Free Crochet Sulley & Sullivan Pattern: Cute Monsters Inc Amigurumi Set
If you grew up watching Monsters Inc or you’re raising little ones who adore the colorful world of Monstropolis, you already know that James P. Sullivan — better known as Sulley — holds a very special place in the hearts of fans everywhere. That big, fluffy, blue and purple spotted monster with his enormous smile and surprising gentleness is one of Pixar’s most beloved characters, and transforming him into a cuddly crochet amigurumi is one of the most satisfying projects a crafter can take on. Whether you’re a seasoned hook-wielder or you’ve been crocheting for a couple of years and want to tackle your first character-based project, this free pattern guide will walk you through everything you need to create your very own Sulley amigurumi — and his best friend Mike Wazowski if you’re feeling ambitious enough to make the full set.
This blog post covers materials, stitch techniques, full pattern instructions, assembly tips, and finishing details so you can create a Monsters Inc amigurumi set that’s display-worthy, gift-ready, or cuddle-approved for any little monster fan in your life.
Why Sulley Makes the Perfect Amigurumi Project
Amigurumi — the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed figures — lends itself beautifully to characters with round, simple shapes and bold coloring. Sulley fits that description perfectly. His body is essentially a large oval, his arms and legs are cylindrical, and his face is a canvas for expressive embroidery. The real magic of a Sulley amigurumi comes from the spots and his characteristic horns, which give him that instantly recognizable silhouette.
Making a Sulley and Mike set together is also a wonderful way to practice scaling, because the two characters are vastly different in size and shape. Mike is primarily a single large sphere, which makes him a great beginner companion piece, while Sulley’s body and fur texture offer a bit more of a crafting challenge. Together, they make a display piece that fans of all ages will instantly recognize and adore.
Materials You Will Need
Before you start, gather everything together so your crafting session flows smoothly. Here’s what you’ll need for a Sulley that stands approximately 7 to 8 inches tall, and a Mike Wazowski that stands approximately 4 to 5 inches tall.
Yarn: You’ll want a worsted weight yarn (Category 4) in the following colors. For Sulley, you’ll need teal or medium blue as your main color, light purple or lavender for the spots, cream or off-white for his belly, and black for pupils and nostrils. For Mike, you’ll need bright lime green as your main color, off-white or cream for his eye, black for the pupil, and a small amount of brown or tan for his horns.
Hook: A 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook works well with worsted weight yarn to create a tight fabric that prevents stuffing from showing through. Some crocheters prefer a 3.75mm hook — just make sure your tension is firm.
Other Supplies: Polyester fiberfill stuffing, safety eyes (12mm for Sulley, 18mm for Mike’s large eye), a yarn needle for weaving and assembling, scissors, stitch markers, and black embroidery floss or black yarn for facial details like Sulley’s mouth and teeth.
Optional: Felt in white for teeth detail, fabric glue for felt pieces if you prefer that over embroidery.
Understanding the Basic Stitches Used
This pattern uses standard amigurumi crochet techniques. If you’re comfortable with the magic ring, single crochet, increases, decreases, and working in continuous rounds, you’re ready to go. Here’s a quick reminder of the abbreviations used throughout:
MR — Magic Ring. SC — Single Crochet. INC — Increase (two single crochets in the same stitch). DEC — Invisible Decrease (insert hook through the front loop of the next two stitches, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through both loops). ST — Stitch. SL ST — Slip Stitch. CH — Chain. BLO — Back Loop Only. FLO — Front Loop Only. R — Round.
All rounds are worked in continuous spirals unless otherwise stated. Use a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round.
Free Crochet Sulley Pattern
Head and Body (Made as One Piece)
Sulley’s head and body can be worked as a single connected unit for a cleaner finish, or separately and then sewn together. The instructions below treat them as one.
Starting with Teal/Blue yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC into ring. (6)
R2: INC in each ST around. (12)
R3: (SC 1, INC) repeat 6 times. (18)
R4: (SC 2, INC) repeat 6 times. (24)
R5: (SC 3, INC) repeat 6 times. (30)
R6: (SC 4, INC) repeat 6 times. (36)
R7: (SC 5, INC) repeat 6 times. (42)
R8 through R12: SC in each ST around. (42)
At this point, if you want to add Sulley’s cream-colored belly patch, you can either crochet it separately and sew it on later, or you can switch colors for a few stitches during assembly. Most amigurumi makers find it easiest to crochet the belly as a flat oval separately and attach it after the body is stuffed.
R13: (SC 5, DEC) repeat 6 times. (36)
R14: SC in each ST around. (36)
R15: (SC 4, DEC) repeat 6 times. (30)
At approximately round 15 or 16, insert your safety eyes between rounds 10 and 11, about 6 to 8 stitches apart. Before closing up the head completely, make sure the eyes are positioned exactly where you want them — you cannot move them once the washers are snapped on.
R16: (SC 3, DEC) repeat 6 times. (24)
Begin stuffing the head firmly here. Continue stuffing as you close.
R17: (SC 2, DEC) repeat 6 times. (18)
R18: (SC 1, DEC) repeat 6 times. (12)
R19: DEC 6 times. (6)
Fasten off and close the opening with your yarn needle.
Belly Patch
Using cream or off-white yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: INC in each ST. (12)
R3: (SC 1, INC) repeat 6 times. (18)
R4: (SC 2, INC) repeat 6 times. (24)
R5: SC in each ST. (24)
Fasten off with a long tail. Flatten the oval slightly and sew it to the front of the body, centered.
Sulley’s Spots
Make 5 to 8 spots in light purple or lavender yarn. Each spot is a small flat circle:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: INC in each ST. (12)
Fasten off with a long tail. Sew spots randomly across Sulley’s back, shoulders, and the top of his head for that classic Monsters Inc look.
Arms (Make Two)
Using teal/blue yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: INC in each ST. (12)
R3: (SC 1, INC) repeat 6 times. (18)
R4 through R6: SC in each ST. (18)
R7: (SC 1, DEC) repeat 6 times. (12)
R8 through R16: SC in each ST. (12)
Lightly stuff the arms. Flatten and sew closed. Attach to the sides of the body at approximately rounds 5 to 7 from the base of the head.
Legs (Make Two)
Using teal/blue yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: INC in each ST. (12)
R3: (SC 2, INC) repeat 4 times. (16)
R4 through R6: SC in each ST. (16)
R7: (SC 2, DEC) repeat 4 times. (12)
R8 through R14: SC in each ST. (12)
Stuff firmly. Flatten and close. Attach to the bottom of the body, spacing them so Sulley stands or sits in a stable position.
Horns (Make Two)
Using cream or off-white yarn:
R1: MR, 4 SC. (4)
R2: (SC 1, INC) repeat twice. (6)
R3: (SC 2, INC) repeat twice. (8)
R4: SC in each ST. (8)
Fasten off with a long tail. Do not stuff the horns. Sew them to the top of Sulley’s head, slightly toward the back, angling them gently outward.
Tail
Using teal/blue yarn:
CH 12. SC in 2nd chain from hook, SC in each remaining chain. (11)
Fasten off with a tail for sewing. Attach the tail to the back of the body at the base. You can add a small purple spot to the tip of the tail for extra detail.
Ears (Make Two)
Using teal/blue yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: (SC 1, INC) repeat 3 times. (9)
R3: SC in each ST. (9)
Fasten off with a long tail. Flatten and sew to the sides of the head above the eye level.
Facial Details and Finishing Sulley
This is where your Sulley really comes to life. Using black embroidery floss or a very thin strand of black yarn, embroider a wide, curved smile below the eyes. Sulley’s mouth spans fairly broadly across his face, which gives him that friendly, approachable expression. For his teeth, either embroider small rectangular blocks in white, or cut tiny rectangles from white felt and glue them just inside the mouth curve.
For his eyebrows, embroider two short, slightly angled lines above each eye using black floss. Keeping the brows raised and rounded makes him look friendly and warm rather than menacing.
Add two small black nostril dots just above and to either side of the center of his face, between his eyes and mouth.
Free Crochet Mike Wazowski Pattern
No Monsters Inc set is complete without Mike, and the good news is he’s genuinely one of the easiest amigurumi figures to crochet. His body is almost entirely one large sphere with a single oversized eye, two small horns, stick-like arms and legs, and that gap-toothed grin.
Mike’s Body/Head (One Piece)
Using lime green yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: INC in each ST. (12)
R3: (SC 1, INC) repeat 6 times. (18)
R4: (SC 2, INC) repeat 6 times. (24)
R5: (SC 3, INC) repeat 6 times. (30)
R6: (SC 4, INC) repeat 6 times. (36)
R7 through R14: SC in each ST. (36)
R15: (SC 4, DEC) repeat 6 times. (30)
R16: (SC 3, DEC) repeat 6 times. (24)
Insert the 18mm safety eye here, centered on the front of the sphere. Attach the white sclera piece around the eye before snapping in the washer — see below.
R17: (SC 2, DEC) repeat 6 times. (18)
Stuff firmly.
R18: (SC 1, DEC) repeat 6 times. (12)
R19: DEC 6 times. (6)
Fasten off and close.
Mike’s Eye White
Using white or cream yarn:
R1: MR, 6 SC. (6)
R2: INC in each ST. (12)
R3: (SC 1, INC) repeat 6 times. (18)
R4: (SC 2, INC) repeat 6 times. (24)
Fasten off with a long tail. Place this circle behind the safety eye washer before snapping it in, or sew it around the eye opening on the finished body.
Mike’s Horns, Arms, and Legs
For horns, make two small cones just like Sulley’s horns but stopping at round 2 (staying at 6 stitches). Sew to the top of his head.
For arms and legs, crochet simple tubes: MR 6 SC, then work in rounds for 6 to 8 rounds without increasing. These stay thin and stick-like, which is true to Mike’s appearance. Sew arms to the sides and legs to the bottom.
Mike’s Face
Embroider a wide grin using black floss, and add his signature two small square teeth in white. Add a small semicircle of dark color for his upper eyelid to give him that characteristic half-lidded look.
Assembly Tips for the Complete Set
Once all the pieces are complete, take time with your assembly. Sewing arms and legs on at the right angle dramatically changes how a finished amigurumi looks and whether it can sit upright on its own. Pin pieces in place before committing to sewing them — use straight pins or a needle and loose thread to test positioning first.
For Sulley, positioning the legs slightly forward helps him sit with stability. If you want him to stand, sew the legs at a straighter downward angle and make sure they’re stuffed firmly enough to bear some weight.
For displaying the pair together, consider their size difference. Sulley should be noticeably larger than Mike to keep the relationship between characters accurate. If your Mike is coming out too large, try going down a hook size for his project.
Customization Ideas
Once you’ve mastered the base patterns, there are so many fun ways to personalize your Monsters Inc amigurumi set. You could add a tiny yellow hardhat for Mike to wear, referencing his role at Monsters University. You could give Sulley a tiny door to stand next to, crocheted or cut from stiff cardboard and painted. Adding Boo as a third character in her pink monster costume would complete the trio — she’s essentially a small human-shaped amigurumi with a round head and wide eyes, wearing a pink monster suit with ears on the hood.
Some crafters enjoy adding a wire armature inside the arms and legs so the figures can be posed, though this does require care when giving the toys to children to ensure no wire edges are exposed.
Gifting and Display Ideas
A completed Sulley and Mike set makes an absolutely wonderful gift for Monsters Inc fans of all ages. For a child’s birthday, placing the finished amigurumi in a small gift basket with some blue and green tissue paper makes a beautiful presentation. For a nursery or child’s room, these toys are cheerful enough to serve as décor on a shelf or bookcase.
If you’re making these for a Pixar fan who collects memorabilia, consider displaying the finished pair on a small wooden base with their names written in fun lettering. Photographing them in natural light against a simple background also makes for a lovely social media post if you want to share your work with the crochet community.
A Few Final Tips for Success
Tension consistency is the most important skill in amigurumi. If your tension is uneven, some sections of your figure will be tighter or looser than others, and the stuffing may peek through in looser spots. Work at a steady pace and adjust your grip if you notice your stitches loosening.
Always stuff as you go rather than waiting until the piece is nearly closed. Getting enough stuffing into the far end of a limb or body piece through a tiny closing is much harder than stuffing incrementally as you decrease.
Count your stitches at the end of every round, especially during the increase and decrease sections. A missed increase or a miscounted round early in the project will throw off every round that follows.
Finally, take your time with the facial embroidery. More than any other element, the face determines whether your finished amigurumi captures the spirit of the character. If your first attempt doesn’t look quite right, embroidery thread can be carefully removed and
