How to Crochet a Cute Squirrel | Easy Amigurumi Tutorial | Step-by-Step Pattern for Beginners
If you’ve been scrolling through amigurumi galleries and falling in love with tiny crocheted animals, you’re not alone. Amigurumi — the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed creatures — has taken the crafting world by storm, and for good reason. These adorable little figures are satisfying to make, surprisingly quick to finish, and make wonderful gifts. Today, we’re going to walk through how to crochet a cute squirrel from start to finish, with a beginner-friendly pattern and all the tips you need to succeed on your very first try.
This squirrel amigurumi features a round, chubby body, a big fluffy tail, tiny arms and legs, and the most irresistible little face you can imagine. Whether you’re brand new to crochet or you’ve made a few projects and want to try your first amigurumi, this tutorial is written for you.
Let’s gather your supplies and get started.
What You’ll Need
Before you begin, it helps to have everything laid out and ready to go. Fumbling for your scissors mid-round can throw off your count, so a little preparation goes a long way.
Yarn: You’ll need a small amount of worsted weight yarn (also known as weight 4 yarn) in the following colors: medium brown or warm gray for the body, cream or off-white for the belly, and a darker brown or black for small accent details. For the fluffy tail, a brushed or boucle-style yarn in the same brown works beautifully, though you can also use regular worsted and fluff it up with a wire brush later.
Hook: A 3.5mm crochet hook is ideal for worsted weight amigurumi. Using a hook slightly smaller than the yarn label recommends helps you create a tight fabric with no stuffing gaps.
Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill stuffing. You’ll use more than you think, so keep a good-sized bag on hand.
Safety Eyes: Two 9mm or 12mm safety eyes. Black is most common for squirrels, but you can use brown for a softer look. Make sure you attach these before closing up the head, because you cannot insert them after the piece is sealed.
Other Tools: A yarn needle (also called a tapestry needle or darning needle) for sewing pieces together, stitch markers to keep track of your rounds, scissors, and optional black embroidery floss for the nose.
Understanding the Basics Before You Begin
If you’ve never worked in the round before, amigurumi uses a technique called working in a continuous spiral, which means you don’t join rounds with a slip stitch the way flat crochet sometimes does. Instead, you work round after round continuously, using a stitch marker to track where each round begins. This creates a seamless tube or sphere shape — perfect for stuffed animals.
The foundation of almost every amigurumi piece is the magic ring (also called a magic circle). This is a special cast-on that allows you to start crocheting in the round without leaving a hole in the center. If you’ve never done one, it sounds more complicated than it is. You simply loop the yarn around your fingers, work your first stitches into that loop, then pull the tail to cinch the center closed. There are dozens of video tutorials online if you want to see it in motion before you try.
All stitches in this pattern are single crochet (sc) unless otherwise noted. We also use two shaping techniques throughout: increases and decreases.
An increase means you crochet two single crochets into the same stitch, making the round wider. In this pattern, an increase is written as “inc.”
A decrease means you combine two stitches into one, making the round narrower. For amigurumi, we use the invisible decrease for the neatest result. To do this, insert your hook through the front loop only of the next stitch, then through the front loop only of the stitch after that, yarn over, and pull through both loops, then yarn over and pull through the remaining two loops. In this pattern, a decrease is written as “dec.”
The number in parentheses at the end of each round tells you how many stitches you should have when the round is complete. If your count doesn’t match, stop and recount before moving on.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- MR — magic ring
- sc — single crochet
- inc — increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
- dec — invisible decrease
- st(s) — stitch(es)
- sl st — slip stitch
- ch — chain
- BLO — back loop only
- FLO — front loop only
- [ ] × — repeat the instructions in brackets the number of times indicated
Part One: The Head
The head is a nice round sphere and is usually the most satisfying piece to make because you can watch it inflate into shape as you add stuffing.
Using your main body color, start with a magic ring.
Round 1: 6 sc into the MR. Pull tight to close. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] × 6. (18)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] × 6. (24)
Round 5: [Sc 3, inc] × 6. (30)
Round 6: [Sc 4, inc] × 6. (36)
Round 7: [Sc 5, inc] × 6. (42)
Rounds 8–13: Sc around. (42) — Work 6 rounds even, no increases or decreases.
Now is the time to attach your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 10 and 11, approximately 8 stitches apart. The exact spacing is a matter of personal preference — closer together gives a rounder, more childlike look, while wider apart looks a little more realistic. Once you’re happy with the placement, push the posts through and secure the washers on the inside.
If you want to add a small muzzle bump, you can use cream yarn to embroider a slight oval shape centered below the eyes, then use black embroidery floss to stitch a simple Y-shape for the nose and mouth. Alternatively, you can crochet a tiny oval muzzle separately and sew it on, which we’ll describe in the optional extras section.
Round 14: [Sc 5, dec] × 6. (36)
Round 15: [Sc 4, dec] × 6. (30)
Round 16: [Sc 3, dec] × 6. (24)
Begin stuffing the head firmly now. The firmer the better — a well-stuffed head holds its shape and makes sewing much easier.
Round 17: [Sc 2, dec] × 6. (18)
Round 18: [Sc 1, dec] × 6. (12)
Add a bit more stuffing if needed.
Round 19: Dec × 6. (6)
Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Use your yarn needle to weave the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pull to close, just like cinching a drawstring. Weave in the end.
Part Two: The Body
The body is shaped like a slightly taller, more egg-like oval. We’ll crochet most of it in the main body color, with a belly panel worked separately or added as a color change, depending on your preference. For simplicity, this pattern describes a single-color body with a separately crocheted belly panel sewn on.
Using your main body color, start with a magic ring.
Round 1: 6 sc into the MR. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] × 6. (18)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] × 6. (24)
Round 5: [Sc 3, inc] × 6. (30)
Round 6: [Sc 4, inc] × 6. (36)
Rounds 7–14: Sc around. (36) — Work 8 rounds even.
Round 15: [Sc 4, dec] × 6. (30)
Round 16: Sc around. (30)
Round 17: [Sc 3, dec] × 6. (24)
Round 18: Sc around. (24)
Begin stuffing the body firmly.
Round 19: [Sc 2, dec] × 6. (18)
Round 20: [Sc 1, dec] × 6. (12)
Add more stuffing as needed, then continue.
Round 21: Dec × 6. (6)
Fasten off and close the same way as the head, leaving a long tail (about 12 inches) for sewing the head to the body. Set aside.
Part Three: The Belly Panel
Using cream or off-white yarn, start with a magic ring.
Round 1: 6 sc into the MR. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] × 6. (18)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] × 6. (24)
Rounds 5–7: Sc around. (24)
Round 8: [Sc 2, dec] × 6. (18)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. This oval panel gets stitched onto the front of the body, centered and slightly toward the lower half. Use whipstitch or mattress stitch around the edges to attach it neatly.
Part Four: The Ears (Make Two)
Squirrel ears are slightly pointed at the top, which gives them their distinctive look. We’ll achieve this with a simple triangle shape.
Using your main body color:
Round 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
Round 2: [Sc 1, inc] × 3. (9)
Round 3: [Sc 2, inc] × 3. (12)
Round 4: Sc around. (12)
Round 5: [Sc 2, dec] × 3. (9)
Round 6: [Sc 1, dec] × 3. (6)
Do not stuff the ears. Flatten the opening and whipstitch it closed. Leave a long tail for sewing. If you want an inner ear detail, use a small piece of cream or pink yarn to embroider or sew a small oval shape onto the front of each ear. Attach the ears to the top of the head, pinching them slightly at the base to create a slight point, and positioning them toward the back so there’s room for the face in front.
Part Five: The Arms (Make Two)
Using your main body color:
Round 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Rounds 3–4: Sc around. (12)
Round 5: [Sc 2, dec] × 3. (9)
Rounds 6–10: Sc around. (9)
Do not stuff the arms, or stuff very lightly — floppy arms are easier to sew on and look cuter. Flatten and whipstitch the opening closed. Leave a long tail.
Part Six: The Legs (Make Two)
Using your main body color:
Round 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: Sc around. (12) — Work through BLO for a defined edge on the foot.
Round 4: [Sc 2, dec] × 3. (9)
Rounds 5–9: Sc around. (9)
Stuff lightly, flatten, and close. Leave a long tail for sewing.
Part Seven: The Tail
The tail is arguably the star of the show, and there are a few ways to approach it.
Option A (Fluffy Yarn): If you have a brushed or loopy yarn, simply crochet a large oval shape and sew it on.
Using fluffy yarn:
Round 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] × 6. (18)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] × 6. (24)
Rounds 5–8: Sc around. (24)
Round 9: [Sc 2, dec] × 6. (18)
Round 10: [Sc 1, dec] × 6. (12)
Stuff gently, close, and sew onto the back of the body. The tail should arc upward behind the body.
Option B (Brushed-Out Tail): Use regular worsted weight yarn in the same color as the body, crochet the same shape above, then use a pet slicker brush or wire brush to gently brush out the yarn fibers until the tail is fluffy. This takes a few minutes of patient brushing and looks absolutely spectacular.
You can also shape the tail by bending a small piece of craft wire into a gentle curve, inserting it before closing, and positioning it so the tail arcs naturally behind the squirrel. Just make sure no wire is poking through the fabric if the toy is intended for small children.
Assembling Your Squirrel
Now comes the most rewarding part — bringing all the pieces together into one adorable little creature.
Start by sewing the head to the body. The top of the body and the bottom of the head meet in the middle. Use the long tail you left on the body to stitch around the entire circumference, going through one stitch on the body and one stitch on the head alternately. Pull the yarn firmly as you go to close any gaps. Weave in the end when complete.
Next, sew the ears onto the top of the head, about 5 to 6 stitches apart. Position them so they sit toward the back of the head rather than the very top, and tilt them ever so slightly outward for a natural look.
Attach the arms to the sides of the body, roughly at shoulder height. They should hang naturally downward or angle slightly forward, as if the squirrel is reaching out for a nut.
Sew the legs to the bottom of the body, positioned slightly forward so the squirrel appears to be sitting. Space them far enough apart that the body can rest evenly between them.
Finally, attach the tail to the back of the body at the base. If you want it to stand upright, sew the bottom portion of the tail to the body and leave the top free so it curls away.
Adding the Final Details
A few small finishing touches make a huge difference. Use black embroidery floss to stitch a small triangular or oval nose just below and between the eyes. A few small curved stitches beneath the nose suggest a little smile. You can also add tiny eyebrow stitches above the eyes for extra expressiveness.
If you want your squirrel to hold something, a tiny crocheted acorn is the perfect accessory. Simply crochet a small brown oval (about 10 rounds starting with a 6-stitch magic ring and worked to a maximum of 12 stitches, then decreased back down) and a flat cap using a contrasting tan or gray color. Sew the cap to the top of the acorn and tuck it between your squirrel’s hands.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Tension consistency makes a big difference in how smooth your finished pieces look. If you find your work is too loose and you can see the stuffing through the stitches, try going down half a hook size or consciously keeping your tension a little tighter.
Always stuff as you go rather than waiting until a piece is nearly closed. Getting stuffing into a narrow opening without distorting the shape is frustrating, and a well-stuffed piece is easier to shape.
Use a stitch marker diligently. Missing a single stitch at the start of a round throws off your entire stitch count, and counting rows of single crochet is genuinely difficult. Marking the first stitch of each round takes two seconds and saves a lot of headaches.
When sewing pieces together, take your time. Amigurumi assembly is where many beginners rush, and a crooked head or a leg that points the wrong way can undermine all the careful crocheting that came before. Pin pieces in place with straight pins or ball-head pins before sewing to make sure you’re happy with the positioning.
