Crochet Amigurumi Elephant Free Pattern With Joined Legs

Hot pink bows sit on top of both ears of the crochet amigurumi elephant and match the pink trim on her blue and yellow ruffled skirt. On a nursery dresser or a baby shower gift table, the grey elephant plush stands upright on joined legs and keeps watch over the room.

She stands with her ears flopped forward and her bows slightly crooked, and that is the whole personality of this crochet amigurumi elephant. Part shy, part show off in a ruffled skirt. The blush and the lowered lashes do most of the work. Sweet without being sugary, which is why the amigurumi elephant reads as a character instead of a toy.

Crochet Amigurumi Elephant

Two floppy ears hang down past the cheeks, each one topped with a small bow, and the skirt underneath finishes in three ruffled layers. The trunk sits short and curved against the face, with tiny embroidered lashes above the eyes and a soft blush on each cheek. Body, head, arms, legs, ears, trunk, bows and skirt all work up as separate pieces, then get stuffed and sewn into place. Most of it runs on single crochet in the round, so the shaping stays predictable. The skirt ruffles and the ear seams take the most attention. Anyone who has finished one stuffed toy before will move through this without much trouble.

Quick Facts

• Finished size: approximately 15 to 20 cm tall in worsted weight (estimate only)
• Difficulty: intermediate
• Time: roughly 5 to 8 hours (estimate only)
• Piece count: 2 hands, 2 ears, 2 legs, 1 body, 1 head

Colour and Customization Ideas

Grey is the obvious starting point, but this elephant wears any nursery colour well. Swap the grey for dusty pink and the blue accent row becomes navy for a midnight sky effect. A pale mint body with a coral accent row makes a gender neutral baby gift. Keep the hands and ears in the same main colour or use a lighter shade for the inner ear, which is a small change that reads clearly from across the room. French knot spots on the ears add texture without extra pieces. Work the hands and legs in a contrasting toe colour, like a darker grey or a warm tan, for a subtle two tone look.

Pieces List

• Hands: 2
• Ears: 2
• Legs: 2
• Body: 1, started from the joined legs
• Head: 1

Materials and Tools

The pattern does not list materials. Based on the construction, you will likely need:

• Grey yarn for the main body (or your chosen colour)
• Pink yarn for the body accent detail
• Blue yarn for the body accent detail
• Crochet hook suited to your yarn weight
• Safety eyes
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Yarn needle
• Stitch marker
• Scissors

A DK or worsted yarn with a 3 mm to 4 mm hook is a reasonable starting point. Eye size around 8 to 10 mm suits a head at that yarn range. All figures are estimates.

Safety Eye Timing

The pattern does not state when to insert the eyes. Insert them before you start decreasing the head, while the opening is still wide enough to reach inside and snap on the washers. For a child under three, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead.

The Pattern

Hands (Make 2)

• Round 1: Magic ring with 8 single crochet. (8)
• Round 2: Increase in each stitch. Checkpoint: this should be a flat round disc, the palm of the hand. (16)
• Round 3: 1 single crochet in each stitch, in back loops only. Checkpoint: a small ridge forms at the edge, curling the disc into a shallow cup. (16)
• Rounds 4 to 5: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 2 rounds. (16)
• Round 6: 6 single crochet, then 1 decrease. Checkpoint: the tube should be starting to taper on one side. (15)
• Rounds 7 to 9: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 3 rounds. (15)
• Round 10: 5 single crochet, then 1 decrease. (14)
• Rounds 11 to 13: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 3 rounds. (14)
• Round 14: 4 single crochet, then 1 decrease. Checkpoint: the arm should now taper noticeably toward the top, narrower than the hand end. (13)
• Rounds 15 to 16: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 2 rounds. (13)

Ears (Make 2)

• Round 1: Magic ring with 8 single crochet. (8)
• Round 2: Increase in each stitch. Checkpoint: a flat circle, about the size of a large button. (16)
• Round 3: (1 single crochet, then increase in the next stitch) repeat around. (24)
• Round 4: 1 single crochet in each stitch, in back loops only. Checkpoint: the edge should curl forward slightly, giving the ear a natural cupped shape. (24)
• Round 5: (3 single crochet, then increase) repeat around. Checkpoint: the ear should be a wider, gently cupped oval. (30)
• Finish with a slip stitch.

Still learning how amigurumi patterns work? That's totally okay, follow the video tutorial below and check the written pattern as you go!

Legs (Make 2)

• Round 1: Magic ring with 7 single crochet. (7)
• Round 2: Increase in each stitch. Checkpoint: a small flat circle, the sole of the foot. (14)
• Round 3: (1 single crochet, then increase in the next stitch) repeat around. (21)
• Round 4: 1 single crochet in each stitch, in back loops only. Checkpoint: a ridge forms and the flat disc begins to rise into a foot shape. (21)
• Rounds 5 to 10: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 6 rounds. Checkpoint: by Round 8 the leg should be a straight tube rising cleanly from the foot. (21)
• Stuff with fiber.
• Round 10: 6 single crochet, then 1 decrease. (20)
• Rounds 11 to 12: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 2 rounds. (20)
• Round 13: 5 single crochet, then 1 decrease. (19)
• Rounds 14 to 15: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 2 rounds. (19)
• Round 16: 4 single crochet, then 1 decrease. (18)
• Round 17: 1 single crochet in each stitch. (18)
• Round 18: 3 single crochet, then 1 decrease. Checkpoint: the top of the leg should now be noticeably narrower than the foot.
• Stuff with poly fiber.

Body (Starting from the Legs)

• Round 1: 6 single crochet more on the right leg, join the left leg and work 21 single crochet on it, then 21 single crochet on the right leg. Checkpoint: both legs should hang from one joined round, sitting side by side with no twisting. (48)
• Round 2: Increase, 18 single crochet, 4 increases, 18 single crochet, then 1 increase. Checkpoint: the hips should now flare wider than the legs, giving a clear waist above each leg. (54)
• Rounds 3 to 5: 1 single crochet in each stitch, for 3 rounds. (54)
• Rounds 6 to 9: 1 single crochet in each stitch, in back loops only, for 4 rounds. Checkpoint: ridges should stack visibly on the sides, defining the belly section. (54)
• Stuff the legs with fiber.
• Attach pink yarn in the front loops of Round 6.
• Attach blue yarn in the front loop of Round 8 and work 2 double crochet in each stitch. Checkpoint: the blue row should ruffle out around the belly like a frill or skirt.

Head

• Round 1: (1 single crochet, then increase) repeat 12 times. (36)
• Round 2: (2 single crochet, then increase) repeat 12 times. Checkpoint: the piece should be a flat circle, with no cupping yet. (48)
• Round 3: (7 single crochet, then increase) repeat 6 times. (54)
• Round 4: 4 single crochet, increase, then (8 single crochet and an increase) repeat 5 times, followed by 4 single crochet. Checkpoint: the head disc should be noticeably large at this point. See the Pattern Note on whether this is a base disc or already an in the round piece. (60)

Assembly

There are no assembly instructions in this pattern beyond what's built into the body section. A sensible order based on the construction:

1. Pin the ears on the sides of the head, about halfway up and angled outward. Sew around the base.
2. Add the eyes before the head is fully closed.
3. Sew the head to the top of the body, centred and level.
4. Pin the hands to the sides of the body, just below the neck. Sew across the open top of each hand.
5. If you add a trunk or tail, attach them before the head goes on.

Pin everything before sewing. Step back and check the face from arm's length. A slightly high or low eye placement is much easier to fix at the pin stage.

Stuffing Guide

• The feet and lower legs want firm stuffing so the elephant stands. The upper legs can be slightly softer. The body takes medium firm stuffing throughout. The hands stay lightly stuffed.
• Overstuffing shows at the back loop ridges on the legs and at the hip join on the body, where the Round 2 increases will gap and pull apart.

Tips

• Work the two legs at the same time, alternating rounds, so they stay identical in length before joining.
• Mark the corner increases in the head with a contrasting stitch marker so they don't drift.
• Use the front loop rows on the body as a counting reference; they sit at known rounds and keep you oriented when the stitch count is high.

FAQ

• Do I need a trunk? The pattern doesn't include one, but a plain grey tube of 6 stitches tapered over 10 or 12 rounds sewn to the front of the face is all you need and it reads immediately as an elephant.
• What do I do with the pink yarn on Round 6? The pattern only says attach it, with no further instruction. It likely becomes a decorative row across the front loops, similar to the blue row on Round 8. Work a round of single crochet or slip stitch in the remaining front loops and see how it looks.
• Why are there two Round 10s in the legs? It looks like a numbering slip in the original. Work the 6 even rounds through Round 10, stuff, then work the decrease, treating that second step as its own round regardless of the label.
• Can I leave the hands open and stuff them later? The hands have no closing instruction, so leaving them open for a moment to stuff is fine. Just make sure to close the opening before sewing them to the body, or the stuffing will compress oddly under the seam.