Stella the Little Unicorn: Free Amigurumi Crochet Pattern
There is something undeniably magical about a handmade unicorn. Whether you are crocheting one for a child you love, as a whimsical desk companion, or simply because you want to spend a cozy afternoon with your hook and yarn, a unicorn amigurumi brings a particular kind of joy that very few other projects can match. Today I am sharing the complete free pattern for Stella, my little unicorn amigurumi. She has a sweet, rounded body, a flowing mane, a spiraling horn, and a face so charming that she practically winks at you from across the room.
This pattern is written for intermediate crochet beginners — meaning that if you know how to make a magic ring, single crochet, increase, and decrease, you are more than ready to bring Stella to life. I have included every round, every stitch count, and all of my assembly notes so that you will not be left guessing at any step along the way. Let’s dive in.
About Stella the Unicorn Amigurumi
Stella stands approximately 18 to 20 centimeters tall when finished, depending on your yarn weight and hook size. She is sized just right for little hands but also makes a beautiful display piece for a shelf or bookcase. Her body is worked entirely in continuous rounds, which keeps her form seamless and professional-looking. Her mane is made with a simple loop fringe technique, and her horn is crocheted in a tight spiral that gives it a lovely twisted appearance.
One of the things I love most about Stella is how customizable she is. You can make her in any color combination you like — a classic white unicorn with a rainbow mane, a soft pastel lavender with a silver horn, or even a bold midnight blue with a golden mane if you want something dramatic and unexpected. The pattern is the same regardless of color; only your imagination sets the limit.
Materials You Will Need
Before you begin, gather everything you need so your workspace is ready to go.
Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (approximately 200 grams total) in your main body color, a contrasting color for the mane and tail, and a small amount of gold or metallic yarn for the horn. You can also use a lighter fingering weight yarn with a smaller hook if you want a more petite unicorn.
Hook: 3.5 mm crochet hook (or a size appropriate to your yarn weight — you want a fairly tight tension to keep the stuffing from showing through).
Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill, enough to stuff the body, head, and legs firmly.
Safety eyes: Two 9 mm black safety eyes, or two 12 mm if you prefer a more wide-eyed expression.
Yarn needle: For sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.
Stitch markers: At least two, to mark the beginning of each round.
Optional: Pink embroidery floss or blush-colored yarn for the cheeks, fabric stiffener for the horn if you want extra rigidity.
Abbreviations and Stitches Used
This pattern is written using standard US crochet terminology.
MR — Magic ring
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
inc — Increase (two single crochets in the same stitch)
dec — Invisible decrease (insert hook through the front loops of the next two stitches, yarn over and pull through both, yarn over and pull through the two loops on hook)
BLO — Back loop only
FLO — Front loop only
st(s) — Stitch(es)
R — Round
rep — Repeat
Pattern Notes
Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Do not join rounds or turn your work unless the pattern specifically tells you to. Use a stitch marker to keep track of the first stitch of each round by moving it up as you go.
When you stuff the pieces, do so firmly. A well-stuffed amigurumi holds its shape beautifully, while an under-stuffed one can look limp and flat. Add stuffing as you go for pieces like the body and head, rather than waiting until the end — it becomes harder to get an even fill once the opening is very small.
The Pattern
Head
The head is worked from the nose toward the back.
Start with your main body color yarn.
R1: MR, 6 sc into ring (6)
R2: inc in each st around (12)
R3: (sc 1, inc) rep around (18)
R4: (sc 2, inc) rep around (24)
R5: (sc 3, inc) rep around (30)
R6: (sc 4, inc) rep around (36)
R7: (sc 5, inc) rep around (42)
R8 – R13: sc in each st around (42) — 6 rounds even
R14: (sc 5, dec) rep around (36)
R15: (sc 4, dec) rep around (30)
At this point, attach your safety eyes between rounds 10 and 11, spaced about 8 stitches apart. If you are making this for a child under 3, embroider the eyes instead for safety.
R16: (sc 3, dec) rep around (24)
R17: (sc 2, dec) rep around (18)
Begin stuffing the head now. Fill it firmly and evenly, adding more as you close.
R18: (sc 1, dec) rep around (12)
R19: dec around (6)
Fasten off, leaving a tail. Thread through the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end.
Body
Start with your main body color yarn.
R1: MR, 6 sc into ring (6)
R2: inc in each st around (12)
R3: (sc 1, inc) rep around (18)
R4: (sc 2, inc) rep around (24)
R5: (sc 3, inc) rep around (30)
R6: (sc 4, inc) rep around (36)
R7: (sc 5, inc) rep around (42)
R8: (sc 6, inc) rep around (48)
R9 – R16: sc in each st around (48) — 8 rounds even
R17: (sc 6, dec) rep around (42)
R18: (sc 5, dec) rep around (36)
R19 – R20: sc in each st around (36) — 2 rounds even
R21: (sc 4, dec) rep around (30)
R22: sc in each st around (30)
R23: (sc 3, dec) rep around (24)
Begin stuffing the body firmly now. Continue adding stuffing as you close the remaining rounds.
R24: (sc 2, dec) rep around (18)
R25: (sc 1, dec) rep around (12)
R26: dec around (6)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Thread through remaining stitches and pull tight. Leave the tail for attaching the head.
Legs — Make 4
The legs are worked identically. You can make them in the main color with a contrasting hoof at the base, or in the main color throughout.
If using a contrasting hoof color:
R1: MR with hoof color, 6 sc (6)
R2: inc in each st around (12)
R3: sc in BLO around (12) — this creates a ridge for the bottom of the hoof
R4 – R5: sc in each st around (12) — 2 rounds even
Switch to main body color.
R6: (sc 2, dec) rep around (9)
R7 – R13: sc in each st around (9) — 7 rounds even
Stuff the leg firmly. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
If working in main color only, simply skip the color change and work the first 5 rounds in your main color, then continue from R6 as written.
Ears — Make 2
R1: MR, 6 sc (6)
R2: inc in each st around (12)
R3: (sc 1, inc) rep around (18)
R4 – R5: sc in each st around (18) — 2 rounds even
R6: (sc 1, dec) rep around (12)
R7: sc in each st around (12)
Do not stuff the ears. Flatten them and fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Horn
Use gold or metallic yarn for the horn. The spiral effect happens naturally as you crochet.
R1: MR, 4 sc (4)
R2: (sc 1, inc) rep around (6)
R3: (sc 2, inc) rep around (8)
R4: (sc 3, inc) rep around (10)
R5: (sc 4, inc) rep around (12)
R6: sc in each st around (12)
Stuff lightly. Fasten off with a long tail. If you want extra rigidity, brush the outside of the horn with a little fabric stiffener and let it dry completely before attaching.
Making the Mane and Tail
The mane is what truly brings Stella to life, and there are a few ways to create it. The loop method I use is simple and creates a wonderfully full, fluffy effect.
Cut lengths of your mane yarn approximately 20 to 25 centimeters long. Fold each piece in half to find the midpoint. Using your crochet hook, pull the folded midpoint through a stitch on the top and back of the head, then draw the two loose ends through the loop and pull to secure, creating a lark’s head knot. Continue adding loops along the center seam of the head from between the ears down the neck line. For the tail, attach loops in the same way to the back of the body at the point where the body tapers.
Once all loops are attached, you can trim them to an even length, leave them long and flowing, or separate the plies of the yarn for a more feathery, windswept look. I usually give the mane a light trim to even it out, then use my fingers to gently separate the fibers for volume.
For a braided mane variation: instead of using the loop method, crochet three long chains in your mane color and braid them together lightly before sewing the braid along the top of the head. This gives a neater, more structured look if you prefer.
Assembly
Assembly is the most satisfying part of the process because this is where Stella truly comes together as a character.
Attaching the head to the body: Position the head on top of the body, centering it carefully. The closed bottom of the head will sit against the open top of the body. Using the long tail from the body and your yarn needle, sew the head in place using a whipstitch all the way around. Go around twice for extra security, then weave in the end well.
Attaching the legs: Position the front two legs on the lower front portion of the body, one on each side. The back two legs go slightly further back and lower. Before sewing, pin them in place and stand Stella up to check that she balances evenly. Once you are happy with the placement, sew each leg securely using the long tail and a whipstitch. Go through the body several times so the legs are firmly attached and can support her weight.
Attaching the ears: Fold the base of each ear slightly inward before sewing to give them a natural curved shape. Attach them to the top of the head, one on each side, positioned just ahead of where the mane will begin.
Attaching the horn: Sew the horn firmly to the very top center of the head, just between the ears and slightly in front of them. If the horn is not perfectly upright, you can adjust the angle with a few extra stitches at the base.
Adding the Face Details
Once all pieces are assembled, it is time to give Stella her expression.
If you have not already placed the safety eyes, do so now by pressing them through the crocheted fabric and snapping the washers firmly in place on the inside.
For the cheeks, use a small amount of pink or blush yarn threaded on a needle to embroider two small circles, one on each side below the eyes. Alternatively, use a cotton swab with a tiny dab of blush-colored cosmetic powder, or a fabric-safe pink marker. The cheeks make a significant difference in giving Stella her sweet, gentle expression.
For optional eyelashes, use a length of dark yarn or embroidery floss to stitch two or three small straight stitches above each eye, angled slightly outward.
If you would like to add a small embroidered smile, use a single length of dark yarn or floss to stitch a gentle upward curve below the nose area of the head.
Tips for a Beautiful Finished Unicorn
Tension is everything in amigurumi. If your tension is too loose, the stuffing will be visible through the gaps in your stitches, and the finished piece will look soft and shapeless rather than round and defined. If you find this happening, try going down half a hook size.
When you close each piece, always pull the tail through the remaining stitches twice before pulling tight and fastening off. This prevents a small hole from appearing at the closed end.
Block your finished Stella by misting her lightly with water and gently reshaping her with your hands. Allow her to dry fully before playing with her or placing her on display. This evens out any slight irregularities in the stitches and gives the finished piece a polished look.
If Stella will be given to a child, consider using washable yarn so that the toy can be laundered easily. Many acrylic yarns are machine-washable and also wonderfully soft, making them ideal for children’s toys.
Ways to Customize Stella
Part of the joy of amigurumi is making each piece your own. Here are some ideas for giving Stella a unique personality.
You can make a baby Stella by working the entire pattern with fingering weight yarn and a 2.5 mm hook — she will come out roughly half the size and is absolutely adorable as a tiny gift or keychain ornament.
A rainbow Stella uses a different color for each body part: a lilac head, a mint body, pink legs, and a mix of warm tones for the mane and tail.
For a more dramatic unicorn, use dark navy or charcoal grey as the main body color with a bold jewel-toned mane in emerald or amethyst. The contrast is stunning and makes for a very striking finished piece.
You can also add small crocheted flowers to the mane before attaching it, sewing tiny blooms among the loops for a floral crown effect.
Sharing Your Stella
I would absolutely love to see the unicorns you make with this pattern. If you share your finished Stella on Instagram or Pinterest, please tag your post so the amigurumi community can find and admire your work. There is something wonderful about seeing how many different interpretations can come from the same pattern — every maker brings something of themselves to the piece.
If you run into any trouble with any of the rounds or assembly steps, feel free to leave a comment below and I will do my best to help you work through it. Amigurumi has such a kind and generous community, and experienced makers are always happy to help newcomers find their footing.
Happy crocheting, and may your Stella bring a little magic into whatever home she calls her own.
