Owl Crochet Pattern (Free Amigurumi)

A crochet owl is one of the most loved amigurumi projects there is. Big round eyes, soft little wings, and tiny ear tufts, all in a plush you can finish in an evening. This free owl crochet pattern walks you through every part, from the round body to the tiny beak.

This is an original Little Loop Finds design, written in US terms and completely free. The owl is a classic amigurumi plush, worked in the round from the bottom up, with separate wings, ear tufts, eyes, and feet sewn on at the end. If you can crochet a magic ring, a single crochet increase, and a decrease, you can crochet this owl.

A quick note on scope: this post is about one specific owl amigurumi plush, a soft toy owl with big eyes and ear tufts. It is not a toilet paper holder. If you want that version, our crochet owl toilet paper holder pattern is a separate pattern for the bathroom.

Key Takeaways

• Free original pattern: this owl crochet pattern is a Little Loop Finds original amigurumi design, written in US terms, and completely free.
• A classic owl plush: a round body, big eyes, tiny ear tufts, wings, and feet, with a stitch count at the end of every round.
• Beginner friendly amigurumi: simple single crochet shaping, with the eyes, beak, and wings explained step by step.
• Quick evening project: one owl takes about 2.5 hours, and it uses about 150 yards of worsted weight yarn.
• Endlessly giftable: make it in brown, sage, pink, or grey for baby showers, nurseries, birthdays, and woodland themed rooms.

Table of Contents

• Why You Will Love This Crochet Owl
• Finished Size, Skill Level, and Time
• Materials You Need
• Abbreviations (US Terms)
• Gauge and Sizing Notes
• Part 1: The Owl Body
• Part 2: Wings, Ear Tufts, and Feet
• Part 3: Eyes, Beak, and Assembly
• Variations: Colors, Sizes, and Uses
• Troubleshooting Owls That Lean or Wobble
• Care Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why You Will Love This Crochet Owl

There is something about an owl that makes people smile. Maybe it is the big round eyes, or the way a little plush owl looks wise and friendly at the same time. A crochet owl sits on a nursery shelf, guards a desk, or waits in a gift basket, and it always gets picked up and hugged. It looks impressive and takes only an evening, which makes it a perfect gift when you need something handmade in a hurry.

A crochet owl is also a wonderful way to learn amigurumi. The body teaches you how to increase and decrease in the round, the wings teach you flat oval shaping, and the face teaches you how to place eyes and sew on small parts. Every round ends with a stitch count, and the owl is forgiving: the wings and belly cover small wobbles.

Finished Size, Skill Level, and Time

• Finished size: about 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide after stuffing, in worsted weight yarn, not counting the ear tufts. The pattern also gives notes for a small 5 inch version and a large 10 inch version.
• Skill level: Easy. You need a magic ring, chains, slip stitches, single crochet, increases, and invisible decreases.
• Time: about 2.5 hours per owl: roughly 1 hour for the body, 30 minutes for the wings, ears, and feet, and 1 hour for the face and assembly.

Materials You Need

Worsted weight yarn is the best choice for an owl amigurumi because it works up quickly, the stitches are tight enough to hold the stuffing inside, and the finished owl is soft but firm. A smooth acrylic or cotton blend yarn works well, because it shows clean stitch definition and it washes easily. Avoid fuzzy or eyelash yarns, because they hide the shaping and make the decreases hard to see. Choose a color that makes you happy.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch = chain
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• inc = increase, 2 sc in the same stitch
• dec = decrease, single crochet 2 stitches together
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• rnd(s) = round(s)
• rep = repeat
• MR = magic ring

Gauge and Sizing Notes

Gauge for an amigurumi owl is about keeping the stuffing inside, not about hitting an exact number. Work the first 4 rounds of the body and look at the fabric. You should not be able to see through the stitches, and the fabric should feel firm, not loose and holey. If you can see daylight through your stitches, go down a hook size. If the fabric is stiff and hard to work, go up a hook size. A quick check at round 4 saves you from an owl that leaks stuffing.

To make a smaller owl, use DK weight yarn with a 4.0 mm hook and 10 mm safety eyes for a piece about 5 inches tall. To make a larger owl, use bulky weight yarn with a 6.5 mm hook and 15 mm safety eyes for a piece about 10 inches tall. The stitch counts stay the same in every size.

Part 1: The Owl Body

The body is worked in the round from the bottom up, starting with a magic ring and increasing out to the widest part, then working even for several rounds before decreasing to close the top. Work in a continuous spiral and use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round.

Body

With the body color, MR, ch 1.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6 sc)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around. (12 sc)
• Rnd 3: (sc in next st, inc in next st) rep 6 times. (18 sc)
• Rnd 4: (sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st) rep 6 times. (24 sc)
• Rnd 5: (sc in next 3 sts, inc in next st) rep 6 times. (30 sc)
• Rnd 6: (sc in next 4 sts, inc in next st) rep 6 times. (36 sc)
• Rnd 7-13: sc in each st around. (36 sc)

The body should now look like a rounded tube about 4 inches tall, with a flat base at the bottom. Check that the base sits flat on the table: if it rocks, your first rounds were too tight.

• Rnd 14: (sc in next 4 sts, dec) rep 6 times. (30 sc)
• Rnd 15: sc in each st around. (30 sc)
• Rnd 16: (sc in next 3 sts, dec) rep 6 times. (24 sc)
• Rnd 17: sc in each st around. (24 sc)
• Rnd 18: (sc in next 2 sts, dec) rep 6 times. (18 sc)
• Rnd 19: (sc in next st, dec) rep 6 times. (12 sc)

Stop here and stuff the body firmly, pushing the fiberfill down into the base first so the owl stands up on its own. Add a little more than you think you need, because fiberfill settles with use.

• Rnd 20: dec 6 times. (6 sc)
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Weave the tail through the front loops of the last 6 stitches, pull it tight to close the hole, and weave in the end.

Your finished body should stand up on its own, about 7 inches tall, with a flat base and a gently rounded top.

Belly Patch

The belly patch is a flat oval in cream, sewn onto the front of the body. It gives the owl its classic two tone look.

With cream yarn, ch 7.

• Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each ch across, turn. (6 sc)
• Row 2: ch 1, inc in the first st, sc in next 4 sts, inc in the last st, turn. (8 sc)
• Row 3: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (8 sc)
• Row 4: ch 1, inc in the first st, sc in next 6 sts, inc in the last st, turn. (10 sc)
• Rows 5-8: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (10 sc)
• Row 9: ch 1, dec, sc in next 6 sts, dec, turn. (8 sc)
• Row 10: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (8 sc)
• Row 11: ch 1, dec, sc in next 4 sts, dec, turn. (6 sc)
• Row 12: ch 1, sc in each st across. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. (6 sc)

The belly patch should be about 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide. Set it aside until assembly.

Part 2: Wings, Ear Tufts, and Feet

The wings are flat ovals worked in rows, the ear tufts are small triangles worked in rows, and the feet are tiny ovals in orange. Make two of each piece, and keep the tails long for sewing.

Wings (make 2)

With the body color, ch 7.

• Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each ch across, turn. (6 sc)
• Row 2: ch 1, inc in the first st, sc in next 4 sts, inc in the last st, turn. (8 sc)
• Rows 3-7: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (8 sc)
• Row 8: ch 1, dec, sc in next 4 sts, dec, turn. (6 sc)
• Row 9: ch 1, dec, sc in next 2 sts, dec, turn. (4 sc)
• Row 10: ch 1, dec 2 times. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. (2 sc)

Each wing should be about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide, with a rounded tip at the bottom. The wings are sewn flat against the sides of the body.

Ear Tufts (make 2)

With the body color, ch 5.

• Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each ch across, turn. (4 sc)
• Row 2: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (4 sc)
• Row 3: ch 1, dec, dec, turn. (2 sc)
• Row 4: ch 1, dec. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. (1 sc)

Each ear tuft is a small triangle about 1 inch tall, sewn onto the top of the head, one on each side.

Feet (make 2)

With orange yarn, MR, ch 1.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (6 sc)
• Rnd 2: (sc in next st, inc in next st) rep 3 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. (9 sc)

Each foot is a small flat oval about 1 inch across, sewn onto the bottom front of the body under the belly patch.

Part 3: Eyes, Beak, and Assembly

Assembly is where the owl comes to life. Pin every part in place before you sew anything, then step back and look at the owl from the front. The eyes should sit level, the beak should sit centered, and the wings should sit at the same height. Moving a pin is easy, but moving a sewn seam is not.

Eye Circles (make 2)

With cream yarn, MR, ch 1.

• Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (6 sc)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. (12 sc)

Each eye circle is a small flat disc about 1 inch across. Push a 12 mm safety eye through the center of each disc and fasten the washer on the back, then sew the discs onto the front of the body about 1 inch apart.

Beak

With orange yarn, ch 5.

• Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each ch across, turn. (4 sc)
• Row 2: ch 1, dec, dec, turn. (2 sc)
• Row 3: ch 1, dec. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. (1 sc)

The beak is a tiny triangle about half an inch tall. Sew it onto the front of the body, centered between the two eyes and just below them, with the point facing down.

Assembly

Pin the belly patch to the front of the body, centered, with its bottom about half an inch above the base, and sew it on with a whip stitch. Pin the eye circles above the belly patch, sew them on, and check that they sit level. Sew the beak between the eyes. Pin the wings to the sides of the body with the rounded tip pointing down, and sew them on along the top edge only, so the wings hang free. Sew on the ear tufts and the feet, weave in all ends, and your owl is done.

Variations: Colors, Sizes, and Uses

• Classic brown owl: work the body in warm brown with a cream belly, the colorway in the photos, for a woodland owl that suits any nursery. Our crochet fox pattern free makes a matching woodland friend.
• Sage green owl: make the owl in sage green with a cream belly for a calm, modern nursery. Our crochet bunny plush makes a sweet matching gift for the same nursery.
• Pink owl: work the owl in dusty pink with a white belly for a baby shower gift. Our heart pillow crochet pattern is another quick plush that looks lovely beside a pink owl.
• Snowy owl: make the owl in white with a pale grey belly and orange beak for a winter owl. Our crochet octopus plush is another easy amigurumi in the same size.
• Owl family: make a large owl and two small owls in matching colors for a family set. Change only the yarn weight and hook size, and the same pattern makes all three sizes.

If you enjoyed the shaping in this owl, try another amigurumi next.

Troubleshooting Owls That Lean or Wobble

• My owl leans to one side. The stuffing is uneven, or the base was not stuffed firmly enough. Add more fiberfill to the base, pushing it down with the end of your hook, and check that the owl stands on a flat surface.
• My owl wobbles when it stands. The base is too rounded. Flatten the base with your fingers and press it gently on the table, or add a small circle of felt to the bottom for extra stability.
• My eyes are not level. The eye circles were sewn on before they were pinned. Always pin both eyes first, step back, and check them from the front before you sew. A ruler laid across the top of the eyes helps.
• My stuffing shows through the stitches. Your stitches are too loose for the yarn. Go down a hook size on the next owl, and use a slightly denser fiberfill so it does not poke through the gaps.
• My wings stick out sideways. Sew only the top edge of each wing, so the wing hangs flat against the body.

Care Instructions

Hand wash a crochet owl gently in cool water with a tiny amount of mild soap, squeeze gently without wringing, and lay it flat to dry so the owl keeps its shape. If the yarn label says machine washable, use a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag, and lay the owl flat to dry. Do not put an amigurumi owl in the dryer on high heat, because the fiberfill can clump and the owl can lose its shape. Fluff the owl by hand after washing, and keep it out of direct sunlight, so the colors stay bright. Check the safety eyes now and then to make sure the washers are still tight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this owl crochet pattern good for beginners?

Yes, it is a great first amigurumi project. You need chains, single crochet, increases, and decreases, and every round ends with a stitch count. One owl takes about 2.5 hours.

What yarn is best for a crochet owl?

Worsted weight yarn is the best choice, because it works up quickly and the stitches are tight enough to hold the stuffing inside. A smooth acrylic or cotton blend works well and washes easily. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they hide the shaping.

How big is the finished owl?

About 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide after stuffing, in worsted weight yarn with a 5.0 mm hook, not counting the ear tufts. Use DK weight yarn for a small 5 inch version, or bulky weight yarn for a large 10 inch version. The stitch counts stay the same in every size.

Are safety eyes safe for babies?

Safety eyes are safe when installed correctly with the washer snapped firmly onto the post, but no toy is chew proof. For babies under three, many makers prefer embroidered eyes instead: stitch two black circles with yarn and skip the safety eyes.

How much yarn do I need for one owl?

About 150 yards of worsted weight yarn in total: roughly 100 yards for the body, 30 yards for the belly, and 20 yards for the accents. A pair of owls needs about 300 yards.

Can I sell owls made from this pattern?

Yes, you may sell finished owls made from this free pattern, with credit to Little Loop Finds. Please do not sell or republish the pattern text itself.

Happy stitching, and may your little owl bring a wise little smile to whoever hugs it.