Adorable Amigurumi Monkey on Bicycle Keychain: Free Crochet Pattern

There is something undeniably charming about a tiny crocheted monkey perched on an equally tiny bicycle, dangling from your keys or bag like a little burst of personality. Amigurumi — the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small, stuffed yarn creatures — has taken the crafting world by storm, and it is easy to see why. These miniature figures are endlessly customizable, satisfying to make, and make some of the most thoughtful handmade gifts imaginable. Today, we are diving into a complete, free crochet pattern for an amigurumi monkey on a bicycle keychain. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter or someone who has just gotten the hang of a magic ring, this pattern walks you through every step with care and clarity.

Before we get into the pattern itself, let us talk about what makes this project so special. The monkey is worked in the round using classic amigurumi techniques — tight stitches, safety eyes, and polyfill stuffing — while the bicycle is a minimalist but instantly recognizable wire-and-yarn construction that gives the whole piece its playful, storybook quality. The finished keychain measures approximately 3 to 4 inches tall, making it just the right size to clip onto a backpack, zipper pull, or keyring without feeling bulky. It is a wonderful stash buster too, since you only need small amounts of yarn in two or three colors.

Materials You Will Need

Getting your supplies together before you start is always the best approach with amigurumi, since interruptions mid-project can cause gauge inconsistencies and frustration. Here is everything you need for this pattern:

Yarn: You will need a small amount of sport or DK weight yarn in brown (for the monkey’s body), a lighter tan or beige (for the face and belly), and any bright color you like for the bicycle (yellow, red, teal, and orange all look wonderful). Approximately 20–30 yards of brown, 10 yards of tan, and 15 yards for the bicycle color is more than enough.

Hook: A 2.5 mm or 3.0 mm crochet hook works best for sport/DK weight yarn in amigurumi projects. The tighter your tension, the better your finished figure will look, since you want to avoid any stuffing showing through the stitches.

Other supplies: Two 6 mm black safety eyes, polyfill stuffing, a yarn needle for sewing and weaving in ends, stitch markers (the locking clip kind are most helpful), black embroidery thread or yarn for the mouth, a small amount of craft wire (26 gauge works beautifully) for the bicycle frame, wire cutters, needle-nose pliers, a keyring or lobster clasp, and a small jump ring or chain to attach everything together.

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate. If you know how to make a magic ring, single crochet in the round, increase, decrease, and sew pieces together, you have everything you need to complete this project successfully.

Abbreviations and Stitch Key

This pattern uses US crochet terminology throughout.

MR = magic ring, sc = single crochet, inc = increase (2 sc in the same stitch), dec = invisible decrease (insert hook through front loops of next two stitches, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through remaining loops), sl st = slip stitch, ch = chain, BLO = back loops only, FLO = front loops only. All rounds are worked in a continuous spiral unless otherwise noted. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of each round and move it up as you go.

Part One: The Monkey

Head

Begin with your brown yarn and a 3.0 mm hook.

Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 3: *Sc 1, inc* repeat around. (18)

Round 4: *Sc 2, inc* repeat around. (24)

Round 5: *Sc 3, inc* repeat around. (30)

Rounds 6–10: Sc in each stitch around. (30) — work 5 rounds even.

Before you continue, this is the moment to insert your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 7 and 8, approximately 6 stitches apart. Take your time here — the eye placement defines the monkey’s entire expression, so try a few positions before committing. Once the eyes are locked in from the inside, you cannot move them without damaging the piece.

Round 11: *Sc 3, dec* repeat around. (24)

Round 12: *Sc 2, dec* repeat around. (18)

Now lightly stuff the head with polyfill. Do not overstuff — a firm but slightly squeezable head looks more natural and makes sewing easier.

Round 13: *Sc 1, dec* repeat around. (12)

Round 14: Dec around. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Use your yarn needle to close the remaining gap by weaving through the front loops of those 6 stitches and pulling snug. Weave in the end.

Face Patch (Muzzle)

Switch to tan or beige yarn.

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch. (12)

Round 3: *Sc 1, inc* repeat around. (18)

Sl st to close, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. This oval-ish disc will be sewn onto the front of the face over rounds 7–10, centered just below the eyes. Using your yarn needle and the tail, whip stitch around the edge of the muzzle, attaching it to the head. Before you close it all the way, use a toothpick or small hook to push a tiny wisp of stuffing behind the muzzle for a slight dimensional puff. This small detail makes a big difference in how lifelike the face looks.

Once the muzzle is sewn on, use black embroidery thread to stitch a small Y-shape smile onto the surface — two diagonal lines meeting at the bottom center create a charming monkey grin. A tiny vertical stitch in the center of the muzzle gives the impression of a nose.

Ears (Make Two)

With brown yarn:

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch. (12)

Sl st to close, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff. Fold each ear in half slightly and sew to the sides of the head, positioned between rounds 4 and 7. The slight fold gives them a realistic cupped shape.

Body

With brown yarn:

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch. (12)

Round 3: *Sc 1, inc* repeat around. (18)

Round 4: *Sc 2, inc* repeat around. (24)

Rounds 5–10: Sc in each stitch around. (24) — work 6 rounds even.

Round 11: *Sc 2, dec* repeat around. (18)

Round 12: *Sc 1, dec* repeat around. (12)

Stuff the body firmly. The body should be slightly more filled than the head to give the monkey a nice rounded belly.

Round 13: Dec around. (6)

Fasten off and close as before. Set aside.

Belly Patch

With tan yarn, work the same as the face patch through Round 2 (12 stitches), then fasten off with a long tail and sew onto the front of the body, centered from rounds 4 to 9.

Arms (Make Two)

With brown yarn:

Round 1: MR, 5 sc into ring. (5)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch. (10)

Rounds 3–8: Sc around. (10) — work 6 rounds even.

Do not stuff the arms — leaving them unstuffed makes them more poseable and gives them a floppier, cuter look. Flatten the top of each arm and sew closed with a few stitches. Attach the arms to the sides of the body at round 3 from the top, positioned slightly toward the front.

Legs (Make Two)

With brown yarn:

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch. (12)

Round 3: Sc in BLO around. (12) — this creates a defined edge for the foot.

Rounds 4–9: Sc around. (12)

Round 10: Dec, sc 8, dec. (10)

Stuff lightly. Flatten the top and sew closed. Attach to the bottom of the body, angled slightly outward and forward so the monkey looks like it is sitting naturally. Position the legs so they will straddle the bicycle seat once everything is assembled.

Tail

With brown yarn, make a chain of 15–20 stitches, then sc back along the chain for a simple rounded tail. Alternatively, work a 12-round tube by crocheting 4 sc in the round for 12 rounds. Sew to the back of the body and curve it slightly as you attach it to give it a lively, upswept look.

Part Two: The Bicycle

The bicycle is the heart of this keychain’s visual charm. It uses craft wire as a structural skeleton wrapped with yarn for color and texture.

Cutting and Shaping the Wire Frame

Cut two equal lengths of 26-gauge craft wire, each about 10 inches long. With needle-nose pliers, shape one piece into the classic bicycle silhouette: two circles (the wheels) connected by a central diamond shape (the frame). Each wheel should be approximately 1 inch in diameter. The frame triangle connects the two wheels at the top, meeting at a center point where the seat post will rise.

The second wire piece forms the handlebars and seat. Bend a small U-shape at one end for the handlebars, then run the wire down to meet the frame at the seat post area, bending a small flat platform shape for the seat. Twist the two wire pieces together where they intersect to lock the shape.

The exact shape does not need to be perfect — the yarn wrapping will smooth out any wobbles and the slight imperfections actually add to the handmade charm.

Wrapping the Bicycle

Cut a long length of your bicycle-color yarn (approximately 12–15 yards) and begin wrapping it tightly around the wire frame, starting with one wheel. Wrap each section snugly, covering the wire completely. When you reach the end of a section, use a dab of craft glue or secure the yarn by looping it back under a few wraps before trimming. Continue until every inch of wire is covered with yarn.

For the wheel spokes, thread a yarn needle with a short length of the bicycle color and weave a few crisscross stitches across the center of each wheel circle to suggest spokes. This takes just a minute but adds significant visual detail.

You can also wrap the handlebars and seat area with a contrasting color — white, black, or silver-toned yarn gives a realistic metallic look for the metal parts of a real bicycle.

Attaching Pedals

Cut two tiny rectangles of stiff cardboard or felt and wrap them in yarn to create pedal shapes. Attach these to the lower center of the bicycle frame with a few tight wraps of yarn or a dab of glue.

Assembly: Putting It All Together

This is the most satisfying step — watching all the individual pieces come together into one cohesive little scene.

Begin by sitting your monkey on the bicycle. Position the legs so they drape naturally over the frame, one on each side. Use your yarn needle and a length of matching brown yarn to tack the monkey’s legs securely to the bicycle frame with a few hidden stitches, catching both the yarn wrapping on the wire and the bottom of the monkey’s legs. The stitches will be hidden under the legs and will not show from the front.

Next, position the arms. Bend them gently forward so the hands (the closed ends of the arm tubes) rest on the handlebars. Tack each arm to the handlebars with a stitch or two of matching yarn. This gives the monkey that classic “gripping the handlebars” pose that makes the whole piece instantly readable as a monkey riding a bike.

Attach the head to the body by sewing them together at the neck, rotating the head very slightly forward and to one side for a more dynamic, personality-filled pose. A slightly tilted head makes amigurumi figures look curious and alive.

Once the monkey is fully assembled on the bicycle, attach the keychain hardware. Thread a small jump ring through the top of the bicycle frame between the handlebars, then connect it to a lobster clasp or split keyring. Make sure the connection is secure — you want the finished piece to hold up to the daily jostling of life on a keychain or bag.

Finishing Touches and Customization Ideas

The beauty of amigurumi is that every maker’s version ends up unique. Here are a few ways to customize your monkey keychain and make it truly your own.

You can add a tiny helmet crocheted in a bright color — just work a small half-sphere using the same technique as the head, but stop after round 8 and add a short brim using FLO single crochets around the edge. A mini helmet in neon yellow or fire-engine red is utterly adorable.

Adding a tiny scarf is even simpler: chain 25 stitches, work one row of sc, fasten off, and tie it loosely around the monkey’s neck. A striped scarf worked in two colors adds a lovely pop of detail.

If you want a more feminine monkey, crochet a tiny bow by making two small squares of yarn and cinching them in the middle with a tight wrap, then attaching to the side of the head above one ear.

For gifting purposes, consider making a small tag from kraft paper or card stock printed with something like “Made with love” or the recipient’s initials. Punch a hole in the tag and thread it onto the keyring alongside the monkey bicycle. It elevates the presentation from a cute handmade thing to a thoughtful keepsake.

You can also swap the keychain hardware for a bag charm hook, a stitch marker ring, or even a small safety pin to turn the monkey into a bag pin or bookmarker.

Tips for Success

Amigurumi looks deceptively simple, but a few small habits separate a clean, professional-looking result from one that looks a little rough around the edges.

Always use a hook that is one or two sizes smaller than what your yarn label recommends. The tighter fabric prevents stuffing from showing through and creates cleaner stitch definition. Make sure your magic rings are pulled snug before you begin round 2 — a loose center hole is one of the most common beginner amigurumi issues and it is easy to prevent. When stuffing, use small pinches of polyfill rather than large clumps, as small amounts distribute more evenly and give smoother shapes. Use a toothpick or pencil eraser to push stuffing into small appendages like ears and arms.

When sewing pieces together, always pin them in place first with straight pins or locking stitch markers. This lets you audition the placement and make adjustments before you commit. Take your time with the face — the expression is everything in amigurumi. Spend an extra few minutes getting the eye placement and embroidered mouth exactly where you want them.

A Note on Yarn Choices

While this pattern specifies brown and tan for the monkey, do not feel bound by realism. A pale lavender monkey on a mint green bicycle is just as charming and far more whimsical. Variegated yarns work beautifully for the bicycle frame, creating a tie-dye effect without any extra effort. Cotton yarn gives a slightly crispier stitch definition than acrylic and is a lovely choice if you want a more heirloom-quality finish, though it is slightly less forgiving of tension inconsistencies for beginners. Baby yarn in extra-soft acrylic is a great all-around choice and comes in the widest range of colors.

Sharing Your Finished Monkey

Once your amigurumi monkey on a bicycle keychain is complete, we would love to see what you made. If you share your finished project on social media, consider tagging it with amigurumi-related hashtags so other crafters can find your work for inspiration. The crochet community is one of the warmest corners of the internet, and there is always someone out there who will be delighted to see your little monkey pedaling away into the world.

This pattern is free to use for personal projects and for small-batch handmade sales. If you sell finished items made from this pattern, a credit back to the original pattern source is always appreciated by the creative community. Please do not reprint or redistribute