As the weather warms and we venture outside more, the desire to sit under heavy sweaters and blankets passes and at the end of a day of gardening or spending time outside or renovating your bathroom (true story), sitting on the deck with a cold drink and a crochet hook to make some little stuffed creatures is just the sort of craft to keep your fingers busy in the evening. Amigurumi is a Japanese word for small stuffed, crocheted creatures. In its most limited meaning of the word, they are anthropomorphic and crocheted: think little cupcakes with faces. But in the more broad sense, it applies to knit and crocheted creatures, including dolls and stuffed animals. And I’ve had forest creatures on my mind today as I was sharing a story how we dealt with bears at camp with my youngest son this morning. So I’ve collected a bunch of adorable crocheted creature patterns for you to choose from to keep yourself busy this spring.
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So naturally, since it was bears that inspired this pattern round up, the first amigurumi creature I have for you is this 3-in-1 Teddy Bear Crochet Pattern. The 3-in-1 part means that there are also 2 other options included in this pattern: options to change the pattern in order to make a bunny and a cat. So cute! And this fuzzy plush yarn works up quickly and makes a super soft and cuddly toy any child will love! (Also: yellow bear! So cute!)
While bears are an obvious choice for a handmade stuffed toy, why don’t you try something a little unique, like this Amigurumi Shrew Crochet Pattern? Don’t you love its long snout and little ears? And what shrew is complete without a little sweater? Absolutely adorable. It’s so fun to make and give handmade amigurumi gifts and for the recipients to have a toy made just for them that no one else one just like it.
My exploration into crocheted creatures for you was not limited to just land animals. Hue the Manatee Amigurumi Pattern is an adorable crochet pattern. If you check out the pattern, you’ll see that you don’t just have to make this Manatee in a traditional grey, but you can use a striping yarn or other bright colours to make this sweet, easy to follow pattern in whatever custom colour you choose!
We’re still loving alpacas, right? Alicia the Alpaca Amigurumi Pattern is an adorable, fuzzy crocheted stuffed animal that will make anyone smile, with her colourful, little pannier blanket, she would make a great handmade gift for a loved one.
Do hamsters live in the wild? You know I saw this super cute Hamster Crochet Pattern and thought it also looked like a full-cheeked chipmunk! So adorable and cartoonish, don’t you agree? One of these little guys would be a cute project to work on while camping and to keep in your trailer as a cuddly little trailer guest (who won’t eat through your pantry!).
I thought this Little Hamster Crochet Pattern resembled the pet hamsters that so many kids had or elementary school classes passed around for kids to take home. I was never in a class that had a class pet, so maybe that was just on television or by the time I was a kid they realized how traumatic it was for a creature to be passed around to different children. My eldest did bring home the class fish for a week or something. We thankfully didn’t kill it, but I think fish would probably prefer to stay in one place too.
Another under-represented stuffed animal is the badger. But you can make your own unique stuffed toy with this Bradley the Badger Amigurumi Crochet Pattern. Isn’t he adorable? I love his stripey black mask and his fuzzy coat.
Check out this adorable Leia the Turtle Amigurumi Crochet Pattern. Turtles make such adorable stuffed animals and while many kids seem to want a turtle as a pet, they’re not the easiest pet to keep. This little turtle would be super easy to keep and is just my speed as far as pets go. Her little shell is removable and has a cute little ties to fasten it on
If you like desert animals, check out this 4-in-1 Desert Creatures Amigurumi Patterns. It’s a bundle of patterns from Loopy Pattern and all her pattern bundles are 40% cheaper than buying the patterns separately. If you like a designer and their pattern style, buying a bundle of patterns is a great way to save a little money. And check out those adorable little creatures! This awesome bundle gets you an owl, a chameleon, a meerkat and a fennec (which is an African fox). What a fun and adorable bundle of creatures to make!
Here’s another unique toy to make: this Lemur Amigurumi Crochet Pattern also from Loopy Pattern is so adorable with his long slender striped tail. Lemurs gained a great deal of popularity after the Disney movie Madagascar was released. This sweet little stuffed toy would like to “move it, move it” along with a fun kid friend!
I know sheep are not exactly forest animals, but when I found this Bobble Sheep Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, it made me think of the New Zealand sheep, Shrek who escaped shearing for 6 years. When he was finally found and sheared, his fleece weighed in at more than 60 lbs! This little bobbly stuffed sheep will certainly not weigh 60 lbs, but he will certainly sit contentedly on your bed or couch as a fun conversation piece.
If you’ve never tried crocheting an amigurumi stuffed toy, it’s a great time to try it out! It’s such a fun and satisfying area of the craft of crocheting. Many patterns often work up quickly, so they make great last minute handmade gift ideas for young and old alike! Pick up one of these cute patterns today or pin it for later so you don’t forget!
