6 Easy Steps to Crochet a Cute Squirrel Keychain 🐾 | Free PDF
If you’ve been scrolling through crochet projects lately and keep stopping at those tiny, adorable amigurumi animals, you’re definitely not alone. Miniature crochet animals have taken over craft communities everywhere, and one of the most charming projects you can tackle is a little squirrel keychain. It’s small enough to finish in a single afternoon, practical enough to actually use every day, and cute enough to make everyone around you ask, “Wait, did you make that?”
The best part? You don’t need to be an experienced crocheter to pull this off. This tutorial is designed for anyone who knows the basics — how to make a magic ring, single crochet, increase, and decrease — and wants to try their hand at something a little more dimensional and fun. Even if you’re fairly new to amigurumi, this squirrel keychain is one of the most beginner-friendly projects in the genre. The pieces are small, so mistakes are easy to fix, and the fluffy tail covers a multitude of sins.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a complete step-by-step tutorial, tips for getting the best result, notes on materials, and a free PDF pattern you can download and keep in your craft folder forever. Let’s get into it.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Before diving into the steps, let’s talk about materials. One of the great things about a keychain-sized amigurumi project is that the materials list is short and inexpensive. You probably already have most of this sitting in your yarn stash right now.
Yarn: You’ll want a light worsted weight (size 3) or sport weight yarn for the body. Brown, gray, or russet tones work beautifully for a classic squirrel look, but honestly, there are no rules — a pastel pink squirrel or a deep charcoal one is just as adorable. For the belly and inner ears, a cream or beige accent color adds a lovely touch of realism. For the tail, a fluffy or eyelash yarn in a coordinating color gives you that signature bushy squirrel tail without having to do anything complicated. If you prefer not to use specialty yarn, you can use the same yarn as the body and simply brush it out gently with a fine-toothed comb or stiff bristle brush after completing the project.
Hook: A 2.5mm or 3mm crochet hook is ideal for this project. The tighter your tension, the less stuffing will peek through the stitches. If you tend to crochet loosely, go down a hook size.
Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill is the standard for amigurumi and works perfectly here. You only need a small pinch for a keychain-sized squirrel, so this is a great project for using up the scraps left over from bigger projects.
Safety Eyes: Two 4mm or 6mm black safety eyes give your squirrel that bright, lively look. If you’re making this for a small child, skip the safety eyes and embroider the eyes instead using black embroidery floss.
Other supplies: A yarn needle (also called a tapestry needle or darning needle) for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends, scissors, stitch markers to keep track of your rounds, a small amount of brown or black embroidery floss for the nose, and a keychain ring to attach your finished squirrel to.
Abbreviations used in this pattern:
MR = magic ring, SC = single crochet, INC = increase (2 SC in same stitch), DEC = invisible decrease (insert hook through front loops of next two stitches), SL ST = slip stitch, CH = chain, BLO = back loop only, FO = fasten off, PM = place marker.
Step 1: Crochet the Head
The head is the most expressive part of your squirrel, so it’s a great place to start. Work in continuous rounds, using a stitch marker to keep track of the beginning of each round.
Start with your main body color.
Round 1: MR, 6 SC into ring. (6 stitches)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
Round 3: SC 1, INC repeat around. (18 stitches)
Round 4: SC 2, INC repeat around. (24 stitches)
Round 5: SC 3, INC repeat around. (30 stitches)
Rounds 6–9: SC in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Round 10: SC 3, DEC repeat around. (24 stitches)
At this point, insert your safety eyes between rounds 7 and 8, spacing them about 6 stitches apart. Squirrels have wide-set eyes, so don’t place them too close together. If you’re embroidering the eyes, mark the placement now with a pin and come back to stitch them after stuffing.
Round 11: SC 2, DEC repeat around. (18 stitches)
Now stuff the head firmly with fiberfill. It should feel round and plump, like a little ball. Don’t be shy with the stuffing — a well-stuffed head holds its shape much better over time and looks more polished.
Round 12: SC 1, DEC repeat around. (12 stitches)
Round 13: DEC around. (6 stitches)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Close the opening by weaving the yarn tail through the front loops of all 6 remaining stitches and pulling tight.
For the snout, you can either crochet a small oval separately (start with a chain of 4, work single crochets around it in a small oval, 2 rounds total) and sew it onto the center-lower portion of the face, or you can embroider a small round muzzle using satin stitch in a slightly lighter yarn. Stitch a small upside-down “Y” shape in embroidery floss beneath the snout to create the nose and mouth.
Step 2: Crochet the Body
The body is worked the same way as the head but stopped a little earlier in the shaping, so it has a slightly more oval profile.
Use your main body color.
Round 1: MR, 6 SC. (6 stitches)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
Round 3: SC 1, INC repeat around. (18 stitches)
Round 4: SC 2, INC repeat around. (24 stitches)
Rounds 5–9: SC in each stitch around. (24 stitches)
Round 10: SC 2, DEC repeat around. (18 stitches)
Stuff the body now, again filling it firmly.
Round 11: SC 1, DEC repeat around. (12 stitches)
Round 12: DEC around. (6 stitches)
Fasten off and close the same way as the head, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Once both pieces are stuffed and closed, pin the head to the top of the body to get a feel for the positioning before sewing. The head should sit slightly forward on the body, not perfectly centered on top — this gives the squirrel a more natural, perky pose. Sew them together securely using the yarn tail and a yarn needle, going around the join at least twice to make sure they won’t separate with daily keychain use.
Step 3: Make the Ears
The ears are tiny and quick to make. You’ll need two of them.
Using your main color, leave a long starting tail for sewing.
Round 1: MR, 6 SC. (6 stitches)
Round 2: SC 1, INC repeat around. (9 stitches)
Slip stitch to close, fasten off with a long tail.
For a two-toned ear effect (which looks especially realistic), make an inner ear piece in your accent/belly color using only Round 1 (6 SC into a magic ring), fasten off, and sew it onto the front of the ear before attaching the ear to the head.
Pinch the base of each ear slightly to give it a bit of dimension before sewing it onto the top of the head. Position the ears toward the back of the head, roughly 5–6 stitches apart from each other, and sew them down securely through both layers.
Step 4: Crochet the Arms and Legs
Your squirrel will have four small limbs — two small arms and two rounded legs. These are all made the same basic way, which makes this step go quickly once you get the hang of it.
Arms (make 2):
Round 1: MR, 6 SC. (6 stitches)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
Rounds 3–5: SC around. (12 stitches)
Round 6: SC 1, DEC repeat around. (8 stitches)
Stuff lightly — the arms don’t need as much fiberfill as the head and body. Fasten off with a long tail.
Legs (make 2):
Round 1: MR, 6 SC. (6 stitches)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
Round 3: SC in BLO around. (12 stitches) — this creates a small foot ridge
Rounds 4–6: SC around. (12 stitches)
Round 7: SC 1, DEC repeat around. (8 stitches)
Stuff lightly and fasten off with a long tail.
Once all four limbs are made, arrange them against the body before sewing to find the best placement. The legs go on either side of the lower body and the arms go a bit higher up, angled slightly outward or forward. If you want your squirrel to look like it’s sitting up and holding a tiny acorn (more on that in a moment), position the arms close together at the front of the body, angled slightly inward.
Step 5: Create the Fluffy Tail
The tail is what makes a squirrel a squirrel, and it’s one of the most satisfying parts of this project to make. If you’re using a fluffy or eyelash yarn, the tail will look magnificent with very little effort.
Using your fluffy yarn (or regular yarn in your main color):
Round 1: MR, 6 SC. (6 stitches)
Round 2: INC around. (12 stitches)
Round 3: SC 1, INC repeat around. (18 stitches)
Round 4: SC 2, INC repeat around. (24 stitches)
Rounds 5–7: SC around. (24 stitches)
Round 8: SC 2, DEC repeat around. (18 stitches)
Rounds 9–10: SC around. (18 stitches)
Round 11: SC 1, DEC repeat around. (12 stitches)
Do not stuff the tail. A floppy, unstuffed tail curves naturally and looks much more charming than a stiff one. Fasten off with a long tail for sewing.
Attach the tail to the back of the body so that it arcs upward, curling over the squirrel’s back. You can use a few extra stitches near the top of the tail to tack it lightly to the back of the head if you want it to hold that classic squirrel pose.
If you’re using regular yarn and want to achieve a fluffier look, once the tail is sewn on, use a stiff pet slicker brush or a stiff bristle brush to gently brush out the yarn fibers. Work slowly and in small sections. The yarn will fuzz up beautifully, giving a soft, fuzzy texture that looks surprisingly realistic.
Step 6: Finishing Touches and Attaching the Keychain Ring
You’re almost done! This final step is all about the details that take your squirrel from “cute” to “absolutely irresistible.”
The acorn (optional but highly recommended): A tiny acorn in your squirrel’s arms is the detail that makes everyone lose their minds over how adorable this is. To make a simple acorn, use brown yarn to crochet a small oval (chain 3, SC around the chain to create an oval shape about 6–8 stitches around, work 2 more rounds, and fasten off). For the acorn cap, use a contrasting dark brown or tan yarn to crochet a flat circle (MR, 6 SC, INC around for 12 SC, SL ST to close) and sew it onto the top of the oval. Tuck the acorn into the squirrel’s arms and sew the arms closed around it, securing the acorn in place.
The nose and facial details: If you haven’t already, embroider a small nose using a satin stitch. Two or three straight stitches laid close together in the center of the snout area create a neat, tidy nose. Use a dark brown or black embroidery floss. You can also add tiny eyebrow lines or cheek blush (use a small amount of pink chalk or eyeshadow on a cotton swab to dust the cheeks — it adds the most charming rosy look to the face).
Weaving in ends: Take your time weaving in all of your yarn ends thoroughly. Run the yarn needle through at least two or three different directions inside the body to ensure the ends are truly secure. A keychain gets tugged and jostled every single day, so well-woven ends make a real difference in longevity.
Attaching the keychain ring: There are a couple of ways to do this. The simplest method is to cut a short length of yarn in your main color, thread it through the top of the squirrel’s head from front to back, thread both ends through the keychain ring, and tie them together securely with several knots before weaving the ends into the head. You can also use a small lobster claw clasp attached to a short length of chain, which makes it easy to switch your squirrel between different bags or keys.
Once the ring is attached, give your squirrel a gentle squeeze to check that all the seams are holding, make sure no stuffing is visible through the stitches, and check that the eyes are firmly seated (or give the embroidered eyes a last look to make sure they’re symmetrical).
Tips for a Beautiful Finished Squirrel
A few extra notes that will make a real difference in how your finished project looks and holds up over time.
Tension is everything in amigurumi. Crochet tightly enough that your stitches don’t have visible gaps, but not so tightly that your hook is hard to maneuver. If you find yourself struggling to insert the hook, loosen up slightly.
Always stuff incrementally — add fiberfill bit by bit as you decrease rather than waiting until the very end. It’s much easier to get an even distribution this way, and you avoid that frustrating moment of trying to shove stuffing through a tiny closing gap.
When sewing pieces together, use the yarn tail left from the last round rather than cutting a new length. It’s already attached in the right place, it’s the right color, and it saves you one more end to weave in.
If your magic rings tend to leave a small gap even after tightening, run your yarn needle through the center stitches and pull snug from the back before weaving in. This closes that stubborn little hole completely.
Download the Free PDF Pattern
All of the rounds, materials, and finishing instructions above are compiled into a clean, printable PDF pattern that you can download for free. The PDF includes a full materials list, all six steps written out in pattern format, a helpful abbreviations guide, and a few additional notes for customization — like how to make a red squirrel variation, a winter version with a tiny scarf, and how to scale the pattern up for a larger plushie version.
To download, look for the link below the post or check the resource library if you’re a newsletter subscriber. The PDF is formatted to print cleanly on a single sheet of paper (front and back) so you can take it to your craft corner without needing to scroll through a screen.
Share Your Squirrel!
There is nothing more delightful than seeing these little squirrels made by different hands, in different colors, with different creative touches. If you make this keychain, please share a photo — tag your project with #CrochetSquirrelKeychain so the whole community can see your work. Whether you go classic russet brown, a soft dove gray, or something completely unexpected like a deep forest green, your version of this squ
