Kiko the Koala Free Amigurumi Pattern

If you’ve been searching for the perfect koala amigurumi pattern, your hunt ends here. Meet Kiko — an adorable, chubby-cheeked koala with the softest round ears and the most huggable little body you’ll ever crochet. This free amigurumi pattern is designed for intermediate crocheters, though confident beginners who have made a few simple amigurumi before will find it very approachable. Whether you’re making Kiko as a gift for a child, a decorative piece for a nursery, or simply because you love crocheting cute animals, this pattern will guide you through every single step.

Before we dive in, let’s talk a little about what makes Kiko so special. Koalas are already one of the most beloved animals in the world — those oversized fuzzy ears, the wide curious eyes, the calm and peaceful expression. Kiko captures all of that in a compact, squishy form that sits about 18 cm (roughly 7 inches) tall when finished. The pattern uses basic amigurumi techniques including magic rings, single crochets, increases, decreases, and simple color changes, so if you’ve worked with those before, you’re in great shape.

Let’s get started.

Materials You Will Need

To make Kiko the Koala, gather the following supplies before you begin:

Yarn: You will need a light grey yarn (approximately 100g), a small amount of dark grey or charcoal for the ears and nose detail, a tiny bit of cream or off-white for the inner ears and the belly patch, and black for the embroidered nose and eyes (or you can use safety eyes instead).

Hook: A 2.5mm crochet hook is recommended for most amigurumi cotton or thin acrylic yarn. If you’re using chunky or DK weight yarn, adjust your hook size accordingly. The gauge should produce a tight, close fabric so the stuffing doesn’t show through.

Safety eyes: 9mm black safety eyes work beautifully for Kiko. If you’re making this pattern for a child under three years old, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes using black yarn for safety reasons.

Polyester fiberfill stuffing: You’ll need enough to firmly stuff the head, body, and limbs. Kiko looks best when stuffed firmly so the shape holds well.

Stitch markers: These are essential in amigurumi since we work in continuous rounds. Keep a stitch marker in the last stitch of each round so you never lose your place.

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

Scissors: Of course.

Optional: A small amount of pink embroidery floss for the inner nose detail, and felt or fabric glue if you prefer to add a belly patch in felt rather than crocheting it separately.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

This pattern is written in US crochet terminology.

MR — Magic Ring
ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
inc — increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
dec — invisible decrease (insert hook through front loops of next two stitches and sc together)
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
st(s) — stitch(es)
rnd — round
[ ] — repeat the instructions inside brackets the number of times indicated

A Note on Gauge and Sizing

Amigurumi patterns are wonderfully flexible, and gauge is more about fabric density than exact dimensions. The goal is always a tight, dense fabric that hides the stuffing inside. That said, if you want Kiko to come out close to the described size of approximately 18 cm tall, aim to use a 2.5mm hook with fingering or sport weight yarn. Using DK yarn with a 3.5mm hook will give you a larger Kiko — closer to 25 cm — which is equally adorable and great for younger children who love big stuffed animals.

Part One: The Head

Kiko’s head is worked in light grey yarn.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc 1, inc] x6. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [sc 2, inc] x6. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [sc 3, inc] x6. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: [sc 4, inc] x6. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: [sc 5, inc] x6. (42 sts)
Rnd 8: [sc 6, inc] x6. (48 sts)
Rnds 9–16: sc around. (48 sts) — 8 rounds even
Rnd 17: [sc 6, dec] x6. (42 sts)
Rnd 18: [sc 5, dec] x6. (36 sts)

At this point, insert the safety eyes between rounds 12 and 13, approximately 10–11 stitches apart. This gives Kiko that wide-eyed, endearing koala look. If you’re embroidering the eyes, mark the position with pins first and continue crocheting before stitching them in at the end.

Rnd 19: [sc 4, dec] x6. (30 sts)
Rnd 20: [sc 3, dec] x6. (24 sts)

Begin stuffing the head firmly now.

Rnd 21: [sc 2, dec] x6. (18 sts)
Rnd 22: [sc 1, dec] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 23: [dec] x6. (6 sts)

Finish stuffing, then fasten off, leaving a long tail. Use the yarn needle to close the remaining hole by weaving through the front loops of the 6 remaining stitches and pulling tight.

Part Two: The Body

The body is worked in light grey with an optional cream belly patch. You can either crochet the belly patch separately and sew it on, or use a piece of cream felt cut into a teardrop shape and glued in place. Both methods look lovely. The body instructions below are for the full grey body.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc 1, inc] x6. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [sc 2, inc] x6. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [sc 3, inc] x6. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: [sc 4, inc] x6. (36 sts)
Rnds 7–12: sc around. (36 sts) — 6 rounds even
Rnd 13: [sc 4, dec] x6. (30 sts)
Rnd 14: sc around. (30 sts)
Rnd 15: [sc 3, dec] x6. (24 sts)
Rnd 16: sc around. (24 sts)
Rnd 17: [sc 2, dec] x6. (18 sts)

Begin stuffing the body firmly.

Rnd 18: sc around. (18 sts)
Rnd 19: [sc 1, dec] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 20: [dec] x6. (6 sts)

Fasten off and close the hole the same way as the head. Set aside.

Crocheted Belly Patch (optional):
Using cream yarn and your hook, make a small oval:
ch 5, 3 sc in second ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, 3 sc in last ch, sc in next 2 ch on other side. Join and continue increasing around the oval for 2 more rounds until you have a small egg shape about 3 cm tall. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Pin to the front of the body and sew in place.

Part Three: The Ears

Kiko’s ears are what make a koala a koala. They’re large, round, and fluffy-looking, made with two layers — an outer ear in dark grey and an inner ear in cream.

Outer Ear (make 2, in dark grey):

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc 1, inc] x6. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [sc 2, inc] x6. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: sc around. (24 sts)

Do not fasten off. Continue to the inner ear.

Inner Ear (crocheted directly on, in cream):

Switch to cream yarn. Hold the outer ear piece with the “right side” facing you.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc 1, inc] x6. (18 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Place the inner ear on top of the outer ear (right sides facing out) and sew around the edges to attach them together, leaving the bottom edge open. The inner cream circle should sit centered on the darker outer ear, giving that classic koala ear look.

Do not stuff the ears. They look best flat and slightly cupped when attached to the head.

Part Four: The Arms

The arms are worked in light grey and left unstuffed or lightly stuffed so they hang naturally.

Make 2:

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnds 3–4: sc around. (12 sts)
Rnd 5: [sc 2, dec] x3. (9 sts)
Rnds 6–14: sc around. (9 sts) — 9 rounds even

If you’d like a little dimension at the paw, you can add a tiny bit of stuffing to the rounded paw end before closing.

Flatten the top of the arm and sc across to close (4–5 sc through both layers). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Part Five: The Legs

The legs are slightly chunkier than the arms to give Kiko a grounded, stable seated appearance.

Make 2:

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc 1, inc] x6. (18 sts)
Rnds 4–5: sc around. (18 sts)
Rnd 6: [sc 1, dec] x6. (12 sts)

Stuff the foot firmly.

Rnds 7–14: sc around. (12 sts) — 8 rounds even

Add a little stuffing as you go to keep the leg firm.

Flatten and close the top of the leg the same way as the arms. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Part Six: The Nose

Kiko’s nose is a defining feature — that wide, rounded koala nose that takes up a generous portion of the face.

Using dark grey yarn:

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [inc] x6. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc 1, inc] x6. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: sc around. (18 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Do not stuff. The nose piece should be a flat disc. Pin it to the center of the face between the eyes and slightly below them. When it looks right, sew it on.

Once attached, use black embroidery floss or black yarn to stitch a small upside-down Y shape from the bottom of the nose down and outward, creating the classic koala mouth.

Assembly

Assembly is the most satisfying part of making any amigurumi. Take your time here, because getting the placement right makes all the difference in how Kiko turns out.

Start by attaching the head to the body. Position the head so it’s centered on top of the body, slightly toward the front (not perfectly centered back to front, but shifted just a tiny bit forward). This gives Kiko that natural slightly-forward-leaning look. Use the long yarn tail from the body to sew through both the body’s opening and the base of the head, going around the seam several times to secure. Add more yarn if needed.

Next, pin the ears to the top of the head before sewing. Place them on either side, at about round 5 or 6 from the top of the head, leaving some space between them. The ears should feel like they’re perched on top of the head rather than hanging off the sides. Once you’re happy with the position, sew them on securely through the open bottom edge of the ear.

Attach the arms to the sides of the body at roughly round 3–4 from the top of the body. They should point slightly downward and forward, like Kiko is reaching out for a hug — because Kiko absolutely is.

Attach the legs to the bottom of the body, positioning them toward the front so that when you set Kiko down, the figure sits upright naturally. You may need to adjust the leg angle slightly based on your stuffing tension.

Finally, attach the nose piece to the face if you haven’t already, and add the embroidered mouth. If you’re embroidering the eyes rather than using safety eyes, do that now too.

Finishing Touches

Once everything is assembled and all your ends are woven in, take a moment to look at Kiko from all angles. Sometimes a limb needs a tiny adjustment or a quick repositioning. You can always remove a few stitches and re-sew if something feels off — it’s completely worth it for a polished finished piece.

A few optional extras that can elevate your Kiko: you can add a tiny crochet eucalyptus leaf by chaining 8, sc back along the chain with a couple of increases in the center to create a leaf shape, and tuck it into Kiko’s arm. If you want Kiko to have a little bow, a scrap of ribbon or a quick crocheted chain bow in any color looks adorable around the neck.

Care Instructions for Your Finished Kiko

Amigurumi made with acrylic yarn can generally be gently hand washed in cool water and left flat to dry. If you used cotton yarn, the same applies. Avoid wringing or twisting. If the stuffing shifts during washing, reshape the piece gently while it’s still damp.

If you’re giving Kiko as a gift for a baby or toddler, make sure all parts are very securely attached and consider skipping the safety eyes in favor of embroidered ones, as outlined above. Amigurumi gifted to children should always be checked for loose parts.

Tips for Success

One of the best things you can do when making amigurumi is work slowly through your first round or two of each piece to make sure your stitch count is right before continuing. An extra or missing stitch in round two will throw off every subsequent round, and catching mistakes early saves so much heartache later.

Also, don’t rush the stuffing. The way you stuff an amigurumi piece makes a huge difference in the final silhouette. Pack the head quite firmly — it should feel solid, not squishy. The body can be a touch less firm. The limbs, even less so. This gradient of firmness gives the finished doll a natural, weighted feel.

If you’re a visual learner, sketching out where each piece will be attached on a piece of paper before you begin assembly can be a real help. Just tracing a rough oval for the head and marking where the ears, eyes, nose, and arms go can save you