Crochet Rainbow Snake — Free Crochet Pattern

If you’ve been looking for a fun, colorful, and beginner-friendly crochet project that kids absolutely adore, then this Crochet Rainbow Snake pattern from GoldenLucyCrafts is exactly what you need. This free crochet pattern walks you through every step of creating an adorable stuffed snake toy bursting with all the colors of the rainbow. Whether you’re making it as a gift, a nursery decoration, or simply a satisfying weekend project, this snake is guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone who sees it.

In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know — materials, stitch instructions, color sequences, finishing tips, and more. Let’s get started!

Why You’ll Love This Crochet Rainbow Snake Pattern

There’s something undeniably magical about a rainbow. Combine that with the satisfying rhythm of crochet and a squeezable, playful snake shape, and you have a project that checks every box. Here are just a few reasons why crafters keep coming back to this pattern:

It’s completely free, so you can dive right in without spending a penny on a pattern PDF. It’s also highly adaptable — you can make the snake as long or as short as you like simply by adding or removing color segments. The finished toy is soft, durable, and safe for children of all ages when made with appropriate yarn. It’s a fantastic stash-buster project because you only need small amounts of each color, making it ideal for using up leftover yarn from other projects. And perhaps most importantly, it’s genuinely enjoyable to make. Watching the rainbow of colors build up row by row is incredibly satisfying.

Materials You Will Need

Before you cast on your first stitch, gather everything you’ll need so you can work through the pattern without interruption. Here’s what you’ll need for a standard-sized rainbow snake measuring approximately 60 to 70 centimeters in length.

Yarn: You’ll need a small amount of yarn in each of the following colors — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. You can use any DK or worsted weight yarn you have on hand. Acrylic yarn works beautifully for this project because it’s washable, durable, and widely available. Each color segment uses roughly 15 to 20 grams of yarn, so this is a perfect stash-busting project.

Hook: A 4mm or 4.5mm crochet hook is ideal for DK weight yarn. If you’re using worsted weight, go up to a 5mm hook. You want your tension to be firm enough that no stuffing shows through the stitches, but not so tight that your hands cramp.

Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill stuffing is the standard choice. Make sure you have a good amount on hand because the snake needs to be firmly stuffed to hold its shape nicely.

Safety Eyes: Two black safety eyes in a 9mm or 12mm size work well for giving your snake a friendly, expressive face. If you’re making this for a child under three years old, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead for safety.

Yarn Needle: You’ll need a blunt-tipped yarn needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in your ends.

Scissors: A sharp pair of embroidery scissors makes trimming yarn ends much easier.

Stitch Markers: Optional but helpful, especially when you’re working in the round and need to keep track of the beginning of each round.

Red Felt or Yarn: A small piece of red felt or a length of red yarn is used to create the snake’s forked tongue.

Understanding the Stitches

This pattern uses a small selection of basic crochet stitches that are well within reach for beginners. If you already know how to single crochet in the round, you’re most of the way there.

Magic Ring (also called a Magic Circle): This technique lets you start crocheting in a tight circle with no hole in the center, which is perfect for the nose of the snake. If you’re not comfortable with the magic ring yet, you can also start with a chain of 2 and work your first round into the second chain from the hook.

Single Crochet (sc): The workhorse stitch of this pattern. Single crochet creates a dense, sturdy fabric that holds stuffing well and looks clean and neat in a toy.

Increase (inc): Work two single crochets into the same stitch. This is how you increase the size of the snake’s head.

Decrease (dec): Crochet two stitches together to reduce your stitch count. This is how the head and tail taper to a point. The invisible decrease technique, where you insert your hook through the front loops of two stitches before drawing through, gives a much neater finish than the standard slip-stitch decrease.

Slip Stitch (sl st): Used occasionally at the beginning and end of rounds when joining.

All rounds in this pattern are worked in a continuous spiral unless otherwise stated. Do not join or turn at the end of each round unless the pattern specifically instructs you to.

Gauge

Gauge isn’t critical for a toy like this, but as a general guide, 16 single crochets and 18 rows should measure approximately 10cm x 10cm using a 4mm hook and DK weight yarn. The most important thing is that your fabric is firm enough to contain the stuffing without showing gaps.

Pattern Abbreviations

To keep things easy to follow, here are the abbreviations used throughout this pattern:

• MR — Magic Ring
• sc — Single Crochet
• inc — Increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
• dec — Decrease (invisible decrease across 2 stitches)
• sl st — Slip Stitch
• ch — Chain
• st(s) — Stitch(es)
• BLO — Back Loop Only
• FLO — Front Loop Only
• rep — Repeat
• pm — Place Marker

Free Crochet Rainbow Snake Pattern Instructions

The Head

The head is worked from the nose tip backward, expanding to its full diameter before transitioning smoothly into the first color segment of the body.

Round 1: Start with your red yarn. 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 rep around. (18 sts)

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

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

Rounds 6–10: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)

This is the point where you should attach your safety eyes. Place them between Rounds 4 and 5, with approximately 8 to 10 stitches between them. If you’re using embroidered eyes, you’ll add those at the end.

Round 11: Sc 3, dec rep around. (24 sts)

At this stage, begin stuffing the head firmly with polyester fiberfill. Continue adding stuffing as you work through the body.

Round 12: Sc 2, dec rep around. (18 sts)

Round 13: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)

You’ve now completed the head. Do not fasten off. Continue directly into the body.

The Body — Color Segments

The body is made up of individual color blocks, each worked in a continuous spiral. The snake’s body maintains the same stitch count of 18 stitches all the way through until you reach the tail. Change color at the beginning of a round for clean, neat stripes.

For each color segment, you will work approximately 12 to 15 rounds before switching to the next color. This creates a chunky, clearly defined block of color rather than a thin stripe. You can adjust the number of rounds per segment if you prefer a longer or shorter snake.

Red Segment: Rounds 14–26 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

Orange Segment: Rounds 27–39 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

Yellow Segment: Rounds 40–52 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

Green Segment: Rounds 53–65 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

Blue Segment: Rounds 66–78 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

Indigo Segment: Rounds 79–91 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

Violet Segment: Rounds 92–104 (13 rounds of 18 sts)

How to change colors: When you reach the last stitch of the final round of your current color, pull the new color through on the last yarn-over of that stitch. This ensures the color change happens at the very beginning of the next round rather than halfway through. Leave a tail of at least 15cm to weave in securely.

Remember to continue stuffing the body as you go. It’s much easier to stuff continuously as you work than to try and push stuffing through a small opening at the end.

The Tail

Once you’ve completed all seven color segments, it’s time to taper the tail down to a gentle point.

Continue working with your violet yarn (or switch to a new color if you prefer).

Round 105: Sc 4, dec rep around. (15 sts)

Round 106: Sc in each st around. (15 sts)

Round 107: Sc 3, dec rep around. (12 sts)

Round 108: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Round 109: Sc 2, dec rep around. (9 sts)

Round 110: Sc 1, dec rep around. (6 sts)

Stuff the tail firmly right up to the tip. Then close the tail by working a dec across all remaining stitches (working two together until only a couple of loops remain), or simply use your yarn needle to thread through all 6 remaining stitches and pull tight to close. Fasten off and weave in the end securely.

Making the Tongue

A snake without a forked tongue is simply a very colorful worm! The tongue is quick to make and adds so much personality to the finished toy.

Option 1 — Yarn Tongue: Using red yarn and your hook, create a chain of 10. Slip stitch back along 5 chains (this forms one fork of the tongue), then from the base of the tongue, slip stitch back along the remaining 5 chains to form the second fork. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Option 2 — Felt Tongue: Cut a small tongue shape from red felt, snipping a V shape into the tip to create the fork. This option requires no crochet and gives a very neat, flat result.

Attach the tongue to the underside of the snake’s nose, stitching it securely with your yarn needle and the tail left from fastening off. Tuck any knots inside the head and pull snugly so the tongue sits flat and naturally.

Finishing Touches

Once your snake is fully assembled, take a moment to go back through and check everything is secure. Tug gently on the safety eyes to make sure they’re locked in place. Run your fingers along the body to check for any under-stuffed sections — you can often add a little more stuffing through the gap before the tail is fully closed if needed.

Weave in all your yarn ends carefully. The ends from color changes can be woven in along the inside of the body for extra security. A dab of fabric glue on stubborn ends can help if you find them working their way out over time.

If you’d like your snake to be a bit more pose-able, you can thread a length of pipe cleaner or craft wire through the center of the snake before closing the tail. Bend it gently into a coiled or wavy shape and it will hold the position beautifully. Note: if making this for a young child, skip the wire entirely for safety.

Customization Ideas

One of the most delightful things about this pattern is how easily it lends itself to personalization. Here are some ideas to make your rainbow snake uniquely yours.

You can change the color order entirely and use seasonal colors instead — think pastels for spring, deep jewel tones for autumn, or classic red and green for the Christmas season. A black and orange version makes a fantastic Halloween gift.

Make the snake longer by simply adding more color segments or by adding more rounds to each segment. A snake with 20 rounds per color segment will be noticeably chunkier and more dramatically scaled than one with only 8 rounds per segment.

Add a rattle by placing a small plastic rattle insert or a few dried beans inside a small fabric pouch and tucking it inside the head before you close it up. This turns the snake into a sensory toy that babies and toddlers will love.

Try using variegated or self-striping yarn for the body segments to get even more complex color effects without any yarn changes at all. Some yarn colorways do all the work for you.

Use a sparkly or glittery yarn for one or two of the color segments to create a truly magical, iridescent effect — perfect for a fairy tale-themed nursery.

Tips for Crochet Beginners

If this is one of your first amigurumi or stuffed toy projects, here are a few extra tips that will help the whole process go smoothly.

Always use a hook that’s slightly smaller than the one recommended on your yarn’s label. For toy making, a tighter gauge means less stuffing will peek through the fabric, and the finished toy will hold its shape better over time.

Don’t be tempted to skip the magic ring in favor of a simple slip knot start. The magic ring really does give a much neater result for circular pieces, and it becomes second nature after just a few tries.

Stitch markers are your best friend when working in the round. Place one at the first stitch of every round so you always know exactly where each round begins and ends.

If you find that your color changes are leaving little dots of the previous color poking through, try crocheting over the yarn tails for a few stitches as you begin each new color section. This buries the ends inside the fabric and eliminates the need to weave them in separately.

Blocking isn’t generally necessary for amigurumi, but if you’re using natural fibers like cotton or wool and your finished snake looks a little uneven, a gentle steam block can smooth out the stitches beautifully.

Washing and Care Instructions

Since this snake is likely to be loved hard by little hands, it’s worth making it as easy to care for as possible. If you used 100% acrylic yarn, the snake can be machine washed on a gentle cool cycle and tumble dried on a low heat setting. Natural fibers like cotton or wool should be hand washed in cool water and laid flat to dry to prevent shrinking or felting.

Check the safety eyes periodically and ensure they remain firmly attached. If you notice any wear to the yarn over time, a simple darning repair can extend the life of the toy considerably.

Share Your Makes!

If you make this Crochet Rainbow Snake using this free pattern from GoldenLucyCrafts, please share a photo! There’s nothing more rewarding for a pattern designer than seeing their designs brought to life in all different colors and yarn choices. Tag your photos with #GoldenLucyCrafts and share them in your favorite crochet communities so other crafters can be inspired by your beautiful work.

This pattern is free for personal use and for making items to gift. If you’d like to sell finished items made from this pattern, please credit GoldenLucyCrafts as the pattern designer.

Final Thoughts

The Crochet Rainbow Snake is one of those patterns that manages to be beginner-friendly, endlessly customizable, and genuinely impressive all at the same time. It’s the kind of project you’ll want to make over and over again — one for every child in your life, one in every color combination you can dream up, and maybe one just for yourself, coiled cheerfully on a shelf.

Whether you’re brand new to crochet or an experienced maker looking for a quick and colorful project, this free pattern from GoldenLucyCrafts has everything you need. Grab your hooks, gather your yarn stash, and get ready to bring the most cheerful snake in the world to life. Happy crocheting!