Amigurumi Frog Lara: A Free Crochet Pattern for Your New Favorite Plushie
If you’ve been scrolling through crochet communities lately, chances are you’ve spotted a wave of tiny frogs hopping across your feed. Amigurumi frogs have become one of the most beloved projects in the crochet world, and it’s easy to understand why. They’re compact enough to finish in a weekend, expressive enough to steal hearts instantly, and just technical enough to feel genuinely satisfying when you’re done. This pattern, Amigurumi Frog Lara, is my contribution to that happy little corner of the crochet universe.
Lara is a round, squishy frog with wide eyes, a gentle smile, and the kind of personality that makes you want to make a whole pond full of her. Whether you’re an experienced amigurumi maker looking for your next project or a confident beginner ready to try your first creature, this pattern is written to guide you every step of the way. By the end, you’ll have a frog that looks charming perched on a shelf, tucked into a child’s arms, or gifted to a friend who desperately needs a little green companion in their life.
Let’s get into everything you need to know before you pick up your hook.
What Is Amigurumi?
Before we dive into the pattern, a quick word for anyone who might be new to the term. Amigurumi is a Japanese art form that combines the words “ami” (knitted or crocheted) and “nuigurumi” (stuffed doll). The craft originated in Japan and has spread globally over the past two decades, becoming one of the most searched and shared crochet niches on the internet.
The hallmark of amigurumi is crocheting in continuous rounds rather than rows, which creates a seamless, tube-like fabric that holds stuffing beautifully. Most amigurumi pieces are worked in single crochet stitches, which gives the fabric a tight, dense texture that keeps the polyfill inside where it belongs. The result is a firm, satisfying plushie with smooth surfaces and crisp shape definition.
Lara the frog is a classic amigurumi design: a large spherical body, a separate head or combined head-body shape, stubby limbs, and expressive safety eyes that give her that iconic wide-eyed look.
Materials You’ll Need
Getting your supplies together before you start is always a good idea. Nothing interrupts creative flow quite like realizing you’ve run out of yarn mid-round. Here’s everything you’ll need for one Amigurumi Frog Lara.
Yarn: Approximately 100–150 grams of worsted weight (size 4) yarn in green. You’ll also want a small amount of white or cream for the eye patches and a tiny bit of dark green or black for accents if you’d like. The brand doesn’t matter much here — any smooth, tightly spun worsted weight yarn will work well. Acrylic yarns are especially beginner-friendly because they’re washable, affordable, and come in every shade of green imaginable.
Hook: A 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook, depending on your tension. Amigurumi works best when your tension is tight enough that the stuffing doesn’t show through the stitches. If you can see daylight through your fabric when you hold it up to the light, go down a hook size.
Safety Eyes: Two 12mm black safety eyes. These snap into place and are secured by a washer on the inside of the work. If you’re making Lara for a child under three, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes with black yarn instead for a fully safe toy.
Polyfill Stuffing: A standard polyester fiberfill, available at any craft store. You want enough to make Lara firm but not so much that she loses her shape and becomes stiff.
Stitch Markers: At least two. You’ll use these to mark the beginning of each round and to hold your place when you set the work down.
Scissors and a Tapestry Needle: For weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.
Optional: A small piece of wire armature or pipe cleaner if you want to make Lara’s arms poseable.
Abbreviations and Stitch Guide
This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology. Here’s a quick reference for every abbreviation you’ll encounter.
MR — Magic Ring (also called a magic loop or adjustable ring)
ch — chain
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, yarn over, pull through both loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops)
st — stitch
rnd — round
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
[x] x — repeat what’s in the brackets the number of times indicated
If you’re unfamiliar with the magic ring, take a moment to look up a video tutorial before starting. It’s the foundation of almost every amigurumi piece, and once it clicks, you’ll wonder how you ever started a round any other way. It creates a tightly closed center with no hole, which is exactly what you want for Lara’s head and body.
Pattern Notes
Lara is worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise specified. Do not join at the end of each round unless the pattern specifically says to. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go to keep track of where each round begins and ends.
The finished frog stands approximately 5 to 6 inches tall when stuffed firmly. You can adjust the size by going up or down in yarn weight and hook size. A chunky yarn will give you a large, huggable frog while a fingering weight yarn and a 2mm hook will produce a tiny frog perfect for keychains or bag charms.
Stuff each piece as you work rather than waiting until the end. It’s much easier to get polyfill into a small opening than to stuff after the fact.
The Pattern: Amigurumi Frog Lara
Head and Body (Worked as One Piece)
Lara’s head and body are crocheted together in a single piece, which eliminates one sewing step and gives her a smoother, more unified shape.
Round 1: Start with a MR. Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the tail to close. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Round 5: [Sc 3, inc] repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Round 6: [Sc 4, inc] repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 7: [Sc 5, inc] repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 8: [Sc 6, inc] repeat 6 times. (48 sts)
Rounds 9–14: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) — 6 rounds even
This is the widest part of Lara’s head. Before you continue, now is the time to attach your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 11 and 12, spaced about 10 stitches apart. If you’re using white eye patches (which give Lara her characteristic wide-eyed look), crochet those first and attach the safety eyes through the patches, then sew the patches onto the head before continuing.
Round 15: [Sc 6, dec] repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 16: [Sc 5, dec] repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 17: [Sc 4, dec] repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Round 18: [Sc 3, dec] repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
At this point, stuff the head firmly with polyfill. Continue stuffing gradually as you work the body section below.
Round 19: [Sc 4, inc] repeat 6 times. (30 sts) — begin body expansion
Round 20: [Sc 5, inc] repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 21: [Sc 6, inc] repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 22: [Sc 7, inc] repeat 6 times. (48 sts)
Rounds 23–30: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) — 8 rounds even
Round 31: [Sc 6, dec] repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 32: [Sc 5, dec] repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 33: [Sc 4, dec] repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Round 34: [Sc 3, dec] repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Round 35: [Sc 2, dec] repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Stuff the body firmly before continuing.
Round 36: [Sc 1, dec] repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Round 37: Dec 6 times. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Use your tapestry needle to close the remaining 6 stitches by weaving the yarn through the front loops and pulling tight. Weave in the end.
Eye Patches (Make 2)
These little oval shapes frame Lara’s eyes and give her that classic amigurumi frog expression.
Round 1: MR. Work 6 sc into ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Attach your 12mm safety eyes to the center of each patch, then sew the patches to the head. Flatten them slightly against the head so they sit flush against the surface.
Arms (Make 2)
Round 1: MR. Work 6 sc into ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rounds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 5: [Sc 2, dec] repeat 3 times. (9 sts)
Rounds 6–12: Sc in each st around. (9 sts)
Lightly stuff the arm, leaving the top third unstuffed so it sews flat against the body more naturally. Fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail. Sew the arms to either side of the body at approximately round 22, with the top of the arm aligned to where the body begins to widen from the neck.
Legs (Make 2)
Lara’s legs are slightly longer and chunkier than her arms, giving her that frog-like wide stance.
Round 1: MR. Work 6 sc into ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rounds 4–6: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Round 7: [Sc 1, dec] repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rounds 8–16: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Stuff the leg firmly, especially the rounded foot section at the bottom. Fasten off with a long tail for sewing. Attach the legs to the bottom sides of the body, angling them slightly outward for a natural sitting position.
Nostrils (Optional, Make 2)
These tiny details add a lot of character and take only a few minutes to make.
Round 1: MR. Work 4 sc into ring. Pull to close.
Fasten off with a long tail. Sew onto the face just below the eye patches, centered between the two eyes.
Smile (Optional)
Using a length of dark green or black yarn and your tapestry needle, embroider a gentle curved smile below the nostrils. A simple curved stitch spanning about 6 stitches in a U-shape works perfectly. Keep it subtle — a tiny smile is more charming than a wide one on Lara’s round face.
Assembly
Lay all of Lara’s pieces out in front of you before you start sewing. It helps to pin everything in place with straight pins before committing to sewing. Take a photo from the front to check the placement looks balanced and symmetrical.
Sew the eye patches on first since they’re the focal point of the design. Then attach the nostrils. Add the embroidered smile last, so you can adjust its position relative to the other features.
For the limbs, sew the arms first and then the legs. Use your tapestry needle and a long strand of matching yarn, stitching around the edge of each piece multiple times to secure it firmly. Amigurumi pieces go through a lot of handling, especially when they’re toys for children, so don’t rush the sewing step.
Once everything is in place, weave in all remaining ends and snip them close to the surface.
Tips for a Beautiful Finished Frog
Getting the tension right is the single most important factor in amigurumi success. A loose tension creates gaps in the fabric where the stuffing peeks through, which detracts from the finished look. If you’re finding your stitches are too loose, try gripping the yarn more firmly or switching to a smaller hook.
When you stuff Lara, aim for firm and even rather than packed tight. You want her to hold her shape and feel substantial in your hand, but not so hard that she loses the slight squishiness that makes plushies so satisfying to hold.
The invisible decrease (dec) is worth learning properly if you haven’t already. It produces a much neater result than a standard decrease stitch and is one of the subtle things that elevates an amigurumi from looking homemade to looking professionally crafted.
Variations and Customization
One of the best things about making your own amigurumi is the freedom to personalize. Lara looks beautiful in classic bright green, but she’s equally charming in mint, teal, olive, or even an unexpected color like lavender or sunshine yellow. A frog doesn’t have to be green to be a frog — the shape tells the story.
You can add a tiny bow tie or flower made from yarn scraps and sewn to the top of her head. A miniature hat crocheted from a contrasting color gives Lara a whimsical, fairy-tale look. Some crafters also add blush circles using a makeup brush and a pink chalk pastel or fabric blush to give her rosy cheeks.
If you want to make Lara into a keychain or bag charm, use fingering weight yarn and a 1.75mm or 2mm hook. The finished frog will be roughly half the size and absolutely pocket-sized.
Caring for Your Finished Frog
If Lara is intended as a toy, hand washing is safest. Submerge her in lukewarm water with a small amount of gentle soap, squeeze gently to work the soap through, then rinse thoroughly. Press out excess water in a clean towel and reshape her while she’s damp. Allow her to air dry completely before she’s handled again.
If you used acrylic yarn, Lara can typically be machine washed on a gentle cold cycle inside a mesh laundry bag, but always check the yarn label first. Do not put her in the dryer, as the heat can melt or distort acrylic fibers and misshape the polyfill.
Sharing Your Lara
The crochet community is one of the warmest corners of the internet, and sharing your finished work is a wonderful way to connect with other makers. If you crochet Lara using this pattern, please consider sharing a photo in crochet groups on Facebook, on Pinterest, or tagging your post on Instagram. Seeing how different yarn choices, eye placements, and small customizations transform the same pattern into something uniquely personal is one of the genuine joys of designing patterns and sharing them freely.
If you sell finished items made from this pattern at craft fairs or local markets, you
