How To Crochet A Snake Amigurumi - A Squishy Beginner

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How To Crochet A Snake Amigurumi - A Squishy Beginner

★★★★★ 4.7 · 73

Wren Halloway01.08.2026JUMP TO TUTORIAL

I designed this snake pattern on a rainy Asheville afternoon when Mochi decided my yarn cake made an excellent pillow, and I needed a project simple enough to work on one-handed while she napped on my lap. It turned into one of my favorite quick-gift patterns — soft, squishy, and forgiving of wobbly stitches. If you've never made an amigurumi before, friend, this is a genuinely kind place to start.

Gather Your Materials

Before you pick up a hook, let's talk supplies — because with amigurumi, the right yarn makes or breaks the experience. This pattern uses super bulky chenille yarn in blush pink and pale cream, roughly one skein of each. Chenille is a splurge compared to my usual budget acrylics, but for a snake meant to be squeezed and cuddled, that velvety texture is worth it.

• Hook: a 5 mm hook, sized to keep chenille stitches snug
• Stuffing: polyester fiberfill, enough to fill a long tube without lumps
• Safety eyes: 8 mm pair (skip these for babies under three — embroider instead)
• Extras: stitch marker, yarn needle, scissors, and pins if you're piecing anything together

Work in continuous rounds throughout — no joining, no turning. That's the whole secret to seamless amigurumi.

Start the Head with a Magic Ring

Everything starts with a magic ring (MR) — that adjustable loop that still trips up so many beginners, myself included when I first taught myself amigurumi from Japanese pattern books I couldn't read a word of. Work 6 sc into the ring and pull the tail to close it snug.

Building the Rounds

1. Round 1: 6 sc in ring (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: inc in each stitch (12)
3. Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18)
4. Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24)
5. Rounds 5–7: sc around, no shaping (24 each)

Clip your stitch marker into the first stitch of every round the moment you finish it — I lose my place constantly if I skip this, and frogging a rounded head is no fun. By Round 7 you'll have a neat little dome, ready for a face.

Shape the Head and Add the Eyes

This is the moment your snake starts feeling like a snake instead of a pink blob. Insert the 8 mm safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6, spaced about 6 stitches apart — I always eyeball this loosely, then step back and squint at it the way I used to check spacing on a printed page.

A crooked eye placement is the single most common reason an amigurumi looks "off," so take the extra thirty seconds to check symmetry before you snap the backs on.

Work Round 8: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18), then begin stuffing — lightly at first, adding more as you go. Round 9: (sc, dec) x6 (12) pulls things in further. Add stuffing until the head is round and firm but not stretched, and if you like, embroider a tiny smile. Don't overstuff: too much fiberfill shows through the stitches and distorts your shape.

Begin the Body and First Stripe

Round 10 is your transition round: sc around working in the back loop only (BLO), which creates a clean, defined neck edge separating head from body — a little detail that makes the finished snake look much more polished.

Changing Colors Cleanly

Work Rounds 11–16 in blush pink, keeping 12 stitches every round. Then switch to pale cream for Rounds 17–18. To change color mid-round: work the last yarn-over of your final stitch with the new color instead of the old, pull through all loops, and keep crocheting. No knots needed.

• Stripe rhythm: 6 rounds pink, 2 rounds cream
• Stitch count: stays a steady 12 the entire body

Looking at the side-view progress shot, you can already see that gentle taper starting to form — that's exactly what you want.

Continue the Long Body

This is the meditative part — the section I crochet with my coffee every morning to remember why I love this craft. Simply repeat the stripe pattern (6 pink, 2 cream) for as long as you'd like your snake to be. I usually aim for a finished body length of about 55–70 cm (22–28 in) before tapering, but shorter is perfectly fine for a first attempt.

• Keep stitches consistent at 12 per round the whole way
• Add small pinches of stuffing every 6–8 rounds — use a hook or chopstick to push it down the tube evenly
• Don't overstuff — your snake should still bend and coil, not stand stiff

Move your stitch marker up with each round so you never lose your place in a long stretch of identical stitches — trust me, I've frogged entire body sections for skipping this step.

Taper the Tail

Once your body reaches the length you want, it's time to taper down to a point. This happens fast, so work slowly and count carefully.

The Tapering Ladder

1. Round A: (4 sc, dec) x2 — 10 stitches
2. Round B: sc around — 10
3. Round C: (3 sc, dec) x2 — 8
4. Round D: sc around — 8
5. Round E: (2 sc, dec) x2 — 6
6. Round F: sc around — 6

Add just a tiny bit of stuffing as you taper — the tail should stay soft, never firm. Before your final rounds, gently pull the stuffing back slightly from the tip so you're not fighting bulk while closing the point.

Close and Finish the Tail

The finish line! Work Round G: (sc, dec) x2 (4 stitches), stuff gently, then Round H: dec x2, leaving just 2 stitches. This is where invisible decreases earn their keep — they keep the very tip smooth instead of pointy and lumpy.

Cut your yarn leaving a long tail, thread it onto a yarn needle, and weave through the front loops of the remaining stitches. Pull tight to close, then weave the tail end inside the tail to hide it, trimming any excess.

Smooth and shape the point with your fingers before you set it down — a soft squeeze here does wonders for the final silhouette, the same way I always fluff amigurumi ears after stuffing.

Shape, Style, and Enjoy

You did it — friend, look at that little pink-and-cream spiral! Gently roll and squeeze the whole body to redistribute stuffing evenly, then coil the snake into a natural spiral and adjust the head to sit just slightly above the body for that alert, curious look.

• Optional details: embroider nostrils, add a tiny felt tongue, or blush the cheeks with a bit of pastel chalk
• Final size: approximately 55–70 cm (22–28 in), depending on your yarn and tension
• Care: spot clean with mild detergent and air dry; skip the washing machine and dryer entirely

My first amigurumi ever was a lopsided octopus that looked like a haunted potato — this snake is proof that a little practice really does pay off.

DIY-Tutorial Pin Print

How To Crochet A Snake Amigurumi - A Squishy Beginner

★★★★★ 4.7 · 73 ratings

Learn how to crochet a squishy snake amigurumi with this beginner-friendly pattern, complete with photos, stitch counts, and tips for perfect stripes.

Amigurumi Crochetcrochet snake amigurumi pattern

PREP TIME15 min

Work Time240 min

TOTAL TIME255 min

Yield1 snake amigurumi

DifficultyEasy

Costapprox. $12

Materials

• Materials
• Super bulky chenille yarn, blush pink — approx. 1 skein
• Super bulky chenille yarn, pale cream — approx. 1 skein
• Crochet hook, 5 mm
• Polyester fiberfill stuffing
• Safety eyes, 8 mm (1 pair)
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle (tapestry needle)
• Scissors
• Pins (optional, for sewing pieces)

Steps

1

Gather your materials

Set out both chenille colors, your 5 mm hook, stuffing, safety eyes, stitch marker, and yarn needle before you start. Work every round of this pattern continuously, without joining or turning.

2

Start the head with a magic ring

Work 6 sc into a magic ring, then increase over Rounds 2–4 up to 24 stitches (inc in each st; (sc, inc) x6; (2 sc, inc) x6). Work Rounds 5–7 even at 24 stitches, marking the first stitch of each round.

3

Shape the head and add the eyes

Insert 8 mm safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6, spaced about 6 stitches apart. Decrease Round 8 to 18 stitches and Round 9 to 12, stuffing firmly as you go.

4

Begin the body and first stripe

Work Round 10 in the back loop only to define the neck. Crochet Rounds 11–16 in blush pink and Rounds 17–18 in pale cream, keeping 12 stitches every round.

5

Continue the long body

Repeat the 6-round pink, 2-round cream stripe pattern until the body measures roughly 55–70 cm before tapering, adding a small pinch of stuffing every 6–8 rounds.

6

Taper the tail

Decrease gradually from 12 stitches down to 6 using the sequence (4 sc, dec) x2, sc around, (3 sc, dec) x2, sc around, (2 sc, dec) x2, sc around, adding only light stuffing as you go.

7

Close and finish the tail

Work (sc, dec) x2 down to 4 stitches, then dec x2 down to 2 stitches. Cut the yarn, thread it through the remaining front loops, pull tight to close, and weave in the end.

8

Shape, style, and enjoy

Roll and squeeze the body to even out the stuffing, coil the snake into a spiral, and adjust the head to sit slightly raised. Add optional embroidered details, then let your finished snake air dry after any spot cleaning.

Hi! I'm Wren

Hi, I'm Wren — welcome to my cozy corner of the internet! I'm Wren Halloway: crocheter, amigurumi enthusiast, recovering perfectionist, and the…

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Conclusion

This little snake has become one of my most-requested patterns, and I hope it earns a spot in your yarn basket too — wobbly stripes and all. Your first one won't be perfect, and that's exactly how it should be.

Happy stitching,

Wren