How to Crochet a Frog (Beginner Amigurumi Pattern)

1. 1

   Step 1: Start with a Magic Ring and 6 Single Crochets

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   Wrap the yarn around your two fingers and cross it into an X on top. Insert the hook under the front strand, grab the back strand, and pull it through. Yarn over and pull up a chain to lock the loop in place.

   Now work 6 single crochets into the ring. Count them out loud as you go - this is round 1 of the whole frog, so you want exactly 6. Once you have all 6 stitches, pull the yarn tail to close the ring tight. The hole should disappear completely.

   Tip:

   New to magic rings? Our magic ring walkthrough shows the wrap-and-pull motion frame by frame. It's the single most useful stitch for amigurumi and worth practicing once on a scrap of yarn before you start the frog.

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   Used in this stepClover Amour Crochet HookYarn Bee Dolce Chenille Yarn

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2. 2

   Step 2: Round 2 - Six Increases (12 Stitches)

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   Round 2 doubles the stitch count. Place an increase (2 single crochets) in each of the 6 stitches from round 1. That's 12 single crochets total.

   Before you start, drop a stitch marker into the very first stitch. You're working in a continuous spiral - no joins, no chains - so the marker is your only way to find where the round begins. Move it up at the start of every new round.

   Tip:

   If your stitches are leaning to one side, that's normal for a spiral. Don't try to correct it - amigurumi closes up beautifully when stuffed.

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   Used in this stepLocking Stitch Markers

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3. 3

   Step 3: Round 3 - Single Crochet + Increase (18 Stitches)

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   Round 3 is one single crochet, then one increase, repeated 6 times all the way around. That brings you to 18 stitches.

   By now the disc is starting to cup into a small bowl - that's the spiral wanting to form a sphere. Don't fight it. The cup will deepen as you stop increasing in later rounds and the fabric grows up the sides.

   Tip:

   Move your stitch marker up to the first stitch of round 3 before you start. If you forget, you can usually find the round boundary by looking for the small jog in the spiral, but the marker saves you the squint.

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4. 4

   Step 4: Round 4 - Build the Eye Bobbles

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   Round 4 adds the signature frog eye bumps with bobble stitches. The full sequence: 2 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, bobble, sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, bobble, sc, inc, 2 sc, inc. You'll end with 24 stitches.

   Each bobble is 5 double crochets worked into the same stitch and pulled through together. Yarn over, insert your hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through the first two loops only - that's one half-finished double crochet. Repeat four more times into the same stitch until you have six loops on your hook. Then yarn over once more and pull through all six. The bobble pops out the back of the fabric, which becomes the front of the frog.

   Tip:

   If the bobble is sitting on the inside instead of the outside, you're working with the wrong side facing you. Flip the piece and continue - the bobble pops the direction you're looking at.

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5. 5

   Step 5: Rounds 5-8 - Single Crochet the Head

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   Now for the easy part. Rounds 5 through 8 are plain single crochet all the way around - 24 stitches per round for four rounds. No increases, no bobbles, just steady stitching.

   This is where the head shape forms. The walls grow straight up from the wider base of round 4, building the rounded dome where the safety eyes will sit. Keep your tension consistent so the fabric stays dense - any loose round will show as a visible seam later.

   Tip:

   If you need to put the project down mid-round, slide the loop on your hook onto a stitch marker so it doesn't unravel. Don't pull the yarn tight - just clip the marker through the working loop.

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6. 6

   Step 6: Insert the Safety Eyes

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   Place each 12 mm safety eye between rounds 4 and 5, directly underneath one of the eye bobbles. Push the post through the fabric from the outside in. You should feel it pop through cleanly between two stitches.

   Before snapping on the washer, hold the frog up and check that both eyes are level and the spacing looks right. Once you snap the washer onto the back of the post, the eye is locked in forever - there's no removing it without cutting the fabric.

   Tip:

   If you push the post through a stitch instead of between stitches, it'll stretch the yarn and the eye will sit crooked. Use the tip of your hook to gently spread the fabric until you find the gap between two stitches, then push the post through.

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   Used in this step12mm Safety Eyes (Amigurumi)

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7. 7

   Step 7: Shape the Body, Arms, and Legs

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   Round 9 starts the neck shaping: 2 sc, invisible dec, repeated around. Round 10 narrows further with 4 sc + 1 dec patterns. Round 11 increases back out (2 sc, inc x 5) to widen into the body.

   Round 12 places the arms. After 10 single crochets, work a 5-double-crochet bobble, then 4 more sc, then another bobble, then 4 more sc. That gives you two arms pointing forward at the right spacing. Rounds 13 and 14 are plain single crochet (20 stitches each round). Round 15 mirrors the arm placement to create the two legs at the bottom of the body.

   Tip:

   If your arms or legs don't line up centered with the eyes, your tension is slightly different from Annabelle's - that's normal. Shift the bobble placement by one stitch left or right on subsequent rounds to get them lined up the way you want.

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8. 8

   Step 8: Stuff, Close, and Finish

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   Stuff the body firmly with polyfill - more than you think you need. Underfilled amigurumi sags within a few weeks. The chenille yarn is very forgiving, so push the stuffing in until the frog holds its shape when you set it down.

   The final round is 10 decreases all the way around to close the bottom. Slip stitch into the first stitch, cut your yarn with a long tail, and thread it through a yarn needle. Weave the needle through the front loops of each remaining stitch, pull tight to cinch the hole closed, and tie a small knot inside. Bury the tail in the body and snip it.

   For the finishing touches, thread a length of pink yarn through your needle and stitch three small lines below each eye for blush. Then either embroider a smile with black floss or hot-glue on a felt smile applique. That's your frog.

   Tip:

   If you skip the blush, the frog still reads as a frog. But the pink cheeks are what makes this design feel finished. They take less than a minute and use almost no yarn.

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   Used in this stepPolyester Fiberfill StuffingYarn Needle Set

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Keep going

How to Crochet a Cactus (Easy Amigurumi for Beginners)

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Tools we recommend

• Clover

  Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set (10 sizes)

  Soft, easy-grip handles that warm to the touch and a full size range in one case. The set most crocheters upgrade to and never look back.

• Lion Brand

  Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Yarn

  Mercerized cotton with crisp stitch definition and a subtle sheen. Machine washable, and the go-to for amigurumi, bags, and dishcloths.

• Clover

  Clover Locking Stitch Markers (20-pack)

  Lock onto stitches so they never slip while you mark rounds, increases, and repeats. A dollar-store fix that actually holds.

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