Crochet Rainbow Snake – Free Crochet Pattern

GoldenLucyCrafts

There is something undeniably magical about a crochet rainbow snake. It is colorful, playful, and just whimsical enough to make both kids and adults smile the moment they see it. Whether you are making it as a gift for a little one, a quirky home decoration, or simply as a fun project to work through a stash of colorful yarn, this free crochet pattern from GoldenLucyCrafts will walk you through every single step. Grab your hook and your brightest colors, because this is one project you are going to love making.

Why You Will Love This Pattern

Before we dive into the pattern itself, let us talk about why this rainbow snake is such a satisfying project. First, it is accessible. Even if you are still building your confidence as a crocheter, the basic structure of this snake is worked in continuous rounds of single crochet, which means that once you get started, the rhythm becomes wonderfully repetitive and meditative. You do not need to master any complicated stitches to create something truly impressive.

Second, it is a fantastic stash buster. The rainbow color sequence means you will be working through small amounts of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple yarn, which makes it perfect for using up those leftover skeins sitting in your craft bin. You can even customize the colors to match a child’s favorite palette, a school team’s colors, or just whatever combination makes your heart happy.

Third, this snake makes an absolutely gorgeous gift. It is soft enough to be a children’s toy, long enough to be draped across a shelf as decor, and quirky enough to delight anyone who appreciates handmade art. A rainbow snake crocheted with love is the kind of gift people keep for years.

Materials You Will Need

To make your own crochet rainbow snake, gather the following supplies before you begin. Having everything ready to go will make the process smooth and enjoyable from start to finish.

Yarn: You will need a small amount of worsted weight yarn in each of the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Approximately 20 to 30 grams of each color should be more than enough for a snake of medium length, around 60 to 70 centimeters. If you want a longer snake, simply plan for a bit more of each color.

Hook: A 4.0 mm crochet hook works beautifully with standard worsted weight yarn and creates a nice tight fabric that gives the snake a firm, stuffable body.

Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill is the best choice here. It is lightweight, washable, and holds its shape well over time.

Eyes: Two safety eyes, 9 mm or 12 mm in size, will give your snake a sweet and slightly cheeky expression. Always sew safety eyes in place before stuffing the head, as they are much easier to attach at that stage.

Yarn needle: A blunt-tipped yarn needle is essential for weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.

Scissors: A small, sharp pair of scissors is all you need.

Stitch markers: A couple of locking stitch markers will help you keep track of your rounds, especially since this pattern is worked in continuous rounds rather than joined rounds.

Red felt or red yarn: A small piece of red felt or a short length of red yarn can be used to create the snake’s forked tongue, which adds a wonderful finishing touch.

Pattern Notes

This pattern is written in US crochet terminology. Here is a quick reference for the stitches used throughout.

Magic ring (MR): A magic ring, also called a magic circle, creates a tight, adjustable center for pieces worked in the round. If you are not comfortable with a magic ring, you can substitute a chain of two stitches joined with a slip stitch.

Single crochet (sc): The workhorse stitch of this entire pattern. Insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops.

Increase (inc): Work two single crochets into the same stitch.

Decrease (dec): An invisible decrease is recommended for this pattern. Insert hook into the front loop of the next stitch, then into the front loop of the stitch after that, yarn over and pull through both front loops, yarn over and pull through both remaining loops. This creates a smoother, neater decrease than a standard sc2tog.

Slip stitch (sl st): Used to join when needed and to finish off certain sections.

Chain (ch): The foundation of the forked tongue.

Throughout the pattern, a round change note will indicate when to switch to the next color in your rainbow sequence. When changing colors, work the last pull-through of the final stitch in the current round with the new color to create a seamless transition.

The Pattern

Head

Begin with your red yarn.

Magic ring, then work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (6 stitches)

Round 1: Inc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)

Round 2: *Sc 1, inc* repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 3: *Sc 2, inc* repeat around. (24 stitches)

Round 4: *Sc 3, inc* repeat around. (30 stitches)

Round 5: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)

Round 6: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)

Now is the time to attach your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 3 and 4, approximately 6 to 8 stitches apart. Take a moment here to make sure you are happy with the placement before pressing the backs in firmly.

Round 7: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)

Round 8: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)

Round 9: *Sc 3, dec* repeat around. (24 stitches)

Begin stuffing the head firmly with polyester fiberfill. Continue adding stuffing as you work through the next few rounds to maintain a nice rounded shape.

Round 10: *Sc 2, dec* repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 11: *Sc 1, dec* repeat around. (12 stitches)

Round 12: *Sc 1, dec* repeat around. (8 stitches)

Do not fasten off. The body begins directly from this point.

Body and Rainbow Color Sequence

The body is worked in continuous rounds on those 8 stitches remaining from the head. The secret to getting a long, sleek snake body is simple repetition. Each color section is made up of 10 rounds of 8 single crochets before switching to the next color, though you can adjust this number to make your snake shorter or longer as you like.

Red Section (already begun with head):
Continue working 8 sc in continuous rounds for 10 rounds, then switch to orange.

Orange Section:
Work 8 sc in continuous rounds for 10 rounds, then switch to yellow.

Yellow Section:
Work 8 sc in continuous rounds for 10 rounds, then switch to green.

Green Section:
Work 8 sc in continuous rounds for 10 rounds, then switch to blue.

Blue Section:
Work 8 sc in continuous rounds for 10 rounds, then switch to purple.

Purple Section:
Work 8 sc in continuous rounds for 10 rounds.

At this point, your snake has completed one full rainbow. For a longer snake, simply repeat the entire color sequence as many times as you like, going back to red after purple and working through all six colors again.

As you work the body, stop periodically to add small amounts of stuffing through the open end. You want the body to be lightly stuffed so it is flexible and can be posed and draped without being so firm that it loses its suppleness. Think of it as giving the body just enough filling to hold its cylindrical shape without becoming rigid.

Tail

When you have worked through as many color sections as you like and are happy with the length of your snake, it is time to shape the tail. The tail tapers gently to a point.

Round 1: *Sc 2, dec* repeat twice. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Sc in each stitch around. (6 stitches)

Round 3: *Sc 1, dec* repeat twice. (4 stitches)

Round 4: Sc in each stitch around. (4 stitches)

Round 5: Dec twice. (2 stitches)

Add any final stuffing now to fill the tail section snugly before closing. Fasten off, leaving a short tail of yarn. Use your yarn needle to weave the end through the remaining 2 stitches and pull gently to close the tip of the tail. Weave in the end securely.

Forked Tongue

The tongue is the finishing detail that brings your snake to life. Cut a small strip of red felt approximately 3 to 4 centimeters long and 0.5 centimeters wide, then snip a small V shape into one end to create the fork. Alternatively, you can crochet a tiny tongue using red yarn.

To crochet the tongue, join red yarn at the center underside of the snout, just below where you want the tongue to sit. Chain 6, then slip stitch back into the 3rd chain from the hook to create one fork of the tongue. Chain back to the base, then chain 3 more and slip stitch into the first chain from the hook to create the second fork. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Sew or glue the felt tongue in place at the tip of the snout, centered on the underside. If you have used a felt tongue, a small dab of craft glue or a few tiny stitches with matching thread will hold it securely.

Finishing Touches and Styling Tips

Once all your ends are woven in and your snake is fully assembled, take a moment to gently fluff and shape it. You can pose the body into soft curves and S-shapes, drape it over a bookshelf, coil it loosely in a basket, or lay it in a playful zigzag on a child’s bed. The flexible stuffed body holds a position surprisingly well.

If you want to give the colors extra vibrancy, use high-contrast, saturated yarn shades rather than muted tones. A rainbow really pops when the red is true red, the orange is vivid, the yellow is bright sunshine yellow rather than pale cream, and so on through the spectrum. Brands like Paintbox Simply DK, Lion Brand Pound of Love, and Scheepjes Softfun all offer clean, saturated rainbow-friendly colors in widely available weights.

If you are making this snake as a toy for a young child, always use safety eyes and ensure they are fastened extremely securely, or embroider the eyes with yarn instead to eliminate any choking hazard entirely. Also choose a yarn that is machine washable so the toy can be laundered easily.

Customization Ideas

One of the most joyful things about this pattern is how much room there is to make it your own. Here are a few ideas to spark your creativity.

You could make a pastel rainbow snake using soft mint, lilac, peach, lemon, and baby blue. This creates a much gentler, dreamier version that would be gorgeous in a nursery. You could also go for a bold, neon color palette for a snake that practically glows, perfect for older children who love bright, bold things.

Consider adding extra details like small embroidered scales along the back using a contrasting thread color, or tiny embroidered nostrils at the tip of the snout. You can even experiment with adding a small rattle insert inside the head section of a baby-safe version by placing a small plastic rattle inside the head before sealing it up.

If you want to make a set of rainbow creatures using this same basic technique, the body construction translates beautifully to a caterpillar or a worm with a series of differently colored ball-shaped body segments rather than a single continuous tube.

Gauge and Sizing

For reference, with a 4.0 mm hook and standard worsted weight yarn, the finished snake using two full rainbow color sequences should measure approximately 60 to 65 centimeters in length, with a head circumference of approximately 14 to 15 centimeters. If you prefer a thinner, more delicate snake, dropping down to a fingering weight yarn and a 2.5 mm hook will give you a much slimmer, daintier version.

Gauge for this project is not critical in the way it would be for a garment, since the snake does not need to fit anyone. What matters more is that your tension is tight enough that the stuffing does not show through the stitches. If you can see gaps in your fabric when you hold the piece up to the light, try going down half a hook size.

Care Instructions

If you have used acrylic yarn and polyester stuffing, this snake is fully machine washable on a gentle cold cycle and can be tumble dried on low. Natural fibers like cotton or wool may require hand washing and flat drying to prevent felting or shrinkage. Always check the yarn label for the most accurate care guidance for the specific yarn you have chosen.

Sharing Your Make

If you make this rainbow snake using this free pattern, GoldenLucyCrafts would absolutely love to see it. Please share your finished makes on Instagram or Pinterest and tag the GoldenLucyCrafts account so your version can be featured and celebrated. There is nothing quite like seeing the many different interpretations, color choices, and creative twists that makers bring to a pattern.

If you have enjoyed this free pattern, please consider leaving a comment below or sharing the post with a fellow crocheter who might love it. Every share helps small crochet designers continue offering free content to the community, and it is one of the loveliest ways to show support.

Happy hooking, and may your rainbow snake bring color and joy to everyone who sees it.

Pattern and text copyright GoldenLucyCrafts. This pattern is free for personal use and for making items to sell in small quantities. Please do not redistribute or republish the pattern itself without permission. If you share your finished make online, a link back to this post is always warmly appreciated.