Crochet Hamster Amigurumi Free Pattern

There is something undeniably charming about a tiny stuffed hamster sitting in the palm of your hand. Those chubby cheeks, the round little body, the miniature ears — a crochet hamster amigurumi captures all of that sweetness in yarn and stitches. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter looking for your next project or someone who has recently discovered the joy of amigurumi and wants to try something beyond basic shapes, this free pattern is for you. By the end of this tutorial, you will have an adorable little hamster friend to display, gift, or add to your growing amigurumi collection.

Amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed animals and characters, has captured the hearts of crafters around the world. The word itself comes from the Japanese words “ami” (crocheted or knitted) and “nuigurumi” (stuffed doll). What makes amigurumi so special is the combination of simple techniques and big results. You work mostly in continuous rounds, use a tight tension to hide the stuffing inside, and assemble the pieces together to create a three-dimensional figure that looks like it walked straight out of a children’s book.

This crochet hamster amigurumi pattern is designed to be beginner-friendly while still producing a result that looks polished and professional. The finished hamster stands about 4 inches tall when seated. It features the classic round amigurumi body, stubby little legs, tiny arms, rounded ears with a contrast inner color, a sweet embroidered face, and of course those signature pouchy cheeks that make hamsters so irresistible.

Let us get into everything you need before picking up your hook.

Materials You Will Need

Before you begin crocheting, gather all your supplies. Having everything ready at the start makes the process much smoother and more enjoyable.

Yarn: You will need a light worsted weight or DK weight yarn in your main color (the body color of your hamster), a contrast color for the belly and inner ears, and a small amount of dark brown or black yarn for the eyes if you prefer embroidered eyes over safety eyes. Popular choices for the main color include golden yellow, caramel brown, cream, gray, or a soft peach tone that mimics a real hamster’s coloring. Classic hamster colorways are warm golden tones or a combination of white and gray.

Crochet Hook: A 3.0 mm or 3.5 mm crochet hook works beautifully with DK or light worsted yarn for amigurumi. The goal is to crochet tightly enough that the stuffing does not show through the stitches, so you will want to use a hook that is slightly smaller than what the yarn label recommends.

Safety Eyes: Two 6 mm black safety eyes. If you are making this hamster for a small child under three years old, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes with black yarn instead for a completely safe, soft toy.

Polyester Fiberfill: For stuffing the body, head, cheeks, and limbs. Use a good quality fiberfill that holds its shape over time without clumping.

Yarn Needle: A blunt-tipped tapestry or yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.

Stitch Markers: A few locking stitch markers to mark the beginning of your rounds.

Scissors: Sharp scissors for cutting yarn.

Optional: Black and pink embroidery floss for the nose and mouth details, or you can use yarn.

Abbreviations and Stitch Guide

This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology. Here is a quick reference guide:

MR — Magic ring (also called a magic circle). This is the most common way to start amigurumi pieces. It creates a closed center with no hole.

ch — Chain stitch

sl st — Slip stitch

sc — Single crochet

inc — Increase (two single crochets worked into the same stitch)

dec — Invisible decrease (insert hook through the front loops of the next two stitches and single crochet them together — this creates a neater finish than a standard decrease)

sc2tog — Single crochet two stitches together (standard decrease)

BLO — Back loop only

FLO — Front loop only

st(s) — Stitch or stitches

rnd — Round

rep — Repeat

Pattern Notes

Always work in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Do not join at the end of each round; instead, use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each new round and move it up as you go.

Stuff your pieces firmly as you go. It is much easier to add stuffing gradually than to try to stuff a finished piece through a small opening. The hamster’s cheeks especially benefit from tight stuffing to give them that classic puffed-up look.

Leave long yarn tails when you fasten off pieces that need to be sewn onto the body. This gives you enough yarn to sew and weave in the ends securely.

The tension of your stitches matters a great deal in amigurumi. If your stitches feel loose or you can see the stuffing through the fabric, try going down a hook size.

The Pattern

Head and Body (worked as one piece, starting with the head)

Amigurumi hamsters often have a head and body made as a single continuous piece, which gives them a smooth, seamless look. This pattern follows that approach.

Using your main color yarn and the magic ring method:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)

Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc rep around. (24 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc rep around. (30 sts)

Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc rep around. (36 sts)

Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc rep around. (42 sts)

Rnds 8–14: Sc in each st around. (42 sts) — Work 7 rounds even without increasing or decreasing.

Before you begin the decrease section, this is the time to insert your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 10 and 11, approximately 10 to 12 stitches apart. The wider the spacing, the more of that classic hamster look you will achieve.

Rnd 15: Sc 5, dec rep around. (36 sts)

Rnd 16: Sc 4, dec rep around. (30 sts)

Rnd 17: Sc 3, dec rep around. (24 sts)

Now begin stuffing the head firmly with polyester fiberfill. Continue adding stuffing as you work the body section below.

Rnd 18: Sc 3, inc rep around. (30 sts) — This is where the body begins to widen.

Rnd 19: Sc 4, inc rep around. (36 sts)

Rnd 20: Sc 5, inc rep around. (42 sts)

Rnds 21–28: Sc in each st around. (42 sts) — Work 8 rounds even.

Rnd 29: Sc 5, dec rep around. (36 sts)

Rnd 30: Sc 4, dec rep around. (30 sts)

Rnd 31: Sc 3, dec rep around. (24 sts)

Rnd 32: Sc 2, dec rep around. (18 sts)

Add more stuffing now to fill out the body nicely. The hamster should feel firm but not rock hard.

Rnd 33: Sc 1, dec rep around. (12 sts)

Rnd 34: Dec around. (6 sts)

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

Cheeks (make 2)

The cheeks are what give the amigurumi hamster its most distinctive feature. Make them in a cream or lighter contrast color if you like, or use the main color. Stuff them very firmly.

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)

Rnds 4–6: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)

Rnd 7: Sc 1, dec rep around. (12 sts)

Stuff firmly before closing.

Rnd 8: Dec around. (6 sts)

Fasten off with a long tail for sewing. Close the hole as before.

Pin the cheeks to either side of the face, just below and slightly in front of the eyes. When you are happy with the placement, sew them on securely, making sure to go all the way around the edge multiple times for a strong attachment. The cheeks should sit forward on the face, creating that puffed-up look.

Ears (make 2 outer pieces in main color, 2 inner pieces in contrast color)

Outer ear:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)

Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)

Fasten off with a long tail.

Inner ear:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Fasten off with a long tail.

Hold the inner ear piece against the outer ear piece with the wrong sides facing each other. Using a yarn needle and the tail from the inner ear, whip stitch around the edge to attach the two pieces together. Once joined, the ear has a slight cup shape. Fold the bottom edge of the ear slightly inward (like pinching the base of a real ear) to create dimension, then sew the ears onto the top of the head about 4 stitches apart.

Arms (make 2)

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc 1, dec rep around. (8 sts)

Rnds 6–10: Sc in each st around. (8 sts)

Stuff lightly. The arms do not need to be stuffed as firmly as the body — a light fill gives them a more natural look and lets them drape softly.

Flatten the top of the arm and sew it closed with a few slip stitches through both layers (do not fasten off yet — use the working yarn and needle to sew the arm directly to the body). Attach the arms to either side of the body at roughly round 20, pointing slightly downward and forward.

Legs (make 2)

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc 1, dec rep around. (8 sts)

Rnds 6–8: Sc in each st around. (8 sts)

Stuff lightly. Flatten and sew closed, then attach to the bottom sides of the body so that the hamster can sit upright. Position them slightly forward so the hamster has a natural seated posture.

Tail (optional, but adorable)

Hamsters have very short, stubby tails. To make one, simply make a small bobble or button-sized circle:

Rnd 1: 6 sc into magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Fasten off with a long tail. Do not stuff. Sew flat to the back of the hamster’s body.

Belly Patch (optional)

For extra detail and a more realistic hamster appearance, you can make a simple oval belly patch in your contrast or cream color and sew it flat to the front of the body.

Chain 4.

Row 1: Sc in second chain from hook, sc 1, inc in last chain. Working along the other side of the chain: inc, sc 1, sc 1. (8 sts) Join to work in the round.

Rnd 2: Inc, sc 2, inc, inc, sc 2, inc. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Fasten off and sew flat to the front of the body, centered between the legs and arms.

Finishing the Face

Once all your pieces are assembled, the final step is embroidering the face. This is the step that brings your hamster to life.

Using black yarn or embroidery floss, embroider a small upside-down triangle or heart shape for the nose, centered just below the midpoint between the eyes. From the base of the nose, embroider a short vertical line down and then a small curved smile to either side, creating that classic “Y” shaped mouth.

If you prefer, you can add tiny white highlights to the safety eyes by dabbing a small dot of white fabric paint or by placing a tiny white seed bead next to each safety eye before securing it. This gives the eyes a lively, sparkling quality.

Pink blush on the cheeks can be added using a little chalk pastel or cosmetic blush powder and a small brush, lightly dusted over the cheek pouch area for extra sweetness.

Tips for Making Your Hamster Even Cuter

One of the best things about amigurumi is how much personality you can add through small creative choices. Try using variegated yarn for a spotted or dappled hamster coat. You can make a whole family of hamsters in different colorways — a golden Syrian hamster, a gray Roborovski-style hamster, or a black and white panda bear hamster. Each one will have its own distinct charm.

Experiment with the size of the cheeks to change the character’s expression. Larger, more forward-set cheeks create a very cartoonish, exaggerated look that children especially love. Smaller, rounder cheeks look more like a realistic hamster. Neither is wrong — it is all about what appeals to you.

You can also add tiny accessories. A miniature crocheted sunflower seed (a tiny yellow oval) tucked under one arm, a small food bowl crocheted in contrasting colors, or even a miniature wheel made from wire and yarn are all ways to create a complete little scene around your amigurumi hamster.

If you want to make this into a gift, consider attaching a keychain ring to the top of the head using a short looped piece of wire or a purchased keychain finding. An amigurumi hamster keychain is one of the most popular small craft gifts and sells well at markets and fairs.

Caring for Your Amigurumi Hamster

Amigurumi toys made from acrylic yarn can typically be hand washed gently in cool water with mild soap, then reshaped and air dried flat. Avoid machine washing or high heat, which can distort the shape or damage the stuffing. If you used safety eyes, check that they are secured tightly before washing. For display pieces, a light brush with a soft lint roller keeps them looking fresh.

Sharing Your Work

Once you have finished your hamster, the amigurumi community would love to see it. Share your finished project on Instagram or Pinterest using tags related to amigurumi and crochet, or post in one of the many active amigurumi groups on Facebook and