ch-2 sp; beg-dc3tog, 2 dccl in same ch-2 sp. *Ch 3, 1 sc in middle st of nxt 3-tr group, ch 3, dc3tog in ch-2 sp; rpt from * around. Count sts; fowe. Twenty‑nine dc3tog; twenty‑nine ch‑3 sps.

Don't forget to Spray & BLOCK  your stitches into a perfectly round shape!

PATTERN TIPS & DESIGN NOTES
Mastering Star Stitch (2 rounds “stst” worked in the round):
• Keep loops tall and your tension very loose to define the star shape and make hook insertion easier.
• Always check that you have exactly 6 loops on your hook before pulling through.
• The “eye” is the small hole formed by the ch‑1 that closes the star; always work your return stitches directly into this eye.
NOTE: Round 7 treble decreases  
• Round 7 uses tr3tog and beg‑tr3tog as true decreases, each worked over three dc stitches. This is different from treble clusters (tr3cl); which are all worked into a single stitch.
• To avoid a stray dc at the end of the round, work beg‑tr3tog over three dc — the stitch where you join color C plus the next two dc — then work every tr3tog over the next three dc all the way around. This keeps your stitch count correct for the following rounds.

DESIGN NOTES
• This pattern is classified as intermediate because it relies on standard crochet abbreviations and assumes a working knowledge of cluster stitches, post stitches, and in‑the‑round construction. Using that keeps the pattern compact and easier to read as you hook, with pattern repeats clearly highlighted in bold text so you can follow along comfortably.
• This mandala intentionally combines cluster stitches (dc clusters and treble clusters) with true treble decreases (tr3tog in Round 7). The mix of clusters and decreases adds extra texture and subtle shaping compared to patterns that use clusters alone.
​• If you think of each special stitch as a two‑part pattern — first the beginning (“beg”) version at the start of the round, then the matching standard stitch that repeats around — beg‑dc3tog with dc3tog, beg‑tr3cl with tr3cl, and beg‑tr3tog with tr3tog — your counts will fall into place. Paying close attention to those “beg” stitches and working them exactly as written ensures that the rest of the round lines up with the repeat and your stitch counts stay accurate through the entire mandala.

Please be my tester!!?
Be my tester? I’ve made 8+ “Stars & Stripes Mandalas” to fine-tune this pattern; however, despite all efforts, designer errors sometimes sneak into releases anyway. If you find an error, please let me know so I can fix it and update the pattern for everyone. ​

Once I'm SURE all instructions are correct, I'll paste a condensed (2 pg) version and make it available to purchase for easy reference and viewing
Happy Yarning:)