If you love quick, cute crochet projects, this Mini Elephant Amigurumi is the perfect little make! With its tiny trunk, sweet floppy ears, and squishy body, this elephant works up quickly and makes an adorable handmade gift, desk buddy, or nursery decoration.
I have been loving small amigurumi projects lately because they’re quick to make and are perfect for using up those leftover bits of yarn. Since they’re so fast, it’s also easy to make multiples of small amigurumi projects, like this mini elephant amigurumi!
Whether you’re making a whole herd in different colors, or just one tiny elephant to brighten someone’s day, this little elephant is sure to bring a smile.
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The mini elephant amigurumi pictured in this pattern was made with Lion Brand’s “A Star is Born: Naptime” yarn. This is a worsted-weight, chenille yarn creates a little plush elephant that’s extra soft and velvety. However, a regular worsted-weight cotton or acrylic yarn can be easily substituted in this pattern.
For this pattern, the body and head will be worked up in one piece. The legs, arms, trunk, and ears will be worked up separately and sewn on afterwards.
If our mini elephant amigurumi is a little bit too mini, we also have our original Elephant Amigurumi crochet pattern on the blog! This one is perfect if you’re looking for a larger, cuddle-sized amigurumi, but equally as adorable!
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The Mini Elephant Amigurumi crochet pattern is available for FREE on this website. If you’d like an ad-free, printable PDF version, you may purchase it for a small fee from my Etsy or Ravelry shops. Thank you so much for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!
Materials
- Worsted weight (#4) yarn – You can use any worsted-weight yarn for this project (cotton, acrylic, chenille, etc). You will need approximately 140 yds in total. This works out to about 120 yds in a main color and 20yd in an accent color. For the mini elephant amigurumi pictured, Lion Brand’s A Star is Born: Naptime yarn was used (pale grey and pink colorways). This yarn is a super soft velvet/chenille yarn for a cozy crochet project with extra squish. This pattern also works well with a regular worsted-weight yarn too.
- 3.5mm crochet hook – or your hook size for yarn choice and preference.
- Safety eyes – 12mm size (or eyes can be embroidered on as an alternative)
- Stuffing – any fiber-based stuffing (such as PolyFil or Fiberfill).
- Yarn needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends. Bent yarn needles work the best for sewing amigurumi pieces together.
- Scissors for cutting yarn and weaving in ends
Finished Size
- When finished, this elephant measures approximately 7.5” tall from head to feet with the legs hanging straight. If you use different yarn or hook size, the size may be a little larger or smaller.
Stitches Used
- Ch – chain
- Sl St – slip stitch
- SC – single crochet
- INV DEC – invisible single crochet decrease (video tutorial here)
Important Notes
- Magic Circle – Make a circle with your yarn, insert crochet hook into circle and draw up a loop. Chain one and then start making the stitches of round 1 into the ring. Magic Circle video tutorial here.
- Continuous Rounds – This pattern is worked up in continuous rounds, which means that you will not be joining the last stitch of the round with the first one. Instead, you will need to keep track of where each round started and how many stitches you have made because after each round you’ll continue right on to the stitches of the next round (with no join). It is useful to use a stitch marker (or a piece of yarn) to mark the start or end of each round.
- Color Changes – There are a few color changes in this crochet pattern. To keep color changes less visible, work the last stitch of the round as you would normally right up until the last yarn over. Then yarn over in the new color and complete the stitch. Continue in the new color until your next color change. Work over the yarn tails for a few stitches so they are secure or weave them in later. The first stitch in the new color can also be a slip stitch instead of a single crochet to help hide the color change even more.
Keep reading for the pattern! Have fun working up your Mini Elephant Amigurumi!
Crochet Your Own Little Elephant
Main color = grey, as pictured
Accent color = pink, as pictured
Trunk
Round 1: In main color, magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around (8)
Rounds 3-4: SC in each st around (8)
Round 5: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around (10)
Round 6: SC in each st around (10)
Round 7: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around (12)
Round 8: SC in each st around (12)
The next 2 rounds will help give the trunk a curve.
Rounds 9-10: INV DEC, SC in next 4 sts, 2 SC in next st, SC in next 5 sts (12)
Round 11: SC in each st around (12)
Fasten off, weave in ends. Stuff trunk and set aside for attaching to the head later. If you’d like the trunk to be more curved, you can use your yarn needle and a piece of yarn to sew through a few stitches inside the curve and pull it tighter.
Head and Body
Stuff the body as you go. Make sure that enough stuffing is added before the opening at the top is too small.
Round 1: In main color, magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: *2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat from * around (18)
Round 4: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around (24)
Round 5: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around (30)
Round 6: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around (36)
Rounds 7-10: SC in each st around (36)
Round 11: *INV DEC, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from* around (30)
Rounds 12-13: SC in each stitch around (30)
Round 14: *INV DEC, SC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around (24)
Rounds 15-16: SC in each st around (24)
Add stuffing to lower portion of the body. Keep stuffing 1-2 rounds below the round you’re working so the stuffing doesn’t get caught in your stitches.
Round 17: *INV DEC, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around (18)
Round 18: *INV DEC, SC in next st, repeat from * around (12)
This ends the body portion of the pattern. Do not fasten off. Next, we’ll start increasing again to form the head.
Round 19: *2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat from * around (18)
Round 20: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around (24)
Round 21: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around (30)
Round 22: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around (36)
Round 23: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 5 sts, repeat from * around (42)
Rounds 24-31: SC in each st around (42)
Insert safety eyes between rounds 28 and 29, about 7 stitches apart in the center of the face. Sew on the trunk onto the center of the face. The top of the trunk lines up with the bottom of the eyes.
Stuff the top of body, neck area, and head as you go. Make sure you stuff the neck area enough to help prevent the head from wobbling. Remember to stuff firmly, but not so much that you see the stuffing through the stitches or are stretching the shape.
Round 32: *INV DEC, SC in next 5 sts, repeat from * around (36)
Round 33:* INV DEC, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around (30)
Round 34: *INV DEC, SC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around (24)
Round 35: *INV DEC, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around (18)
*Make sure the head is well-stuffed before the opening gets too small.
Round 36: *INV DEC, SC in next stitch, repeat from * around (12)
Round 37: INV DEC around (6)
Fasten off and cut yarn. Use your yarn needle to sew the top of the head closed. Weave in ends.
Legs (make 2)
Stuff the legs as you go. Firmly stuff the foot and lower leg, then gently stuff the rest of the way up the leg.
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: *2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat from * around. (18)
Change to main color
Round 4: BLO SC in each st around (18)
Rounds 5-7: SC in each st around (18)
Round 8: *INV DEC, SC next st, repeat from * around (12)
Rounds 9-15: SC in each st around (12)
Pinch leg flat and SC across the top (through both layers) to close. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Repeat instructions above for second leg. Set legs aside for sewing later.
Arms (make 2)
Stuff the arms as you go. Firmly stuff the bottom of the arms, but gently stuff the rest of the way up. The more you stuff the arms, the farther the arms will sit from the body when you sew them on.
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Change color to main color
Round 3: BLO SC in each st around (12)
Rounds 4-6: SC in each st around (12)
Round 7: *INV DEC, SC next 2 sts, repeat from * around (9)
Rounds 8-13: SC in each st around (9)
Pinch arm flat and SC across the top (through both layers) to close. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Repeat instructions above for second arm. Set arms aside for sewing later.
Ears (make 2)
Round 1: In accent color, magic circle, ch 1, make 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in each st around (12)
Round 3: *2 SC in first st, SC in next st, repeat from * around. (18)
Round 4: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 2 sts, repeat from * around. (24)
Round 5: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 3 sts, repeat from * around. (30)
Fasten off. You can weave in the yarn tail now, or crochet over it in the next step to secure it. This circle will be the inner ear part.
Next, using the main color, repeat rounds 1-5. Do not fasten off on the second circle.
Place the first circle in the accent color on top of the second circle in the main color and line up the stitches. Keep the “right sides” of the stitches facing outwards (top and bottom) with the “wrong sides” facing each other in the center. Insert your hook through the next stitch on the top circle and grab the loop of yarn from the back circle, pulling it through to the front. Chain 1 and follow round 6 below, making sure to work through both layers (see photos below).
Round 6: *2 SC in first st, SC in next 4 sts, repeat from * around. Sl st join to first SC (36)
Fasten off. Leave a long tail to sew the ear onto the elephant’s head.
Repeat rounds 1-6 again for the second ear.
Next, add some shape to the ears by pinching a fold in the top of each ear and using your yarn needle and yarn tail to sew the fold together about a quarter to a third of the way into the ear.
Set ears aside for assembly later.
Assembling your Mini Elephant
- Sew on the arms: Line up the arms on the body at around the second round below the head, leaving a small gap between the arms and head as a neck space. Sew in and out of each stitch at the top of each arm and passing through a stitch on the body. When the arms are secure, weave in ends and cut yarn tails.
- Sew on the legs: Line up where you want the legs to be on the body. For the elephant pictured, the legs are sewn more towards the front of the body (two rounds forwards from the center ring). This is so the elephant can sit a little flatter. Depending on where the legs are attached, your elephant may or may not be able to sit by itself, but you can always lean it up against something to sit. Attach the legs by sewing through each stitch at the top of each leg and passing through a stitch on the body. When you are finished, the legs should be able to hang straight or fold up for sitting. Weave in ends and cut yarn.
- Sew on the ears: Line up each ear on the elephant’s head. Start sewing the top of the ear in roughly the 5th round from the top of the head. To have the ears stand out and the inner ear part facing forward, first start by sewing in and out of the folded part at the back of the ear. Then add a few stitches down the front edge of the ear, attaching it to the face. When ears are secure, weave in ends and cut yarn.
Great job! You are all done! I hope you loved making this cute and cuddly little elephant!
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*You may make and sell any items made from my patterns, but please link back to my blog or Loops & Love Crochet as the designer. Please do not copy this pattern or photos and share as your own, in part or in whole. Instead, link back to the Loops and Love Crochet blog (especially when selling items you make from my patterns). Thank you!