Easy Crochet Hen Pattern PDF | Quick Amigurumi Chicken Tutorial

If you’ve been searching for a fun, beginner-friendly amigurumi project that actually looks adorable when finished, you’ve landed in the right place. This easy crochet hen pattern is one of those projects that stitches up faster than you’d expect, delivers a seriously cute result, and makes the perfect gift for just about anyone — new babies, farmyard-loving kids, Easter baskets, or your own yarn stash display shelf. Whether you’re new to amigurumi or you’ve already got a small army of crocheted creatures lined up on your windowsill, this chicken tutorial walks you through everything you need to know, from materials to assembly, so you can finish your little hen with confidence.

Let’s get into it.

Why Crochet an Amigurumi Hen?

Amigurumi chickens have become one of the most popular small crochet projects for a reason. They’re compact, they don’t require a huge yarn investment, and the basic body shape — a simple rounded form — is forgiving even when your tension isn’t perfectly consistent. Hens also lend themselves beautifully to color play. You can make a classic red-combed white hen, a rustic speckled brown chicken, a pastel Easter version, or even a quirky teal or lavender farmyard bird if you want something a little more whimsical.

Beyond aesthetics, amigurumi hens are practical. They’re small enough to finish in a single weekend, which makes them ideal for craft fairs, donations, or gifting when you need something thoughtful but don’t have weeks to spare. They also make wonderful first amigurumi projects if you already know basic crochet stitches, because the shapes involved — mostly rounds and simple decreases — are much less intimidating than trying to tackle a large stuffed animal with complex color changes.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you start crocheting, gather everything together so you’re not hunting for supplies mid-project.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn works beautifully for this pattern and produces a hen that’s roughly 4 to 5 inches tall. You’ll need a main color for the body (approximately 50–60 yards), a contrasting color for the wings (about 15–20 yards), yellow or orange for the beak and feet (a small amount, roughly 10 yards), and red for the comb and wattle (just a few yards). Cotton yarn gives a lovely firm texture that holds its shape well and is easy to stuff, but acrylic works perfectly fine and offers a much wider color range.

Hook: A 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook is standard for worsted weight amigurumi. You want your stitches tight enough that the stuffing doesn’t show through, so go down a hook size from what the yarn label recommends if needed.

Polyfill stuffing: Any polyester fiberfill works well. Stuff firmly but not so tightly that the seams are strained.

Safety eyes: Two 9mm or 12mm black safety eyes give your hen a classic amigurumi look. If this project is for a child under three, embroider the eyes instead using black yarn for safety.

Yarn needle: You’ll use this for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.

Stitch markers: These are essential for keeping track of rounds, especially once you’re past the increases and into the body.

Scissors: Any pair will do.

Abbreviations and Stitch Guide

This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology.

MR — magic ring (also called a magic circle)
ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
inc — increase (two single crochets in the same stitch)
dec — invisible decrease (insert hook through the front loops of the next two stitches together, yarn over, pull through both loops, yarn over, pull through two loops)
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
st — stitch
rnd — round

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 instructs you to.

The Pattern

Body

The body is the largest piece and the one you’ll start with. Use your main body color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc repeat 6 times. (42 sts)
Rnd 8–16: Sc around (9 rounds even). (42 sts)
Rnd 17: Sc 5, dec repeat 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 18: Sc 4, dec repeat 6 times. (30 sts)

At this point, insert your safety eyes between rounds 13 and 14, approximately 6–8 stitches apart. Secure the backs firmly.

Rnd 19: Sc 3, dec repeat 6 times. (24 sts)

Begin stuffing your hen firmly at this stage. Continue adding stuffing as you close up.

Rnd 20: Sc 2, dec repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 21: Sc 1, dec repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rnd 22: Dec around. (6 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a tail. Use your yarn needle to weave through the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end.

Head

Use your main body color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Rnd 6–10: Sc around (5 rounds even). (30 sts)
Rnd 11: Sc 3, dec repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 12: Sc 2, dec repeat 6 times. (18 sts)

Stuff the head firmly.

Rnd 13: Sc 1, dec repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rnd 14: Dec around. (6 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Close the opening the same way as the body and set the head aside.

Wings (Make Two)

Use your wing contrast color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4–6: Sc around (3 rounds even). (18 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 1, dec repeat 6 times. (12 sts)

Do not stuff the wings. Flatten the piece so the opening is closed into an oval shape.

Rnd 8: Working through both layers, sc across. (6 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail.

Beak

Use yellow or orange yarn.

Rnd 1: MR, 4 sc. (4 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (8 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc around. (8 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail. Do not stuff.

Comb

Use red yarn. The comb is made as a flat piece.

Row 1: Ch 2, sc 3 in second ch from hook. (3 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Inc in first st, sc 1, inc in last st. (5 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.

Alternatively, you can make a small three-bump comb by crocheting three small circles: MR, 5 sc, sl st to close. Make three and sew them together at their bases before attaching to the head. This gives a rounder, more textured comb that many crocheters prefer.

Wattle

Use red yarn.

Rnd 1: MR, 5 sc, sl st to join. (5 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail. This small circle becomes the wattle that hangs just below the beak.

Feet (Make Two)

Use yellow or orange yarn.

For each foot, make three small toe pieces first:

Toe (make 3 per foot): Ch 4, sc in second chain from hook and in each remaining chain. (3 sc)

Fasten off each toe, leaving a tail. Join the three toes together at their starting points by sewing them side by side, then continue with a short leg:

Leg: Ch 6, sl st back along the chain to create a short, sturdy leg shape. Attach the toes to the bottom of this leg.

Alternatively, for a simpler version that still looks great, cut two small oval pieces of orange felt and glue or sew them to the bottom of the hen’s body. This is a wonderful shortcut if you want a quicker finish without losing any of the charm.

Assembly

Assembly is where your hen really comes to life, and taking your time here makes a huge difference in the final look.

Start by sewing the head to the body. Position the head slightly toward the front of the body rather than dead center on top, which gives your hen a more natural, forward-looking posture. Use the long tail you left on the head piece and a yarn needle to whipstitch around the base of the head, working through the top stitches of the body. Make sure the seam is secure by going around twice before fastening off and weaving in the end inside the body.

Next, attach the beak. Position it centered on the front of the face, roughly between rounds 6 and 8 of the head. Pin it in place with a straight pin first to make sure it’s centered, then sew around the opening of the beak, tucking in any raw edges as you go.

Sew the wattle just below the beak so it hangs slightly forward. The placement here is partly aesthetic — pull it slightly toward you if you want it visible from the front.

Attach the comb to the top of the head. Center it along the top seam and sew it down firmly. If you made the three-bump version, each bump should point upward and the bases should be stitched securely so the comb doesn’t flop to one side.

Position the wings on either side of the body, roughly centered between the head and the base. The flat side of each wing should lie against the body, and the curved edge should face outward. Pin both wings in place before sewing so you can check that they’re symmetrical, then sew each one down with a whipstitch around the inner edge.

Finally, attach the feet to the bottom of the body. If you crocheted the feet, sew them flat against the base with the toes pointing forward. If you used felt, position and stitch or glue them so the hen sits stably upright.

Tips for the Best Results

Getting clean, professional-looking amigurumi comes down to a few consistent habits. Always use a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round — without it, it’s very easy to lose count and end up with an extra stitch you didn’t notice. Check your count at the end of every round, especially during the increase and decrease sections.

Tension matters more in amigurumi than in most other crochet projects because you want the fabric to be dense enough to hide the stuffing. If you can see white peeking through when you hold the piece up to the light, go down a hook size or work your stitches more tightly.

When it comes to stuffing, aim for firm but not rock-hard. Too little stuffing and your hen will look floppy and undefined. Too much and she’ll look strained and the seams may gap. A good test is pressing gently on the finished body — it should have a slight give but spring back into shape.

For sewing pieces together, always use the yarn tail left from the piece itself rather than cutting a new length of yarn. This ensures the color matches perfectly and gives you a naturally hidden attachment point right at the piece’s starting round.

Customization Ideas

One of the best things about this little hen pattern is how adaptable it is. Here are some ways to make it your own.

For an Easter version, work the body in pastel yellow and add a tiny crocheted flower to the comb instead of the traditional red piece. A few French knot embroideries in contrasting colors along the wings give a sweet, decorative feel.

For a farmyard set, make several hens in different browns and creams, then crochet a small crocheted egg (just a small oval worked in off-white) to tuck beneath one hen’s wing or place beside her.

If you want to make a rooster instead of a hen, elongate the comb, add a more prominent wattle, and use longer tail feathers made from a few chains with sc worked back along them. A rooster typically benefits from a brighter, bolder color palette — deep reds, forest greens, and metallic golds all look wonderful.

For a baby-safe version, skip the safety eyes entirely and instead embroider two small X shapes or circles in black yarn, then add a tiny single-chain French knot highlight in white. This gives you all the expressiveness of safety eyes with none of the choking risk.

Saving and Using the PDF Pattern

If you’re printing this pattern to use at your craft table, a few quick tips will save you frustration. Print on standard letter or A4 paper and set your printer to “fit to page” so nothing gets cut off at the margins. Keep the abbreviation guide on the same printed page as the body pattern so you don’t have to flip back and forth.

If you’re working from a PDF on a tablet, consider keeping the materials list and the pattern open in two separate tabs or windows so you can toggle easily between them. Digital highlighting tools also make it easy to track which rounds you’ve finished without needing to mark up a printout.

Many crocheters find it helpful to physically check off each round as they complete it, whether on paper or in a notes app. The repetitive nature of amigurumi rounds means it’s surprisingly easy to lose your place, especially if you put the project down and come back to it later.

Finishing and Displaying Your Hen

Once your hen is fully assembled, give her a gentle steam block if you used acrylic yarn — just hold a steam iron a few inches above the piece and let the steam relax the stitches into place without touching the iron to the yarn. If you used cotton, a very light mist of water and a reshape with your hands works beautifully.

Your finished hen should be able to sit upright on her own if the feet are positioned correctly. If she tips forward, add a tiny bit more stuffing to the back of the body before fully closing any open seams, or reposition the feet slightly further back.

These little hens display wonderfully in a small basket with a handful of crocheted eggs, tucked into an Easter wreath, used as a pincushion on your sewing table, or simply lined up on a shelf as part of a larger amigurumi collection. They also make lovely gift toppers tied to the bow on a wrapped present — a charming, handmade touch that most people absolutely love receiving.

However you choose to display or gift your finished chicken, the time you put into it shows. Handmade items carry something a purchased toy simply can’t — the warmth of time, attention, and care stitched into every round. This little hen is a small but lovely example of that.

Happy crocheting, and enjoy your finished flock.