Cherry Crochet Keychain Pattern | Beginner Friendly Amigurumi Tutorial (PDF Download)
If you’ve been looking for a quick, satisfying crochet project that you can finish in an afternoon and actually use every day, this cherry crochet keychain pattern is exactly what you need. It’s small, it’s sweet, and it comes together so easily that even someone who picked up a crochet hook for the first time last week can make it. Whether you’re building your amigurumi skills from scratch or you’re a seasoned crocheter looking for a fun little project to use up yarn scraps, this tutorial walks you through everything step by step.
Cherries have become one of the most beloved motifs in the crafting world, and it’s easy to see why. They’re bold, cheerful, and just retro enough to feel charming without being kitschy. Attached to a set of keys, a bag, or a zipper pull, a tiny crocheted cherry instantly adds personality. This pattern makes two small cherries joined at the stem — the classic duo we all picture when we think of cherries — and the finished piece is compact enough to be practical while still being eye-catching.
Let’s get into everything you need to know to make your own.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
One of the best things about this project is that it requires almost nothing in terms of supplies. You probably already have most of what you need if you’ve done any crocheting before.
For yarn, you’ll want a small amount of red yarn for the cherry bodies — a worsted weight works beautifully here, though you can also use a lighter weight if you prefer a smaller finished size. You’ll also need a tiny bit of green yarn for the stems and leaves. If you want to get technical, a sport or DK weight green yarn can give you a more delicate stem, but worsted weight absolutely works too. The beauty of small amigurumi pieces like this is that slight variations in yarn weight mostly affect size rather than the overall look.
You’ll need a crochet hook sized appropriately for your yarn. For worsted weight, a 3.5mm or 4mm hook is ideal. Going slightly smaller than the yarn label recommends is a common amigurumi technique because it creates a tighter fabric that holds the stuffing in and gives the piece a firmer, more polished look.
Beyond yarn and a hook, gather up a small amount of polyfill stuffing, a yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and a stitch marker to keep track of your rounds. You’ll also need a keychain ring and, if you want leaves, a small piece of green felt or the option to crochet them directly, which this tutorial covers.
A Quick Note on Amigurumi Basics
If this is your first time making amigurumi, welcome. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small stuffed figures, and while it might look complicated, it’s built on just a handful of basic techniques that repeat over and over. Once you get the hang of working in continuous rounds — meaning you don’t join and chain at the end of each round, you just keep spiraling — you’ll find that most amigurumi patterns feel intuitive.
This cherry keychain pattern uses only a magic ring (also called a magic circle), single crochet, increases, decreases, and slip stitches. If any of those sound unfamiliar, don’t worry. Each one is explained below before it appears in the pattern, so you won’t be left guessing.
The magic ring is how most amigurumi pieces begin. It lets you start your work in the round with a tight center that doesn’t leave a hole. If you really struggle with the magic ring, you can substitute it by chaining 2 and working your first round of single crochets into the second chain from the hook — the result is nearly identical.
Increases are simply two single crochets worked into the same stitch, which adds a stitch to your round and makes the piece wider. Decreases, specifically invisible decreases, pull two stitches together into one, which narrows the piece and helps shape it. The invisible decrease is done by inserting your hook through the front loops only of two consecutive stitches and then completing the stitch as normal — this technique gives a much neater finish than a standard decrease in amigurumi.
Understanding the Pattern Abbreviations
Before diving into the rounds, here’s a quick reference for all the abbreviations used throughout this pattern.
MR means magic ring. SC means single crochet. INC means increase, which is two single crochets in the same stitch. DEC means invisible decrease. SL ST means slip stitch. CH means chain. The number in parentheses at the end of each row or round tells you how many stitches you should have when that round is complete.
Cherry Crochet Keychain Pattern
This pattern makes two cherries. You’ll work each one separately and then join them with the stem.
Cherry Body (Make 2)
Start with your red yarn.
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 SC into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (6)
Round 2: INC in each stitch around. (12)
Round 3: SC in the next stitch, INC in the following stitch. Repeat this sequence all the way around. (18)
Round 4: SC in the next 2 stitches, INC in the following stitch. Repeat around. (24)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around. (24)
Round 6: SC in each stitch around. (24)
Round 7: SC in the next 2 stitches, DEC over the next 2 stitches. Repeat around. (18)
At this point, pause and stuff your cherry lightly with polyfill. You want it to feel firm but not overstuffed to the point of distorting the shape. A small pinch of stuffing goes a long way at this size.
Round 8: SC in the next stitch, DEC over the next 2 stitches. Repeat around. (12)
Round 9: DEC around. (6)
Cut your yarn, leaving a tail of about six inches. Using your yarn needle, thread the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close the top of the cherry. Weave in the end securely. Set the finished cherry aside and make the second one the same way.
Stem and Joining
This is where the magic happens and where your two cherries become the classic pair. Switch to your green yarn.
Leave a long starting tail — about 8 inches — and chain 15. This chain forms the stem. Slip stitch back along the chain all the way to the beginning, then chain 15 again for the second stem. Slip stitch back along that chain too. You should now have two stem lengths coming from a center point.
If you’d like to add a small loop at the top center for attaching the keychain ring, simply chain 6 at the midpoint between your two stems and join with a slip stitch to form a small loop before working back down the second stem. This loop is where your keychain ring will attach.
Thread your yarn needle and stitch each stem end firmly to the top of a cherry body, weaving through several times to make sure it’s secure. Knot the end and weave it inside the cherry body so it’s completely hidden.
Leaves (Optional but Recommended)
Leaves add a lovely finishing touch. Make two using your green yarn.
Chain 6. Starting in the second chain from the hook, work the following into each chain: SC, HDC, DC, HDC, SC. Chain 1, then turn and work back along the opposite side of the starting chain in the same way: SC, HDC, DC, HDC, SC. Slip stitch to close. Leave a tail for attaching.
Stitch one leaf to each stem, just where it meets the cherry body, or tuck both leaves at the center join point between the two stems. Both placements look charming.
Finishing
Slide your keychain ring through the loop you created at the top of the stem. If you didn’t create a loop, you can simply attach the ring with a small piece of jump ring threaded through the chain of the stem. Give everything a gentle squeeze and adjustment to make sure the cherries hang evenly and the stems aren’t twisted.
Your cherry keychain is complete.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
A few small adjustments can take your cherries from good to genuinely beautiful.
Working with a hook that’s slightly smaller than your yarn calls for is the single most impactful thing you can do for amigurumi. It tightens up the stitches so the stuffing doesn’t peek through and gives the finished piece a smoother, more polished surface.
When stuffing, use small pieces of polyfill rather than pulling off a large chunk and shoving it in all at once. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly and result in a rounder, more satisfying shape without lumps.
If you’re using a very stretchy yarn, consider going down even another hook size or working with a yarn that has a bit less elasticity. Cotton yarn is a popular choice for small amigurumi pieces because it has minimal stretch and shows stitch definition beautifully. It also holds its shape well over time, which matters for something like a keychain that will get handled daily.
Weaving in your ends thoroughly is especially important for keychains. Unlike a plush toy that sits on a shelf, a keychain gets pulled, tugged, and jostled constantly. Take the extra minute to weave your ends in multiple directions and knot them before trimming, so nothing unravels after a week of use.
How to Customize Your Cherry Keychain
Once you have the basic pattern down, there are so many fun ways to make it your own.
Changing the color is the most obvious variation. While red is the classic choice, dark burgundy cherries look incredibly elegant, and soft pink cherries have a more whimsical, kawaii quality. You could even make one red and one pink for a mismatched pair that still reads as cherries.
Adding faces is another popular customization. A pair of tiny safety eyes or even a couple of small French knots in black thread can make your cherries look like little characters. This style is especially popular in the kawaii amigurumi community.
Consider using this pattern to make a whole set of fruit keychains. The basic round shape of the cherry body can be adapted with different colors and finishing details to create strawberries, apples, peaches, and more. A strawberry, for example, would use the same base shape in red with small surface embroidery dots and a different style of leaf.
You can also skip the keychain hardware entirely and turn these cherries into a bag charm, a zipper pull, a hair tie decoration, or even a brooch by stitching a pin back to one of the cherries. The cherries look just as lovely dangling from a tote bag as they do on a set of keys.
About the PDF Download
This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, which means you can save it to your device, print it out, or pull it up on a tablet while you work without worrying about losing your place on a webpage. The PDF version includes all the rounds written out clearly, an abbreviation guide, a materials list, and step-by-step photos of the key stages. It’s formatted to be easy to read in whatever lighting you’re working in, whether that’s natural daylight or the lamp beside your couch at midnight.
PDF patterns are especially handy if you plan to make multiple keychains as gifts — having the pattern saved means you can reference it any time without searching for it again, and you can print multiple copies to share at a crafting get-together or crochet circle.
Why This Pattern Is Perfect for Beginners
There are a few qualities that make a crochet pattern genuinely beginner-friendly rather than just labeled that way.
First, the stitch count stays manageable. This pattern never asks you to track more than 24 stitches at once, which means even if you lose track briefly, it’s easy to count back and find your place. Second, the techniques are repetitive. Once you’ve done an increase a couple of times, you’ll do it comfortably without consulting the instructions again. Third, the finished object is small enough that mistakes don’t cost you hours of work. If something looks off, you can frog it (unravel it) and start over in under five minutes, which takes the pressure off completely.
The other thing that makes this project wonderful for beginners is that it delivers a finished, usable object in a very short time. Most people can complete both cherries in one to two hours once they’re comfortable with the stitches. That quick payoff is motivating in a way that larger projects sometimes aren’t, especially when you’re still building your skills.
Skill Building Through Small Projects
One thing experienced crocheters will tell you is that small projects are where you actually develop your technique. Bigger projects might feel more impressive, but the repetition in small amigurumi pieces forces you to work cleanly and consistently in a way that larger, more forgiving projects don’t always require.
Making a dozen of these cherry keychains — which, honestly, is easy to do once you have the pattern memorized — will noticeably improve your tension, your shaping, and your speed. By the time you move on to larger amigurumi, the muscle memory you’ve built from working in continuous rounds will serve you tremendously.
Gifting and Selling Ideas
Cherry keychains make extraordinarily thoughtful handmade gifts. They’re quick enough to make in batches, personal enough to feel special, and practical enough to actually get used. A set of three or four in different shades of red, packaged in a small cellophane bag with a handwritten tag, would be a lovely little gift for a teacher, a friend, or anyone who appreciates handmade items.
If you sell handmade goods at craft fairs or through online shops, cherry keychains are a strong addition to your inventory. They’re small, which means they’re easy to transport and display, and they hit a price point that feels like an easy, impulse-friendly purchase for shoppers. Their universal appeal — cherries are a classic motif that transcends trends — means they sell consistently rather than spiking and fading with a passing trend.
Please note that while this pattern is free to use for personal projects and you’re welcome to sell finished items made from it, the pattern itself is not for redistribution or resale.
Final Thoughts
There’s something genuinely joyful about making something tiny and perfect. These little crocheted cherries accomplish exactly that — they’re small enough to finish quickly, satisfying enough to make again and again, and charming enough that everyone who sees them wants one. Whether this is your very first amigurumi project or your hundredth, the cherry keychain is the kind of pattern that earns a permanent spot in your rotation.
Download the PDF, grab your hook, and let’s get stitching. Your keys deserve something this cute.
