Free Crochet Amigurumi Snake Pattern Tutorial for Beginners

If you’ve been wanting to try amigurumi but feel intimidated by complex shapes and tricky assembly, a snake is honestly one of the best projects you can start with. There are no limbs to sew on, no fussy ears to position just right, and the basic body is nothing more than a long tube. Yet the finished result looks absolutely adorable sitting on a shelf or tucked into a child’s toy basket. This free crochet amigurumi snake pattern is written specifically for beginners, so every step is explained in plain language with no assumptions about what you already know.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a squishy, colorful stuffed snake that’s safe for children, satisfying to make, and a genuine conversation starter. Let’s get into it.

What Is Amigurumi?

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small stuffed animals and creatures. The word combines the Japanese words for “knitted” and “stuffed doll,” and the style has taken the crafting world by storm over the past two decades. Amigurumi pieces are typically worked in continuous rounds rather than flat rows, which gives them their smooth, seamless look. They’re stuffed with polyfill and often have safety eyes to bring them to life.

The great thing about amigurumi for beginners is that the stitches used are mostly just single crochets. You don’t need to know how to do complicated stitch patterns. You just need to be comfortable with the magic ring, single crochet, increases, decreases, and working in continuous rounds. If you can do those things, you can make amigurumi.

Materials You Will Need

Before you start, gather everything on this list. Having your supplies ready before you sit down prevents interruptions once you get into a rhythm.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn in your choice of colors. For this snake, you’ll need a main color for the body (green is classic, but pink, yellow, teal, or variegated yarn all look amazing), plus a small amount of red or pink for the tongue. About 100–150 yards of the main color is plenty for a snake that measures roughly 14–16 inches long when finished. You can go longer by simply adding more rounds to the body section.

Hook: A 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook. Most worsted weight yarn works well with a 4.0mm hook, but going down slightly to 3.5mm gives you a tighter fabric with fewer gaps, which is ideal for amigurumi since you don’t want the stuffing to show through.

Safety Eyes: Two 9mm or 12mm black safety eyes. These are the snap-in plastic eyes sold at craft stores and online. They’re not actually safe for children under three due to choking risk, so if you’re making this snake for a very young child, embroider the eyes instead using black yarn.

Polyfill Stuffing: A small bag of polyester fiberfill stuffing. You won’t need much for a single snake. Stuff it firmly but not so tightly that the fabric stretches and distorts.

Yarn Needle: A blunt-tipped tapestry or yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing on any small pieces like the tongue.

Stitch Marker: A small stitch marker or even a piece of contrasting yarn to mark the first stitch of each round. This is essential for amigurumi because rounds are worked continuously without joining, and it’s easy to lose track of where one round ends and the next begins.

Scissors: Any pair will do.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

If you’re new to reading crochet patterns, abbreviations can feel like a foreign language at first. Here’s a quick reference for everything used in this tutorial.

MR — Magic ring (also called magic loop or magic circle)

ch — Chain

sc — Single crochet

inc — Increase (two single crochets in the same stitch)

dec — Invisible decrease (insert hook through the front loops only of two consecutive stitches and complete as a single crochet)

sl st — Slip stitch

BLO — Back loop only

FLO — Front loop only

st — Stitch

sts — Stitches

rnd — Round

All rounds are worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Do not join at the end of each round. Move your stitch marker up at the end of each round to keep track.

How to Start: The Magic Ring

If you’ve never made a magic ring before, take five minutes to practice this before starting the pattern. The magic ring creates an adjustable starting loop that you can pull tight to close the center hole completely. This is what gives amigurumi pieces that clean, tight center at the top of the head or tail.

To make a magic ring, wrap the yarn around two fingers to create a loop, then use your hook to pull a loop of yarn up through the center of that loop and chain one to secure it. Work your stitches into the ring, then pull the loose tail end of the yarn to tighten the ring closed. It takes a little practice but becomes second nature quickly.

The Pattern: Amigurumi Snake

This snake is worked in three main sections: the head, the body, and the tail. The tongue is made separately and attached at the end. You’ll stuff the snake as you go along rather than waiting until the very end, which makes the process much easier.

Head

Begin with your main color yarn.

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull tight to close. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18 sts)

Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc repeat around. (24 sts)

Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc repeat around. (30 sts)

Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc repeat around. (36 sts)

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

Before you continue, this is the time to attach your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 8 and 9, approximately 6–8 stitches apart. Push the shank through the fabric, then snap the washer onto the back of the shank on the inside of the piece. Once the washer is on, the eye cannot be removed without damaging the fabric, so make sure you’re happy with the placement before securing them.

Rnd 13: Sc 4, dec repeat around. (30 sts)

Rnd 14: Sc 3, dec repeat around. (24 sts)

Rnd 15: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (18 sts)

At this point, begin stuffing the head firmly. Use small pieces of polyfill and push them in gradually rather than forcing in one large chunk. You want the head to feel firm and hold its round shape.

Rnd 16: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (12 sts)

Rnd 17: Dec around. (6 sts)

Do not fasten off. You will now transition directly into the body.

Body

The body is simply a long tube. You can make it as long as you like by adding or subtracting rounds here. The number of rounds given below will create a snake that’s roughly 14 inches long from nose to tail. If you want a longer snake, just keep crocheting even rounds until you reach the length you want.

Rnds 18–80: Sc in each st around. (6 sts each round)

Continue stuffing as you go. Every five or six rounds, add a small pinch of stuffing and gently push it down into the tube. The goal is even, consistent stuffing throughout the length of the body. Too loose and the snake looks limp; too tight and it curves unnaturally.

Tip for beginners: A long, thin tube can be tricky to keep from twisting. Check frequently that you haven’t accidentally flipped the fabric inside out. The right side of single crochet has a neat V-shaped appearance on the surface. If you see bumps or horizontal bars on the outside, you’re looking at the wrong side.

Stripe Variation (Optional)

If you want to add stripes to your snake, this is very easy to do in the body section. When you want to switch colors, simply stop before the last yarn-over of a single crochet and complete that stitch with the new color. Carry the old color along inside the tube if you plan to switch back, or cut and weave in the end if you’re done with that color. A simple two-color stripe pattern every 6–8 rounds looks really effective and requires minimal extra effort.

Tail

Once your body is as long as you want it, you’ll begin the tail decrease. The tail tapers down to a narrow point.

Rnd 81: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (4 sts)

Rnds 82–90: Sc in each st around. (4 sts)

Rnd 91: Dec twice. (2 sts)

Add any final stuffing now. Use the end of your crochet hook or a pencil to push stuffing all the way down into the tail until it’s evenly filled.

Rnd 92: Work 1 sc to close the last 2 sts together. Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Thread the tail through your yarn needle and weave it through the last few stitches to close the tip neatly. Weave in the end.

The Tongue

The forked tongue is what really gives the snake its personality. It’s made separately and then sewn onto the front of the head.

Using red or pink yarn, make a slip knot and chain 10.

Starting in the second chain from the hook, slip stitch in 4 chains. This is the first fork of the tongue. Then slip stitch back to the base of the fork, slip stitch across to the point where the second fork begins, and sl st in 4 more chains for the second fork. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Use your yarn needle to sew the tongue onto the front center of the head, just below the nose (the very tip of the head where you started). You want it to stick straight out from the front. Weave in the ends securely on the inside so the tongue stays put.

Finishing Touches

Weave in any remaining yarn ends with your tapestry needle. Give the snake a gentle squeeze and reshape it if needed. If any part of the stuffing feels lumpy or uneven, you can massage the outside of the fabric to redistribute it a little.

If you want to add a little extra character, you can use a small amount of pink yarn to embroider nostrils just above the mouth area, or use embroidery thread to add a subtle smile. Some makers also add a tiny blush to the cheeks using pink chalk or makeup blush gently rubbed onto the yarn with a cotton swab.

Tips for Getting the Best Results

Tension matters more in amigurumi than in most other crochet projects. Because you’re working with a small hook and worsted weight yarn to create a tight fabric, your tension needs to be consistent. If your work feels loose and you can see the stuffing through the stitches, try going down a hook size. If your hook feels like it’s fighting the yarn, try going up a size.

Counting rounds and stitches is your best friend. Mark every round with a stitch marker and count regularly. A missed increase or decrease can throw off the whole shape. It’s much easier to frog (unravel) a few rounds than to finish the piece and realize something went wrong ten rounds back.

The invisible decrease is worth learning. Many beginners use a standard decrease (pulling through both loops of two stitches), but the invisible decrease, worked through the front loops only of two consecutive stitches, creates a much smoother, neater surface with no visible divot in the fabric.

Work in good lighting. Amigurumi stitches are small, and tracking them is much easier when you can see clearly. Natural daylight is ideal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different yarn weight? Yes. You can use any weight yarn with the corresponding hook size. Just know that a bulkier yarn will produce a larger snake, and a lighter yarn will produce a smaller one. Adjust your stuffing amount accordingly.

What if I don’t have safety eyes? You can embroider eyes using black yarn. Thread a length of black yarn onto your needle and create a small circle or X shape on the head where each eye should go. This is actually the recommended approach for babies and toddlers.

How do I make the snake longer? Simply add more rounds to the body section. Each additional round in worsted weight yarn adds roughly a quarter inch to the length. Add 12 rounds for about 3 extra inches.

My snake keeps curling. What am I doing wrong? A slight curve is natural and can even look charming. But if it’s curling dramatically, you may be stuffing too tightly on one side or your tension is uneven. Try stuffing slightly less firmly and making sure you’re crocheting consistently all the way around each round.

Is this pattern suitable for children to make? With adult supervision, children aged 9 and up who have basic crochet skills can absolutely make this project. It’s an excellent first amigurumi for a young crafter.

How to Display or Gift Your Amigurumi Snake

Once your snake is finished, there are so many fun ways to use it. Coiled up on a bookshelf or windowsill, it makes an adorable decoration. Laid out flat, it can be used as a playful draft stopper along a door (make it extra long). Smaller versions make wonderful stocking stuffers, party favors, or additions to a handmade gift basket.

If you’re giving the snake to a child, pair it with a little card explaining the care instructions: most amigurumi can be hand washed in cold water and laid flat to dry, though always check the yarn label for fiber-specific guidance.

Share Your Makes

If you use this pattern to make your own amigurumi snake, it would be wonderful to see what you create. The amigurumi community is warm, welcoming, and endlessly creative. Post your finished snake on Instagram or Pinterest with the hashtag #amigurumisnake so other crafters can find inspiration from your version.

Don’t be discouraged if your first attempt isn’t perfect. Amigurumi has a learning curve, and every crafter’s first pieces look a little rough around the edges. By the time you’ve made two or three, you’ll be amazed at how much more natural it feels.

Crochet at your own pace, enjoy the meditative rhythm of those single crochets piling up into something living and cute, and above all, have fun with it. That’s what this craft is really about.

Happy crocheting!