Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! With these easy crochet amigurumi animal patterns, you can make yourself a whole zoo of cute creatures. This collection includes some of my favorite stuffie designs for beginner and intermediate makers.
I’ve also chosen a few more advanced animals for once you’re confident in your amigurumi skills.
Best Free Amigurumi Animal Patterns
I’m sure you’re excited to get started on your own adorable amigurumi! Most of these patterns use easy techniques, which makes them fairly fast crochet projects.
Easiest Crochet Animal Patterns
Starting with these easy animals is a great way to boost your crafting confidence and learn new techniques, especially if you’re just learning how to crochet amigurumi.
See more beginner amigurumi patterns →
Beginner Kitty Cat
Related: Modern Crochet Cat Bed Pattern
Exceptionally Easy Rectangle Bunny
Mini Animals
If it’s really small amigurumi you’re looking for, these tiny projects fit the bill. Many of these are perfect to add to keychains or tie to the top of a gift.
PRO TIP: You can often make any animal bigger or smaller simply by using a thicker or thinner yarn than the pattern calls for. Be sure to adjust your hook size accordingly if you change yarn weights. This is important in achieving tight stitches and preventing stuffing from leaking out.
Solid Color Tiny Dinosaur
Related: More Crochet Dinosaur Patterns
No-Sew Whale for Beginners
No Sew Mini Rainbow Fish
Teeny Tiny Hippo
Teddy Bear Stuffie
20 Minute Octopus Squish
Advanced-Beginner Animals
Ready to challenge your toy-making skills? Look no further than these slightly more complex amigurumi patterns.
Cuddly Koala Pattern
Modern Crochet Whale Pattern
Small Winking Owl Toy
Bunny No-Sew Toy
Birthday Piglet
Christmas Bear Ornament
Mini Elephant Amigurumi
Cuddly Crochet Teddy Bears
Advanced Amigurumi Stuffies
If you’re ready for more advanced crochet animals, look for projects with more detail and limbs. Below you’ll find slightly intricate patterns and techniques that might need some skill and practice, like the jog-less stripe or working with fuzzy yarn.
Sweet Amigurumi Bee
Adorable Winter Mouse
Huggable Alpaca Toy
Sea Otter Stuffie Pattern
Ice Cream Scoop Snail
Huggable Floppy Ear Bunny
Baby Penguin Toy
Boucle Bear & Bunny Stuffed Toy
Mini Monkey Doll with Banana
Reversible Octopus
Spring Bunnies Stuffies
Large Crochet Stuffed Animal Patterns
Just because a stuffed animal is big, doesn’t mean it has to be hard to crochet. In fact, working with big amigurumi can be easier if you don’t like crocheting with little hooks. Plus, there is something extra cute about these giant stuffed toys.
Charming Crochet Sloth
Jumbo Bee Pattern
Giant Narwhal and Shark Friends
Big Fleece Panda
Giant Bear Blanket
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Bulky Blanket Yarn Flamingo
Why you’ll love crocheting your own stuffies!
Stitches + Techniques for Amigurumi Animals
If you know the basics of crochet, you can make a stuffed animal! Many of these cute critters might seem different in concept, but they actually share very similar shapes and elements. Understanding this can give you confidence in tackling a wide variety of amigurumi patterns.
Common Stitches and Abbreviations
While each pattern might call for different stitches and skills, magic circles and single crochet stitches are typically the base for most crochet animals. Here are common stitches and abbreviations you likely come across:
| Common Crochet Stitch | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| magic circle / magic ring | mc / mr |
| Single crochet stitch | sc |
| Double crochet stitch | dc |
| Single stitch increase | inc |
| Invisible decrease | inv dec |
| Slip stitch | slst |
PRO TIP: Crochet patterns can be written in US or UK terms. Be sure to check the pattern you’re following to verify which are used. The above are US terms for crochet stitches.
Working in Spiral Rounds
Most of the pieces in amigurumi patterns are worked in continuous rounds without joining the ends of each round with a slip stitch. This is quite easy because you just continue crocheting as if working up a spiral staircase.
PRO TIP: When working in spiral rounds, it’s extremely helpful to place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round. This helps you keep track of where the round officially begins. Move it up to the next round each time you encounter it.
Changing Colors
It is also helpful to know things like how to change colors, but not every pattern will require it. To simplify a project, look for opportunities to reduce color changes and stripes.
Common Shapes
If you’re feeling intimidated to make your first stuffed animal, it can be helpful to think of the creature as a series of simple shapes. Most stuffies are “built” from a combination of:
- spheres
- tubes
- ovids (aka 3D ovals)
Using only basic crochet stitches, you’ll be able to create almost any of the shapes found in animal patterns. Easy peasy!
Related: 20+ Cute Cows To Crochet
More Free Amigurumi Patterns
If you can’t get enough cute crochet stuffies, you’ll love these free patterns.
Patterns With Step-by-Step Video Tutorials
Having video step-by-step instructions to follow can be extremely handy when you’re learning how to crochet animals. If you like following video tutorials, check out these patterns.
Supplies You’ll Need
Since there are so many different ways to crochet amigurumi animals, your project could require some unique supplies. Here’s a list of basic materials you’ll most likely need:
- Yarn – find more details on choosing a yarn below
- Hooks
- Yarn needle – for joining pieces and weaving in ends
- Stitch markers – for keeping your rounds even and marking where to attach limbs
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Polyfil or other stuffing
- Erasable fabric pen – for marking placement of eyes and limbs
- Blush makeup – for adding rosy cheeks
- Safety eyes*
- Embroidery floss – for adding eyes and facial features
- Beads or buttons – for eyes or clothing details
- Key rings and chains – to turn a small plushie into a keychain
*When creating toys for small children, safety eyes can pose a choking hazard. It’s best to use embroidered or sewed-on eyes for kids under age three.
PRO TIP: Put a small piece of felt behind safety eyes to make cute eyelids and give your projects an even more animated look. (See example below.)
How to Make Your Toy Extra Cute
A huge part of the charm of amigurumi animals is their cute factor. So let’s take a minute to talk about what actually makes them irresistibly adorable. This way, if your project isn’t ending up as charming as you imagined, you can think about what it might be missing.
While each person will have different ideas of what they consider cute, there are some common threads (pun intended!)
BONUS IDEA: Give your stuffed animal extra personality by adding one or two human-like accessories. Folding wire to make mini glasses, a sweet bow, or a tiny scarf can really level up the cuteness quotient.
Try “Brushing It Out”
If you’re an advanced beginner and want to add texture to your toy, you could also try a brush-out technique using natural fiber or natural fiber blend yarn. For that, look for something with at least 50% natural fiber, like wool.
Check out this video tutorial for detailed instructions on how to make your crochet animals look fluffy by “brushing” the yarn:
Best Yarn for Crocheting Animals
Not all yarn is created equal; some kinds are better for stuffed animals than others. Here are some guidelines to help you pick the best yarn for your plush projects.
Consider Fiber Type
Acrylic is often the best yarn for amigurumi projects. Not only is it soft, but it’s usually machine washable and easy to take care of—ideal for well-loved stuffed animals. I like Lion Brand Basic Stitch because it comes in a wide variety of colors and resists pilling with lots of use.
Cotton yarn or cotton blend yarn is also a good choice since it holds its shape well and is easy to work with. Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton is one of my favorites because the texture is both soft and durable. I’ve found it works really well for crochet toys. And 24/7 Cotton is available in a DK weight and a light worsted weight.
Consider Yarn Weight
While you can use worsted weight yarn, sport weight is most commonly used when making animals. Sport and DK weight yarn allow for a lot of stitch detail and can be the perfect thickness for small animal patterns.
My Personal Yarn Suggestions
Here are some good Lion Brand yarns to try:
- 24/7 Cotton – vibrant, saturated colors and awesome stitch definition
- 24/7 Cotton DK – same benefits as thicker version, but thinner
- Basic Stitch Anti Pilling – has a wide variety of colors and doesn’t pill
- Go for Fleece Sherpa – best for advanced beginners and creates a nice texture for furry toys
- Heartland – beautiful muted colors, soft go-to acrylic
- Feels Like Butta – extremely soft, great for snuggling
PRO TIP: Stuffies also make charming handmade gifts for kids and adults alike. If you plan on making one for a child, choose a hardy yarn that can be cleaned in a washing machine.
Is it Easier to Knit or Crochet Stuffed Animals?
Most people find it easier to crochet stuffed animals because they are only managing one hook and one active loop. When you knit, you are managing two needles and two active loops. Crochet also tends to be faster than knitting. However, you can make adorable stuffies with both techniques.
What’s the Easiest Crochet Animal to Make?
There isn’t one specific animal that is easiest to crochet. Instead, look for simple patterns and animals without a lot of detail or limbs. Things like fish and chibi-style cats can be a good place to start.
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Lyne says
This is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this great post on amigurumi. Love it!
And Happy New Year to you and your wonderful crew!