Amigurumi Crochet Monkey Free Pattern: Your Complete Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve been searching for a free amigurumi crochet monkey pattern that’s approachable for beginners yet satisfying enough for experienced crafters, you’ve landed in exactly the right place. This little monkey is one of those projects that comes together surprisingly fast, looks absolutely adorable once finished, and makes a gift that people genuinely treasure. Whether you’re making it for a baby shower, a child’s birthday, or just to add a new handmade friend to your collection, this pattern walks you through every single step with clear instructions, tips for getting the tension just right, and guidance on shaping each part of your monkey’s body.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Amigurumi and Why Is Monkey One of the Best Beginner Projects?

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small stuffed animals and creatures. The word itself comes from combining the Japanese words for “knitted” and “stuffed doll,” and the craft has taken the handmade world by storm over the past two decades. Amigurumi pieces are typically worked in continuous rounds using a slightly tight tension so the stuffing doesn’t show through the gaps in your stitches.

Monkeys make a wonderful starting point for a few reasons. Their body shape is essentially a collection of simple cylinders and ovals — a rounded body, a head, long arms, shorter legs, a curling tail, and those iconic round ears. There’s no complex shaping that requires you to think too hard, but there’s enough variety in the parts that you’ll practice increases, decreases, and color changes along the way. By the time you finish your first monkey, you’ll feel genuinely confident tackling almost any amigurumi character.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you cast on your first stitch, gather everything so you won’t have to stop mid-project.

Yarn: You’ll need approximately 100–150 grams of a worsted weight yarn in your main color (brown works beautifully, but this pattern adapts to any shade you love), plus a small amount in a contrasting color for the face/muzzle area and inner ears. Cotton or acrylic both work well. Acrylic tends to be more forgiving for beginners because it has a little stretch, but cotton gives a firmer, crisper finish.

Hook: A 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook is standard for amigurumi worked in worsted weight yarn. You want your stitches tight enough that the stuffing doesn’t peek through, so don’t be afraid to go down a hook size from what the yarn label recommends.

Safety eyes: Two 12mm black safety eyes. If you’re making this for a baby or very young child, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes with black yarn instead — safety eyes can be a choking hazard.

Polyester fiberfill stuffing: A standard bag is more than enough.

Yarn needle: For weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.

Stitch markers: At least two, to mark the beginning of each round.

Scissors: Sharp ones make a difference when cutting yarn cleanly.

Abbreviations and Stitches Used

This pattern uses US crochet terminology throughout.

MR — Magic ring (also called a magic circle)
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
inc — Increase (two single crochets in the same stitch)
dec — Decrease (invisible decrease: insert hook in front loop of next stitch, then front loop of following stitch, yarn over and pull through both loops, yarn over and pull through remaining two loops)
BLO — Back loop only
FLO — Front loop only
st(s) — Stitch(es)
R — Round

Working in continuous rounds means you do not join at the end of each round with a slip stitch unless the pattern specifically says to. Use a stitch marker to keep track of where each round begins.

The Pattern

Head

R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18)
R4: Sc 2, inc repeat around. (24)
R5: Sc 3, inc repeat around. (30)
R6: Sc 4, inc repeat around. (36)
R7: Sc 5, inc repeat around. (42)
R8–R15: Sc in each st around. (42) — 8 rounds even
R16: Sc 5, dec repeat around. (36)
R17: Sc 4, dec repeat around. (30)

At this point, insert your safety eyes between rounds 11 and 12, approximately 8–10 stitches apart. If you’re embroidering the eyes, you’ll do that after the head is fully assembled.

R18: Sc 3, dec repeat around. (24)
R19: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (18)

Stuff the head firmly. You want a nice round shape — don’t be shy with the stuffing here because it’s much harder to add more once you’ve closed things up.

R20: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (12)
R21: Dec around. (6)

Close the hole by pulling the yarn tail through the remaining stitches with your yarn needle. Weave in the end.

Muzzle

Using your contrasting color yarn:

R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18)
R4: Sc in each st around. (18)

Leave a long tail for sewing. The muzzle will be sewn flat onto the face centered just below the eyes. Before sewing it completely closed, stuff it very lightly so it has a slight puff to it. Use your yarn needle and the long tail to whipstitch it in place, then embroider a small nose and smile with black yarn or embroidery floss.

Ears (Make 2)

Outer ear (main color):
R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18)
R4: Sc in each st around. (18)

Fasten off, leave a tail.

Inner ear (contrasting color):
R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Fasten off, leave a tail.

Place the inner ear centered on top of the outer ear and sew it in place with a few stitches. Then fold the assembled ear slightly (cupping it gently) and sew it onto either side of the head, aligned with rounds 6–10. The curve gives the ears that natural, slightly cupped look that makes the monkey feel dimensional and realistic.

Body

R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)
R3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18)
R4: Sc 2, inc repeat around. (24)
R5: Sc 3, inc repeat around. (30)
R6: Sc 4, inc repeat around. (36)
R7–R14: Sc in each st around. (36) — 8 rounds even
R15: Sc 4, dec repeat around. (30)
R16: Sc in each st around. (30)
R17: Sc 3, dec repeat around. (24)
R18: Sc in each st around. (24)
R19: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (18)

Stuff the body firmly, then continue:

R20: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (12)
R21: Dec around. (6)

Close the hole the same way as the head.

Arms (Make 2)

R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)
R3–R5: Sc in each st around. (12) — 3 rounds even

This is the hand section. Now you’ll taper into the arm:

R6: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (9)
R7–R18: Sc in each st around. (9) — 12 rounds even

Stuff the arm very lightly — just enough to give it shape without making it stiff. You want the arms to be flexible and posable. Flatten the opening and sew it closed with a few stitches rather than closing it in a round. Leave a long tail for attaching.

Legs (Make 2)

R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2: Inc in each st around. (12)
R3–R5: Sc in each st around. (12) — 3 rounds even

R6: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (9)
R7–R14: Sc in each st around. (9) — 8 rounds even

Stuff firmly, then close as with the arms. Leave a long tail.

Tail

R1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (6)
R2–R25: Sc in each st around. (6) — 24 rounds even

The tail is a long, thin tube. Don’t stuff it at all — leave it unstuffed so it can curl naturally. Fasten off and leave a long tail for attaching.

Assembling Your Monkey

Assembly is honestly where your monkey comes to life, and it’s worth taking your time here.

Start by attaching the head to the body. Line up the bottom of the head with the top of the body and use your yarn needle and a length of yarn in your main color to sew them together with a whipstitch all the way around. Make sure the head is centered and facing forward before you commit to sewing the whole way around.

Next, position the muzzle on the face and sew it down if you haven’t already, adding light stuffing as you close the last bit.

Attach the ears on either side of the head. Take a moment to look at the monkey from the front and adjust the position until you’re happy — ears positioned a little higher give a more playful expression, while ears lower on the head feel more realistic.

For the arms, pin them to either side of the body at approximately round 3 or 4 from the top of the body. The flattened top of each arm should sit flush against the body. Sew through the arm and into the body several times in a cross pattern to make the attachment strong, since arms tend to get grabbed by little hands.

Sew the legs to the bottom front of the body, pointing slightly outward so the monkey looks like it’s sitting. Again, sew through the piece multiple times to make sure the attachment holds up to play.

Finally, attach the tail to the back lower section of the body. To help it curl, twist the tail into a spiral shape before you sew it down and hold it in place with a few tacking stitches partway along its length. This gives it that signature monkey-tail curl that makes the finished piece feel so charming.

Finishing Touches

Embroider the face details with black yarn. A simple “V” shape works perfectly for the mouth, and if you’re using embroidered eyes instead of safety eyes, two small French knots or satin-stitched ovals look wonderful. Some crafters like to add a tiny highlight stitch in white to give the eyes a little sparkle — it’s a small detail that makes a big difference.

Weave in all remaining yarn ends carefully, hiding them inside the stuffed pieces so they don’t work their way to the surface over time.

If you want to give your monkey an extra-polished look, a very light steam from a garment steamer (held several inches away) can help smooth out any uneven tension in your stitches. Never apply direct heat to acrylic yarn.

Tips for Getting the Best Results

Tension is everything in amigurumi. If your stitches are too loose, the stuffing will show through and the finished piece will look lumpy. If you notice this happening partway through a piece, don’t hesitate to pull it out and start again with a smaller hook. A well-tensioned piece is so much more satisfying.

Use a stitch marker religiously. It sounds tedious, but moving your marker at the end of every single round takes only a second and prevents the frustration of losing count halfway through a long piece.

When sewing parts together, use the yarn tail from the piece you’re attaching whenever possible. The color will match perfectly, and you can weave that same end in through the attached piece to hide it completely.

If the magic ring gives you trouble, it’s completely acceptable to chain 2 and work your first-round single crochets into the second chain from the hook instead. The hole will be slightly larger but still small enough to pull nearly closed.

Customizing Your Monkey

One of the best things about this pattern is how easily it adapts. Change the yarn colors and you have a chimpanzee, a spider monkey, or a completely fantastical purple creature. Add a small crocheted banana (a simple oval worked in yellow yarn) in one hand by sewing the arm partially open and tucking the banana inside before closing. Give your monkey a tiny crocheted hat using any basic beanie pattern scaled down to a small magic ring start. Add a bow tie or a little scarf made from a strip of ribbon or a few rows of crochet in a contrasting color.

This basic body construction — rounded head, oval body, cylindrical limbs — is also the foundation for dozens of other amigurumi animals. Once you’ve made a monkey, you’re really just a few shape adjustments away from a bear, a lion, a bunny, or a pig. Think of this pattern as your gateway into the whole world of amigurumi design.

A Note on Sizing

Working with the hook and yarn sizes listed above, your finished monkey will be approximately 20–23cm (8–9 inches) tall when seated. If you want a larger monkey, move up to bulky weight yarn and a 5.0–5.5mm hook. If you want a tiny keychain-sized monkey, use fingering weight cotton and a 1.75–2.0mm hook — just be aware that working at that small scale requires more patience with tension.

Sharing Your Finished Monkey

If you make this pattern, please share a photo! The amigurumi community is wonderfully supportive and genuinely loves seeing how different crafters interpret the same pattern. Every finished monkey looks a little different depending on yarn choice, tension, and the little details each maker adds. Tag your work when sharing on social media so other crafters can find this pattern and give it a try. Seeing finished versions made by others is also one of the best ways to pick up new ideas for customization.

Happy crocheting — your little monkey is waiting to come to life.