Turtles are adorable creatures that become even cuter in crochet form. Learn how to crochet a turtle with these free crochet turtle patterns!
These turtle designs are what you might call amigurumi, which is the Japanese word for a knit or crocheted doll. They’re easy to make and great for those new to crochet because they typically use simple, repetitive stitches like single crochet or double crochet, and are small so you can finish a project quickly.
Supplies Needed to Crochet a Turtle
Like most crochet projects, you don’t need a lot of supplies to crochet a turtle. Here are the basic things you will need.
- Yarn: Most amigurumi projects use (4) worsted or medium weight yarn, but check the pattern for the recommended weight. You can also choose to use heavier or lighter weight yarn to make a larger or smaller turtle as you like. Green yarn is commonly used for turtles, but as you’ll see, whatever color you want can be used.
- Crochet hook: Check the pattern for the suggested hook size. If you’re changing the yarn weight, you’ll want to use a crochet hook a size or two smaller than you typically would for that weight of yarn.
- Stitch marker: When working in the round, a stitch marker helps you easily see where the end of the round is.
- Scissors: Having a small pair of scissors handy is great to trim yarn ends.
- Tapestry needle: a yarn needle helps you sew pieces together and weave in ends.
- Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill is a great choice for amigurumi turtle projects. You could also use pellets to give your turtle more weight, if desired.
- Safety eyes: Many of these crochet turtle patterns use safety eyes, which are two-part plastic eyes that are attached to the crochet as you work. They’re not considered safe for babies as they are a potential choking hazard if they come loose. Use embroidery to make the eyes if making turtles for little ones.
Tips for Crocheting Amigurumi Turtle
When making a crochet turtle or other amigurumi pattern, keep these tips in mind.
Using a magic circle (also known as a magic ring) to start projects in the round is helpful to avoid a hole. Check out this video tutorial from Bella Coco if you need help with that technique.
Use a stitch marker as a reference when crocheting in the round. As most amigurumi patterns are made with continuous rounds instead of having a slip stitch (sl st) to join each round, a stitch maker helps ensure that you do not lose where your last stitch is so you know when the next round starts. Stitch markers can also be used to show you where you need to increase or decrease so you don’t have to count stitches so much.
Use a smaller hook to make sure that your stitches are tight so that when you stuff your amigurumi, you won’t stretch out the fabric and the stuffing won’t show or come out.
Make sure to read through the pattern before you begin to make sure you understand all the abbreviations and terms used in the pattern and how the pieces go together. Sometimes pieces are joined as you work and need to be stuffed while stitching, so it helps to know this ahead of time.
When it comes to yarn, we recommend using either cotton or acrylic yarn. Cotton yarn is better at retaining its shape and it also gives you a clear definition of your stitches, while acrylic yarn is soft and is more affordable than cotton yarn. Both come in a wide range of colors to suit your needs.
Although it could be tempting, resist the urge to stuff your turtle too much, because doing so could cause your stitches to come undone or make the toy less soft and enjoyable to play with.
Want to learn more about how to crochet amigurumi? Our Amigurumi workshop includes all the skills you need to make fanciful crochet creatures, plus practice patterns to get you started and help build your skills.
Safety Considerations When Crocheting Amigurumi for Kids
Little kids love amigurumi projects, but there are a few things you can do to make them safer for kids to play with. We already touched on safety eyes above, but here are a few more things to think about:
- Choose cotton or acrylic yarn as they are easier to wash and some kids may be sensitive to wool.
- Make sure to only use new, clean stuffing rather than upcycled stuffing or filling from old pillows. These may contain bacteria, mold, dust mites and skin cells that aren’t great for little ones to breathe in or ingest.
- Stuff your critters firmly (though, again, don’t overstuff) so that the pieces retain their shape even after washing.
- Use good quality safety eyes for older kids, or use embroidery stitches to make eyes on projects for babies and toddlers.
Crochet Turtle Patterns
Turtle Amigurumi Crochet Patterns
Here are some of our favorite turtle amigurumi patterns that’ll make great companions for your kids to play with, or even to place on your desk to keep you company while working!
Turtle Amigurumi Pattern
Designer: All About Ami
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
Make your own adorable crochet turtles in a variety of hues! This pattern is beginner-friendly and its instructions are super easy to follow along. Make these for all of your turtle-loving family members and friends and use embroidery to give them different facial expressions.
Free Crochet Turtle Plush Pattern
Designer: Abigurumii
Yarn weight: (5) Bulky
Suggested yarn: Premier Yarns Parfait Chunky
Check out this adorable turtle pattern that is so huggable! This super snuggly crochet turtle pattern uses chunky chenille yarn that makes the plush more soft and squishy, but you can make it with any bulky yarn you have on hand.
Nika the Turtle Crochet Pattern
Designer: Lyudmila Orlova, via Amiguroom Toys
Yarn weight: (2) Sport
Suggested yarn: Yarnart Jeans
This amigurumi turtle has a removable shell and makes the perfect crochet toy for any child! Your little one will definitely enjoy dressing up their turtle with her cute hat that can be detached. (The body of the dress is integrated into the body of the turtle.)
Crochet Baby Sea Turtle Plushy
Designer: Whistle & Ivy
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Knit Picks Brava Worsted
With a charming hexagon top shell and tiny little flippers, this adorable little crochet sea turtle will charm kids of all ages. For this pattern, gauge isn’t all that important, but just make sure that your stitches are tight.
Sheldon the Turtle Crochet Pattern
Designer: Little Muggles
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
This turtle made out of round pieces is reminiscent of a mushroom. Kids will love to play with this little turtle, which is easy to stitch but does have a lot of little pieces (head, shell, each leg, tail, and spots are all stitched separately) so assembly will take some time.
Colorful Sea Turtles
Designer: Karen Benson, via Ravelry
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Premier Yarns Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted
These colorful sea turtles make a fun and easy project to whip up and are perfect for a stash-busting project. They come out about 4 inches across, so it’s quick to make a whole nest of them!
No-Sew Free Turtle Amigurumi Pattern
Designer: Little Crochet Farm
Yarn weight: (3) DK
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton DK
This crochet turtle pattern is part of a set along with other free sea creature patterns. And the best part of this pattern is that you don’t need to sew the parts together! If you need a little extra help along the way, there’s also a video tutorial provided.
Free Crochet Turtle
Designer: Cuddly Stitches Craft
Yarn weight: (2) Sport
Suggested yarn: Yarnart Jeans
This turtle crochet pattern is quick and easy to make with basic stitches, but the best part to me is those little flippers! Such a cute way to use a simple circle of crochet, just fold them in half and stitch them to make the flipper shape.
TNMT Crochet Pattern
Designer: Ninja Cat Crafts
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: DROPS Paris Cotton
Add a little turtle power to your amigurumi collection with this pattern! If your kid is a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they’d definitely love these little guys, which are pretty easy to work mostly in one piece.
Turtle Amigurumi Free Pattern
Designer: Stringy Ding Ding
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
Here’s another great turtle pattern that comes in two versions: a baby turtle and a mommy turtle. This fun pattern is shown with lots of different color variations, so you can customize your little turtle however you want! You also have the option to add a cute starfish on the mommy’s shell if you’d like to.
Napali the Sea Turtle Free Crochet Pattern
Designer: Off the Beaten Hook
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Pima Cotton
Meet Napali the sea turtle! Inspired by the coastal waters off Kauai, Hawaii, this design is a great mix of realistic and cute. As you bring this little guy to life through crochet, he will definitely capture your heart.
Amigurumi Pumpkin Pie Turtle Crochet Pattern
Designer: Crafty Kitty Crochet
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
I will admit I never would have thought to combine a turtle and a pie, but I guess they both have shells, right? This sweet little turtle pie would be so cute as a decoration for your holiday table – you could even make a bunch and attach them to a strip of crochet to make napkin rings!
Big Turtle Amigurumi Pattern
Designer: Rabia Worlds
Yarn weight: (2) Sport
Suggested yarn: Yarnart Jeans
This pattern is super simple to stitch and makes a really bold looking turtle with its large bulb of a head. Give it a bow if you like, or you could make other simple shapes (like the circles shown above) to decorate your turtle’s shell if you like.
Mini Turtle Amigurumi
If you’re looking for tiny versions of crochet turtles, check out this collection of patterns for small but super cute crochet turtles for you to try.
Little Miss Turtle Free Crochet Pattern
Designer: Pink Mouse Boutique
Yarn weight: (0) Lace
Suggested yarn: Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Thread Classic 10
This teensy turtle uses crochet thread to make a big statement with a wee project. The variegated thread used on the shell is so pretty. You could also try making this one with embroidery floss if you don’t have crochet thread.
Tiny Turtle Pattern
Designer: Katie Hughes, via Ravelry
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Red Heart Soft
While this one is bigger than the other tiny turtles we’ve showcased, it’s still a pretty small and quick project using worsted weight yarn. If you want you can add some embroidery to the face to give it an expression, or leave it plain.
Tiny Turtles Pattern
Designer: 5 Little Monsters
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Caron Big Donut O’Go
These tiny two-tone turtles are so fun to make! Using the O’Go yarn you can just divide it into balls of the colors you want to use, or use yarn from your stash to make coordination (or contrasting!) turtles and shells.
Pride Turtles
Designer: Ambros Crochet, via Ravelry
Yarn weight: (3) DK
Suggested yarn: Stylecraft Special DK
Check out this rainbow crochet pride turtle! Stitch up a rainbow-shelled turtle for Pride, or change up the colors with suggestions for asexual, bisexual and trans colorways included in the pattern.
Amigurumi Cute Turtle Free Pattern
Designer: Fira Crochets, via Always Free Amigurumi
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
Here’s another lovely mini crochet turtle pattern that’s very easy to make. The addition of a little embroidery on the face makes a big difference in the cute factor, but you can also just add eyes and call it done.
Tiny Striped Turtle
Designer: KristieMN via Ravelry
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
This mini crochet turtle is so cute and will look great on your desk or in any nursery. Pick your two favorite colors or just mix and match with yarn leftovers from other project to make this pocket pal.
Crochet Turtle Items
Do you love turtles and want to make different home items with turtles on them you can use daily? Here we have some crochet turtle item patterns including coasters, a pin cushion, bath scrubbies, and more!
Tina Turtle – African Flower Turtle Pincushion Pattern
Designer: Inart
Yarn weight: (2) Sport
Suggested yarn: Schachenmeyr Catania
This turtle pattern is meant to be a pincushion, but you can also use it as a plushie. It’s made with hexagon African flower shapes for the top and bottom shells, which gives it a distinct look that’s perfect for your sewing room.
Sea Turtle Ornament
Designer: Toni Heyl, via Ravelry
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Premier Yarns Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted
The size of this adorable sea turtle is perfect for a Christmas ornament. Add decorations like buttons, ribbons, or even tiny shells to personalize your ornament. Given that it doesn’t require very much yarn, it’s a great project to make with scrap yarn!
Crochet Turtle Coaster
Designer: Unique Yarn Designs
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lily Sugar ‘N Cream
This unique turtle coaster will definitely make a great addition to your home as it protects your tables from getting wet. They’re fun to use in the summer or outdoors, and make a great gift for a turtle lover.
Free Crochet Sea Turtle Appliques
Designer: Natalina Craft
Yarn weight: (4) Worsted
Suggested yarn: Lily Sugar ‘N Cream
Crochet this adorable turtle family! These turtle appliques are ideal for embellishing blankets and kids’ clothing. You may make them in various sizes and with various expressions using this simple design.
Are You New to Crochet and Need Help with the Basics?
Crochet amigurumi like these turtle crochet patterns are generally pretty easy for new crocheters to make, but if you’re having trouble with these patterns or just want to boost your skills, our Crochet Fundamentals course is for you.
This collection of videos will take you through the basics and beyond, covering everything from yarn selection and how to hold your yarn and hook to basic stitches, finishing techniques, even how to make money from your crochet!
