Crochet Snake Amigurumi Pattern: Your Complete Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve been searching for a fun, beginner-friendly amigurumi project that looks impressive without requiring hours of advanced technique, a crochet snake amigurumi is exactly what you need. Snakes make some of the most satisfying amigurumi to create because their long, cylindrical body is forgiving for beginners yet endlessly customizable for more experienced crafters. Whether you want to make a gift for a child, add a quirky piece to your collection, or simply try something new with your yarn stash, this pattern will walk you through everything from materials to finishing details.

This pattern uses basic crochet stitches and is written for intermediate beginners — meaning you should be comfortable with single crochets, increases, and decreases, but you don’t need anything beyond that. By the end, you’ll have an adorable stuffed snake with a shaped head, expressive eyes, a forked tongue, and a gently curved body that can be posed however you like.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Getting your materials together before you begin saves a lot of frustration mid-project. Here’s a complete list of everything you’ll need.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (Category 4) in your main color for the body. You’ll also want a small amount of a contrasting color for the belly if you’d like that two-tone effect, plus a bit of red or pink for the tongue. Acrylic yarn works wonderfully here because it’s durable, washable, and holds its shape well after stuffing.

Hook: A 3.5mm or 4mm crochet hook depending on your tension. Amigurumi is typically crocheted more tightly than regular fabric to prevent the stuffing from showing through, so use a hook one or two sizes smaller than what your yarn label recommends.

Safety eyes: Two 9mm or 12mm black safety eyes. If you’re making this snake for a child under three, embroider the eyes instead for safety.

Polyfill stuffing: A good-quality polyester fiberfill. You’ll want more than you think — a long snake body needs a surprising amount of stuffing to stay firm and hold its shape.

Stitch markers: These are essential for amigurumi. Since you’ll be working in continuous rounds, a stitch marker placed in the first stitch of each round keeps you from losing your place.

Yarn needle: For weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.

Scissors: Sharp embroidery scissors make clean cuts and help when you’re weaving in those final ends.

Optional: Wire or pipe cleaners to run through the body if you want a poseable snake that can be shaped and displayed.

Understanding Amigurumi Basics

Before diving into the pattern, it helps to understand a few core concepts that apply to nearly all amigurumi projects.

Amigurumi is worked in continuous spiral rounds rather than joined rounds. This means you never slip stitch to close a round or chain up to begin a new one. Instead, you simply keep crocheting in a continuous spiral. The stitch marker is your best friend here — move it up to the first stitch of each new round as you go.

The magic ring (also called a magic circle) is the standard starting point for amigurumi. It creates a tight, seamless center for round pieces and eliminates the small hole you’d get starting with a chain. If you’re not comfortable with the magic ring yet, you can chain 2 and work your starting stitches into the second chain from the hook — it’s just slightly less tidy.

All stitches in this pattern are single crochets unless noted otherwise. The abbreviations used are: sc (single crochet), inc (increase — two single crochets in the same stitch), dec (invisible decrease — inserting your hook through the front loops of two consecutive stitches), and sl st (slip stitch).

Pattern Notes and Gauge

Gauge isn’t critical for amigurumi the way it is for garments, but you do want your fabric to be tight enough that stuffing doesn’t peek through. A loose gauge also makes the finished toy feel floppy and less satisfying. Aim for approximately 18 stitches and 20 rows over a 4-inch square in single crochet with your chosen hook and yarn.

This pattern makes a snake approximately 18 to 20 inches long with a head diameter of about 2.5 inches. If you want a longer snake, simply add more rounds in the body section before beginning the decreases. If you want a smaller snake — perhaps as an ornament or keychain — try fingering weight yarn with a 2.5mm hook and halve the stitch counts.

Crochet Snake Amigurumi Pattern

The Head

The head is the most complex part of this snake, and even so, it’s very manageable. You’ll build it up from a magic ring, increasing gradually to create a rounded shape, then decrease back down to form the neck.

Round 1: Start with a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. (6 stitches)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)

Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 stitches)

Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. (24 stitches)

Round 5: (Sc 3, inc) repeat around. (30 stitches)

Rounds 6 through 10: Sc in each stitch around for five rounds. (30 stitches per round)

This is the point where you want to attach your safety eyes. Place them between rounds 6 and 7, spaced about 6 to 8 stitches apart. The eyes should sit toward the front and slightly to the sides of the head for that classic snake look. Once you’re happy with their position, secure the washers on the inside.

Round 11: (Sc 3, dec) repeat around. (24 stitches)

Round 12: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. (18 stitches)

Begin stuffing the head firmly at this point. You want it to feel solid without being so hard it distorts the shape. Continue stuffing as you complete the next steps.

Round 13: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. (12 stitches)

Round 14: Sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)

Do not fasten off. Continue directly into the body.

The Body

The body of your amigurumi snake is worked as a long tube. The simplicity here is what makes this project so relaxing — once you’re into the rhythm of the body, it becomes almost meditative.

Rounds 15 through 80: Sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches per round)

That’s 66 rounds of plain single crochet. If you’re using worsted weight yarn and a 3.5mm hook, each round is roughly 1/4 inch tall, which gives you a body of about 16 to 17 inches. Feel free to adjust the round count to your preference — more rounds for a longer snake, fewer for a shorter one.

As you work the body, stuff it in sections every 10 rounds or so. Trying to stuff a long tube all at once at the end is genuinely difficult and often results in uneven stuffing. Stuff it firmly — the snake needs enough filling to hold its coiled or curved shape.

If you want a belly stripe in a contrasting color, you can switch colors every round at a specific point on the body. The cleanest method is to change colors on the last pull-through of the stitch before the new color begins. Carry the unused color loosely inside the tube, or cut and rejoin each time (though the latter gives you a lot more ends to weave in).

The Tail

The tail tapers to a point, which is what gives your amigurumi snake its realistic silhouette.

Round 81: (Sc 4, dec) repeat around. (10 stitches)

Round 82: Sc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)

Round 83: (Sc 3, dec) repeat around. (8 stitches)

Round 84: Sc in each stitch around. (8 stitches)

Round 85: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. (6 stitches)

Round 86: Sc in each stitch around. (6 stitches)

Round 87: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. (4 stitches)

Round 88: Dec twice. (2 stitches)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use your yarn needle to pull the remaining stitches closed and weave in the end securely on the inside of the body.

The Tongue

A forked tongue is the finishing touch that instantly makes this look like a snake. It’s made as two tiny separate chains joined together.

Cut a 6-inch piece of red or pink yarn. Fold it in half and attach the folded midpoint to the tip of the snake’s snout using a lark’s head knot or by threading both ends through to the inside and knotting them securely. Trim each strand to about an inch and a half, then separate each strand into two plies to create the forked effect if you’re using a multi-ply yarn. Alternatively, use a thin crochet hook to divide and slightly unravel each end.

For a tidier result, you can crochet a small tongue separately:

Chain 6. Slip stitch into the 2nd chain from the hook. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Make two of these. Attach both to the tip of the snout side by side, and weave in all ends.

Finishing Your Snake

Once the body is complete and stuffed, take a moment to review the overall shape. If any sections look thin or lumpy, you can use a long yarn needle to redistribute the stuffing from outside the toy by gently pushing through the fabric. It sounds scary but works surprisingly well.

Weave in all your yarn ends carefully on the inside of the body. For amigurumi, it’s worth weaving ends in multiple directions and even tying a small knot before trimming so they don’t work their way out over time.

If you want a poseable snake, now is the time to insert a length of soft wire or pipe cleaners through the body. Bend the ends of the wire into small loops before inserting to prevent them from poking through the yarn. A poseable snake can be coiled on a shelf, draped over a plant pot, or arranged in different positions for photos — it becomes more of a display piece than just a toy.

Customization Ideas

One of the most joyful things about making amigurumi snakes is how endlessly customizable they are. Once you have the basic pattern down, the creative possibilities are enormous.

Color choices are the easiest place to personalize. You can replicate the coloring of a real snake species like a corn snake (orange, red, and tan), a ball python (brown and gold), or a milk snake (red, black, and white rings around the body). Or go entirely fantastical with rainbow stripes, pastel ombre effects, or neon colors.

Scale textures can be added by working into the back loop only for certain rounds of the body, which creates a subtle ribbed texture that reads as scales. You can also use a bobble stitch or surface slip stitch embellishments to create a more pronounced scale pattern.

Size variations open up a whole range of uses. A miniature snake worked in fingering yarn makes a charming keychain or ornament. A giant snake worked in super bulky yarn with a large hook becomes a dramatic décor piece or a pillow-sized stuffie.

Rattles and sounds — if you’re making this as a baby toy (with embroidered eyes rather than safety eyes), consider inserting a small plastic rattle or crinkle material inside the head before closing it up.

Accessories can completely change the personality of your snake. A tiny crocheted bow tie makes a dapper gentleman snake. A witch hat turns it into a Halloween decoration. A tiny crocheted graduation cap becomes a wonderful gift for a biology or herpetology graduate.

Tips for Getting Great Results

Tension is everything in amigurumi. If your snake’s body feels loose or you can see the white stuffing through the stitches, try going down a hook size or consciously tightening your tension as you work.

Counting stitches every round saves heartache later. It’s much easier to catch a missed increase or decrease early than to discover a problem ten rounds later. Use a row counter app on your phone or keep a tally on paper.

The invisible decrease (working through both front loops of two consecutive stitches) is worth learning specifically for amigurumi. It creates a much flatter, neater decrease than the standard method and makes a real difference in how polished your finished toy looks.

Pinning pieces in place before sewing helps enormously. If you’re adding embellishments or attaching a separate piece, use pins to find exactly the right position before committing with your needle and yarn.

Blocking amigurumi isn’t usually necessary, but if your snake has a slight twist to the body, try dampening it and reshaping it into your desired pose, then letting it dry fully before handling.

Caring for Your Finished Snake

Acrylic yarn amigurumi are wonderfully practical because they can generally be machine washed on a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag and air dried flat. If you’ve used natural fiber yarn like cotton or wool, hand washing in cool water and air drying is safer to prevent felting or shrinkage.

If the snake is a children’s toy that gets heavy use, check the safety eyes periodically. Well-secured safety eyes are very difficult to remove, but it never hurts to check after a few months of enthusiastic play.

A Note on Sharing Your Makes

If you make this snake, sharing photos with the crafting community is a wonderful way to connect with other makers. Search for amigurumi communities on Instagram, Ravelry, or Reddit to find thousands of fellow crochet enthusiasts who would love to see your finished project. Tagging your posts with terms like amigurumi snake, crochet snake pattern, or snake amigurumi helps others find your work and might just inspire them to pick up their hook and try it themselves.

Whether this is your first amigurumi or your fiftieth, there’s something genuinely satisfying about transforming a skein of yarn into a little creature with personality. This snake is simple enough to finish in a weekend but detailed enough to be genuinely proud of. Enjoy the process, embrace the meditative rhythm of all those single crochets, and have fun making this squishy, charming little reptile your own.