Crocheted Turtle Plushy Toy – Free Pattern

Jun 29, 2020 | Corner, DIY Crafts, FREE Patterns

My youngest grandson has a love for sea creatures. He particularly loves turtles. That’s why I recently made him 3 crocheted stuffed turtles. He loves them!

These turtles are pretty easy to make. The top shell is made with a hexagon shaped African flower in 4 colors. The bottom shell or the turtle’s tummy is the same flower done in 1 color. Then all you need is to make the head and the legs which are stitched on the bottom shell.

For my grandson’s turtles I used the same 4 color combination, I just changed up the arrangement to make each turtle unique. Each turtle’s tummy is the African flower done in the color used on the last rounds of the top shell. I coordinated the head and legs with the top shell round that is done in the same color, in this case the single round used to edge the flower petals.

I used 2 shades of green and beige as main colors and orange as the flower’s center as an accent color. The orange really brightens up the turtles. But you can you any color you want, I bet pink and purple would make a nice turtle too!

The turtles are pretty easy to make, it took me just a couple of hours to make each one. But the first step in making them is making the African flower hexagon pieces. Once you got those done the rest is just rounds of increasing and decreasing single crochets.

So I’ll give you the pattern for the African flower using 4 different colors you can adapt it to use however many colors you will be using. Then I’ll give you the patter for the head and the arms. Once you have those done you can stuff them, stitch them together, then embroider on the eyes and mouth. I used french knots for the eyes and back stitched the smiling mouth. You can sew on plastic googly eyes or button for the eye, I choose not to as my grandson is only 1 year old and buttons or google eyes are a choking hazard if they get pulled off the turtle.

I used a 5.5 mm crochet hook or “I” hook; #4 medium yarn, and a yarn needle. The head and legs are made in rounds so using stitch markers to mark the end/beginning of the rounds is helpful.

So here’s the pattern for these adorable stuffed turtles.

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Supplies:

5.5mm or “I” Gauge Crochet Hook

#4 Medium weight yarn in the colors of your choice

Polyfill for stuffing

Yarn Needle

African Flower Hexagon

First Flower Hexagon is made in Single Color for the turtle’s tummy

*CH 3 at the beginning of each round counts as the 1st DC of that round

Color 1 – CH 4; join last chain to 1 chain with a slip stitch to form a ring

Rd. 1 – All stitches in will be worked in the ring. CH 3 (counts as first DC), DC, CH 1; *2 DC, CH 1*, repeat * to * 4 times; Sl St to top of CH 3 at the beginning of the round. You will have 6 groups of 2DC with CH space between each group.

Rd. 2 – Work in the 1st. CH 1 Space in previous round CH 3, DC, CH 2, 2 DC, CH 1; *in next CH 1 Space work 2 DC, CH 2, 2 DC, CH 1*, Repeat *to* 4 times; Sl St to top of CH 3 at the beginning of the round. You will have 6 groups of (2 DC, CH 2, 2 DC) with a CH space between each group. These groups are the bottom part of your flower petals.

Rd. 3 – Work in the first CH 2 space of the previous round CH 3, 6 DC, CH 1; *in next CH 2 Space work 7 DC, CH 1* Repeat *to* 4 times. Change to Color 3. You will have 6 clusters of 7 DC in each CH 2 space. These clusters are the tops of your flower petals.

Rd. 4 – This is the row that edges each petal made in Rd. 2 & 3. It is worked in SC with a long SC between each petal. Starting at the side of any petal work SC around the petal ( 7 SC) when you reach the CH 1 Space which from Rd. 2 & 3, insert the hook into the the CH 1 space in Rd. 2 and pull up a loop; yarn over and pull thru both loops to complete your long SC. Continue to work 7 SC in each petal cluster and long SC between petals. Sl St to SC at the beginning of the round.

Rd. 5 – CH 3, DC in next 2 St, in next St work (DC, CH 2, DC) (1st. corner of the hexagon), * DC in next 7 St, (DC, CH 2, DC) in next st * Repeat from * to * around ending with a DC in the last 4 st after the 6 corner is worked. Fasten off and set aside.

Now make the 2nd. Flower hexagon using 4 colors for the top shell.

*CH 3 at the beginning of each round counts as the 1st DC of that round

Color 1 – CH 4; join last chain to 1 chain with a slip stitch to form a ring

Rd. 1 – All stitches in will be worked in the ring. CH 3 (counts as first DC), DC, CH 1; *2 DC, CH 1*, repeat * to * 4 times; Sl St to top of CH 3 at the beginning of the round. You will have 6 groups of 2DC with CH space between each group. Change to Color 2

Rd. 2 – Work in the 1st. CH 1 Space in previous round CH 3, DC, CH 2, 2 DC, CH 1; *in next CH 1 Space work 2 DC, CH 2, 2 DC, CH 1*, Repeat *to* 4 times; Sl St to top of CH 3 at the beginning of the round. You will have 6 groups of (2 DC, CH 2, 2 DC) with a CH space between each group. These groups are the bottom part of your flower petals.

Rd. 3 – Work in the first CH 2 space of the previous round CH 3, 6 DC, CH 1; *in next CH 2 Space work 7 DC, CH 1* Repeat *to* 4 times. Change to Color 3. You will have 6 clusters of 7 DC in each CH 2 space. These clusters are the tops of your flower petals.

Rd. 4 – This is the row that edges each petal made in Rd. 2 & 3. It is worked in SC with a long SC between each petal. Starting at the side of any petal work SC around the petal ( 7 SC) when you reach the CH 1 Space which from Rd. 2 & 3, insert the hook into the the CH 1 space in Rd. 2 and pull up a loop; yarn over and pull thru both loops to complete your long SC. Continue to work 7 SC in each petal cluster and long SC between petals. Sl St to SC at the beginning of the round. Change to Color 4.

Rd. 5 – CH 3, DC in next 2 St, in next St work (DC, CH 2, DC) (1st. corner of the hexagon), * DC in next 7 St, (DC, CH 2, DC) in next st * Repeat from * to * around ending with a DC in the last 4 st after the 6 corner is worked.

Rd. 6 – CH 3, DC in each st until you reach the 1st. corner, make 1 DC in the CH 2 Space of Rd. 5; DC in each st to next corner, make 1 DC in CH 2 Space of Rd. 5; Continue around and Sl St to top of CH 3 at the beginning of the round. DO NOT Fasten off. (The hexagon should cup a bit giving it a bit of height)

Rd. 7 – Place Belly hexagon on top of the Top Shell Hexagon wrong sides together. Join top and bottom hexagons together by making a round of SC, hook should go thru Round 6 of top shell and Round 5 of belly hexagon. Stuff before ending Rd. 7. Join with Sl St to beginning SC of the round.

Ruffle Round – *(CH 3, DC) in first st of Rd. 7, Skip 1 st, sl st in next st*. Repeat this pattern all the way around. Sl St to bottom of CH 3 at the beginning of the round. Fasten off and weave in ends.