Free Squirrel Crochet Pattern – Easy Woodland Amigurumi for Fall

There is something undeniably magical about autumn. The leaves turn gold and rust and burgundy, the air smells like woodsmoke and apples, and woodland creatures scurry through the undergrowth preparing for the colder months ahead. If you have been looking for a crochet project that captures all of that cozy seasonal charm, this free squirrel crochet pattern is exactly what you need. Whether you are a beginner just getting comfortable with amigurumi or an experienced crocheter looking for a quick and satisfying project, this adorable little squirrel is the perfect fall companion.

In this post, you will find everything you need to make your own woodland amigurumi squirrel from scratch, including a full free pattern, materials list, helpful tips, and guidance on assembly. Grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite chair, and let’s make something wonderful together.

Why Amigurumi Squirrels Are the Perfect Fall Project

Amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed animals and characters, has become one of the most beloved branches of the craft world for good reason. The projects are compact, relatively quick, and endlessly customizable. A finished amigurumi makes a heartfelt handmade gift, a nursery decoration, a whimsical desk companion, or a seasonal display piece you will want to bring out every autumn.

Squirrels in particular feel tailor-made for fall. Their bushy tails, chubby cheeks, and industrious energy are synonymous with the season. A crocheted squirrel sitting on your mantelpiece next to some pine cones and dried orange slices? Absolutely unbeatable fall décor. You can also make a whole family of them in different sizes and colors, or pair your squirrel with other woodland amigurumi like foxes, hedgehogs, and mushrooms for a complete autumnal scene.

This pattern is written at an easy to intermediate level. If you know how to work in the round, do single crochet increases and decreases, and stuff and sew pieces together, you have everything you need to complete this project successfully.

Materials You Will Need

Before you begin, gather the following supplies. Having everything on hand before you start will make the process much smoother.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn in your choice of squirrel colors. Traditional colors include warm brown, chestnut, gray, or russet. You will also want a small amount of cream or off-white for the belly. Feel free to get creative — a teal squirrel or a dusty rose squirrel can be just as charming.

Hook: A 3.5mm or 4mm crochet hook, depending on your gauge and how tight you like to crochet. Amigurumi works best with a slightly smaller hook than typically recommended for the yarn weight, which creates a tighter fabric that holds stuffing without gaps.

Safety eyes: 9mm to 12mm black safety eyes work beautifully for this size squirrel. If you are making this for a child under three, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead for safety.

Polyfill stuffing: A good quality polyester fiberfill will keep your squirrel fluffy and well-shaped.

Yarn needle: For sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.

Stitch markers: Helpful for keeping track of the beginning of each round.

Scissors: A sharp pair makes clean cuts and prevents fraying.

Optional: Wire armature or pipe cleaners if you want your squirrel to have a poseable tail.

Gauge and Finished Size

Using worsted weight yarn and a 3.5mm hook, this squirrel measures approximately 7 inches tall when assembled, not including the tail, which adds another 4 to 5 inches. Gauge is not critical for amigurumi as long as your fabric is tight enough that the stuffing does not show through. If your gauge is looser than average, size down your hook.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

MR — Magic ring
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
inc — Increase (2 single crochet in the same stitch)
dec — Invisible decrease (insert hook through the front loops of the next two stitches and single crochet together)
BLO — Back loop only
FLO — Front loop only
st(s) — Stitch(es)
rnd — Round
[x] — Repeat the instructions inside the brackets the number of times indicated

Free Squirrel Crochet Pattern

Head

Begin with your main color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc into ring. (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)
Rnd 7: [Sc 5, inc] repeat around. (42 sts)
Rnds 8–14: Sc around. (42 sts, 7 rounds)
Rnd 15: [Sc 5, dec] repeat around. (36 sts)
Rnd 16: [Sc 4, dec] repeat around. (30 sts)

At this point, attach your safety eyes between rounds 10 and 11, spaced about 10 to 12 stitches apart. This gives the squirrel that wide-eyed, innocent look that is so endearing in amigurumi.

Rnd 17: [Sc 3, dec] repeat around. (24 sts)
Rnd 18: [Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (18 sts)

Stuff the head firmly before continuing.

Rnd 19: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 sts)
Rnd 20: Dec around. (6 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Close the opening with your yarn needle and weave in the end.

Muzzle

With cream or off-white yarn.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnds 4–5: Sc around. (18 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Do not stuff. Pin the muzzle to the front of the head, centered just below the eyes, and sew in place. Using a length of dark brown or black yarn, embroider a small Y-shape on the muzzle to create the nose and mouth.

Ears (Make 2)

With main color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc around. (18 sts)

Do not stuff. Flatten the ear and sew the opening closed, then sew onto the top of the head, slightly to either side. Pinching the base of each ear slightly before sewing creates a more realistic, rounded ear shape.

For a squirrel with pointed, tufted ears, you can work a small triangle in the ear rounds or add a little tuft by cutting a few short pieces of yarn, folding them in half, and attaching them to the tip of each ear with a lark’s head knot before trimming to shape.

Body

With main color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (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 7–18: Sc around. (36 sts, 12 rounds)
Rnd 19: [Sc 4, dec] repeat around. (30 sts)
Rnd 20: [Sc 3, dec] repeat around. (24 sts)
Rnd 21: [Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (18 sts)

Stuff the body firmly. The body should be slightly pear-shaped and a little broader at the bottom than the top, giving your squirrel a nice sturdy base.

Rnd 22: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 sts)
Rnd 23: Dec around. (6 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Use the tail to sew the head to the body.

Belly Patch

With cream or off-white yarn.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [Sc 2, inc] repeat around. (24 sts)
Rnds 5–6: Sc around. (24 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff. Sew the belly patch to the front of the body before assembling.

Arms (Make 2)

With main color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnds 3–10: Sc around. (12 sts, 8 rounds)
Rnd 11: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (8 sts)

Stuff lightly — the arms should be soft and slightly flexible so you can pose them holding an acorn or nut. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Flatten the opening and sew closed before attaching to either side of the body at about the shoulder level.

Legs (Make 2)

With main color.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnds 4–5: Sc around. (18 sts)
Rnd 6: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 sts)
Rnds 7–14: Sc around. (12 sts, 8 rounds)

Stuff firmly, especially the foot section. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Sew the legs to the bottom sides of the body so your squirrel can either sit upright or stand with a slight lean forward.

Tail

The tail is the most characteristic part of a squirrel and deserves a little extra care. This pattern creates a large, fluffy, curved tail. You can add extra texture by working into back loops only in alternating rounds, which creates a ridged effect, or by attaching loops of yarn around a finished tail piece for maximum fluffiness.

With main color (or a slightly lighter shade for contrast):

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (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 7–10: Sc around. (36 sts)
Rnd 11: [Sc 4, dec] repeat around. (30 sts)
Rnd 12: Sc around. (30 sts)
Rnd 13: [Sc 3, dec] repeat around. (24 sts)
Rnd 14: Sc around. (24 sts)
Rnd 15: [Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnds 16–20: Sc around. (18 sts)

Stuff the wide section of the tail well and leave the narrower base lightly stuffed. Fasten off with a long tail and sew to the back of the body, curving it upward and tacking the top of the tail to the back of the head so it arches gracefully over the squirrel’s body. This is what gives amigurumi squirrels their signature silhouette.

For extra texture, you can add a fringe of looped yarn around the outer edge of the tail by cutting lengths of yarn, folding them in half, and pulling them through the stitches with your hook before trimming to an even fluffy border.

Optional Acorn Accessory

No woodland squirrel is complete without something to hold. This tiny acorn takes only a few minutes and makes the finished piece ten times more charming.

Acorn cap (dark brown yarn):
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: In BLO, sc around. (18 sts)
Fasten off.

Acorn body (tan or cream yarn):
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnds 4–6: Sc around. (18 sts)
Rnd 7: [Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (12 sts)
Rnd 8: Dec around. (6 sts)
Stuff and fasten off.

Join the cap to the body and add a short chain stem at the top of the cap. Position the acorn between your squirrel’s arms and tack it lightly in place with a few invisible stitches.

Assembly Tips for the Best Results

Assembly is often where amigurumi either comes together beautifully or falls a little flat. Taking your time at this stage really pays off.

Start by laying out all your finished pieces before sewing anything. Arrange them on a flat surface and get a sense of the proportions and positioning before you commit. The head should be roughly the same size as the body, which is a classic amigurumi proportion that gives the character its cute, slightly cartoonish appeal.

When sewing the head to the body, use a whip stitch or mattress stitch around the entire opening. Go around twice for extra security, especially if the toy will be handled by children. The same applies to the arms and legs — a second pass of stitching ensures nothing loosens over time.

Use plenty of pins to position limbs before sewing. Step back and look at your squirrel from different angles. Is it balanced? Do the arms hang naturally? Are the legs positioned so the squirrel can sit upright? Small adjustments in placement make a big difference to the final look.

Customization Ideas

One of the great joys of amigurumi is how endlessly adaptable a single pattern can be. Here are some ideas for making your squirrel uniquely yours.

You can change the color palette entirely. A gray squirrel works beautifully for a more realistic look.