Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi: Easy Long-Neck Gift to Make
This crochet dinosaur amigurumi is a long-neck dinosaur, a brontosaurus, about 19 cm (7.5 in) from the top of the neck down to the feet and about 21 cm (8.3 in) wide. It is made from single crochet only: a head and neck worked as one tube, an oval body that grows around the neck, four short legs and a tail. It makes a small gift for a child or a friend who loves dinosaurs. Below you get every step with a photo, every round count that adds up, a yarn and hook guide and the places where a crochet dinosaur amigurumi goes wrong.
The correction up front: the creator says round 11 of the head was sped up when she filmed it, and her written note gives the real round: 6 single crochets, 4 decreases and 9 single crochets. Her note also fixes round 3 of the body. We use both corrections. She does not print counts for the body rounds after the neck is joined, so for those we give the stitch groups as she works them and only the totals that close.
- Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi at a Glance
- What You Need for This Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi
- Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi Round Counts
- Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi: Step by Step
- Where a Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi Goes Wrong
- Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi Safety for Little Ones
- Three More Free Long-Neck Dinosaur Patterns
- Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi FAQ
- More Small Animals to Crochet After the Dinosaur
Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi at a Glance
The crochet dinosaur amigurumi has only five kinds of piece. The head and neck are one tube, the body is an oval that you work from a foundation chain, and the legs and tail grow straight out of the finished body, so there is very little sewing. Everything is worked in a spiral, so you need a stitch marker.
| Part | How many | What you work |
|---|---|---|
| Head and neck | 1 piece | Foundation chain of 6, increases up to 30, plain rounds, decreases to 15, then a 20-round neck |
| Body | 1 | Foundation chain of 13, increases up to 50, then the neck is joined into the work |
| Legs | 4 | Chain loops on the body, then 16 stitches around each leg for 8 rounds |
| Tail | 1 | Worked off the 8-chain at the back of the body, 17 rounds, closed and sewn |
| Details | 2 eyes | 8 mm safety eyes, placed between rounds 6 and 7 of the head |
What makes it easy: every stitch is a single crochet, an increase (two single crochets in one stitch) or a decrease (two stitches worked together). The stitch multiple of each increase round is simple: the head increase rounds put one increase after every 1, 2 or 3 stitches, and the body does the same at its two ends.
What You Need for This Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi
The materials list is short. The creator asks for green cotton or hypoallergenic wool, a 3 mm hook, a stitch marker, a yarn needle, scissors, fiberfill and 8 mm safety eyes.
| Item | What to use |
|---|---|
| Yarn | Green cotton or hypoallergenic yarn; the yardage and weight name are not stated |
| Hook | 3 mm |
| Eyes | Safety eyes, 8 mm (or embroider them for a child under 3) |
| Stuffing | Fiberfill, polyester fill or batting |
| Tools | Stitch marker, yarn needle, scissors |
| Skill level | Confident beginner: magic ring is not needed, but you must work into a foundation chain, increase, decrease and make a triple decrease |
Hook and yarn: the three free long-neck dinosaur patterns we read use hooks from 3.5 to 4.0 mm. The Backpack Bronto uses 3.5 mm with worsted yarn, the Knotty longneck uses 3.5 mm with 4 ply yarn, and the StringyDingDing brontosaurus uses 4.0 mm with worsted yarn. A 3 mm hook sits just below that spread, which keeps the stitches tight so the fiberfill cannot show through. The creator gives no yarn weight name, so we cannot place her yarn in a Craft Yarn Council category. That table lists 3.5 to 4.5 mm for fine yarn (category 2) and 4.5 to 5.5 mm for light yarn (category 3), and a 3 mm hook is smaller than both.
How much yarn to buy: none of the pages states a yardage for a toy of this size except the Backpack Bronto, which uses about 33 yd for a 5 in clip, a much smaller toy. So we give no yard figure for this crochet dinosaur amigurumi: one small ball of cotton is enough for a 19 cm dinosaur. Count the stitches below if you want to compare with another pattern: the parts whose counts add up come to 1,446 stitches.
Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi Round Counts
The creator speaks every round aloud. We checked each one by arithmetic. The tables list the parts where the totals close. For the body rounds after the neck is joined she gives groups but no total, and our count does not close, so we show no total there.
Head and neck
| Round | How it is worked | Total stitches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chain 6, 1 sc in the 2nd chain, 3 sc, 3 sc in the last chain, 3 sc along the other side, 2 sc in the start chain | 12 |
| 2 | Increase, 3 sc, 3 increases, 3 sc, 2 increases | 18 |
| 3 | (sc, increase), 3 sc, (sc, increase) x 3, 3 sc, (sc, increase) x 2 | 24 |
| 4 | (2 sc, increase), 3 sc, (2 sc, increase) x 3, 3 sc, (2 sc, increase) x 2 | 30 |
| 5 to 9 | 1 sc in every stitch, 5 rounds | 30 |
| 10 | 7 sc, 7 decreases, 9 sc | 23 |
| 11 | 6 sc, 4 decreases, 9 sc (the correction in her note) | 19 |
| 12 to 13 | 1 sc in every stitch, 2 rounds | 19 |
| 14 | 4 sc, 4 decreases, 7 sc | 15 |
| 15 to 34 | 1 sc in every stitch, 20 rounds for the neck | 15 |
| 35 | (4 sc, increase) x 3 | 18 |
| 36 | 1 sc in every stitch, plus 1 more sc, chain 1 and fasten off | 18 |
Body
| Round | How it is worked | Total stitches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chain 13, 1 sc in the 2nd chain, 10 sc, 3 sc in the last chain, 10 sc, 2 sc in the start chain | 26 |
| 2 | Increase, 10 sc, 3 increases, 10 sc, 2 increases | 32 |
| 3 | (sc, increase), 10 sc, (sc, increase) x 3, 10 sc, (sc, increase) x 2 (the correction in her note) | 38 |
| 4 | (2 sc, increase), 10 sc, (2 sc, increase) x 3, 10 sc, (2 sc, increase) x 2 | 44 |
| 5 | (3 sc, increase), 10 sc, (3 sc, increase) x 3, 10 sc, (3 sc, increase) x 2 | 50 |
| 6 | 1 sc in every stitch | 50 |
Legs and tail
| Part | Round | How it is worked | Total stitches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg | 1 | 16 sc around the chain loops and the body stitches between them | 16 |
| Leg | 2 to 8 | 1 sc in every stitch, 7 rounds | 16 |
| Leg | 9 | 8 decreases around, working into the back loops | 8 |
| Tail | 1 | Chain 1, 1 sc in the first joining stitch, 8 sc in the 8 chains, 7 sc on the body | 16 |
| Tail | 2 | 1 sc in every stitch | 16 |
| Tail | 3 | (2 sc, increase) x 3, 2 sc, 2 decreases, 1 sc | 17 |
| Tail | 4 to 5 | 17 sc; then 13 sc and 2 decreases | 17, 15 |
| Tail | 6 | 4 sc, increase, 2 sc, increase, 7 sc | 17 |
| Tail | 7 to 8 | 1 sc in every stitch, 2 rounds | 17 |
| Tail | 9 | Increase, 4 sc, 3 decreases, 4 sc, 2 increases | 17 |
| Tail | 10 to 11 | 1 sc in every stitch, 2 rounds | 17 |
| Tail | 12 | 2 sc, 5 decreases, 5 sc | 12 |
| Tail | 13 to 14 | 1 sc in every stitch, 2 rounds | 12 |
| Tail | 15 | 6 decreases | 6 |
| Tail | 16 to 17 | 1 sc in every stitch, 2 rounds, then close | 6 |
The counted parts add up to 1,446 stitches: the head is 329, the neck is 336, the four legs are 136 each for 544, and the tail is 237. That is our arithmetic from the spoken rounds, not the creator’s, and we have not tested it.
The head round that was sped up
When the creator films head round 11 she works through it quickly. Her written note says the round is 6 single crochets, 4 decreases and 9 single crochets. That uses the 23 stitches of round 10 and leaves 19, which is what rounds 12 to 14 need. We print that version.
Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi: Step by Step
Work every step with the 3 mm hook and keep a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round, because the pieces are worked in a spiral and the marker is how you find the start.
Part 1: the head and neck of your crochet dinosaur amigurumi
Step 1: Chain 6 and work round 1 around it
Make a chain of 6, with the sixth chain acting as the rise. Work 1 single crochet in the second chain from the hook, then 1 single crochet in each of the next 3 chains. In the last chain work 3 single crochets, turn the work, and work 3 single crochets along the other side of the chain. In the first chain of the start, work 2 single crochets. That gives 12 stitches.
Step 2: Increase rounds 2 to 4 to reach 30
Round 2: increase in the first stitch, put the marker there, 3 single crochets, 3 increases, 3 single crochets, then 2 increases: 18. Round 3: (single crochet, increase), 3 single crochets, (single crochet, increase) three times, 3 single crochets, then (single crochet, increase) twice: 24. Round 4 repeats that pattern with 2 single crochets before each increase: 30. The increases stay at the two ends of the oval, so the sides stay straight.
Step 3: Five plain rounds of 30
Work 1 single crochet in every stitch for rounds 5 to 9, five rounds in all. The oval turns into a shallow cup. Count the last round, because every later round depends on the 30.
Step 4: Decrease rounds 10 and 11
Round 10 is 7 single crochets, 7 decreases and 9 single crochets: 23. Round 11 is 6 single crochets, 4 decreases and 9 single crochets: 19. The decreases land at the front, which gives the snout its shape.
Step 5: Place the eyes and finish the head
Before you go on, place the safety eyes. Count from the start chain: the eyes sit between rounds 6 and 7, one stitch after the last decrease, and the other eye goes on the opposite side in the same spot. Secure the washers, then work rounds 12 and 13 as plain rounds of 19 and round 14 as 4 single crochets, 4 decreases and 7 single crochets: 15. Start stuffing the head now.
Step 6: Work the neck, rounds 15 to 34
Work 1 single crochet in every stitch for 20 rounds, from round 15 to round 34. This tube is the neck, so keep stuffing it lightly as it grows. Count your rounds on the marker as you go, because a short neck makes a short dinosaur.
Step 7: Finish the neck with a small flare
Round 35 is (4 single crochets, increase) three times: 18. Round 36 is 1 single crochet in every stitch. Work 1 more single crochet, chain 1 and fasten off, leaving the yarn cut. The head and neck are done and stay aside while you make the body.
Part 2: the body of the crochet dinosaur amigurumi
Step 8: Chain 13 for the body
Make a chain of 13 with a new length of yarn. Work 1 single crochet in the second chain, 10 single crochets, and 3 single crochets in the last chain. Turn the work, work 10 single crochets along the other side, and 2 single crochets in the start chain. That gives 26 stitches.
Step 9: Increase rounds 2 to 5 to reach 50
Round 2 is an increase, 10 single crochets, 3 increases, 10 single crochets and 2 increases: 32. Round 3, as her note gives it, is (single crochet, increase), 10 single crochets, (single crochet, increase) three times, 10 single crochets and (single crochet, increase) twice: 38. Round 4 uses 2 single crochets before each increase: 44. Round 5 uses 3: 50. She works the increase before the 2 single crochets in rounds 4 and 5, which only moves it by one stitch, and it spreads the increases so the corners stay rounded.
Step 10: One plain round of 50
Round 6 is 1 single crochet in every stitch. The body is now a flat oval of 50 stitches, and the head and neck are waiting to be joined.
Step 11: Keep the marker at the start of round 7
Clip the marker into the first stitch of round 7 before you join the neck. You will count from this stitch to find the neck join and later the leg markers.
Step 12: Work 22 stitches, then join the neck
Round 7 starts with 22 single crochets, and the 22nd stitch sits at the middle of the long side. Now join the neck to the body: put the hook through the stitch where the neck ended and use the body yarn on your hook to join the two pieces with a single crochet. Work single crochets all the way around the neck, 18 stitches, then go to stitch 23 of the body and work single crochets to the marker. By our count round 7 ends with 68 stitches.
Step 13: Triple decreases on each side of the neck
Round 8 is 21 single crochets, a triple decrease, 15 single crochets, a second triple decrease and 20 single crochets, which leaves 6 stitches before the marker. A triple decrease takes up a loop in each of three stitches, giving 4 loops on the hook, and you pull through all of them. Then chain 8 and join the chain to the marker stitch with a single crochet. This chain is the base of the tail. Round 9 is 19 single crochets, a triple decrease, 13 single crochets, a triple decrease, single crochets up to the chain, 1 single crochet in each of the 8 chains and 1 in the start stitch. Then work 4 rounds, rounds 10 to 13, with no increases or decreases, counting the tail stitches too.
Part 3: the legs of the crochet dinosaur amigurumi
Step 14: Mark the legs with stitch markers
From the last stitch, count 8 and put a marker in the 9th. From there count 5 and mark the 6th, then 8 and mark the 9th, then 5 and mark the 6th, then 8 and mark the 9th, then 5 and mark the 6th, then 8 and mark the 9th. The markers in the 9th and 6th positions alternate, and they show where the legs will go and where the body stays.
Step 15: Chain 6 between the markers
Chain 6 and join it to the first marker with a single crochet, then take the marker out. Work single crochets along the body up to the next marker, work 1 in the marker, then chain 6 again and join it to the next marker. Repeat until you have 4 chains of 6. Between two chains there should be 9 single crochets. Each chain loop becomes the base of one leg.
Step 16: Work around the legs and body, round 15
Take the last stitch as the start. Work 1 single crochet in each stitch of the body and 6 single crochets in each chain, so each chain loop gives 6 stitches and the body between two legs gives 7. Remember the join stitch of each chain to the body, because it is the first of the 7. Go all the way around and close the round.
Step 17: Decrease the body, rounds 16 to 19
Round 16 is 2 single crochets and a decrease all around, finishing with 2 single crochets. Round 17 is 1 single crochet and a decrease all around, finishing with 2 single crochets. Round 18 is a decrease in every stitch of the round before. Stuff the body now, then work the last round of decreases, leave a long yarn tail and fasten off. Thread the tail on the yarn needle, pass it through every stitch of the last round and pull to close the base.
Join the yarn with a single crochet in one of the chain stitches of a foot, which is stitch 1 of the leg. Work around the leg for round 1 with 16 single crochets: 3 stitches along the chain, the joining stitch of the chain to the body as stitch 4, the side stitches, the other joining stitch as stitch 13 and the last 3 chains as stitches 14 to 16. Then work 7 more rounds of 16, 1 single crochet in every stitch, rounds 2 to 8. Stuff the leg. Round 9 is 8 decreases around, working into the back loops. Leave a long tail, thread it through the stitches, pull and close the leg, and sew the end into the inside so the foot stays flat. Make 4 legs the same.
Part 4: the tail of the crochet dinosaur amigurumi
Step 19: Join at the back and work round 1 of the tail
Chain 1 and join the yarn at the first stitch where the chain meets the body, on the right side when you look at the dinosaur from behind. Work 1 single crochet there, 1 single crochet in each of the 8 chains, and 7 single crochets on the body, which is 7 because you started on the eighth stitch. That gives 16 stitches. Mark the first one, because from here you work in a spiral. Round 2 is 1 single crochet in every stitch: 16.
Step 20: Rounds 3 to 8 shape the curve
Round 3 is (2 single crochets, increase) three times, 2 single crochets, 2 decreases and 1 single crochet: 17. Round 4 is 17 single crochets. Round 5 is 13 single crochets and 2 decreases: 15. Round 6 is 4 single crochets, increase, 2 single crochets, increase and 7 single crochets: 17. Rounds 7 and 8 are plain: 17. The creator has a tip here: when you increase, the fabric rises, and when you decrease, it curves away, so put the increases where you want the tail to bend up.
Step 21: Rounds 9 to 17 taper the tip
Round 9 is an increase, 4 single crochets, 3 decreases, 4 single crochets and 2 increases: 17. Rounds 10 and 11 are plain. Round 12 is 2 single crochets, 5 decreases and 5 single crochets: 12. Rounds 13 and 14 are plain. Round 15 is 6 decreases: 6. Rounds 16 and 17 are 6 single crochets. Leave plenty of yarn, stuff the tail and shape it as you go, then thread the tail yarn through the last stitches and close.
Part 5: finishing your crochet dinosaur amigurumi
Step 22: Close the tail and sew it to the body
Use the long yarn left on the tail to sew the opening shut. If you want a gentle curve, take the same yarn back to the body and stitch the tail where you want it to sit. The creator closes the base of the body and each leg the same way: pass the needle through every stitch and pull.
Step 23: Bring the neck in and stitch it down
If the neck stands too far forward, use the same yarn to pull it closer to the body and sew the body side. Check the dinosaur from the side. If you like how it looks, leave it. The creator says you can add spots, a little hat or other decorations, and that the base of the dinosaur is what you have just made.
Where a Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi Goes Wrong
A neck that is too short or too long
Twenty rounds of 15 stitches is what makes the neck. If your neck is a round short, the dinosaur looks stubby, and if it is a round long, the neck flops. Count the rounds on the marker.
Legs in the wrong place
The legs come from the 9th and 6th stitches after each marker. If the first count is off by one, the legs end up uneven and the dinosaur leans. Count twice before you chain.
A hole where the neck joins
The triple decreases at each side of the neck close the join. Skip them and a gap appears. Pull them tight and the neck sits neatly.
Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi Safety for Little Ones
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says products made for children under three that present a choking, aspiration or ingestion hazard from small parts are banned. A small part is anything that fits entirely into the small parts cylinder, which approximates the throat of a child under three. We checked that page and it does not mention stuffed toys or eyes, so we claim no rule about them from it.
What we can say is that this pattern uses 8 mm plastic safety eyes, which are a small-parts risk if a washer comes off. For a baby or toddler we recommend embroidered eyes, firm stuffing and tight seams. The Backpack Bronto author notes it is a clip toy, not a baby toy. Keep a small long-neck dinosaur out of the crib.
Three More Free Long-Neck Dinosaur Patterns
We read three other free long-neck dinosaur patterns in full. We list only what each page prints.
| Pattern | Hook | Eyes | What the page prints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backpack Bronto (The Loopy Lamb) | 3.5 mm | 9 mm | About 5 in tall, worsted, about 33 yd |
| Brontosaurus (StringyDingDing) | 4.0 mm | 12 mm | Worsted; size and yardage not printed |
| Longneck Dinosaur (Knotty Amigurumi) | 3.5 mm | 9 mm | 4 ply yarn; size and yardage not printed |
What the three pages leave out: none prints a gauge and only one states a yardage, so you cannot work out from them how much yarn a 19 cm dinosaur takes. That is why we give no yard figure for ours.
Crochet Dinosaur Amigurumi FAQ
Is this crochet dinosaur amigurumi easy for beginners?
It is a good second amigurumi. It uses only single crochet, increases and decreases, but it starts from a foundation chain, you place leg markers by counting and it needs a triple decrease.
What hook size is best for a crochet dinosaur amigurumi?
The pattern uses 3 mm. The three free long-neck dinosaurs we compared use 3.5 to 4.0 mm, so 3 mm gives a slightly firmer fabric.
How big is this crochet dinosaur amigurumi?
About 19 cm from the top of the neck to the feet, about 20 cm if you stretch the neck, and about 21 cm wide. A thicker yarn and bigger hook make it bigger.
How much yarn does a crochet dinosaur amigurumi use?
The creator does not state a yardage. One small ball of cotton is enough for a 19 cm toy. Only one of the three free patterns we read states a yardage, and it is for a much smaller dinosaur.
Are crochet dinosaurs safe for babies?
Embroider the eyes, use no buttons or beads and sew every part firmly. The CPSC bans small parts in products for children under three, so a toy for that age needs extra care.
Can I change the color of the crochet dinosaur amigurumi?
Yes. The creator uses green cotton, and she suggests adding spots or a little hat. Any color works.
More Small Animals to Crochet After the Dinosaur
Once your crochet dinosaur amigurumi is done, try another small make. The free crochet bat pattern uses the same single crochet skills, the crochet baby rattle is a bunny gift made the same way, and the crochet cherry keychain is a quick bag charm. Browse every baby toy pattern on the site.
Sources
- The Loopy Lamb, Backpack Bronto Amigurumi
- StringyDingDing, Brontosaurus Dinosaur Amigurumi
- Knotty Amigurumi, Longneck Dinosaur
- Craft Yarn Council, yarn weight system
- CPSC, small parts for toys and children’s products
Pattern credit: this dinosaur design is by the crochet channel Gabriela Alegre.
