This Raccoon Plushie Crochet Pattern has been sitting in my finished project pile just waiting to be shared. It's a compact little toy, the kind that comes together faster than you'd expect and makes a surprisingly big impression once it's done. If you've got some intermediate crochet experience under your belt and you're looking for a fun animal project, this is a pretty satisfying one to sit down with.
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About the Design
What I really like about this one is that the construction keeps things interesting without getting overwhelming. There are a few separate pieces to work up and assemble, and that process of putting it all together at the end is actually a fun one. It's the kind of project where each step feels like it has a purpose. I find that satisfying in a way that a flat project sometimes doesn't give you.
This is the sort of thing I'd make as a gift for a kid, or honestly for any animal lover who appreciates a handmade toy. It's small enough to be a quick turnaround gift, but detailed enough that it feels considered and intentional. Not a last-minute afterthought kind of make. The kind you actually feel good handing over.
Why This Pattern Stands Out
A multi-piece construction that teaches real assembly skills while producing a charming, giftable result.
- Skill level fit: This is an intermediate pattern, so it's a good next step if you've already made a basic amigurumi or two and want something with a bit more going on.
- Great for gifting: The finished size is small and compact, which makes it easy to wrap, ship, or tuck into a gift bag without any fuss.
- Technique variety: Working the separate pieces and assembling them gives you real practice with shaping and joining, skills that carry over into a lot of other toy projects.
- Kid-friendly result: This makes a sturdy little toy that holds up well, so it's a solid choice when you're making something for a child who will actually play with it.
- Year-round appeal: There's no seasonal hook here. You can make this any time and it'll be well received, no holiday timing required.
Gather Your Supplies
Three colors, a handful of notions, and some black felt you can cut at the table — that is the whole list.
- Super Bulky Weight 100% Polyester Yarn (x3 colors: grey, black, and white): Super bulky polyester is a solid call for a small plushie like this. It works up fast, holds its shape well after stuffing, and the synthetic fiber gives you that soft, slightly fluffy texture that reads well on an amigurumi. Since yardage isn't listed in the pattern and the finished piece comes in at under 6 inches and around 2 oz, you're not working with much. A rough estimate of 30 to 50 yards total across all three colors should cover you, with grey eating up the most.
- 5 mm crochet hook: A 5 mm pairs well with super bulky yarn at a tighter-than-usual gauge, which is exactly what you want here. Tight stitches mean the stuffing stays put and the fabric doesn't gap.
- 12 mm safety eyes: The pattern places these between rounds 7 and 8, about 6 stitches apart. Having them on hand before you start the head is a good idea since you'll need to insert them before the opening closes.
- Small safety nose (or black yarn for embroidery): The pattern gives you both options. If you go the embroidery route, a darning needle and black yarn work fine. The pattern suggests going over it 3 to 4 times to build up a visible nose.
- Polyfil stuffing: This is a small, lightweight project, so you won't need much. Stuff each piece as you go before the opening gets too tight to reach into comfortably.
- Black felt and glue: You'll cut small triangles from the felt and glue them onto the front of the ears as an inner-ear detail. Nothing fancy, just basic craft felt and a dab of glue.
- Also needed: scissors, darning needle
Color Sequence & Yarn Changes
The color switching here happens across several pieces, so it helps to know the general flow before you start. Grey and black trade off during the head's colorwork rounds, the body and legs both start in black before switching to grey, and the arms follow the same pattern. The tail uses grey for most of it with black appearing at round 6. White shows up in the head colorwork rounds and on the snout, and it's also optional for a single-crochet edging around the ears if you want that detail.
Pattern Overview
A compact chenille plushie worked mostly in the round, with legs joined before the body continues up through the head.
| Skill Level | Intermediate |
| Pattern Gauge | Gauge is not critical for this project. Use a hook size that creates a tight, firm fabric so stuffing does not show through. |
| Finished Size | No more than 5 ⅞" |
| Yarn Weight | 6 Super Bulky |
| Fiber | 100% Polyester |
| Terminology | US |
Stitches & Abbreviations
Most of these will already be familiar, with one bobble to learn if you haven't made one before.
- BO = bobble stitch (yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) 4 times in same st (5 loops on hook total), yo and pull through all loops on hook
- ch = chain
- dc = double crochet
- dec = decrease
- inc = increase
- MR = magic ring
- rep = repeat
- sc = single crochet
- sc3tog = single crochet 3 stitches together
- sl st = slip stitch
- st = stitch
- sts = stitches
- tog = together
Special Stitches
- BO (bobble stitch): (yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) 4 times in same st (5 loops on hook total), yo and pull through all loops on hook
Before You Begin
The legs are made first. Make two of them before starting the body. Once both legs are done, you'll repeat rounds 1 through 3 on the second leg, then chain 2 and use a single crochet to connect leg 2 to leg 1. That joining sc counts as the first stitch of round 4, so don't skip it.
For the eyes, place them between rounds 7 and 8, with 6 stitches of space between them. If you're using a safety nose, insert it between rounds 1 and 2 of the snout before closing it up. No safety nose? After the snout is sewn on, use black acrylic yarn and a darning needle to embroider a nose in its place. Going over it 3 to 4 times gives it a bit more presence.
For the ears, you've got a couple of options. Cut a black felt triangle slightly smaller than the ear and glue it to the front. Or, if you want a cleaner finish, single crochet in white around the ear and work an increase at the tip. Either way works fine.
This plushie is lightweight, coming in somewhere between 1.8 oz and 2.8 oz depending on how much stuffing you use. Chenille yarn can be a little tricky to see your stitches in, so good lighting helps, especially during the decrease rounds.
The Pattern
Here's everything you need to crochet your raccoon plushie, worked piece by piece and assembled at the end.
Head
Start in grey. The head is worked in rounds from the top down, and the colour changes mid-round are what build the raccoon's distinctive face markings — so keep your bobbins or yarn lengths ready before you get to round 5.
Round 1: 18 sc in MR (18)
Round 2: 8 inc (16)
Round 3: (sc, inc)*8 (24)
Round 4: (3 sc, inc)*6 (30)
Round 5: 9 sc, WHITE: 5 sc, GREY: 2 sc, WHITE: 5 sc, GREY: 9 sc (30) — this is where the face panel begins. Carry colours loosely or use separate lengths to keep tension even across the colour changes.
Round 6: 9 sc, WHITE: sc, BLACK: 3 sc, WHITE: 4 sc, BLACK: 3 sc, WHITE: sc, GREY: 9 sc (30)
Round 7: 8 sc, WHITE: sc, BLACK: 12 sc, WHITE: sc, GREY: 8 sc (30)
Round 8: 8 sc, WHITE: 4 dc BO, BLACK: 12 sc, WHITE: 4 dc BO, GREY: 8 sc (30) — the bobble stitches here form the eye socket ridges. Work each bobble cluster fully before moving on, and make sure your tension doesn't pull tight across the black section between them.
Round 9: 8 sc, WHITE: 2 sc, BLACK: 10 sc, WHITE: 2 sc, GREY: 8 sc (30)
Put eyes between R7-8, 6 sts apart.
Round 10: (sc, dec)*3, WHITE: (sc, dec)*4, GREY: (sc, dec)*3 (20) — the decreases are distributed across colour sections here, so count carefully as you work each colour segment.
Round 11: (2 sc, dec)*5 (15)
Cut and leave a tail for sewing. Stuff firmly.
Body (Legs First)
Start in black. The legs are made first as two separate small pieces, then joined together before you continue crocheting the body upward — so you'll be making leg 1, then leg 2, and connecting them mid-construction. Make sure you have enough yarn to work both before cutting.
Round 1: 5 sc in MR (5)
Round 2: 5 inc (10)
Step 3: Switch to GREY.
Round 3: 10 sc (10)
Step 5: Cut the yarn short for the FIRST leg.
Step 6: Repeat everything from R1-3, and then ch 2. With a sc you are going to connect leg 2 with leg 1. Note: The 1st sc on R4 is the one you just made. — the chain-2 bridge between the legs becomes part of the body's stitch count in the next round, so don't skip it or pull it too tight.
Round 4: [(sc, inc)*5, 2 sc]*2 (34)
Round 5: 4 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 10 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 6 sc (30)
Rounds 6–11: 30 sc (30)
Round 12: (sc, dec)*10 (20)
Round 13: (2 sc, dec)*5 (15)
Cut and don't leave a tail. Stuff firmly, especially the feet and then sew the head to the body.
Arms
Make 2. Start in black. The arms are simple and quick — a small black paw base that switches to grey, then a few even rounds to build the length.
Round 1: 5 sc in MR (5)
Round 2: 5 inc (10)
Step 3: Switch to GREY.
Rounds 3–5: 10 sc (10)
Cut and leave a long tail for sewing. Stuff them firmly, then sew them between R10-13 of the body (as close to the head as possible).
Tail
Start in black. The tail alternates between black and grey across its rounds, giving it that banded raccoon look — keep both colours nearby and carry or cut as you go.
Round 1: 8 sc in MR (8)
Round 2: 8 inc (16)
Round 3: 16 sc (16)
Round 4: GREY: 16 sc (16)
Round 5: (sc, dec, sc)*4 (12)
Round 6: BLACK: 12 sc (12)
Round 7: (sc, dec)*4 (8)
Round 8: GREY: 8 sc (8)
Stuff and leave a long tail for sewing. Sew between R6-8 of the body.
Snout
In white. The snout is just two rounds — fast to make, and it gets stuffed lightly as you sew it onto the head, so don't close it off completely before attaching.
Round 1: 8 sc in MR (8)
Round 2: (2 sc, 2 inc)*2 (12)
Cut and leave a long tail for sewing. Here you can insert the safety nose between R1-2. Sew the snout between R7-9 of the head, between the eyes, and stuff as you sew along. If you do not have a safety nose, using black acrylic yarn and a darning needle, sew a little nose after you are done sewing the snout on the head. I usually like to go 3-4 times over it for a bigger nose.
Ears
Make 2. In grey. The ears are worked in rows rather than rounds, so you'll be turning your work at the end of each row — a nice change of pace after all those spirals.
Row 1: ch 6, from the second st from the hook, 5 sc (5)
Row 2: ch 1, turn: dec, sc, dec (3)
Row 3: ch 1, turn: 3 sc (3)
Row 4: ch 1, turn: sc3tog (1)
Using BLACK felt, cut a triangle that is smaller than the ears and then glue them to the front of the ears. If you wish, you can sc in white around the ears doing an inc when you reach the tip. Sew both ears between R2-7 of the head, 5-6 sts behind the eyes.
Final Touches
Once all the pieces are finished and stuffed, it's time to put the raccoon together. I sew the head to the body first — it anchors everything and makes it easier to judge placement for the rest. From there, I attach the arms between rounds 10–13 of the body, pushing them up as close to the head as possible so they sit naturally at the sides. The tail goes on next, sewn between rounds 6–8 of the body at the back. The snout gets sewn between rounds 7–9 of the head, centred between the eyes, and I stuff it a little as I go rather than all at once — easier to control the shape that way. Last are the ears, positioned between rounds 2–7 of the head, about 5–6 stitches behind the eyes on each side. Take your time with placement before committing to any seam. Pinning or holding pieces in place first saves a lot of unpicking.
Care Instructions
Since this little guy is made with 100% polyester yarn and stuffed with polyfill, he handles gentle machine washing pretty well. I'd toss him in a mesh laundry bag on a delicate cycle with cold water, then let him air dry completely. Don't put him in the dryer. The heat can warp the safety eyes and flatten the stuffing in weird ways that are hard to fix. Once he's dry, you can gently reshape him by hand if the stuffing has shifted around during washing.
Baby & Child Safety Notes
This raccoon uses 12 mm safety eyes and a small safety nose, so it's worth thinking carefully before giving it to a very young child. Safety eyes are called "safety" eyes for a reason, but the backing can still work loose over time, especially with rough play. If this is going to a toddler, check the eyes and nose regularly to make sure the washers are seated tightly. For children under three, I'd swap the safety eyes and nose out entirely and embroider the face instead. The pattern does mention the embroidered nose option, so that's already built in. The felt ear pieces are glued on rather than sewn, so those are worth keeping an eye on too.
Frequently Asked Questions
The eyes go in between Rounds 7 and 8 of the head, 6 stitches apart. Insert them before you close up the head completely, while you still have room to reach inside and secure the washers. The safety nose gets inserted into the snout between Rounds 1 and 2, before you sew the snout onto the head.
Make Leg 1 first and cut the yarn short without leaving a tail. Then make Leg 2, and instead of cutting, chain 2 and use a single crochet to join it to Leg 1. That joining single crochet counts as your first stitch of Round 4. It's a little fiddly the first time but makes sense once you're in it.
Quite a few, especially in the head. Rounds 5 through 9 of the head involve switching between grey, white, and black to create the raccoon's face markings. The body, arms, and tail also each start in black before switching to grey. The tail has additional color changes in Rounds 4, 6, and 8. Managing multiple yarn strands at once is probably the trickiest part of this pattern.
The base ear is crocheted in grey. From there you have two choices, and you can do both. Cut a black felt triangle smaller than the ear and glue it to the front, and optionally single crochet around the whole ear in white, working an increase at the tip. I've done both together and it gives the ears a really clean, finished look.
Embroider one instead. After the snout is sewn onto the head, thread a darning needle with black acrylic yarn and stitch a small nose, going over it 3 to 4 times to build up some thickness. It ends up looking just as good, maybe better if you want a slightly larger nose than the hardware version gives you.
Stuff the feet and body firmly, and the arms firmly too. The head gets stuffed before you sew it closed. The snout is a small piece and gets stuffed gradually as you sew it onto the head, so don't overstuff it before attaching or it'll be hard to position. The tail just needs enough stuffing to hold its shape.
Final Thoughts
This little raccoon is one of those projects that comes together faster than you'd expect, and then you end up making three of them because everyone who sees it immediately wants one. The face colorwork looks complicated but it's really just following the round-by-round color switches, and once the snout and eyes are in place the whole thing clicks. If you make one, I'd love to see it. Tag me on Instagram or drop a photo in the comments. And if you're saving this for later, pinning it to your amigurumi board is always a good call so you can find it again when you're ready.
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