Free Crochet Funny Lizard Bookmark Keychain Pattern
If you have been searching for a crochet project that is quick to finish, genuinely adorable, and useful in everyday life, then this free crochet funny lizard bookmark keychain pattern is exactly what you need. Whether you are a beginner who has just learned how to hold a hook or an experienced crocheter looking for a fun side project to use up your yarn scraps, this little lizard is going to steal your heart. He is cheeky, colorful, and practical enough to live on your keychain, peek out of your favorite book, or hang from your bag as a tiny conversation starter.
In this post, you will find everything you need to make your own crochet lizard bookmark keychain, including a full list of materials, gauge information, abbreviations, step-by-step written instructions, and some helpful tips for customizing your finished piece. The pattern is completely free, and you are welcome to make as many of these little guys as you want to sell at craft fairs, give as gifts, or keep for yourself.
Why You Will Love This Pattern
There is something uniquely satisfying about crochet projects that serve a double purpose. This funny little lizard does not just sit in a basket looking cute — he actually does something. Clip him to your keys so you can find them in your bag more easily. Tuck his tail into a book so he marks your page with his googly little head poking out from the top. Attach him to a zipper pull on your backpack or hoodie. The possibilities are genuinely endless.
Beyond the functionality, this pattern is also a fantastic stash-buster. Each lizard uses only a small amount of yarn, so it is the perfect project for those little leftover balls that are too small for a blanket but too precious to throw away. You can make each one in a completely different color combination, which means no two lizards ever have to look exactly the same. Hot pink with a lime green belly? Absolutely. Speckled purple with orange spots? Why not. Classic green with a yellow underbelly that looks almost like a real gecko? Entirely your call.
The finished lizard is also surprisingly fast to make once you get the hang of the construction. Most crocheters complete one in under two hours, which makes this a great project for a lazy Sunday afternoon, a long car ride (as a passenger, of course), or a cozy evening when you want to crochet but your brain is too tired for anything complicated.
Materials You Will Need
Before you sit down to make your lizard, gather everything on this list so you do not have to stop mid-project to hunt for something.
You will need a small amount of worsted weight yarn in your main color, which will be used for the body, head, legs, and tail. You will also want a small amount of a contrasting color for the belly, if you want to give your lizard a two-toned look. A third accent color is optional but fun for spots or stripes. For the hook, a 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook works beautifully with standard worsted weight yarn and gives the fabric a tight enough tension that the stuffing will not show through. If you prefer to use DK weight yarn, drop down to a 3.0mm hook.
You will also need a small amount of polyester fiberfill stuffing for the head and body, though you can use scraps of yarn or even cotton balls in a pinch. A pair of safety eyes in either 6mm or 8mm size will give your lizard his personality — the bigger the eyes, the goofier and more cartoonish he will look, which is exactly the vibe this pattern is going for. If you are making lizards for young children or babies, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes with black yarn instead, since safety eyes can become a choking hazard. You will need a yarn needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends, a stitch marker to keep track of your rounds, and a keychain ring or lobster clasp to attach your finished lizard to whatever you like.
Gauge and Finished Size
Gauge is not critical for this pattern since we are not trying to fit anyone’s measurements, but for reference, using worsted weight yarn and a 3.75mm hook, 10 single crochets and 12 rows equal approximately 2 inches by 2 inches. The finished lizard measures approximately 5 to 6 inches from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, not including the keychain ring. His width across the belly is about 1.5 inches when lightly stuffed. If you want a bigger lizard, simply go up a hook size or use bulky weight yarn. If you want a tiny lizard that is more delicate and dainty, use fingering weight yarn with a 2.0mm hook.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
MR — magic ring
ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
inc — increase (2 single crochets in the same stitch)
dec — decrease (invisible decrease worked over 2 stitches)
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
st — stitch
rnd — round
rep — repeat
All rounds are worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise noted. Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round so you always know where your round begins.
The Pattern
Head
Start with your main color yarn.
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] repeat around. (24 sts)
Rounds 5 through 8: Sc in each stitch around. (24 sts for each round)
Now is the time to attach your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 5 and 6, spacing them about 6 stitches apart. The eyes should be centered toward the front of the head. If you are embroidering eyes instead, continue crocheting and add the embroidery after the head is closed.
Round 9: [Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (18 sts)
Stuff the head now. Add enough fiberfill so that the head feels firm and holds its round shape, but do not overstuff — you want it to look plump and cheerful, not stiff.
Round 10: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 sts)
Round 11: Dec around. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use your yarn needle to close the remaining 6 stitches by running the yarn through the front loops and pulling tight. Weave in the end.
Body
The body is worked as a slightly elongated oval.
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] repeat around. (24 sts)
Rounds 5 through 12: Sc in each stitch around. (24 sts)
Round 13: [Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 14: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 sts)
Stuff the body before closing. The body should feel a little softer than the head.
Round 15: Dec around. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail, and close as with the head.
Tail
The tail is one of the most charming parts of the lizard and is worked in a simple tapering spiral.
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 4 sc. (4 sts)
Rounds 2 through 5: Sc in each stitch around. (4 sts)
Round 6: Inc, sc 3. (5 sts)
Rounds 7 through 10: Sc in each stitch around. (5 sts)
Round 11: Inc, sc 4. (6 sts)
Rounds 12 through 15: Sc in each stitch around. (6 sts)
Round 16: Inc, sc 5. (7 sts)
Rounds 17 through 20: Sc in each stitch around. (7 sts)
Round 18: Inc, sc 6. (8 sts)
Do not stuff the tail. Fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail.
Legs (Make 4)
The four little legs are tiny and simple, and they give the lizard his funny, scrambling pose.
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rounds 2 through 6: Sc in each stitch around. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail. Do not stuff the legs. Pinch the open end flat and stitch it closed as you sew the leg to the body for a slightly flattened, natural-looking limb.
Belly Panel (Optional)
If you want to give your lizard a contrasting belly, this simple flat oval is sewn onto the front of the body before assembly.
Row 1: Using your contrast color, ch 4, turn.
Row 2: Sc across. (3 sts)
Rows 3 through 8: Sc across, ch 1, turn.
Row 9: Dec, sc 1. (2 sts)
Row 10: Dec. (1 st)
Fasten off and sew this small oval onto the front center of the body before you attach the other pieces.
Assembly
Lay out all your pieces and take a moment to enjoy how cute they look before they become a lizard. Thread your yarn needle with a length of matching yarn.
Begin by sewing the head to the widest end of the body. Position the safety eyes facing forward and upward so they have that classic googly, curious look. Use a whip stitch or mattress stitch all the way around the join, pulling gently to create a seamless connection. Weave in your ends.
Next, attach the tail to the narrowest end of the body. The tail should extend straight out or curve slightly to one side for a more dynamic, lifelike pose.
Now position the four legs. The front two legs should attach roughly at the junction of the head and body, angling slightly outward and forward. The back two legs attach closer to the tail end of the body, angling outward and slightly backward. Play around with the angle before you commit — a tiny change in leg position makes a big difference in the lizard’s personality. Sew each leg firmly in place, stitching through several times to make sure they will not pull loose.
Finally, use a small length of yarn to sew a loop at the very top of the lizard’s head, or between the head and the back of the neck, and thread your keychain ring or lobster clasp through the loop. If you are using the lizard as a bookmark instead of a keychain, you can skip the ring entirely and simply tuck his tail between the pages.
Customization Ideas
One of the best things about this pattern is how endlessly customizable it is. Here are some ideas to make each lizard feel unique.
You can add tiny nostrils by embroidering two small French knots in black yarn near the tip of the snout. You can give your lizard a long tongue by cutting a very thin strip of red felt and gluing or stitching it just inside the front edge of the head. You can crochet tiny toes onto each leg by chaining 3 from the end of the leg, slipping back, and repeating twice more for each foot. Tiny crochet spines along the back, made by working slip stitches through the back loops, add a wonderfully dramatic dragon-like quality. You can even use variegated or self-striping yarn so your lizard has a built-in color pattern without any extra effort on your part.
For a Halloween-themed version, try working the body in black yarn with neon orange eyes. For Christmas gift tags, use red and white or green and gold. For a tropical summer vibe, turquoise with yellow makes a lizard that looks ready to sunbathe on a beach.
Tips for Beginners
If this is one of your first amigurumi projects, do not feel intimidated. The magic ring can feel tricky at first, but after you make your first one or two, it becomes second nature. If you genuinely cannot get the magic ring to work, you can substitute a simple ch 2 and work your starting stitches into the second chain from the hook — it creates a slightly larger hole in the center, but it still works.
The invisible decrease is worth learning for this project if you do not already know it. Unlike a standard decrease, the invisible decrease goes through the front loops only of two consecutive stitches, which produces a much smoother finish and makes the seams of your amigurumi look neat and professional.
When stuffing, err on the side of less rather than more. Overstuffed amigurumi develop a stretched, lumpy texture and the stitches begin to show gaps. Understuffed pieces are easy to add more to before you close, but overstuffed pieces are difficult to fix.
Keep your tension consistent throughout. If you find your fabric is too loose and you can see the stuffing through the stitches, drop down a hook size. This is one of the most common adjustments people make when they first start working with amigurumi.
Sharing Your Finished Lizard
When you finish your little lizard, please share a photo! If you post your finished project on Instagram or Pinterest, tag it with something like #crochetlizard or #amigurumikeychains so other crafters can find it and feel inspired. Seeing how other people interpret the same pattern is one of the most joyful parts of being in the crochet community. Every single lizard will look a little different depending on the yarn colors chosen, the hook size used, and the subtle choices made during assembly, and that variety is part of what makes handmade things so special.
If you run into any trouble with the pattern, leave a question in the comments and this community of makers will help you work it out. Crochet patterns sometimes use slightly different terminology depending on where the designer learned, and it is always worth double-checking abbreviations if something does not seem to be working.
Final Thoughts
This free crochet funny lizard bookmark keychain pattern is the kind of project that reminds you why you fell in love with crochet in the first place. It is small enough to finish quickly, fun enough to keep you engaged, and useful enough to feel genuinely rewarding when you clip the finished lizard to your keys or tuck him into a book. He has personality. He makes people smile. He costs almost nothing to make if you have yarn scraps on hand. And once you make your first one, you are almost certainly going to want to make ten more.
So grab your hook, dig out your favorite scraps of yarn, and get started. Your new little lizard friend is waiting.
