Ted the Thick Toad: Free No-Sew Crochet Amigurumi Pattern
If you’ve been searching for a chunky, characterful crochet toad pattern that doesn’t require any sewing, you are in exactly the right place. Ted the Thick Toad is everything you want in an amigurumi project: he’s beginner-friendly, endlessly charming, and completely no-sew from his bulging eyes to his stubby little toes. Whether you’re new to amigurumi or a seasoned crocheter looking for a fun weekend project, Ted is about to become your new favorite make.
In this post, I’m sharing the complete free pattern for Ted the Thick Toad, along with helpful tips on materials, gauge, and technique so that you can stitch up your very own bumpy green friend with confidence. Grab your hook, settle in, and let’s get started.
Why You’ll Love Making Ted the Thick Toad
Amigurumi patterns can sometimes feel intimidating, especially when you’re faced with a finishing process that involves sewing dozens of tiny pieces together with a tapestry needle and hoping everything lines up perfectly. Ted sidesteps all of that frustration entirely. Because this pattern is built using continuous joinery and attach-as-you-go techniques, the only needle you’ll need is your crochet hook.
Ted is also designed to be thick, meaning his body has a satisfying, squishy density to it that makes him wonderful for cuddling. The double-stuffed construction technique used for his body gives him that wonderfully rotund silhouette every good toad deserves. He’s not trying to be a delicate little figurine — he’s a big, bold, bumpy toad, and he absolutely owns it.
He also makes a wonderful gift. Kids love him because he’s soft and squidgy. Adults love him because he’s quirky and full of personality. He looks great sitting on a bookshelf, perched on a windowsill, or riding around in a child’s pocket.
Materials You’ll Need
Before diving into the pattern itself, let’s talk about what you’ll need to bring Ted to life.
Yarn: Ted works up beautifully in a medium-weight worsted (size 4) yarn. You’ll need approximately 150 grams of your main color, which can be any shade of green you love — forest green, moss green, lime, or even a more muted olive if you want a naturalistic toad. You’ll also need a small amount of cream, yellow, or white for the belly, and a tiny bit of black or dark brown for the pupils.
Hook: A 4.0mm or 4.5mm crochet hook works well with worsted weight yarn for amigurumi. You want a slightly tighter tension than usual so that your stuffing doesn’t peek through the stitches. If you’re a loose crocheter, go down half a size.
Eyes: You can use 12mm or 14mm safety eyes for Ted’s iconic bulging look. If you’re making him for a child under three, skip the safety eyes entirely and instead embroider his pupils using black yarn, or use a button sewn securely to the inside of his eye base.
Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill works perfectly. You’ll use quite a bit of it since Ted is designed to be thoroughly stuffed and plump.
Stitch markers: These are essential for amigurumi. Use them to mark the beginning of each round so you don’t lose your place.
Scissors and a yarn needle: Even in a no-sew pattern, you’ll need scissors to cut yarn and a tapestry needle to weave in ends. The difference here is that you won’t be sewing parts together — everything joins while you’re still actively crocheting.
Abbreviations and Stitches Used
This pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
MR — Magic ring (also called magic circle)
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
inc — Increase (2 single crochets in the same stitch)
dec — Invisible decrease (insert hook through front loops only of the next two stitches, yarn over, pull through both loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops)
BLO — Back loop only
FLO — Front loop only
st(s) — Stitch(es)
rnd — Round
rep — Repeat
Gauge
For reference, Ted’s gauge is approximately 4 stitches and 4 rows = 1 inch in single crochet with a 4.0mm hook and worsted weight yarn. Because amigurumi gauge is less critical than in garments, small variations won’t ruin your toad — he’ll just be slightly bigger or smaller than intended. Ted is designed to finish at roughly 5 to 6 inches tall when seated, which is a wonderfully gift-able size.
A Note on the No-Sew Method
The no-sew construction for Ted works by leaving a long beginning tail when you start each appendage, then working the appendage to completion, and finally crocheting directly into the body stitches through the appendage opening while simultaneously crocheting the body. This method is sometimes called “crocheting onto” the body.
For Ted’s legs and arms, you’ll work each piece to a certain point, then pause and crochet it directly onto the body in its correct position before continuing to close everything up. The result is a seamless join that’s actually stronger than most sewn joins, with no puckering, no misalignment, and no frustrated seaming sessions at midnight.
His eyes are the one element that uses a slightly different approach: they are worked as separate round components and then crocheted onto the top of the head during the final rounds of the head construction, creating that signature wide-eyed, bulging toad look without a single stitch of sewing.
The Pattern
Part One: Ted’s Body
Ted is worked from the bottom up in continuous rounds. Do not join at the end of each round unless instructed.
Rnd 1: Start with your main green yarn. MR, work 6 sc into the ring. Pull tight. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc rep around. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc rep around. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc rep around. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc rep around. (42 sts)
Rnd 8: Sc 6, inc rep around. (48 sts)
Rnds 9–14: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) — Work 6 rounds even.
Now switch to your cream or belly yarn.
Rnd 15: Working in BLO, sc in each st around. (48 sts)
Rnds 16–17: Sc in each st around. (48 sts)
Switch back to main green yarn.
Rnd 18: Sc in each st around. (48 sts)
Rnd 19: Sc 6, dec rep around. (42 sts)
Rnd 20: Sc 5, dec rep around. (36 sts)
Begin stuffing Ted’s body generously at this point. Continue stuffing as you work the remaining rounds.
Rnd 21: Sc 4, dec rep around. (30 sts)
Rnd 22: Sc 3, dec rep around. (24 sts)
Rnd 23: Sc 2, dec rep around. (18 sts)
Rnd 24: Sc 1, dec rep around. (12 sts)
Rnd 25: Dec around. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Using your tapestry needle, weave the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches, pull to close, and weave in the end. Set the body aside.
Part Two: Ted’s Head
Rnd 1: MR, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc rep around. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc rep around. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc rep around. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc rep around. (42 sts)
Rnds 8–13: Sc in each st around. (42 sts)
Rnd 14: Sc 5, dec rep around. (36 sts)
Pause here to work Ted’s eye mounds before continuing.
Part Three: Ted’s Eye Mounds (Make 2, work directly onto head)
This is where the magic of no-sew construction really shines. Rather than making the eye mounds separately and sewing them on, you’ll work them right onto the top of the head during Round 14.
After completing Round 14, identify two positions on the top of the head where you want the eyes to sit — roughly centered and about 4 stitches apart. Mark these spots.
Eye Mound:
Join your main green yarn at the first marked stitch. Work as follows, crocheting into the surface of the head stitches:
MR, 6 sc into ring. Work the eye mound as a small flat circle:
Next round: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Next round: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
If using safety eyes, insert them now through the center of each eye mound and secure them inside the head before closing.
Sl st the outer edge of the eye mound directly to the corresponding stitches on the head, working around the entire base of the eye mound to attach it firmly. This creates a seamlessly integrated eye mound with no sewing required.
Stuff the eye mound lightly with a pinch of fiberfill before fully closing if you want extra roundness.
Repeat for the second eye.
Continuing the Head
Rnd 15: Sc 4, dec rep around. (30 sts)
Rnd 16: Sc 3, dec rep around. (24 sts)
Stuff the head firmly now.
Rnd 17: Sc 2, dec rep around. (18 sts)
Rnd 18: Sc 1, dec rep around. (12 sts)
Rnd 19: Dec around. (6 sts)
Close and fasten off. Leave a longer tail here if you plan to attach the head to the body using the crochet-on method (see assembly below).
Part Four: Ted’s Legs (Make 2)
Ted’s back legs are his most characteristic feature — wide, flat, and satisfyingly frog-like.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc rep around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 1, dec rep around. (12 sts)
Now work the toes (no-sew, worked directly off the foot):
At four evenly spaced points around the foot edge, work a small toe as follows: ch 4, sl st back down the chain to the foot edge, sl st into the next stitch. This creates four rounded little toes without any sewing at all.
Continue up the leg:
Rnds 6–10: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Stuff lightly. Flatten the top of the leg opening so that it forms a neat oval. You’ll crochet this directly onto the body.
Part Five: Ted’s Arms (Make 2)
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Work three toes the same way as the foot: ch 3, sl st back, sl st into next stitch. Repeat at three points around the hand.
Rnds 5–9: Sc 1, dec rep, then sc even to reduce to 8 sts total and continue for 5 rounds. (8 sts)
Do not stuff the arms. Flatten the opening.
Assembly — The No-Sew Way
Now comes the part that makes this whole pattern special.
Attach the arms first. Hold one arm against the upper side of the body where you’d like it to sit. Using your working yarn and hook, crochet through both the arm edge stitches and the body stitches simultaneously, working a row of sl sts across the opening. This locks the arm to the body with no needle required. Repeat for the second arm on the other side.
Attach the legs next in the same fashion, positioning them at the lower sides of the body so that Ted sits flat and stable.
Finally, attach the head to the body. Position the head on top of the body — Ted has a very round, low-set head that sits almost directly on his shoulders. Using the long tail left at the head’s closing, thread it onto your tapestry needle and work a series of overcast stitches around the neck join, or, for a fully no-sew version, use your hook to sl st through the open stitches of the head base and corresponding stitches at the top of the body, working all the way around before fastening off.
Finishing Touches
Once Ted is assembled, take a moment to look him over. Fluff out his toes if needed. If his eyes need a little more definition, you can use a small length of black yarn to embroider a curved line below each eye mound for that classic heavy-lidded toad expression. Add a few stitches of a lighter green or yellow yarn to the center of his belly if you want to give him a slightly mottled appearance.
If you want bumps — because what is a toad without bumps — use your yarn needle to pull small pinches of the outer yarn layer upward and knot them very loosely. Alternatively, you can work bobble stitches into the back of the body and head by going back and adding them in after the fact, inserting your hook into existing stitches and pulling up small loops.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Working amigurumi in a tight tension makes a huge difference to the finished appearance. If you can see the fiberfill through your stitches, your tension is too loose. Try going down a hook size.
Use stitch markers religiously. Even experienced crocheters lose their place in amigurumi rounds, and a stitch marker at the first stitch of every round is a tiny habit that saves a lot of headaches.
Stuff Ted as you go rather than trying to stuff him all at once at the end. It’s much easier to get an even, firm stuffing when you add it gradually, and it prevents the frustrating experience of trying to push fiberfill through a tiny closing gap.
If you’re making Ted as a gift for a baby or young toddler, omit safety eyes and instead embroider eyes using satin stitch in black yarn. Always check that all toes and appendages are firmly secured before gifting to a young child.
Share Your Ted!
If you make a Ted the Thick Toad of your own, I’d absolutely love to see him. Share your finished toad on Instagram or Pinterest using the hashtag #TedTheThickToad so that other crafters can find your creation for inspiration. There is something genuinely delightful about seeing the range of Ted interpretations that creative crocheters come up with — blue toads, rainbow toads, tiny pocket-sized Teds and enormous oversized versions.
This pattern is free to use for personal projects and to make items for sale in small quantities. Please credit the pattern when sharing and do not reproduce the full pattern text on another website without permission.
Happy croch
