Free Amigurumi Snake Crochet Pattern: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Beyond

If you’ve been searching for a free amigurumi snake crochet pattern that’s fun, beginner-friendly, and completely customizable, you’ve just found your new favorite project. Snakes make surprisingly delightful amigurumi subjects — they’re long, expressive, and endlessly adaptable in color and personality. Whether you’re making one for a child who loves reptiles, gifting a quirky desk companion to a friend, or simply challenging yourself with a new crochet shape, this pattern has everything you need to get started and finish with a result you’ll be proud of.

This guide walks you through every step, from materials and abbreviations all the way to assembly and styling tips. No confusing shorthand, no assumed knowledge — just clear, friendly instructions you can follow at your own pace.

Why Amigurumi Snakes Are Such a Great Project

Before we dive into the pattern itself, let’s talk about why snakes are such satisfying amigurumi to make.

First, the construction is refreshingly simple. Most amigurumi animals require you to crochet and assemble multiple limbs — four legs, two arms, ears, wings — and seam them all together. A snake is essentially one long body with a head at one end and a tail at the other. That makes the project much more approachable for beginners while still offering enough texture and detail to keep intermediate crafters engaged.

Second, snakes are extremely forgiving. If your tension is a little loose or tight, or if you accidentally gain or lose a stitch in the middle of the body, it usually isn’t noticeable on a long, tubular shape the way it would be on a face or a paw. This makes the pattern a wonderful confidence-builder.

Third, the styling possibilities are nearly infinite. You can make your snake realistic and earthy using greens, browns, and blacks. You can go full rainbow with variegated yarn. You can add a little bow tie or a flower embellishment to give it personality. Some crafters even make the body in sections of different colors to mimic natural snake patterns like diamonds or stripes.

Materials You’ll Need

To make this amigurumi snake, gather the following supplies before you begin. The specific yarn weight and hook size can be adjusted based on the size you want your finished snake to be.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (size 4) in your main body color, plus small amounts of a contrasting color for the tongue and any accent details. Red Heart Super Saver, Lion Brand Pound of Love, or any similar acrylic yarn works beautifully for amigurumi because it holds its shape well and comes in a wide variety of colors.

Hook: Size 3.5mm (E/4) crochet hook. Using a slightly smaller hook than the yarn label recommends creates a tighter fabric that helps your stuffing stay inside and keeps the shape crisp.

Other supplies: Polyester fiberfill stuffing, two 9mm or 12mm safety eyes (black), a yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends, scissors, and stitch markers to mark the beginning of each round.

Optional embellishments include small buttons, felt, or craft foam for additional detailing on the eyes, a small piece of pipe cleaner to give the tongue structure, and embroidery floss for stitching a subtle smile or scales.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

This pattern is written in US crochet terms. Here’s a quick reference for every abbreviation you’ll see.

MR — Magic ring (also called a magic circle)
CH — Chain
SC — Single crochet
INC — Increase (2 single crochets in the same stitch)
DEC — Invisible decrease (insert hook through front loops of next two stitches, yarn over, pull through both, yarn over, pull through two loops on hook)
SL ST — Slip stitch
BLO — Back loop only
ST — Stitch
STS — Stitches
RND — Round
REP — Repeat
PM — Place marker

Gauge and Finished Size

With worsted weight yarn and a 3.5mm hook, the finished snake measures approximately 18 to 20 inches (45 to 50 cm) in length from snout to tail tip, with a body diameter of roughly 1.5 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) at its widest point.

If you want a smaller snake, try fingering weight yarn with a 2.25mm hook. For a large, huggable version, go up to bulky yarn and a 5.5mm hook.

Pattern Instructions

Part One: The Head

Start by crocheting the head, which is a slightly flattened oval shape. The head is wider than the body and tapers gently toward the snout.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 SC into the 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)

Rnds 7–12: SC in each st around. (36 sts) — 6 rounds even

Rnd 13: SC 4, DEC rep around. (30 sts)

Rnd 14: SC 3, DEC rep around. (24 sts)

At this point, insert your safety eyes between rounds 8 and 9, spacing them about 10 to 12 stitches apart. The exact placement is up to you — placing them slightly toward the top of the head gives a more alert, upward-looking expression, while placing them on the sides gives a more anatomically snake-like look. Begin stuffing the head firmly with fiberfill.

Rnd 15: SC 2, DEC rep around. (18 sts)

Rnd 16: SC 1, DEC rep around. (12 sts)

Do not finish off. Continue directly into the neck and body.

Part Two: The Body

The body is worked as a continuous tube, decreasing gradually to form a tapered tail at the end. This section makes up the majority of your project time, so feel free to put on a podcast or your favorite playlist.

Rnd 17: SC 1, DEC rep around. (8 sts)

Rnds 18–70: SC in each st around. (8 sts) — 53 rounds even

This section forms the main body length. If you want a longer snake, simply add more rounds here. Each additional round adds roughly 0.3 inches (about 7–8mm) to the body length. Continue stuffing as you go, adding small amounts of fiberfill every five or six rounds to keep the body firm and evenly rounded without becoming lumpy.

Rnd 71: SC 2, DEC rep around. (6 sts)

Rnds 72–80: SC in each st around. (6 sts) — 9 rounds even

Rnd 81: SC 1, DEC rep around. (4 sts)

Rnds 82–88: SC in each st around. (4 sts) — 7 rounds even

Rnd 89: DEC twice. (2 sts)

Slip stitch to close. Fasten off and leave a short tail for weaving in.

Part Three: The Tongue

The forked tongue is one of the most charming details on an amigurumi snake and it’s much easier to make than it looks.

Using your contrasting yarn color (traditionally red), create a slip knot and chain 8.

Row 1: Starting in the second chain from hook, SC across. (7 sts) — turn

Row 2: CH 1, SC 3. — leave remaining stitches unworked, turn

Row 3: CH 1, SC 3. — turn

Row 4: CH 1, SC 3. — fasten off, leave a tail for attaching

Rejoin yarn in the 4th stitch from the original starting end of row 1.

Row 2b: CH 1, SC 3. — turn

Row 3b: CH 1, SC 3. — turn

Row 4b: CH 1, SC 3. — fasten off, leave a tail for attaching

This creates a short, flat tongue with two distinct prongs at the tip. If you’d like the tongue to have a bit of stiffness so it holds its shape and curls slightly, thread a small piece of pipe cleaner or floral wire through the center before attaching.

Attach the tongue to the underside of the snout, centered between the two eyes and slightly below them, using your yarn needle and the tail ends. Weave in all ends securely.

Part Four: Optional Scale Texture

If you want to add a more tactile, visually interesting surface to your snake’s body, you can work the body rounds in the back loop only (BLO) instead of through both loops. This creates a subtle ridge along the front loop of each stitch, giving the impression of overlapping scales without any additional embroidery or surface stitching.

Simply replace “SC in each st around” with “SC in BLO of each st around” throughout rounds 18 to 80 for this effect. The construction is identical — the visual texture is the only change.

Alternatively, you can add surface slip stitches or chain stitches in a contrasting color after the snake is fully assembled to suggest a scale pattern, diamond markings, or stripes.

Finishing and Assembly Tips

Once all your pieces are complete, take a moment to make sure the stuffing is evenly distributed throughout the body. You can gently roll the snake between your palms to smooth out any lumps and encourage a consistent shape.

If you’d like your snake to be poseable — able to hold a coiled position, raise its head, or curl in a convincing way — you can insert a length of aluminum armature wire or thick pipe cleaner through the body before closing off the final rounds. Bend the wire to your desired pose and the snake will hold its shape.

For the face, consider adding a very small embroidered mouth using black embroidery floss. A simple curved line or a gentle V-shape stitched just below the snout looks natural and endearing. You can also add a tiny blush of pink by lightly rubbing a pink chalk pastel or a blush brush over the cheek area if you want an extra-cute, cartoonish look.

Weave in all remaining ends very thoroughly, since amigurumi made for children should have no loose yarn tails that could unravel or be pulled.

Color Inspiration and Variations

One of the best things about making amigurumi is that the same pattern can produce wildly different results simply by changing the yarn. Here are some color combinations and themes to inspire your next snake (or your fifth).

Classic garden snake: Medium brown or olive green as the main color, with a cream or pale yellow underbelly worked into the flat underside of the body by switching colors on alternating rounds.

Rainbow snake: Use a self-striping or variegated yarn for the body so the colors shift automatically as you work. Neon variegated yarn in particular creates a playful, almost psychedelic effect that children love.

Coral snake-inspired: Alternate bands of red, yellow, and black by changing yarn colors every three to five rounds of the body. This is a striking, eye-catching result and a great way to practice color changes in the round.

Pastel nursery snake: Soft lavender, mint, or blush pink yarn creates a sweet, gender-neutral amigurumi that fits right in with nursery decor. Pair with white safety eyes instead of black for a dreamy look.

Spooky Halloween snake: Black yarn with orange or purple accents, finished with googly safety eyes. Perfect for Halloween basket stuffers or autumn-themed display pieces.

Caring for Your Finished Snake

Amigurumi made with acrylic yarn are generally machine washable, which makes them practical for toys that will be handled by children. Turn the item inside out if possible, or place it in a mesh laundry bag, and wash on a gentle cold cycle. Reshape while damp and allow to air dry. Avoid putting amigurumi in a dryer, as the heat can distort safety eyes and cause the fiberfill stuffing to clump unevenly.

If your snake is purely decorative, spot cleaning with a damp cloth and mild soap is usually sufficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a beginner make this pattern? Absolutely. If you know how to single crochet, increase, and decrease, you have every skill this pattern requires. The shape is forgiving and the construction is straightforward. Take your time on the head, which has the most shaping, and the body will fly by quickly.

How long does this project take? Most crafters finish this snake in three to six hours depending on their speed and how much body length they add. The body rounds go quickly once you’re in a rhythm.

Can I sell items made from this pattern? This is a free pattern shared for personal use and handmade item sales. If you sell finished snakes made from this pattern, a credit or link back to this post is appreciated but not required. You may not sell or republish the written pattern itself.

What if I run out of yarn mid-body? Join a new length of yarn at the beginning of a round for the cleanest result. If you’d like to hide the join inside the body rather than on the surface, you can join inside by threading the new yarn through the existing stuffing and pulling the tail to the interior before beginning the new round.

Can I make this snake without safety eyes? Yes. If you’re making this for a very young child or an infant, it’s safer to embroider the eyes using black yarn or embroidery floss. Stitch two small circles or French knots at the appropriate position instead of inserting safety eyes.

A Note on Gifting Handmade Amigurumi

There’s something genuinely special about receiving a handmade toy. The hours of work, the color chosen with someone specific in mind, the tiny details like a forked tongue or an embroidered smile — these things communicate care in a way that a store-bought item simply can’t replicate. Whether you’re making this snake for a herpetology-obsessed kid, a college student who misses their pet corn snake, or just a friend who appreciates the weird and wonderful, a handmade amigurumi snake is a gift that tends to be remembered.

Don’t underestimate the charm of a little handwritten tag attached with twine, noting what yarn you used, the date it was finished, and who made it. Future generations might thank you.

If you make this free amigurumi snake crochet pattern, share a photo — there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing how different crafters interpret the same basic pattern in their own colors and styles. Happy crocheting, and may your yarn never tangle and your hook never split a stitch.