Kozu Palm Pets: Small Crochet Animal (Free Patterns!)

Cute Small Crochet Stuffed Animal Patterns

Looking to make quick but cute small crochet stuffed animals? You have come to the right place! Our Kozu Palm Pets series has the cutest small crochet animal patterns that are easy to make and yet so stinkin’ cute!

Since we began our blog, we wanted to add an animal series to compliment our ever-so-popular Kozu Palm Pals crochet dolls series. We had our Juna Series of easy amigurumi animals, but we wanted to add on a series of small crochet stuffed animals – something that works up quick, yet is so cute. And we wanted them to be low-sew amigurumi patterns because who likes to sew??

Well, in August of last year, it was my cousin’s fiftieth birthday and I wanted to crochet her something to mark this milestone. I had just a day to do so and so I decided to crochet her a cow, since she lives on a farm. Well, after I designed that cow, I was hooked and knew that this was the start of a series of adorable amigurumi animals!

The Kozu Palm Pets in DK yarn (below) and super bulky size 6 yarn (above) make great craft show products. (The bee in the basket is our small crochet bee in super bulky yarn.)

Since then, I have already crocheted each of these animals multiple times- and keep designing more. They also led me to finally bite the bullet and try plush yarns! I’ve crocheted these small animals all in velvet and super bulky blanket yarn as well and I can’t tell you how much I love them! In these yarns, they are no longer small but still take just a couple of hours to make! Game changer!

small crochet animals in velvet yarn
The Kozu Palm Pets in velvet chenille yarn

We crocheted these animals for our last craft market in both DK yarn and super bulky yarn and we sold out of all the blanket yarn animals (there were 14) and most of the DK yarn ones (we sold 39 of the 44 pets that we had on hand)! We hope you will love these cute little amigurumi animals as much as we do!

three crochet elephants. The first is a small one with DK yarn. The second elephant is signficiantly larger in blanket yarn. And the third elephant is medium sized in chenille yarn
You can crochet these animals using various yarns for a variety of sizes.

About these small amigurumi animal patterns

These small crochet animals have all been designed to be low sew amigurumi patterns. They all have the same body for the most part, except for small tweaks like the slightly longer neck in our small crochet giraffe. The legs, arms, body, and head are all crocheted in one piece. It’s just important that you follow the pattern in the order given, as you will need to crochet in these parts first. In some cases, other parts are also crocheted in, such as the ears on our no sew amigurumi bunny or the trunk on our small crochet elephant.

These small amigurumi animls work up to be approximately four inches tall using DK yarn and a 2.75mm hook. With velvet yarn and a 3.25mm hook, they were 6 inches tall and with super bulky blanket yarn and a 7mm hook, we had 11.5 inches of cuteness!

The best part about these little animals is that no matter what yarn you use to crochet them, they are super quick to crochet! Our pattern testers reported that they took them anywhere between 1.5 to 3 hours to crochet. Personally, I crochet quite slowly and these little animals usually take me a couple of hours to crochet, depending on the pattern.

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What tools and materials do you need to crochet these small animals?

While the actual materials vary you will need some of the following tools and materials:

  • Yarn: You can use any size yarn you like for these small crochet animals. To keep them small (approximately 4 inches tall), you will need DK yarn or even worsted weight yarn (as that will make them turn out just a little taller). If you would like them to be larger, use a thicker yarn. Using a velvet chenille yarn and a 3.25 mm crochet hook, they will be 6 inches tall. With super bulky plush yarn and a 7mm crochet hook, they turned out to be 11 inches tall.
  • Crochet hook: The actual hook size will be dependent by the yarn that you are using but typically for amigurumi we go down 2 to 3 sizes from that recommended on the yarn label
  • Stitch marker: Since these patterns are crocheted in spirals, stitch markers are particularly important, as they allow you to keep count of the start of your round. If you don’t have stitch markers on hand, you can always use a piece of scrap yarn.
  • Tapestry needle: While these are low-sew amigurumi animals, most do have some sewing and so you will need a tapestry needle to sew on the parts. For those that are no sew patterns, you will still need the needle to weave in the ends.
  • Safety eyes: These patterns mostly use 7mm safety eyes. Of course, the size you use is up to you. The eye size really give sit character. For children under 3, safety eyes aren’t recommended so you could make crochet eyes instead.
  • Polyfill stuffing: You will need a little bit of polyfill stuffing for these toys. If you don’t have any on hand, you could use old yarn scraps to stuff them too.

What stitches and techniques do you need to know to crochet these animals?

While the actual stitches needed for each of these animals will vary, you will need to know some of the following stitches and techniques for these:

Mini Crochet Animals Free Patterns

Small Crochet Elephant

Our small crochet elephant was the first little animal in this series. This cute little guy is a low sew amigurumi animal pattern, because the trunk is crocheted into the body as well. You just have to sew on the ears and tail and, viola, your little cutie is ready! This guy has been super popular with our clients – so the only challenge has been to keep restocking it!

Small No Sew Amigurumi Bunny

Hate sewing? With this no sew small crochet bunny, you don’t have to! This little rabbit can be crocheted in a jiffy and will be the perfect gift to crochet for that special someone. Customize your little animal with your favourite colors and let your imagination run wild (don’t you love this little one in pink?. This would make for a great last minute gift for Easter or any time for the year – because who doesn’t love bunnies?

No Sew Small Crochet Duck

small crochet duck

We have another no sew Kozu Palm Pet in our small crochet duck. This little guy has all of the cutness wiht none of the sewing. I love his little webbed feet, don’t you? This guy would be a really cute spring amigurumi pattern – because ducklings are such a cute little reminder of spring.

Small Crochet Monkey

Adorable alert! We are not monkeying around with this small crochet monkey pattern. This little guy is too sweet for words. Those big ears and the wisps of hair on top of his head are just too cute. And he has the sweetest long tail to hang from tree to tree. This monkey would be a great adition to any jungle crochet animal collection!

Small Crochet Giraffe

small crochet giraffe

Explore the magic of the jungle with our cute little crochet giraffe. The finished product is small enough to fit in your hand, making it an awesome desk companion or a pocket-sized gift for a special someone. Get ready to crochet your way into a giraffe-filled adventure – no stress, just pure crafting fun!

Small Crochet Fox

small crochet fox

If you’re looking for a cute forest friend, our small crochet fox is the perfect little make. This little woodland fox pattern is cute as a button! The pattern is very simple. The only part that may feel tricky is the colour change in the muzzle but you’ll get the hang of it!

Small Crochet Lion

Any crochet animal collection would be incomplete without the king of the jungle! This small crochet lion, with his shaggy mane, is such a fun addition to our animal series. While latching the strands of hair can be a little tedious, since he’s so small it doesn’t take all that long to do. Plus, the results are totally worth it, aren’t they?

Small Crochet Sheep

This little crochet sheep is just the sweetest, isn’t it? Actually, it’s probably more of a crochet lamb I guess! The hair cap is a little more challenging for this little one, with 3-DC-Bobble stitches giving it all the wooly texture – but it honestly is completely worth it! If I had to pick a favourite little animal, this one would definitely be in the running!

Small Crochet Cow

small crochet cow

This small crochet cow is such a cute little amigurumi animal. I love the little spots and sweet pink muzzle.

Small Crochet Unicorn

We could all use a little magic in our lives and this sweet little crochet unicorn is as magical as it gets. I love the curly hair strands. It gives me a little bit of a punk feel, making him the coolest little animal on the block.

Small Crochet Reindeer

Whether you’re looking for a cute stocking stuffer, crochet ornament for your Christmas tree, or a small crochet reindeer plushie for the holidays, this little reindeer pattern is perfect! This little reindeer works up so fast, it is the perfect pattern for some holiday crocheting.

What is the easiest animal to crochet?

While all the animals in this series are easy to crochet, perhaps the easiest would be our no sew bunny, as it is a no sew amigurumi and has no muzzle as such. You can also try our Juna Series of easy crochet animals.

How do you make these amigurumi animals larger?

If you would like to make these crochet animals larger, the easiest way would be to use thicker yarn and a larger hook. With super bulky blanket yarn and a 7mm hook, these turn out to be approximately 11.5 inches tall. And there are many yarn sizes in between that you can use!

How long does it take to crochet a small animal?

While the actual time that these take to crochet will vary from person to person, these small animals take an average of 2 hours to crochet. However, if you are a very fast crocheter, you could crochet them in 90 minutes. Slower crocheters may need 3 hours to finish these animals.

What are some other cute small crochet animal patterns?

We have a number of other small crochet animals patterns. Some of them are significantly smaller but all are super cute! They would all be great for keychains and bag charms! Check them out:

  • Our super cute No Sew Crochet Fish takes just 20 minutes to crochet and has no sewing involved!
  • This Small Crochet Bird is also so much fun to make and takes just 20 minutes.
  • Our Small Crochet Butterfly can be completed in just an hour. It is such a pretty little animal, isn’t it?
  • Our Little Crochet Bee also takes an our to crochet. It would make such an adorable little keychain!
  • Our Hedgehog crochet pincushion is not only cute but is super practical too. It could make a cute hedgehog stuffed toy or an adorable pincushion to adorn your craft space!

What is crocheting small animals called?

Another term used to describe the technique of crocheting dolls and toys is amigurumi. Amigurumi refers to the technique of crocheting in the round that is used to crochet stuffed animals and dolls. It originated in Japan but has gained popularity all over the world in the last couple of decades. So essentially when you see the term amigurumi animal, it means a crochet animal.