Do I need to change colours for the stripes?

Only in the tail. The face and body stripes are embroidered on at the end.

How are the tiger stripes made?

They're embroidered with black yarn after crocheting, so you can place each stripe exactly where you like.

Yes. The tail alternates orange and black rounds and finishes with a black tip.

What size safety eyes does the tiger use?

Two 8mm safety eyes, placed between Rounds 13 and 14, about seven stitches apart.

Can I make a white tiger?

es. Use white yarn with grey or black stripes for a snow tiger.

Can I make the tiger into a keychain?

Yes. Fit a screw eye pin or a strong yarn loop at the top of the head and attach a key ring.

Amigurumi

Free Amigurumi Crochet Patterns

Amigurumi is where crochet gets playful. It’s the Japanese craft of crocheting small stuffed characters, usually worked in the round in single crochet, and it’s grown into one of the most loved corners of the hobby. This collection brings together free amigurumi crochet patterns for pets, wild animals, cute original characters, and seasonal favourites for Halloween and the winter holidays.

Choose a character below to see its materials, size and skill level, then download the PDF. Most amigurumi patterns use only a handful of stitches, so they’re a wonderful way to practise shaping and finishing on something small.

Choosing a Character to Make

From a family pet to a spooky Halloween line-up, amigurumi covers a lot of ground.

1 Pets and Companion Animals

Cats, dogs and beloved breeds like the Yorkie are some of the most requested amigurumi of all. A crochet dog pattern or crochet cat pattern makes a personal, huggable gift, especially for a pet lover.

2 Farm and Woodland Animals

Bunnies, foxes, hedgehogs and other familiar creatures. A crochet bunny pattern is one of the most popular amigurumi searches there is, and a lovely first animal to make.

3 Wild and Exotic Animals

Crocodiles, lions, elephants and other animals with a bit more personality in their shaping. These often introduce new techniques like textured stitches for scales or manes.

4 Cute Original Creatures

Playful, made-up characters and friendly monsters with their own look and personality, rather than modelled on any existing franchise. A fun category for original design and bold colour choices.

5 Dolls and Kawaii Characters

Soft dolls with simple embroidered or safety-eye faces, often dressed in tiny crocheted outfits. A favourite for gifting and for practising embroidery on amigurumi.

6 Halloween Amigurumi

Bats, ghosts, pumpkins and other spooky-cute characters. Halloween crochet patterns are some of the most searched seasonal makes, and small enough to finish before the holiday arrives.

7 Christmas and Winter Amigurumi

Snowmen, reindeer and other festive characters, worked the same way as any amigurumi but dressed for the season. A popular category for handmade gifts and stocking fillers.

8 Keychains and Mini Amigurumi

Tiny versions of larger characters, usually under 3 inches tall, finished off with a keyring or clasp. Quick to make and popular as small gifts or add-ons to an order.

Why Amigurumi Is Great for Beginners

Amigurumi is one of the friendliest places to start, because most characters use just two or three stitches worked over and over: single crochet, with increases and decreases to shape the head and body. There’s no fitting to worry about and no long rows to keep straight, which makes it more forgiving than a garment.

The learning curve sits in three places: working in a continuous spiral without joining each round, keeping your tension tight enough that stuffing doesn’t peek through the stitches, and sewing the pieces together neatly at the end. Once you’ve made one small animal, the next one follows the same logic, just with a different shape.

Stitches and Techniques Amigurumi Relies On

A small set of techniques covers almost every character in this collection.

Single crochet in the round, worked in a continuous spiral, is the base stitch for almost every amigurumi body and head.
Magic ring gives a tight, hole-free start to a round piece, which matters for stuffed shapes.
Increases and decreases shape the rounds wider or narrower, turning a simple tube into a head, snout or paw.
Invisible decrease keeps decreases neat and nearly invisible on the finished piece, especially useful around the face.
Safety eyes and embroidery give a character its expression, and are usually added before the head is fully stuffed and closed.
Whip stitch or mattress stitch joins the finished pieces together, using a tapestry needle rather than a hook.

Choosing Yarn for Amigurumi

Smooth, worsted-weight cotton or acrylic is the standard choice for amigurumi, because it shows stitch definition clearly and holds its shape once stuffed. Cotton gives a slightly firmer, more matte finish, while acrylic is softer and easier on the budget for larger projects. Whichever you choose, a tight gauge matters more here than in most other crochet, since loose stitches let the toy stuffing show through.

Many amigurumi crocheters use a hook one or two sizes smaller than the yarn label suggests. This tightens the fabric and closes the small gaps between stitches, giving a neater, sturdier finished character, especially important for anything intended for a child.

Solid, non-variegated colours work best for most amigurumi, since they let the shaping and any embroidered details stand out clearly. Save fuzzy, boucle or eyelash yarns for small accents like fur trims or manes rather than the whole body, because their texture hides the stitch definition that gives a character its crisp shape.

Choosing the Right Amigurumi Size

Amigurumi sizes vary widely by character and yarn weight. As a rough guide:

Keychain / mini amigurumi

under 3 in (7.5 cm)

Small amigurumi

About 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm)

Standard amigurumi

bout 7 to 10 in (18 to 25 cm)

Scarf

Commonly 60 to 70 in (150 to 180 cm) long

Triangle shawl

Wingspan often 60 to 70 in (150 to 180 cm) across the top edge

Finished size depends on your yarn weight, hook size and tension, so a quick test round or two at the start of a pattern will tell you whether your character will match the size shown.

Amigurumi Safety for Babies and Young Children

Safety eyes, small buttons and other tiny attachments are a choking risk for babies and toddlers, so choose embroidered features instead for anything intended for a young child, and stuff firmly enough that seams don’t gape. Check any pattern’s suggested age range before you start, and sew all joins securely with a doubled thread. A gift for an older child or an adult has more freedom, but it’s always worth thinking about who will actually be holding the finished piece.

Alternatives to Plastic Safety Eyes

If you’d rather avoid small plastic pieces altogether, felt circles stitched on with a needle and thread give a soft, secure alternative, and satin stitch embroidery gives the most baby-safe finish of all, since there’s nothing attached that could work loose. Both take a little more time than snapping in a safety eye, but they’re worth it for anything a very young child will hold, chew or sleep with.

Displaying and Storing Your Amigurumi

Keep finished characters out of direct sunlight, since strong light fades yarn colour over time, especially reds and darker shades. A light dusting with a soft brush keeps them clean, and a gentle hand wash in cool water works for most cotton or acrylic pieces if they need a proper clean, dried away from direct heat. Store spares in a fabric bag or box rather than a sealed plastic one, so the yarn can breathe.

Giving Amigurumi as a Gift

A finished amigurumi is one of the most personal handmade gifts there is, and it’s easy to tailor to the recipient. Match a character to a pet, a favourite animal or a hobby, and consider the size and safety features covered above if it’s for a young child. A small tag with the character’s name, or a care note on washing, is a nice finishing touch if you’re giving or selling one on.

Amigurumi Habits Worth Building

A few consistent habits make a big difference to how neat a finished character looks.

Use a hook a size or two smaller than the yarn label for a tight fabric.
Stuff firmly and evenly, adding a little at a time as you go.
Place safety eyes before you finish stuffing, so you can check the spacing.
Pin pieces in place before sewing, to check proportions first.
Weave in ends through the stuffing, not just along the surface, so they stay secure.
Weave in ends through the stuffing, not just along the surface, so they stay secure.

Amigurumi Questions, Answered

Amigurumi is a Japanese word for the craft of crocheting or knitting small, stuffed characters, usually animals or cute figures worked in the round.

Almost all amigurumi is worked in single crochet, in a continuous spiral rather than joined rounds, with increases and decreases to shape the piece.

It depends on the size. A small keychain amigurumi might use under 20 yards, while a standard-sized character often takes 100 to 200 yards. Each pattern lists the exact amount.

Polyester fibre fill is the standard choice, since it’s washable, holds its shape and stays soft. Stuff firmly rather than loosely, so the finished piece keeps a neat shape.

Yes, many are. Look for a pattern marked beginner level with a simple round or oval body shape and few pieces to sew together.

The rules on selling finished items are in our Pattern Use Policy.

What to Crochet Next

Enjoyed making a character? Try a hat or a small accessory to go with it, or start a blanket for your next bigger project.

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