Mallard Rubber Duck Crochet Pattern – Quick & Beginner Friendly Plushie

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a rubber duck. It sits in your bathroom, cheerful and yellow, asking nothing of you except to float nearby while you take a bath. Now imagine that same cheerful energy reimagined as a mallard — that classic duck with the iridescent green head, crisp white collar, and chestnut brown chest that you see gliding across every pond and park lake. Turning that image into a soft, squishy crochet plushie is one of the most satisfying beginner-friendly projects you can sit down with on a quiet afternoon.

This pattern is designed for crocheters who are new to making amigurumi-style plushies but still want something with a little personality. If you know how to make a magic ring, single crochet, increase, and decrease, you have everything you need to complete this project. The mallard rubber duck plushie comes together in a few focused hours of crocheting, making it perfect for a weekend craft session or a longer evening on the couch. By the end, you will have an adorable, palm-sized duck plushie that looks like the lovechild of a classic rubber duck and the most handsome mallard at the local pond.

Whether you are making this for a baby shower gift, a desk decoration, a bath toy (unstuffed and with safety considerations in mind), or simply for the pure joy of crafting, this pattern will walk you through every step in plain, easy-to-follow language.

Materials You Will Need

Before you pick up your hook, gather everything together. Having your supplies laid out makes the crocheting process much smoother, especially when you are managing color changes.

For yarn, you will want a worsted weight (size 4) yarn in the following colors: bright yellow for the main body (this is your classic rubber duck base), dark iridescent green or forest green for the head, white for the collar detail, chestnut brown or rust for the chest, and a small amount of orange or golden yellow for the bill. If you cannot find an iridescent green, any rich, saturated dark green will work beautifully.

You will also need a 3.5mm or 4.0mm crochet hook (adjust depending on your yarn weight and personal tension), a yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing pieces together, polyester fiberfill stuffing, two safety eyes in 9mm or 12mm size (black), stitch markers to mark the beginning of your rounds, and scissors.

Optional but helpful: a small piece of cardboard or plastic canvas cut to the size of the duck’s base, which you can insert into the bottom of the body before closing it up to help the plushie sit flat and stable on a surface.

Understanding the Pattern Abbreviations

This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology. Here is a quick reference so you are never guessing mid-round.

MR means magic ring. Ch means chain. Sl st means slip stitch. Sc means single crochet. Inc means increase, which is two single crochets worked into the same stitch. Dec means invisible decrease, which is worked by inserting your hook through the front loops of the next two stitches together and completing the single crochet normally. BLO means back loop only. FLO means front loop only.

If you are new to amigurumi, the invisible decrease is worth practicing before you begin. It creates a much cleaner, less visible decrease than the standard slip-stitch decrease, and it will make the surface of your plushie look professional and smooth.

The Body

The body is worked from the bottom up in a continuous spiral. Do not join at the end of each round unless the pattern specifically says to. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of each round and move it up as you go.

Start with your bright yellow yarn.

Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. You will have 6 stitches.

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. You will have 12 stitches.

Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. You will have 18 stitches.

Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. You will have 24 stitches.

Round 5: (Sc 3, inc) repeat around. You will have 30 stitches.

Round 6: (Sc 4, inc) repeat around. You will have 36 stitches.

Rounds 7 through 10: Sc in each stitch around for 4 rounds. You will maintain 36 stitches.

Round 11: (Sc 4, dec) repeat around. You will have 30 stitches.

Round 12: Sc in each stitch around. 30 stitches.

Round 13: (Sc 3, dec) repeat around. You will have 24 stitches.

At this point, if you are adding the chestnut brown chest detail, you have two options. You can either surface embroider the chest detail after assembly, or you can switch yarn colors here and work a few rows of brown before continuing with yellow. For simplicity in a beginner pattern, embroidery after the fact works wonderfully and gives you more control over placement. Set the brown yarn aside for now and continue with yellow.

Round 14: Sc in each stitch around. 24 stitches.

Before you continue decreasing, this is the time to insert your safety eyes. Place them evenly on the upper third of the body (which will become the front of the duck), spaced about 8 to 10 stitches apart. The classic rubber duck look has its eyes placed fairly high and wide, giving it that perpetually surprised and delighted expression. Secure the washers on the inside firmly.

Round 15: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. You will have 18 stitches.

Now begin stuffing the body firmly but not so tightly that the fabric distorts. You can continue adding stuffing as you close the final rounds.

Round 16: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. You will have 12 stitches.

Round 17: Dec around. You will have 6 stitches.

Cut your yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle and weave through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches. Pull tight to close the opening. Weave in the end on the inside.

Your round, chubby little body is complete.

The Head

The head is worked separately and sewn on after, which gives you control over angle and placement. The mallard’s head is round and slightly larger proportionally than a real duck’s head, which is what gives the rubber duck plushie its charming cartoon-like silhouette.

Switch to your dark green yarn.

Round 1: MR, 6 sc. 6 stitches.

Round 2: Inc in each stitch. 12 stitches.

Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. 18 stitches.

Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. 24 stitches.

Rounds 5 through 8: Sc in each stitch around for 4 rounds. 24 stitches.

Round 9: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. 18 stitches.

Stuff the head at this point. It should be firm and hold its round shape.

Round 10: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. 12 stitches.

Round 11: Dec around. 6 stitches.

Close the same way you closed the body. Set aside with a long tail for sewing.

The White Collar

The collar is the detail that transforms a plain green-headed duck into an unmistakable mallard. It is a simple, flat ring worked in white yarn, and it gets sewn around the neck joint between the head and body.

With white yarn, chain 24. Slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring, being careful not to twist your chain.

Round 1: Ch 1, sc in each chain around. Slip stitch to join. 24 stitches.

Round 2: Ch 1, (sc 1, inc) repeat around. Slip stitch to join. 36 stitches.

Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing. The collar does not need to be stuffed. When sewn between the head and body, it fans out slightly to create a ruffled ring, just like a real mallard’s white neck ring.

The Bill

The bill is the personality piece of this plushie. Worked in orange or golden yellow yarn, it is a small, flat oval that gets sewn onto the front of the head.

With orange yarn, chain 5.

Round 1: Starting in the second chain from the hook, sc 3, then work 3 sc in the last chain. Rotate your work and sc along the other side of the chain: sc 2, then inc in the first stitch. Slip stitch to join. You will have 10 stitches.

Round 2: Inc, sc 2, inc 3, sc 2, inc 2. Slip stitch to join. You will have 16 stitches.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff the bill. Flatten it slightly with your fingers before sewing.

The Wings

Two small wings give the plushie dimension and a sense of motion, as though your little mallard is perpetually about to take off for the nearest pond.

With chestnut brown yarn (you can also use yellow if you prefer a more classic rubber duck look):

Round 1: MR, 6 sc. 6 stitches.

Round 2: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. 9 stitches.

Rounds 3 and 4: Sc in each stitch around. 9 stitches.

Round 5: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. 6 stitches.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff. Flatten the wing so the magic ring sits at one end, giving it a rounded tip and a slightly flatter base for easier sewing. Make two.

Assembly

Assembly is where everything comes together, and it is worth taking your time here. A few minutes of careful pinning before sewing makes a huge difference in the final look.

Start by attaching the collar to the body. Position the white collar ring around the top of the body like a necklace, sitting roughly where the neck would be. Using the yarn tail and your needle, whipstitch the collar into place all the way around, keeping the stitches even and the collar lying flat.

Next, position the head on top of the collar, tilting it very slightly forward and to one side if you want a more natural duck posture. Pin it in place and check from all angles before committing. Sew the head to the body through the collar, working your needle around the entire base of the head for a secure attachment.

Now sew the bill onto the lower front portion of the green head, centered horizontally. The bill should sit just below and between the safety eyes, facing forward. Use a whipstitch around the edge, leaving no gaps so the bill is firmly attached.

Attach the wings on either side of the body, angling them slightly downward and backward, as though the duck is just settling its wings after a landing. Sew through the flat base of each wing firmly.

If you want to add the chestnut chest detail now, use brown yarn and a yarn needle to work a few rows of surface slip stitches or embroidery satin stitches across the front of the body, just below where the collar sits and between the wings. Keep the shape oval or slightly teardrop-shaped for the most realistic look.

If you prepared a cardboard or plastic canvas base insert, now is a good time to slip it inside the bottom of the body through the seam if it has not been fully closed. This will help your duck sit flat and upright without tipping.

Finishing Touches and Customization

Weave in all remaining yarn ends carefully on the inside of the plushie, knotting them before trimming to ensure they do not work their way loose over time.

Once your plushie is complete, take a moment to shape it. Squeezing, patting, and molding the stuffed piece gently will help the fiberfill settle and give you a rounder, more polished shape. If the head seems too stiff or angular, rolling it gently between your palms like a ball of dough can help.

There are endless ways to personalize this pattern. You could add a small tail feather at the back of the body using a few loops of dark yarn. You could embroider small blue wing speculum patches on the wings using bright teal or violet blue yarn, which is the distinctive detail of a real mallard’s wing. You could make a female mallard version by swapping the green head for mottled brown yarn and using a subtler orange bill. You could even make a whole family of them in different colorways — a pink flamingo duck, a classic all-yellow rubber duck, or a holiday version decked out in red and white.

Tips for Beginner Crocheters

If this is one of your first amigurumi projects, a few small habits will make the process much smoother. Always use a stitch marker religiously. It is remarkably easy to lose your place in a continuous spiral round, and misaligned increases or decreases compound over the rounds into a noticeably off-kilter shape. Move your marker with every round without exception.

Work your stitches with consistent tension. Amigurumi looks best when your stitches are tight enough that the stuffing cannot be seen through the fabric, but not so tight that your hook struggles to enter each stitch. If you find yourself fighting your hook, go up half a hook size.

When sewing pieces together, use the same yarn you crocheted with so the thread disappears into the fabric. Work slowly and check your positioning frequently. It is much easier to undo a few stitches than to rework an entire assembly.

For safety eyes, always secure the washers as firmly as you can before continuing the pattern. Once the piece is stuffed and closed, you cannot reach back in to adjust them. And if you are making this plushie for a child under three years old, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider black eyes with yarn instead.

Why This Pattern Works So Well for Beginners

The mallard rubber duck plushie uses only basic stitches in a structured, methodical way. Every round builds predictably on the one before it. The color changes are manageable and clearly sequenced. The separate pieces — head, body, wings, collar, bill — can be worked in any order across multiple sessions, making it perfect for crocheters who cannot always sit down for a long uninterrupted stretch.

More than its technical simplicity, though, this project rewards you quickly. Within the first hour, you will have a recognizable round body taking shape in your hands. There is a genuine pleasure in that kind of tangible progress. Every new round feels like a small achievement, and by the time you are sewing on the bill and stepping back to see your finished mallard duck grinning up at you, there is a very real sense of creative accomplishment.

Amigurumi has a way of making people fall in love with crochet in a way that dishcloths and scarves sometimes cannot, because the result is a character, something with a face and a personality, something that makes people smile when they see it sitting on a shelf or a desk. This little mallard rubber duck plushie is a perfect first step into that world.

Save the pattern, share it with a friend who keeps saying they want to learn crochet, tuck it into your project queue for a rainy weekend, and soon enough you will have a whole flock waddling across your windowsill. Happy crocheting.