Elsie the Amigurumi Crochet Elephant Pattern (Free!)

Welcome the cutest addition to your stuffed animal collection with this amigurumi crochet elephant pattern! Elsie the Elephant is adorable and perfect for cuddling. I can’t wait to share the free pattern with you today!

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

Elephants have always had a special place in my heart since they are my mom’s favorite animal. Growing up she had a collection of ceramic and glass elephants that I would love looking at.

So this elephant crochet pattern is a tribute to her—she loves the final design and I hope you do too!!

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Large crochet Elephant Pattern

This crocheted elephant is a good size stuffed animal, at 8-9″ in height (unlike some of the other elephant patterns out there which result in tiny elephants).

It is made in the amigurumi style, with all the body parts made separately, stuffed, and then sewn together.

I used DK weight yarn but you can use worsted or even chunky yarn if you want an even larger elephant!

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!)

You can also check out my other amigurumi crochet patterns: Felicity the Frog, Douglas the Dog, Chloe the Cat, Levi the Lion, Hannah the Hippo, Giana the Giraffe, Paige the Panda, Dolly the Deer, Walter the Whale, Kaley the Koala, and Piper the Penguin!

Amigurumi Crochet Elephant Pattern

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

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Explanation: An adorable amigurumi project to make: Meet Elsie the Elephant! Elsie can be made from DK or worsted weight yarn, and she would make the perfect plushie for a little girl or boy in your life!

Materials:

• DK weight yarn: approx. 100 grams in light gray, and 25 grams in dark gray
• 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.
• 12-mm black safety eyes (or embroider 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:

1. All body parts are crocheted separately and then sewn together according to the finishing instructions.
2. All parts are made in continuous rounds. Do not join at the end of each round unless otherwise specified. 
3. Turning chain does not count as a stitch. 
4. Place a stitch marker at the end of each round and move it up as you go.
5. 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)

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)

Back loop single crochet – blsc 

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. 

Half Double Crochet Increase (hdc inc):

Make 2 hdc in indicated stitch. 

Easy Crochet Elephant Instructions

Purchase & Print this Crochet Pattern Right Here!

Legs – Make 2 in light gray

Chart for first 3 rounds:

Make a magic ring.                                                            

Rnd 1: 8 sc into magic ring. (8) 

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (16) 

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

Rnd 4: Blsc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 5: Sc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 6: (Sc 6, inv dec) x3. (21)

Rnd 7: (Sc 5, inv dec) x3. (18)

Rnd 8: (Sc 4, inv dec) x3. (15)

Rnds 9-15: Sc in each st around. (15)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not close the opening.

First 3 rounds + finished legs:

Arms – Make 2 in light gray

Make a magic ring.                              

Rnd 1: 8 sc into the magic ring. (8) 

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (16) 

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

Rnd 4: Blsc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 5: (Sc 4, inv dec) x3. Sc in last 6 sts. (21)

Rnd 6: (Sc 3, inv dec) x3. Sc in last 6 sts. (18)

Rnd 7: (Sc 2, inv dec) x3. Sc in last 6 sts. (15)

First 7 rnds of arms:

Rnds 8-12: Sc in each st around. (15)

Rnd 13: (Sc 3, inv dec) x3. (12)

Rnd 14: Sc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 15: (Sc 2, inv dec) x3. (9)

Rnds 16-17: Sc in each st around. (9)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing until row 12. Sew the opening closed (see picture). Give the feet 3 “toes” by drawing a strand of yarn from below the blsc up to rnd 6. Do this twice, spaced apart by about 6 sts.

Arms unclosed and closed:

Body – in light gray

Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 8 sc into magic ring. (8) 

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (16) 

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

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

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

Rnd 6: (Inc in next st, 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)

Rnd 19 and 20: Sc in each st around. (24)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not close the opening.

Finished body:

Tail – in light gray and dark gray

With light gray, ch 3.

Rnd 1: 2 sc into the second ch from hook. 3 sc into next ch. Turn to work on the other side of the ch. 1 sc into other side of ch. (6) 

Rnds 2-10: Sc in each st around. (6)

Fasten off. Sew the opening closed (do not fill with stuffing). Cut some pieces of yarn from the dark gray and attach them into the first rnd of the tail like fringe.

Finished tail:

Trunk – in light gray

Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 8 sc into magic ring. (8)

Rnd 2: Sc in each st around. (8)

Rnd 3: Sl st in next 4 sts, sc 4. (8)

Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. (8)

Rnd 5: Rep round 3. (8)

Rnd 6: Sl st in next 4 sts. Inc in each of the next 4 sts. (12)

Rnd 7: Sl st in next 4 sts, sc 8. (12)

Rnd 8: Sl st in next 4 sts, hdc 8. (12)

Rnd 9: Sl st in next 4 sts. (Hdc 3, hdc inc) x2. (14)

Rnd 10: Sc 4, hdc 10. (14)

Rnd 11: Sl st in next 4 sts. (Hdc 4, hdc inc) x2. (16)

Rnd 12: Sc 4, hdc 12. (16)

Rnd 13: Sl st in next 4 sts. (Hdc 3, hdc inc) x3. (19)

Rnd 14: Sc 4, hdc 15. (19)

Rnd 15: Sl st in next 4 sts, hdc 15. (19)

Rnd 16: Hdc in each st around. (19)

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

Ears – Make 2 in dark gray & 2 in light gray

Starting with dark gray yarn, make a magic ring.

Row 1: Ch 2, 8 hdc into magic ring. Ch 2 and turn. (8)

Row 2: Make 2 hdc in each st. Ch 2 and turn. (16)

Row 3: (Hdc 1, 2 hdc in next st) x8. Ch 2 and turn. (24)

Row 4: (Hdc 2, 2 hdc in next st) x8. (32)

Fasten off.

For light gray ears, follow rnds 1 to 4 above. Do not fasten off. Place the dark gray ear on top of the light gray ear and work into both pieces together. Work the following rnd below to join them together.

Joining Row: Ch 1, sc in next 7 sts (working through the layers of both ears). 4 sc in next st. Sc in next 16 sts, 4 sc in next st. Sc in last 7 sts. Fasten off.

Placing the dark gray ear on the light gray ear and working into both pieces together:

Ears before and after joining:

Head – in light gray

Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 8 sc into magic ring. (8) 

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (16) 

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

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

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

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

Rnds 7-12: Sc in each st around. (48)

Attach eyes between round 4 and 5, with 10 sts in between them.

Rnd 13: (Sc 6, inv dec) x6. (42)

Rnd 14: (Sc 5, inv dec) x6. (36)

Rnd 15: (Sc 4, inv dec) x6. (30)

Rnd 16: (Sc 3, inv dec) x6. (24)

Rnd 17: (Sc 2, inv dec) x6. (18)

Begin stuffing here.

Rnd 18: (Sc 1, inv dec) x6. (12)

Rnd 19: (Inv dec over next 2 sts) x6. (6) 

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

Finishing:

• Attach trunk and ears to the head.
• Join head and body together.                                                         
• Attach arms, legs, and tail. 

FAQ

How long does it take to crochet an elephant?

The time it takes to crochet an elephnat will depend on your skill level and how fast you crochet. Because there are a lot of parts to make for this elephant, it will probably take at least a few days.

What stuffing should I use for my crochet elephant?

Polyester stuffing is the most common stuffing used for amigurumi. It is lightweight, easy to find and is hypoallergenic.

Can I make this a small crochet elephant?

Yes, you can make this a mini crochet elephant by using a smaller hook and yarn: for example, sport or fingering weight. However, you can also find an elephant pattern that is designed to be smaller, since this one is 8-9″.

Is this pattern suitable for small children?

This elephant is a great stuffy for children. Just make sure you look out for the eyes. I recommend embroidering the eyes if a toddler is going to be the recipient.

Conclusion

Elsie the Elephant is an adorable and realistic elephant using standard amigurumi techniques. When you’re finished making her, you will find she is perfect for snuggling, and a great gift for children. So what are you waiting for? Bring the magic of the savanna to your home with this cute elephant crochet pattern!