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Amigurumi Duck Pattern - A Squishy Little Duck You Can Make
★★★★★ 4.8 · 44
Wren HallowayWren Halloway03.08.2026JUMP TO TUTORIAL

There's a reason ducks are one of my most-requested amigurumi patterns, friend — that round little body and tiny beak just make people smile. I tested this exact version three times at my kitchen table (Mochi supervised, unhelpfully, from the yarn basket) before I was happy with the proportions. Grab your hook and a cup of coffee, because by the end of this you'll have a 12 cm duck sitting on your shelf, wobbling a little, and looking exactly as it should: handmade.

What You'll Need Before You Start

Flat lay of materials for an amigurumi duck pattern including white and yellow yarn, hook, and safety eyes

Before you make a single stitch, lay everything out — I promise this five-minute habit saves so much mid-project scrambling. For this amigurumi duck pattern you're working with two yarn colors: white for the head, body, and wings, and yellow for the beak and feet. I used a 3.0 mm hook, which gives a nice dense fabric so stuffing doesn't peek through.

  • Yarn: white and yellow, worsted weight
  • Hook: 3.0 mm
  • Eyes: 8 mm safety eyes
  • Stuffing, yarn needle, and a stitch marker — I lost count of rounds so many times before I started marking every single one

Finished size lands around 12 cm / 4.7 inches, and I'd call this a beginner-intermediate project. Your duck's shape can vary slightly from mine — that's part of the charm.

Crocheting the Head, Round by Round

Round-by-round guide showing the crocheted white head for an amigurumi duck pattern before stuffing

The head starts, like most amigurumi, with a magic ring (MR) of 6 single crochets (sc). If magic rings still make you nervous, you're not alone — mine looked like tangled spaghetti for the first year I crocheted. From there you're increasing steadily: R1 to 12, R2 to 18, R3 to 24, R4 to 30, then rounds 5 through 9 stay flat at 30 stitches around.

Placing the Eyes

This is the part I'm slightly obsessive about: place your 8 mm safety eyes between rounds 7 and 8, about 8 stitches apart, before you close up the head. Once you snap those eye backings on, there's no undoing it.

Keep the face symmetrical before closing — I hold the head up at eye level and squint at it like I'm hanging a picture frame.

Then decrease through R10 (to 24) and R11 (to 18), stuff firmly, and leave a long tail for sewing to the body later.

Shaping That Little Beak

Front and side view of a yellow crocheted beak piece used in this amigurumi duck pattern

Switch to yellow yarn for the beak — a tiny piece, but it's the part that gives your duck its whole personality. Start with an MR of 5 sc, then increase all the way around in Round 1 to bring it to 10 stitches, and work Rounds 2 and 3 straight at 10 stitches around.

Don't stuff it much unless you want a fuller, chubbier beak — I usually leave mine flat or with just a wisp of stuffing tucked in. Flatten it gently with your fingers to get that classic wedge shape you can see in both the front and side views.

  • Pin the beak in place before you commit to sewing
  • Center it between the eyes
  • Attach it spanning roughly rounds 7 through 10 of the head

An optional row of slip stitches across the top edge adds a nice crisp line if you want extra definition — I add it about half the time, depending on my patience level that day.

Building the Body (and Where It Can Go Wrong)

Cross-section of the stuffed white body showing dense filling for this amigurumi duck pattern

The body follows the same increase logic as the head, just bigger. From an MR of 6 sc, increase through R1 (12), R2 (18), R3 (24), R4 (30), and R5 (36), then work Rounds 6 through 11 flat at 36 stitches — this is the widest, roundest part of your duck.

Here's my honest confession: on my first attempt, I under-stuffed the base and my duck tipped over constantly, like it had had one too many. Keep the stuffing dense at the bottom for a stable stance — this is not a place to skimp.

  1. Decrease R12 to 30, R13 to 24
  2. Stuff firmly as you go, packing the base especially well
  3. Decrease R14 down to 18 and leave that opening for attaching the neck

The cross-section really shows how much stuffing goes in — don't be shy with it.

Two Little Wings, Made Twice

Two flattened white wing pieces beside a duck showing wing placement for the amigurumi duck pattern

Wings are quick, and I always find them satisfying because they're basically a mini head — same magic ring approach, just smaller. Start with MR 6 sc, then in Round 1 do (sc, inc) x3 to reach 9 stitches, and work Rounds 2 and 3 flat at 9 stitches around. Make two of these.

Flatten the opening instead of closing it into a ball, and leave them unstuffed — they should sit soft and slightly floppy against the body, like real duck wings.

  • Sew one wing to each side of the body
  • Place them just below the neck seam
  • Angle them slightly upward for a cuter, more animated pose

Pin both wings before sewing so they sit evenly — I skipped this step once and ended up with one wing noticeably higher than the other. Frogged it and started over. Worth the extra two minutes of pinning, I promise.

Feet That Actually Balance

Yellow crocheted webbed feet with three toes, a key detail in this amigurumi duck pattern

Duck feet are one of those small details that make a pattern feel finished, and they're simpler than they look. Chain 4, then work Row 1 starting in the 2nd chain from the hook with sc, half double crochet (hdc), and sc to form one toe — repeat with small chain-and-return stitches to build three toes per foot. Work around the base to neaten the edge, then fasten off leaving a long tail.

Sew the feet flat to the underside of the body, slightly forward of center — this is the difference between a duck that stands proudly and one that face-plants off your shelf (ask me how I know).

Keep both feet the same size for even balance, and make sure they're positioned symmetrically before you tie off those tails.

Finishing Touches and Final Shaping

Finished amigurumi duck pattern shown from front, side, and back with a yellow beak and feet

This last stretch is where your duck really comes to life. Shape the head and body gently with your hands, adjusting stuffing wherever it feels lumpy or uneven. Hide every yarn tail by weaving it through a few stitches inside the body — nothing pulls me out of a finished piece faster than a stray tail poking through.

Quick Abbreviation Reminder

  • sc — single crochet
  • inc — increase
  • dec — decrease
  • MR — magic ring
  • st — stitch

Straighten the beak and feet, and if you're feeling fancy, add a light blush to the cheeks with a bit of dry pastel or blush makeup on a cotton swab. Run through the checklist: all parts secure, no gaps, stuffing even, tails hidden. Your finished duck should measure about 12 cm / 4.7 inches — and remember, handmade pieces vary slightly, and that's exactly the charm.

The Takeaway

There you have it — one squishy, slightly wobbly, entirely charming amigurumi duck. Yours might lean a little differently than mine, and that's more than okay. Go easy on yourself if the first attempt looks a bit lopsided; that's just proof you made it with your own two hands.

Happy stitching,

Wren

Amigurumi Duck Pattern - A Squishy Little Duck You Can Make
DIY-Tutorial Pin
Amigurumi Duck Pattern - A Squishy Little Duck You Can Make
4.8 · 44 ratings
Learn to crochet an adorable amigurumi duck with this beginner-friendly amigurumi duck pattern, complete with photos, exact stitch counts, and finishing tips.
Amigurumiamigurumi duck pattern
PREP TIME10 min
Work Time180 min
TOTAL TIME190 min
Yield1 duck
DifficultyMedium
Costapprox. $8
Materials
Steps
1
Gather your materials
Lay out white and yellow yarn, your 3.0 mm hook, stuffing, an 8 mm pair of safety eyes, a yarn needle, and a stitch marker before you begin.
2
Crochet the head
Starting from an MR of 6 sc, increase through Rounds 1-5 to reach 30 stitches, work Rounds 5-9 flat, place the safety eyes between Rounds 7-8, then decrease through Rounds 10-11 and stuff firmly, leaving a long tail.
3
Crochet the beak
In yellow yarn, work an MR of 5 sc, increase Round 1 to 10 stitches, and work Rounds 2-3 flat; flatten lightly and lightly stuff only for a fuller shape.
4
Crochet the body
From an MR of 6 sc, increase through Rounds 1-5 to reach 36 stitches, work Rounds 6-11 flat, stuff densely at the base, then decrease through Rounds 12-14 down to 18 stitches, leaving an opening for the neck.
5
Crochet the wings
Make two: MR 6 sc, increase Round 1 to 9 stitches with (sc, inc) x3, work Rounds 2-3 flat, flatten the opening without stuffing, and sew one to each side of the body just below the neck seam.
6
Crochet the feet
Make two: chain 4, work sc/hdc/sc from the 2nd chain to form each of three toes, fasten off with a long tail, and sew the feet flat to the underside of the body, slightly forward of center.
7
Assemble and finish
Sew the beak centered between the eyes across Rounds 7-10 of the head, attach the head to the body, hide all yarn tails, and shape the whole duck by hand until it sits sturdy and even.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different yarn weight than worsted?

You can, but you'll need to size your hook down or up to match, and your finished duck will end up smaller or larger than 12 cm. I'd recommend sticking with worsted weight and a 3.0 mm hook for your first attempt so you can trust the stitch counts as written.

My duck keeps tipping over — what did I do wrong?

This is almost always a stuffing issue. Go back and pack the very bottom of the body extra firmly, and double-check your feet are sewn flat and slightly forward of the body's center, not directly underneath the back.

Are safety eyes okay for a baby gift?

Safety eyes are secure once snapped in, but for anything going to a baby or young child, I'd embroider the eyes instead with black yarn or embroidery floss — it removes any choking hazard entirely.

How long did this actually take you to make?

Honestly, with coffee breaks and Mochi interruptions, about three hours start to finish. If you're newer to amigurumi, give yourself a relaxed afternoon and don't rush the stuffing steps.

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