6 Free Crochet Dinosaur Patterns (Linked to Each Designer)

Each of these free crochet dinosaur patterns is a real published pattern with written round-by-round instructions, linked straight to the designer who wrote it. Between them you get a stegosaurus, two T-Rexes, a triceratops and a brontosaurus, from a 5-inch bag charm up to a 10.5-inch standing dinosaur.

Dinosaurs are a good first amigurumi because the shapes are forgiving — a slightly lopsided stegosaurus still reads as a stegosaurus. The plates, frills and spikes are where the character comes from, and they are all sewn on at the end rather than shaped as you go.

What you will need

Amigurumi uses a hook a size or two smaller than the yarn label says, so the fabric is tight enough that stuffing does not peek through. That is why you will see worsted weight paired with a 3.5 mm hook below. You will also want safety eyes, polyester stuffing and a yarn needle.

1. Brodie the Stegosaurus

Mariska Vos-Bolman writes this one twice over, in two yarns: sport weight cotton on a 2.5 mm hook gives a 9 cm pocket-sized stegosaurus, while chenille super bulky on a 5 mm hook gives a 22 cm plush one from the same instructions. The body is a single crocheted piece with the blue back plates and tail spikes sewn on afterwards and four legs attached at the sides. Beginner-friendly, and the post carries a full video tutorial. Free pattern: Brodie the Stegosaurus.

2. Troy the T-Rex

Holly Lanier’s T-Rex is about 6 inches tall in worsted weight on a 4 mm hook. Rounds 20 to 23 shape the snout with half double crochet increases and decreases, which is what gives it a curved jaw instead of the ball-with-a-face look most beginner dinosaurs end up with; the mouth and teeth are then embroidered on. The tutorial runs to over a hundred step-by-step photographs, so there is no guessing about shaping. Free pattern: Troy the T-Rex.

3. Danny the Dinosaur

Petra Salisbury writes this T-Rex for three different yarn weights with a matching hook for each — sport on 2.5 mm, DK on 3 mm, aran on 3.5 mm — so you can work from whatever is in the cupboard and still follow the same stitch counts. Seated it is 21 cm, standing 28.5 cm. Worked in continuous rounds with no joining slip stitches, with surface-crocheted spikes down the back and three-toed feet joined during assembly. Rated intermediate to advanced. Free pattern: Danny the Dinosaur.

4. Dan the Dinosaur

At 10.5 inches standing, Jess Huff’s dinosaur is the largest here, worked in weight 4 acrylic on a 3.5 mm hook — a tight gauge for that yarn, which is what keeps the stuffing from showing. Almost the whole thing is worked in one piece; only the tail is crocheted separately and sewn on, so the assembly stage that puts people off amigurumi is mostly skipped. Rated intermediate. Free pattern: Dan the Dinosaur.

5. Trixie the Triceratops

The frill is the interesting part of Holly Lanier’s triceratops: it is worked in rows rather than continuous rounds, with triple crochet stitches standing it up into a three-dimensional crown rather than a flat flap. Worsted weight on a 4 mm hook, finishing at 6.5 inches tall. If you have already made her T-Rex the construction will feel familiar — the two are designed as a set. Free pattern: Trixie the Triceratops.

6. Backpack Bronto

Ashley Parker’s brontosaurus is 5 inches tall and designed to clip onto a bag with a carabiner, which makes it the fastest project here — about 33 yards of worsted weight on a 3.5 mm hook. The detail worth copying is a chain space left in round 6 of the body: the neck attaches into that opening at an angle, which is what gives the finished dinosaur its tilted head rather than a neck sticking straight up. Rated easy. Free pattern: Backpack Bronto.

The six patterns compared

Frequently Asked Questions

Which dinosaur is easiest for a first amigurumi?

Backpack Bronto, because it is small enough to finish before you lose interest and has the fewest pieces to join. Brodie the Stegosaurus in the chenille version is the other good choice — the chunky yarn means fewer rounds and the plates hide any uneven stitching along the back.

How do I stop stuffing showing through the stitches?

Go down a hook size. Every pattern here already does this, which is why worsted weight is worked on 3.5 mm rather than the 5.5 mm the ball band suggests. If you can see white stuffing through green stitches, the fabric is too loose — that is a gauge problem, not a stuffing problem. Lining the inside with a scrap of matching fabric is a fix, but a smaller hook is the real answer.

Can I make these safe for a baby?

Embroider the eyes instead of using safety eyes, and skip anything wired. Safety eyes are secure when fitted properly, but for a child under three the official guidance is to avoid them altogether. Everything else about these patterns — acrylic or cotton yarn, polyester stuffing — is machine washable and baby-appropriate.

How long does a crochet dinosaur take?

The 5-inch Backpack Bronto is an evening. A 6-inch T-Rex with embroidered face detail is two or three. Dan the Dinosaur at 10.5 inches is the longest on this list, but because it is worked almost entirely in one piece it involves less assembly than its size suggests.

Pick by size and by how much sewing you are willing to do: the one-piece constructions finish faster than the piece count suggests, and the plates and frills are where the personality lives. Follow the link on whichever one you choose for the full stitch counts and photographs.