Learn How to Crochet a Giraffe Amigurumi
Gifa is a cute crochet giraffe in our Juna Series of crochet animals. When we decided to crochet a giraffe, we knew he had to be named Gifa.
The backstory is that when Juna was a baby, we had gone to an amusement park in Dubai and these young boys were playing the carnival games over and over to try and win. When one of them won this giant giraffe stuffed toy (it was nearly as tall as me!), he promptly came over to us and gifted it to Juna (I guess he was just playing for bragging rights, rather than to win the giraffe toy!). Kozu named the stuffed giraffe Gifa and he has been a big part of our household since. When the kids first started sleeping in their room by themselves, Gifa was there to keep them company (because his size made them feel like an adult was there!).
So of course, I had to crochet a giraffe named Gifa because the original one has been an essential part of our family. Since our Juna series of animals all have the same body shape, I needed to figure out how to fit in the long neck in crocheting a giraffe for the series – and I’m thrilled with the results!
An amigurumi giraffe is such a cute gift to crochet for the little ones in your life. You can even pair him with other animals in the series for an adorable crochet animal collection!
About this Crochet Giraffe Pattern
Our Gifa the crochet giraffe is an easy amigurumi pattern for beginners. The body and head are crocheted in one piece – and you have the options of crocheting in the arms too! The head and body shape is wide without a neck – which is helpful because you don’t have to worry about wobbly heads.
This amigurumi giraffe is wearing overalls – which make him extra cute, don’t they? (What is it about animal stuffies in clothes that is so irresistible??) The overalls are crocheted by working in the leftover front loops from the last round of your pants.
Our giraffe is crocheted to be approximately 8 inches in height, excluding its ossicones. We crocheted him using DK yarn. However, you can use any yarn with the relevant hook for your giraffe.
If you would like an ads-free, print-friendly PDF version of our amigurumi giraffe pattern, you can buy it from our Ravelry store.
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Crochet Giraffe Free Pattern
This pattern is for your personal use only and cannot be sold, copied, or reproduced in any way without permission from the designers. You may sell finished objects made from this pattern but please give credit to chaicoffeecrochet.com as the pattern designers.
Tools & Materials You Will Need
- Yarn: Less than 50 grams of DK yarn in yellow and the overalls colour. A small amount in the tshirt colour, beige, and brown.
- 2.75mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Polyfill stuffing
- Two 10 mm safety eyes
- Embroidery thread in black
Crochet Stitches and Abbreviations
This pattern is written in US terms and crocheted in a spiral unless stated otherwise.
Sl st: slip stitch
Ch: Chain
SC: single crochet
INVDEC: invisible decrease
INC: two SC in the same stitch
BLO: back loops only
HDC: Half Double Crochet
HDC INC: two HDC in the same stitch
Finished size: Approximately 8 inches tall.
How to Crochet a Giraffe Toy
Below is the step-by-step instructions on how to crochet your giraffe plushie.
Arms (make 2)
Using dark brown
Round 1: 6 SC into a magic circle (6)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around (12)
Round 3: (5 SC, INC) twice (14)
Round 4-5 (2 rounds): SC around (14)
Round 6: (5 SC, INVDEC) twice (12)
Stuff the bottom of the arms lightly.
Change to yellow
Round 7: (4 SC, INVDEC) twice (10)
Round 8-12 (5 rounds): SC around (10)
Change to tshirt colour.
Round 13: SC around (10)
Round 14: SC around in BLO (10)
Do not stuff the rest of the arm.
Tip: If you want to crochet (instead of sew) on the arms of your giraffe, see our tutorial on crocheting arms to your amigurumi to see how to finish off the arms.
If you prefer to sew the arms to your giraffe, fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Muzzle
Tip: The base shape of the muzzle of the giraffe is an oval, so we will be crocheting around chain, rather than a magic circle as we usually do with amigurumi. If you are new to crocheting around a chain, we have a tutorial on how to crochet an oval for amigurumi.
Using beige
Round 1: Ch 6. Starting in the second chain from the hook, 4 SC, 3 SC in the next chain as your work turns. Now continue on the other side of the chain. 3 SC and INC in the last chain (12)
Round 2: INC, 3 SC, (INC) in each of the next three stitches, 3 SC, (INC) in each of the next two stitches (18)
Round 3: SC, INC, 3 SC, (SC, INC) three times, 3 SC, (SC, INC) twice (24)
Round 4: SC around (24)
Round 5: (10 SC, INVDEC) twice (22)
Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Legs (make 2)
Stuff legs lightly as you go.
Using dark brown
Round 1: 6 SC into a magic circle (6)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around (12)
Round 3: (SC, INC) six times (18)
Round 4: (2 SC, INC) six times (24)
Change to overalls colour
Round 5: SC around in BLO (24)
Round 6-12 (7 rounds): SC around (24)
Fasten off for the first leg. Leave a long tail for sewing to sew the hole between the legs when joining.
Repeat rounds 1-12 for the second leg but don’t fasten off.
Body
Now we will join the legs of your giraffe. If you are unfamiliar with the instructions in Round 13, we have a tutorial on how to join legs for amigurumi.
Round 13: SC into the first unworked stitch of the first leg. SC in the remaining 23 stitches of the first leg and the 24 stitches of the second leg. (48)
Use the yarn tail from the first leg to sew closed any hole remaining between the legs.
Round 14-19 (6 rounds): SC around (48)
Change to the tshirt colour.
Round 20: SC around in BLO (48)
Round 21-25 (5 rounds): SC around (48)*
*If you want to crochet your arms in, crochet them on during Round 25, on each side of the body. To attach the arms, crochet through both the body and the arm (see our tutorial on crocheting arms to your amigurumi)
Change to yellow
Round 26: SC around in BLO (48)
Round 27-41 (15 rounds): SC (48)
At this point, stuff the muzzle and sew it on between rounds 35 and 40. Insert the eyes between rounds 39 and 40, 11 stitches apart, centred to the muzzle.
Stuff the body.
Round 42: (6 SC, INVDEC) six times (42)
Round 43: (5 SC, INVDEC) six times (36)
Round 44: (4 SC, INVDEC) six times (30)
Round 45: (3 SC, INVDEC) six times (24)
Round 46: (2 SC, INVDEC) six times (18)
Round 47: (SC, INVDEC) six times (12)
Ensure that the body is stuffed firmly.
Round 48: INVDEC six times (6)
Fasten off. Insert needle in front loop of each stitch and pull tight to close.
Use black embroidery thread to embroider on eyebrows, nostrils, and a smile. If you haven’t attached the arms yet, sew them on between Rounds 25 and 26.
Ears (make 2)
Use yellow
Round 1: 6 SC in a magic circle (6)
Round 2: (SC, INC) three times (9)
Round 3: (2 SC, INC) three times (12)
Round 3: (3 SC, INC) three times (15)
Round 5-6 (2 rounds): SC around (15)
Round 7: (3 SC, INVDEC) three times (12)
Round 8: (2 SC, INVDEC) three times (9)
Round 9: (SC, INVDEC) three times (6)
Fasten off. Pinch the ear at the bottom and do a stitch to keep it in place. Sew to the sides of the head at approximately seven rounds from the top.
Ossicones (make 2)
Using dark brown
Stuff lightly as you go.
Round 1: 6 SC into a magic circle (6)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around (12)
Round 3-4 (2 rounds): SC around (12)
Round 5: INVDEC six times (6)
Change to yellow
Round 6-10 (5 rounds): SC around (6)
Fasten off and sew onto the head approximately 2 rounds from the top.
Spots (make 5)
Use brown yarn
Round 1: 6 SC into a magic circle (6)
Round 2: (SC, HDC INC) three times. Sl st to the first SC. (9)
Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing. Sew them on the body wherever you like.
Overalls bib
Use the overalls colour
We will be crocheting along front loops left over from round 19. Identify the front 16 stitches and place stitch markers on both sides to mark them. Attach yarn to the stitch marked on the right side and work your way towards the left.
We will be crocheting in rows. The chain 1 does not count as a stitch.
Row 1: Chain 1, SC in each stitch across and turn. (16)
Row 2-5 (4 rows): Chain 1. SC in each stitch across (16)
Now chain 13 (or however long you need to reach the back of the overalls) and fasten off. Sew the strap onto the back of the overalls. For the second strap, attach yarn to the other side of the bib and chain the same length, fasten off and sew the strap to the back of the overalls.
How to Crochet the Giraffe Tail
Use yellow
Row 1: Chain 12
Row 2: Starting from the second chain from the hook, 11 SC
Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Cut three strands of brown yarn, approximately 3 inches in length. Fold them in half and latch them through the end of the tail and cut them so they are approximately a quarter inch each (see tutorial on how to latch hair). Trim the tail to your desired length.
Sew the tail to the back of your giraffe, where the overalls meet the shirt.
Your adorable crochet giraffe is now ready! Great job!
We would really love to see your crocheted giraffes ! Please share them on our Facebook group or on Instagram, tagging us @chaicoffeecrochet
If you enjoyed crocheting this amigurumi giraffe, be sure to check out the other amigurumi animals in our Juna Series.
