Hannah the Hippo Crochet Pattern (Free!) -

Bring a splash of color to your crochet collection with this lovable crochet hippo pattern! Hannah the Hippo is fun and whimsical; she can customized in a variety of colors to match your personal style. The pattern includes detailed instructions to guide you through the process—I’m excited to share it with you today!

Scroll down for the free pattern, or purchase a print-optimized PDF here

crocheted toy hippo pattern

Hippos are a fascinating animal. Did you know they are the third largest land mammal? Or that they can create their own natural sunscreen?

I found quite a few interesting hippo facts when I was making this pattern.

This design is a bit more tame and cuddly than real hippos actually are, so I thought why not learn some actual facts while making it? 😉

Save this pattern for later by pinning to Pinterest

How Do You Crochet a Stuffed hippo?

This crocheted hippo is made in the amigurumi style. We’ll start by making all the parts separately—legs, arms, body, etc.—and then we’ll stuff them and sew them all together!

Overall, this hipppo isn’t too hard to make; it includes standard amigurumi techniques like the invisible decrease, but nothing unexpected.

Join the Amigurumi Challenge

This pattern is apart of the Amigurumi Challenge, a month-long crochet-along in May 2023 where we are making animals together in a supportive community!

Make sure to come join the CAL here (you can join with a free or VIP ticket—the VIP ticket includes PDFs of 12 animal crochet patterns, plus exclusive video tutorials!)

And while you’re at it, check out my other amigurumi crochet patterns, Felicity the Frog , Chloe the Cat, Douglas the Dog, Elsie the Elephant, Levi the Lion, Giana the Giraffe, Paige the Panda, Dolly the Deer, Kaley the Koala, Walter the Whale, and Piper the Penguin!

Hannah The Free Crochet Hippo Pattern

Without further ado, let’s start making this cute amigurumi hippo for your stuffed animal collection!

Explanation: Hannah the Hippo is just waiting to get on your hook! She is a fun amigurumi project since she can be customized in a variety of colors to suit your style. You’ll just need some DK or worsted weight yarn to get started!

Materials:

DK weight yarn: approx.100 grams purple, and less than 25 grams in white
3.5mm crochet hook
You can also try using worsted weight yarn & a 4 or 4.5mm hook, but the plushie size will vary depending on your tension.
8-mm black safety eyes (or embroider the eyes for children under 3)
Fiber filling
Yarn needle & stitch marker

Gauge and Tension:

Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern. Keep tension normal—do not work with a loose tension. You can always adjust your hook size if need be. For example, if you crochet loosely and you find the amigurumi is looking holey, go down a hook size.

Notes:

All body parts are crocheted separately and then sewn together according to the finishing instructions.
All parts are made in continuous rounds. Do not join at the end of each round unless otherwise specified.
Turning chain does not count as a stitch.
Place a stitch marker at the end of each round and move it up as you go.
When a number is placed after a stitch it means that you should single crochet in each of the next number of stitches. (i.e. sc 7 means single crochet in each of next 7 sts)
You will need to know how to change colors in amigurumi to make this pattern (in just one small spot). Learn the different color change methods here. You can use whichever method you like best.

Measurements/Sizing:

Height: 8-9”

Abbreviations/Stitches Used (U.S.)

Chain – ch

Slip stitch – sl st

Single crochet – sc

Half double crochet – hdc

Repeat – rep

Stitch(es) – st(s)

Single crochet increase – inc

Invisible decrease – inv dec

Round – rnd

Special Stitches:

Invisible single crochet decrease (inv dec): video tutorial here

Insert hook into front loop of first stitch, insert hook into front loop of the next stitch, yarn over, pull through both sts (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all loops on hook to complete stitch.

Single Crochet Increase (inc):

Make 2 sc in indicated stitch.

Amigurumi Toy Hippo Instructions & Tutorial

Purchase & Print this Crochet Pattern Right Here!

Legs – Make 2 in white and purple

Chart for first 3 rounds of foot:

With white, ch 4.

Rnd 1: Inc in second ch from hook, sc 1. (Inc) 2x in last ch. Turn to work along opposite side of ch. Sc 1, inc. (10)

Rnd 2: (Inc) 2x. Sc 1, (inc) 4x. Sc 1, (inc) 2x. (18)

Rnd 3: Inc, sc 1, inc, sc 3. (Inc, sc 1, inc) 2x. Sc 3. Inc, sc 1, inc. (26) Change to purple on last st.

Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. (26)

Rnd 5: Sc 2, (Sc 3, inc) x6. (32)

Rnd 6: Sc in each st around. (32)

Rnd 7: Sc 9, (inv dec) x8. Sc 7. (24)

Rnd 8: Sc 9, (inv dec) x4. Sc 7. (20)

Rnds 9-13: Sc in each st around. (20)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not sew closed.

Bottom of foot and finished legs:

Arms – Make 2 in purple

Ch 7.

Rnd 1: Inc in second ch from hook. Sc 4. 3 sc into last ch. Turn to work on opposite side of ch. Sc 5. (14)

Rnd 2: Sc in each st around.(14)

Rnd 3: (Sc 6, inc) x2. (16)

Rnd 4: (Sc 7, inc) x2. (18)

Rnds 5-9: Sc in each st around. (18)

Rnd 10: (Sc 7, inv dec) x2. (16)

Rnds 11-15: Sc in each st around. (16)

Rnd 16: (Sc 6, inv dec) x2. (14)

Rnd 17: Sc in each st around. (14)

Rnd 18: (Sc 5, inv dec) x2. (12)

Rnd 19: (Sc 4, inv dec) x2. (10)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Sew the opening closed.

White part of the arm – make 2

With white, make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3 (does not count as a st). Hdc 8. Sl st to first hdc. (8)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, (2 hdc in next st) 8x. Sl st in first hdc. (16)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, (4 hdc into next st, hdc 7) x2. Sl st to the top of the first hdc. (22)

Fasten off. Sew onto the arms (see arms with white part below).

Body – in purple

Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 8 sc into ring. (8)

Rnd 2: (Inc) 8x. (16)

Rnd 3: (Inc, sc 1) x8. (24)

Rnd 4: (Inc, sc 2) x8. (32)

Rnd 5: (Inc, sc 3) x8. (40)

Rnd 6: (Inc, sc 4) x8. (48)

Rnds 7-11: Sc in each st around. (48)

Rnd 12: (Inv dec, sc 4) x8. (40)

Rnds 13-14: Sc in each st around. (40)

Rnd 15: (Inv dec, sc 3) x8. (32)

Rnds 16-17: Sc in each st around. (32)

Rnd 18: (Inv dec, sc 2) x8. (24)

Rnds 19-21: Sc in each st around. (24)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not sew closed.

Body:

Nose – Make 2 in purple

Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: (Sc 1, hdc 2, sc 1) into ring.

Fasten off.

Nose:

Tail – in purple

Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc into ring. (6)

Rnds 2-15: Sc in each st around. (6)

Fasten off.

Filling with stuffing is optional—whatever you prefer. Sew the opening closed.

Tail:

Head – in purple

Ch 6.

Rnd 1: Inc in second ch from hook, sc 3. 4 sc in last ch. Turn to work opposite side of ch. Sc 3. Inc in last st (same space as first st of rnd). (14)

Rnd 2: (Inc) 2x, sc 3. (Inc) 4x, sc 3. Inc in last 2 sts. (22)

Rnd 3: (Sc 10, inc) x2. (24)

Rnd 4: (Sc 3, inc) x6. (30)

Rnds 5-8: Sc in each st around. (30)

Rnd 9: (Sc 3, inv dec) x6. (24)

Rnds 10-11: Sc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 12: (Sc 2, inc) x8. (32)

Rnd 13: (Sc 3, inc) x8. (40)

Rnd 14: (Sc 4, inc) x8. (48)

Rnds 15-16: Sc in each st around. (48)

Attach eyes between rnd 14 and 15, with 11 sts in between.

Rnd 17: (Sc 4, inv dec) x8. (40)

Rnd 18: Sc in each st around. (40)

Rnd 19: (Sc 6, inv dec) x5. (35)

Rnd 20: (Sc 5, inv dec) x5. (30)

Rnd 21: (Sc 4, inv dec) x5. (25)

Rnd 22: (Sc 3, inv dec) x5. (20)

Rnd 23: (Sc 2, inv dec) x5. (15)

Fill with stuffing.

Rnd 24: (Sc 1, inv dec) x5. (10)

Rnd 25: (Inv dec) x5. (5) Fasten off. Sew the opening closed.

Head:

Ears – make 2 in purple & 2 in white

Ear chart:

With white, make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 8 sc into ring. (8)

Rnd 2: (Inc) x8. (16)

Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) x8. (24)

Fasten off.

With purple, repeat rnds 1-3. This time, do not fasten off. Place the white ear on top of the purple ear and work into both pieces together. Sc 24 around the ear, working through the white AND purple sts. Join with a sl st, then fasten off. (See below for photo help)

Finishing

Attach ears to head between rnd 17 and 19 pinching bottom together a little to curl the ear forward.
Attach nose pieces between rnd 4 and 5 on each side.
Attach arms, legs and tail onto the body.
Attach head to body.

FAQ

How do I make a small crochet hippo?

While this hippo isn’t designed to be too small, you can adjust the size by changing the hook and yarn you use! For example, using a fingering or sport weight yarn and a smaller hook will result in a much smaller hippo.

Is this pattern toddler friendly?

Yes, this stuffed hippo is toddler friendly, except the eyes are not ideal. If you’re making this for a small child, I recommend embroidering them on rather than using safety eyes.

What is an african flower crochet hippo?

One specific kind of trending crochet hippo is made from 5-sided flower motifs. It results in a really unique looking hippo (though it is definitely not anything like amigurumi). Here is an example of this kind of hippo.

Can I make this into a crochet hippo lovey?

Yes, you could use this pattern to make a cute hippo lovey! You’ll only need to make the head, ears, and nose. Sew them together like usual, then attach the finished head onto a larger granny square or square of your choice.

Conclusion

Hanna the Hippo is a fun and easy crochet pattern. The end result is a huggable and unique hippo that is sure to be a treasured addition to any stuffed animal collection. So grab your crochet hook and yarn, and start creating your own colorful hippo today!