Crochet these Easy Amigurumi Animals Patterns
Our Juna Series is a continually growing collection of easy crochet animal patterns. Animals are so much fun to crochet. They are cute and cuddly – but you can also have fun adding adorable details like clothes and cute facial features. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or an experienced crocheter, you will love this series of free crochet animal patterns!
This amigurumi animal collection is named after Kiran’s then-4-and-a-half year old son, who was nicknamed Juna by his younger brother. He loves animals and pretend play with stuffed toys, so is extremely chuffed to be the inspiration behind these cute amigurumi animals!
These animals are cute products to crochet for your next craft fair – they really do well for us (see our craft fair tips).
About these Crochet Animal Patterns
If you’re looking for easy crochet animal patterns, this is the series for you! They are excellent crochet patterns for beginners (we use them to teach crochet!). The base pattern is very simple and, since there’s a wide neck, you don’t have to worry about wobbly heads.
These amigurumi animals are all crocheted in one piece from the legs and body. We also have a tutorial on how to crochet in the arms, making the patterns very low sew – yay!
These patterns work up really fast – within five or six hours on average – so you can crochet an animal in a day for a last minute gift. The animals all wear different outfits (plus a couple who prefer to be, um, more minimalist – lol) but you can mix and match the patterns for a truly unique style.
Each animal works up to be approximately 8 inches tall, using DK yarn and a 2.75mm hook. If you prefer something small, you can try our Kozu Palm Pets series of small crochet animals.
These patterns are all free on our blog, or you can buy an ads-free print-friendly version of these animal patterns in our Ravelry Store. We are always crocheting new animals for this series, so be sure to sign up to our newsletter to be sure you don’t miss any new releases!
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15+ Easy Free Crochet Animal Patterns
Flippy the Frog
Flippy is such a cute little crochet frog – I can’t even! His body can all be crocheted in one piece – with just the eyes sewn on at the end. He is super easy to crochet – in fact, he is probably the easiest animal pattern in this series and is a great one for absolute beginners to try! We also have a matching frog baby rattle for a cute set.
Bixie the Bunny
Bixie is a sweet little gal – and is a really easy pattern to crochet. Since she doesn’t have a muzzle, this is an easier pattern to begin with. We love her little shorts and tank top set – it’s so perfect for summer! And that flower on her head just makes her the sweetest little bunny ever. This is a great little pattern to crochet for Easter or just because – there’s never not a good time to cuddle a bunny! We also have an adorable little matching bunny rattle that you can crochet for a sweet baby gift.
Elzo the Elephant
Elzo was the first animal that we crocheted for this series – the OG – and he’s still one of our favourites! Those big floppy ears – I mean come on! How can you resist? And an elephant in swimming trunks? You’re killing me! My favourite part about this elephant pattern is that you can crochet in the arms, tusks and trunk – which means you just need to sew in the ears and tail! Less sewing equals more happiness in my book – lol!
Dash the Dog
Dash the crochet dog is such a sweet and fun animal to crochet. With his pants and embroidered shirt, he looks like he’s ready for a garden party – lol! We have step-by-step photos showing how to do the embroidery, making it easy peasy! His ears can also be crocheted into his body, leaving just his muzzle and tail to sew.
Dewey the Dinosaur
Dewey the dinosaur is a great pattern to use up that scrap yarn. No one has really seen a dinosaur – so crochet him in whatever colour you like! It’s fun to play with the colour of the body and spikes – why not go rainbow? It’s the perfect animal to crochet for the dinosaur-obsessed kid in your life! We also have a cute matching crochet dinosaur baby rattle for this little guy.
Mika the Monkey
Mika is a sweet little crochet monkey. His sweet shirt is a great palette to embroider on a name – for a personalized crocheted animal. His cute little ears and strands of hair make him an adorable crochet gift for the special little one in your life. You can also pair this guy with a matching (and adorable!) monkey crochet rattle.
Cray the Crocodile
Cray is such a cute little crochet crocodile. With his dopey eyes and toes (oh the toes!), he’s just too cute to resist! If you’re looking to crochet a super cute little animal for the little boy (or girl!) in your life, Cray is the perfect little make.
Cleo the Cow
Cows are some of our favourite animals and so a crochet cow was a must in this series! Cleo has a sweet little rainbow tank top – that you can crochet in any colour for a fun and colourful little companion. We also have a super sweet matching crochet cow baby rattle that you can match for an adorable little set!
Ferdi the Fox and Walt the Wolf
This pattern lets you crochet two different animals just by changing the colour of the skin – a wolf and a fox. These cute little guys come with two options of overalls – and you can pick which one you want to crochet! If you’re just starting out, the colour change on the snout can be tricky but if you follow the instructions, it becomes easy! We also have a matching fox or wolf baby rattle that you can crochet too.
Ukie the Unicorn
If you’re looking to crochet a fantasy animal, then Ukie is an excellent choice! There is something so magical about unicorns and their brightly coloured manes makes them such bright and happy animals to crochet! The heart on her belly make her a cute animal to crochet for Valentines Day.
Bax the Bear
Bax the Bear is a really fun animal to crochet because teddy bears are a must-have in any animal collection. Our crochet bear is a really easy animal amigurumi pattern to crochet for beginners, as the muzzle is simple and round and it requires just the basic amigurumi skills. I love his sweet striped sweater – isn’t he such a handsome little guy?
Hattie the Hippo
This sweet little crochet hippo is so stinkin’ cute! That dress and bow – she would be an adorable gift to crochet for the little girl in your life. She would be really sweet paired with our sweet crochet hippo rattle – if you’re looking for a crochet gift for the baby in your life.
Ziggy the Zebra
Ziggy the Zebra is a sweet little zebra. You can crochet him in traditional black and white, or you can try a rainbow zebra – because we can all use a little bit of colour in our lives! His cute little bowtie is such an adorable little detail, isn’t it?
Polly the Panda
Polly the Panda is a sweet little girl to crochet. Her bow and lacy skirt are just so cute. This pattern is a little more complicated with the colour changes to centre the eyes. However, we have step-by-step instructions and photos to help you in crocheting your panda.
Gifa the Giraffe
Gifa the crochet giraffe is an adorable animal to crochet for the little boy or girl in your life. This pattern has cute overalls and a short little shirt. He looks like such a mischievous little giraffe and he would make such a cute addition to any nursery (especially a safari themed one!).
Luki the Lion
How can any stuffed animal collection be complete without the king of the jungle? Luki the Lion is a super adorable lion. I love his sunflower vibes – it gives him such a happy feel! His mane is sewed on and gives him such a whimsical feel.
Bax the Christmas Bear
Looking for the perfect holiday make? Look no further than Bax the Christmas Bear! With his traditional Christmas sweater and red hat, he is decked out for the holidays. He makes for a wonderful reminder of the holidays, so that your little one can cuddle him and fondly remember the holiday season.
Are crochet stuffed animals hard?
Well, it depends on the pattern but this series is super easy for beginners! Amigurumi is beginner friendly. It uses simple stitches – most patterns are crocheted using single crochet. For amigurumi, you will need to learn the magic circle (which is difficult to get the hang of initially but with some practice you will get it), single crochet, increases, and the invisible decrease. These are all basic skills that you can find videos to follow along to learn. Many people learn to crochet through amigurumi. In fact, the first thing that Kiran ever crocheted was an amigurumi bear- and she’s the one who has designed most of these animals so we’d say it worked – lol.
What stitches and techniques do you need to know to crochet these animals?
You will need to know a variety of stitches and techniques to crochet these animals. However, these techniques are all very simple and so they will be easy to learn. These patterns are all written in US terms and are crocheted in spiral rounds, unless stated otherwise. Some of the basic stitches and techniques that you need to be familiar with are:
- magic circle or magic ring
- slip stitch
- chain
- single crochet
- invisible decrease
- SC increase
- Working in the back loops only
- colour changes
Before beginning a pattern, read through it to ensure that you are familiar with the techniques used. There will be a list of stitches and abbreviations at the beginning of each pattern.
What is the easiest amigurumi animal to crochet?
While all the animals in this series are easy and suitable for beginners, the easiest amigurumi animals to crochet in this series are the frog and the bunny. Both don’t have muzzles. Their bodies are all crocheted in one piece and you just have to crochet the body and then crochet and sew on the ears (for the bunny) or the eyes (for the frog). They’re both really easy and are the patterns that we use to teach crochet. They allow enough repetition for new crocheters to practice the basic stitches, without having to move back and forth between new skills.
What yarn do you need to crochet these animals?
You can use any yarn with the relevant hook to crochet these animals. Typically, the easiest yarn to use is acryllic or cotton, depending on your preference. In amigurumi, you typically go down approximately two hook sizes from the hook size recommended by on the yarn package label.
In designing these patterns, we used DK acrylic yarn (which is the yarn that we have easily available in Pakistan). However, our testers and others have used various yarn to crochet our animals – and they turn out great. So you don’t need to go out and get a special yarn. Worsted weight (or aran) yarn works really great for these animals – we’ve even seen our Juna animals crocheted with bulky yarn for a larger and adorably soft animal plushie!
What tools and materials are needed to crochet these animals?
In crocheting these animals, in addition to yarn, you will need a number of other materials and tools. Some of these include the following:
- Crochet hook: For amigurumi, you typically go down one or two hook sizes from that recommended on your yarn label.
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker: You can use a locking stitch marker but even a scrap of yarn will do! These patterns are working in spiral rounds, so be sure to place a stitch marker at the first stitch of each round so that you can keep track of where each row begins.
- Polyfill stuffing
- Safety eyes: For most patterns, we use either 10mm or 12mm safety eyes or you can crochet eyes for children under 3, as safety eyes can be a choking hazard for them.
- Embroidery thread: You will use embroidery thread to add details such as eyelashes, eyebrows, or noses onto your animals.
Are these animals safe to crochet for babies?
These animals were designed with safety eyes. Safety eyes aren’t recommended for children under the age of 3, as they could be a choking hazard. However, we have a tutorial on how to crochet eyes for these animals as a baby-safe options for the little ones in your life.
Will you be adding more animals to this series?
You bet! We can’t resist crocheting these adorable animals and are always adding new animals. If there’s an animal that you would like to see drop us a note and let us know. We can’t promise anything but we love getting inspiration from our readers!
How do you crochet small animals?
If you would like to crochet smaller animals, you can try our Kozu Palm Pets series of small crochet animals. These little cuties are just four inches tall and are the sweetest!
Can we sell finished crochet stuffed animals made from these patterns?
Yes you absolutely can sell them! However, please don’t use our images in your product listings and please give chaicoffeecrochet.com credit as the pattern designers.
