Crochet Raccoon Amigurumi: Free Pattern & Video Tutorial
If you’ve ever wanted to bring one of nature’s most mischievous little creatures to life with yarn and a hook, you’re in exactly the right place. This crochet raccoon amigurumi pattern is perfect for intermediate crocheters who love making plush stuffed animals, and it’s also approachable enough for adventurous beginners who are ready for a fun challenge. Whether you want to make it as a gift, a nursery decoration, or simply to add to your growing amigurumi collection, this little raccoon is going to steal your heart — just like the real ones steal your trash.
In this post, you’ll find the complete free pattern with step-by-step instructions, a guide to the materials you’ll need, helpful tips for getting clean stitches, and links to video tutorials that walk you through the trickier parts. Grab your hook and let’s get started.
What Is Amigurumi?
Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and other characters. The word itself comes from combining the Japanese words ami (knitted or crocheted) and nuigurumi (stuffed doll). The style originated in Japan in the 1950s and became a worldwide crafting phenomenon in the 2000s, particularly after the rise of crafting blogs and YouTube tutorials made patterns more accessible.
What makes amigurumi so charming is the signature aesthetic: large round heads, small bodies, and simplified features that give every creature an endearing, almost cartoonish quality. A crochet raccoon amigurumi perfectly captures that spirit — the characteristic masked face and striped tail translate beautifully into yarn form.
Materials You’ll Need
Before you dive into the pattern itself, gather everything on this list. Having your supplies ready will make the process much smoother.
Yarn: Worsted weight (size 4) yarn works beautifully for this project. You’ll need gray, dark gray or black, white, and a small amount of cream or off-white. Brands like Lion Brand, Red Heart, or Paintbox Simply DK all work wonderfully. For a softer, more plush result, look for yarns with a slight chenille or velvet texture.
Crochet Hook: A 3.5mm or 4mm hook is ideal for worsted weight yarn. Using a slightly smaller hook than the yarn label recommends creates a tighter fabric that prevents stuffing from showing through.
Safety Eyes: 12mm black safety eyes give your raccoon the most realistic look. If you’re making this for a child under three years old, embroider the eyes instead with black yarn for safety reasons.
Polyfill Stuffing: Standard polyester fiberfill is perfect. You want enough to make the pieces firm but not so much that they become misshapen.
Stitch Markers: These are your best friends in amigurumi. Use them to mark the beginning of each round so you never lose your place.
Yarn Needle: A blunt tapestry needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.
Scissors: Any sharp pair will do.
Wire Armature (Optional): If you want your raccoon to be poseable — sitting, standing, or holding something — a simple wire frame inside the body and limbs makes that possible.
Skill Level and Gauge
This pattern is rated intermediate. You should be comfortable with the magic ring (also called a magic circle), single crochets, increases, decreases, and working in continuous rounds. If you can make a basic sphere, you can make this raccoon.
Gauge is approximately 4 stitches and 4 rows per inch using a 4mm hook and worsted weight yarn. Gauge doesn’t need to be exact for amigurumi since there’s no garment fit to worry about, but try to keep your tension consistent throughout.
The finished raccoon stands approximately 7–8 inches tall when seated.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
MR — Magic Ring
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip Stitch
sc — Single Crochet
inc — Increase (2 single crochets in the same stitch)
dec — Invisible Decrease (insert hook through front loops of next 2 stitches, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through both loops)
BLO — Back Loop Only
FLO — Front Loop Only
st(s) — Stitch(es)
rnd — Round
rep — Repeat
All rounds are worked in continuous spirals unless otherwise noted. Do not join or turn at the end of each round unless the pattern specifically says to.
Free Crochet Raccoon Amigurumi Pattern
Head
The head is crocheted from the bottom up using gray yarn.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc into 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)
Rnd 8–14: Sc around (42 sts, 7 rounds)
Rnd 15: Sc 5, dec rep around (36 sts)
Rnd 16: Sc 4, dec rep around (30 sts)
At this point, insert your safety eyes between rounds 10 and 11, about 8–9 stitches apart. If you are adding eye patches (see below), position the eyes at the center of each patch before closing.
Rnd 17: Sc 3, dec rep around (24 sts)
Stuff the head firmly with polyfill.
Rnd 18: Sc 2, dec rep around (18 sts)
Rnd 19: Sc 1, dec rep around (12 sts)
Rnd 20: Dec around (6 sts)
Close the opening by cutting yarn and pulling through the remaining 6 stitches, pulling tight. Weave in the end.
Eye Patches (Make 2)
These are the iconic dark markings around a raccoon’s eyes. Use dark gray or black yarn.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around (18 sts)
Do not stuff. Flatten and sew to the front of the head before placing safety eyes. The two patches should just barely touch at the center of the face or be separated by a single stitch. Push the safety eye post through the center of each patch and through the head.
Muzzle
Use cream or off-white yarn.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc around (18 sts)
Do not stuff. Sew to the lower center of the face, positioned just below the eye patches. Embroider a small nose in black yarn at the top of the muzzle using a few horizontal stitches, and add a simple inverted Y shape below it for the mouth.
Ears (Make 2)
Outer Ear (Gray):
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc around (18 sts)
Inner Ear (Cream):
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc around (12 sts)
Place the inner ear on top of the outer ear, flatten both layers together, and single crochet around the edge to join them. Leave a tail for sewing. Attach ears to the top of the head with a slight forward tilt.
Body
Use gray yarn.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (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 7–16: Sc around (36 sts, 10 rounds)
Rnd 17: Sc 4, dec rep around (30 sts)
Rnd 18: Sc 3, dec rep around (24 sts)
Rnd 19: Sc 2, dec rep around (18 sts)
Stuff the body firmly. Continue decreasing.
Rnd 20: Sc 1, dec rep around (12 sts)
Rnd 21: Dec around (6 sts)
Close and weave in ends.
Arms (Make 2)
Use gray yarn for the arm and cream for the paw end.
Start with cream yarn.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3–4: Sc around (12 sts, 2 rounds)
Switch to gray yarn.
Rnd 5–14: Sc around (12 sts, 10 rounds)
Lightly stuff. Flatten the opening and sc across to close. Leave a long tail for sewing. Sew arms to the upper sides of the body, about 2–3 rounds down from the neck opening.
Legs (Make 2)
Use gray yarn for the leg and cream for the paw.
Start with cream yarn.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around (18 sts)
Rnd 4–5: Sc around (18 sts, 2 rounds)
Switch to gray yarn.
Rnd 6: Sc 4, dec rep around (15 sts)
Rnd 7–16: Sc around (15 sts, 10 rounds)
Stuff firmly. Flatten and sc across to close. Leave a long tail for sewing. Attach legs to the bottom of the body.
Tail
The raccoon tail is the showstopper. You’ll alternate between gray and dark gray or black yarn to create the classic ringed pattern.
Use gray yarn to start.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (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 5–7: Sc around in gray (24 sts, 3 rounds)
Rnd 8–10: Sc around in dark gray or black (24 sts, 3 rounds)
Rnd 11–13: Sc around in gray (24 sts, 3 rounds)
Rnd 14–16: Sc around in dark gray or black (24 sts, 3 rounds)
Rnd 17–19: Sc around in gray (24 sts, 3 rounds)
Rnd 20: Sc 2, dec rep around in gray (18 sts)
Rnd 21: Sc 1, dec rep around (12 sts)
Rnd 22: Dec around (6 sts)
Stuff the tail as you go. Close and leave a long tail for sewing. Attach to the lower back of the body, positioning it so it curves up and around to one side for a playful look.
Assembling Your Raccoon
Assembly is where all the magic happens, and taking your time here makes an enormous difference in the finished look. Use your yarn needle and long tails to sew each piece firmly in place.
Start by sewing the head to the body. Make sure the face is centered and pointing forward. A locking stitch through the neck into the body several times will keep the head secure. Some makers prefer to use a button joint or a needle and thread to create a jointed head that turns — this is a lovely touch if you’re making the raccoon as a display piece.
Next, sew on the eye patches and muzzle if you haven’t already done so. Then attach the ears to the top of the head, spacing them evenly and giving them a gentle forward tilt so they look natural rather than flat.
Attach the arms at the shoulder level on either side of the body, then sew the legs to the bottom front of the body so the raccoon sits in a natural position. Finally, attach the tail to the back, curling it around to one side.
Use black embroidery thread or yarn to add any final details — claws on the paws, extra definition on the nose, or tiny whiskers made with a few long straight stitches pulled through the muzzle and knotted on each side.
Video Tutorial Recommendations
If you’re more of a visual learner — and many crocheters are — watching a video alongside a written pattern is incredibly helpful, especially for techniques like the magic ring, invisible decrease, and sewing pieces together cleanly.
Search YouTube for terms like “crochet raccoon amigurumi tutorial,” “how to crochet amigurumi for beginners,” or “amigurumi assembly tips” to find a wide range of helpful walkthroughs. Channels dedicated to amigurumi crochet often have detailed closeup footage of exactly how to hold your yarn and hook during tricky sections.
For the striped tail specifically, searching “amigurumi color change tutorial” will show you how to switch yarn colors cleanly between rounds so you get crisp, defined stripes rather than muddy blended lines.
Tips for the Best Results
Working in continuous rounds can cause a subtle spiral effect in your amigurumi. This is completely normal and usually hides once the piece is stuffed and assembled. If it bothers you, you can use the jogless join technique at color changes to minimize the visual shift.
Always use a stitch marker at the beginning of your round. It takes two seconds to place and saves you from the frustration of losing your count. A simple loop of contrasting yarn or a commercial locking stitch marker both work perfectly.
When stuffing your pieces, aim for firm but not rock-hard. You want the finished raccoon to have a little give when squeezed, which makes it much more satisfying to hold. Add stuffing a little at a time as you decrease — it’s much easier than trying to shove a large amount in through a small opening at the end.
For cleaner color changes, drop your old color on the last yarn-over of the stitch before the switch, and pick up your new color to complete that stitch. This places the color change exactly where you want it rather than one stitch off.
If your eye patches are looking uneven, try pinning them in place with straight pins before sewing. Step back and look at your raccoon from several angles to make sure the face is symmetrical.
