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Crochet animals and amigurumi are so much fun to make! They’re cute, quick, and portable projects that can be whipped up in a short amount of time. Plus, they’re perfect for beginner crocheters.
In this post, we’ll share 25 of our favorite beginner-friendly crochet animal patterns. So whether you’re looking for a little project for yourself, or want to make a handmade gift, you’ll find the perfect pattern right here.
Crochet Softies and Amigurumi
Want to try your hand at making cute crochet animals? You’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll tell you how to get started making crochet plushies and amigurumi, and share our favorite easy animal patterns for beginners.
What is amigurumi?
Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting yarn creatures. It comes from two Japanese words: “ami”, meaning “crocheted or knitted”, and “nuigurumi”, which means “stuffed doll”.
Amigurumi only became popular in the US in the early 2000s. Japan, however, has practiced this fun, adorable art for decades.
There’s a lot of variety when it comes to amigurumi – you can make your plushie as big or as small as you’d like. Still, most amigurumi patterns you will find are for small creatures (Don’t worry – we have a couple of jumbo, huggable critters included in this post!).
Everyone seems to love these cute crochet animals. Amigurumi projects make perfect gifts, especially for babies and kids.
Can beginners do amigurumi?
Absolutely! Amigurumi can be a wonderful project for those just beginning their crochet journey. To make most beginner-level amigurumi patterns, you’ll need to know a handful of simple crochet stitches, like single crochet, increases, and decreases. You also need to know how to sew pieces together and embroider facial features to bring your amigurumi critters to life.
Brand new to crochet? Make sure to read through our beginner How to Crochet guide to get all the details before jumping in.
Stitches and Techniques You’ll Need to Know
There are a few stitches and techniques that you’ll find in nearly every amigurumi pattern. Here are the most popular ones that you will see.
Single crochet
Many patterns use short single crochet stitches to keep the fabric tight and close. You don’t want any of that stuffing popping out of your squishy creature.
Increases and decreases
You’ll also need to know how to sc increase and sc decrease. You’ll use increases and decreases to create curves and volume in your amigurumi patterns.
Crocheting in spiral rounds
Most crochet amigurumi and made in spiral rounds. That means you’ll be crocheting around and around in a circle. Make sure you have stitch markers on hand in order to keep track of your rounds!
Changing Colors
Crochet animals are often quite colorful. Check out this post to learn more about how to change colors in crochet projects.
Best Yarn for Making Crochet Animals
Most amigurumi patterns suggest using cotton yarn in either a DK or worsted weight. Cotton yarn is easy for beginners to use, and gives your projects great stitch definition, too!
Don’t have cotton? Not a problem. You can use worsted-weight acrylic or even bulky-weight chenille yarns to make crochet animals, too.
What Other Supplies Do You Need for Amigurumi?
As with all crochet projects, amigurumi projects require yarn and a crochet hook. You’ll also want to have a yarn needle and scissors. Other tools that are often needed for amigurumi projects include:
- stitch markers
- embroidery thread (for details)
- polyester filling (stuffing)
- and safety eyes
Check the beginning of each pattern for the supplies you will need before getting started.
25 Easy Crochet Animal Patterns for Beginners
Start your amigurumi collection with these 25 free crochet animal patterns!
Small Hippo Pattern
In just a couple of hours, you can have this precious little hippo sitting in the palm of your hand! If you haven’t crocheted in a spiral yet, you can learn with this cute project.
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
Crochet Jellyfish
This fun jellyfish project is perfect for entertaining a baby with its long, ticklish tentacles. Choose vibrant colors to make your sea friend even more enjoyable. Just make sure that small children are always supervised in order to avoid a choking hazard.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Yarn
Dumpling Kitty
Once you make one of these cute little kitten friends, you’ll want to create a whole family of them! They even sit flat, so you can easily set them on a desk or dresser.
Yarn weight: Aran
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
Long-Legged Cat
Here’s another choice for a silly little kitten. The long arms and legs on this project are so much fun. This cat is perfect for beginners.
Yarn weight: DK or worsted
Suggested yarn: Swish DK Superwash Merino Wool Yarn
Little Crochet Lamb
Need a snuggly little creature for the baby or toddler in your life? This little lamb is the perfect size to carry around and hug.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton Worsted/Aran
Jumbo the Bee Crochet Pattern
This fun, fluffy insect really is jumbo! When finished, Jumbo the Bee measures approximately 13” x 10”. Jumbo is the perfect, squishy friend!
Yarn weight: Jumbo
Suggested yarn: Sweet Snuggles by Loops and Threads
Sir Batwington the Bat
He may sound scary at first, but really, he’s just small and adorable. This pattern works well for the beginner who can sew pieces together.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton Worsted/Aran
Hamster Amigurumi
Okay, these hamsters are seriously too cute. Choose whether you want to make your little friend a strawberry, watermelon, or seed to hold. How fun!
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: WeCrochet Dishie
Crochet Dinosaur
Watch this cute little dino come alive as you crochet its fun spikes and add the eyes. The best part about this project is that it includes instructions to make an egg for your little dino, so you can watch him hatch!
Yarn weight: Sport
Suggested yarn: Hobbii Baby Cotton Midi
Blue Whale Crochet Pattern
This whale will be the perfect start to your nautical amigurumi collection. You can have this simple project ready in just a couple of hours.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: WeCrochet Dishie
Little Winter Penguin
Cozy up to crochet this waddly little friend. And don’t forget the pom pom for the top of his hat! Crocheting this little winter penguin will put you in a Christmas mood in no time. You’ll love all the colors that are included in this project.
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarn DK
Itty Bitty Crochet Kitty
With only two pieces (a body and a tail), this itty bitty kitty is a wonderful project for new beginners. You can also personalize this kitty by adding stripes and spots. Have fun!
Yarn weight: DK Cotton
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarn DK
Jazzy the Unicorn
This jazzy and colorful unicorn has real hair (well, yarn hair, that is)! You’ll cut strands of yarn to make Jazzy’s mane and tail. When finished, this project stands 14” high. Perfect for squeezing!
Yarn weight: Acrylic worsted
Suggested yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Owl Amigurumi
Murasaki means purple in Japanese, but you can personalize this sleepy owl to be any color you like. This project uses just a few easy pieces, making it excellent for beginners.
Yarn weight: Worsted acrylic
Suggested yarn: WeCrochet Brava Worsted
Crochet Teddy Bear
Looking for the perfect gift to create? Everyone needs a teddy bear! Sitting down, this teddy is about 9” tall. This pattern is best for an advanced beginner.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: I Love This Yarn
Cocca the Hen Pattern
Eggs for breakfast, anyone? Personalize this little hen to match your farm kitchen!
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: PULL LINK
Brontosaurus Dinosaur Amigurumi
The shaping and multiple pieces of this dinosaur make it a great project for intermediates. Choose a pastel to add to the sweetness of this delightful project.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
Mini Pig Crochet Pattern
What could be cuter than a crocheted pig? Keep it simple with one color, or add some spots to practice color changes. Every pig is unique!
Yarn weight: Super Bulky
Suggested yarn: Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky
Cube Fox Amigurumi Pattern
With this pattern, you can choose to make a small cube fox with DK weight, or follow the larger pattern with a chunkier yarn for a fluffier fox.
Yarn weight: DK or Chunky
Suggested yarn: Chunky Chenille
Amigurumi Bear
A bear with a scarf? These plush, wintery friends are such sweet, cuddy creatures! Besides, who doesn’t love crocheting scarves?
Yarn weight: Super fine or fine
Suggested yarn: Fine merino, like WeCrochet Stroll
Amigurumi Narwhal
These little narwhals are super easy to make. Or, leave out the tusk and just make it a whale. Once you get started, you’ll have a collection of palm-size sea creatures in no time!
Yarn weight: Worsted acrylic
Suggested yarn: WeCrochet Brava Worsted
Whale Plushie Crochet Pattern
You can’t have one without the other! Crochet these plush ocean friends to add to your collection of sea creatures. This project is recommended for intermediates.
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
Little Pig Amigurumi Pattern
Practice skills such as the magic ring, invisible decrease, increase, and sewing details together with this little pig. You’ll have a blast with this cute, squishy craft.
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK or Worsted
Cube Puppy Dog Amigurumi Pattern
Calling all dog lovers! The creator of this pattern also includes an option for an extra fluffy puppy. This dog features a basic cube. Then, you’ll add the arms, legs, and tail.
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
Hubble the Squid
Last on the list, this project is excellent for those who are just beginning with amigurumi. There’s no sewing in this project other than your squid’s eyes. Perfect!
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
More Crochet Patterns
If you love to crochet, you may be interested in these related pattern collections.
- 30 Free Crochet Doll Patterns
- 17 Adorable (and Free!) Crochet Bunny Patterns
- 17 Free Crochet Octopus Patterns: Fun for All Ages
- 27 Free Crochet Dinosaur Patterns To Roar About
- 30 Free Easy Crochet Flower Patterns (plus ideas to use them!)
- 12 Free Crochet Bee Patterns
- 18 Free Crochet Cat Patterns: Find your Purr-fect Project
What’s Next?
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Sarah Stearns has helped millions of makers find their next craft project with free patterns and step-by-step tutorials on her blog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.
With over a decade of experience in knitting and crochet, she has been featured in prominent publications like The New York Times, Scientific American, Good Housekeeping, Vox, Apartment Therapy, and Lifehacker.
Ian Bass
Sunday 10th of September 2023
I have a problem. I am the 86-year-old male novice crocheter. A relative has given me a kit to make up for her daughter. Hedgehog Hazel. It is in the round and has only 24 stitches in a row. But it has lots of bobbles. I start off well but after couple rows I have about 40 stitches. I cannot sort out the bobbles after I have drawn through 6 loops. consecutive rows are :-3ch 2tr,bobble,*3tr, bobble*repeat *-*2x,9tr,4 bobbles. next row is 3ch,tr, bobble. *3tr, bobble*Repeat *-*3x, 6tr, 5 bobbles. There is no way I can keep it in 24 stitches. In theory, it works perfectly but in practice I am 'inventing' spaces somewhere. Can you help?
Sarah Stearns
Monday 11th of September 2023
Hmm, Do you think you could be adding an extra chain stitch after the bobble stitch? Maybe you could use stitch markers to mark the top of each bobble stitch - that might help you find where you are adding the extra stitches.
Madcat
Thursday 6th of April 2023
I love this site it gives you patterns that you can do in different colors and it free
Mia
Tuesday 25th of October 2022
Am I able to sell the things I male from these patterns?
Sarah Stearns
Wednesday 26th of October 2022
Hi Mia, in many cases yes. You'll want to check with the designer whose pattern you are making.
Mary Parsons
Sunday 26th of June 2022
How do I get the 25 free critters patterns? I need them for a friend in prison to do something with his time.
Sarah Stearns
Monday 27th of June 2022
Hi Mary, Click on the links below each pattern to get the patterns that you are interested in.