Crochet an Amigurumi Seahorse

Amigurumi is a fun, whimsical approach to crochet that lets you create a whole host of cute and cuddly animals. And there’s no animal that is quite as whimsical as the seahorse.

The seahorse looks like it was dropped onto our planet by a passing alien spaceship, making it one of the most interesting creatures to patrol the ocean. And one of the best ways to get up close and personal with one of these fascinating fish is to crochet a seahorse. Here’s how. 

No matter the project, one of the best crochet tips you can follow is to use a pattern. Crochet patterns are step-by-step instructions created by professionals that will help you get all the proportions right and ensure your project is the best it can be.

If you’re looking for step-by-step instructions for how to crochet a mini seahorse along with your pattern, you’re in luck—Skillshare has a class with a full video tutorial for an amigurumi seahorse.

Choosing a color is a fine starting point, but there are several other things to consider when you’re looking for yarn. 

A yarn’s weight refers to its thickness and is measured on a zero to seven scale—the higher the number, the thicker the yarn. Stick to the yarn size suggested by your pattern, as a different thickness will drastically alter your final project. 

Yarns are also made from different fibers. The most common and least expensive is acrylic yarn, but you can also find yarn made of wool, cotton, silk, and even bamboo.

Crochet hook and yarn go hand in hand—quite literally—so it’s important to have the right one. Hook sizes use a letter designation where A is the smallest and N is the largest. 

Yarns work only with a certain range of hook sizes. For example, a size 4 yarn works best with hook sizes H-K. Again, always check your pattern for a suggested hook.

Do seahorses have bones? No one really knows for sure, but your amigurumi seahorse does need something to keep its shape. 

Polyfill is a stuffing that is easy to find at your local craft store. You can also use cotton batting, cotton balls from the pharmacy, or the insides of that old pillow you’ve been meaning to throw away.

Amigurumi has become so popular that there are easy-to-use plastic eyes available at many craft stores. You simply put the post of the eye through the appropriate stitch, and it stays in place with a washer on the back.

You can also make eyes with plastic beads or just simple black yarn.

Here are some evergreen crochet tools that you’ll always need on hand:

Whether you’re an amigurumi beginner or an old pro, it always helps to review your pattern before you start. Amigurumi projects use some techniques that may be new to any crocheter. 

Thankfully, this Skillshare class provides a video tutorial, so you can pause if you come across any of the trickier parts. 

Creating three-dimensional shapes requires you to work in the round. Once you finish a row, you have to chain one to get to the next row.

The sphere of the head uses a technique called an increase. To do an increase, you put two stitches in the row directly below them. What this does is increase the diameter of your circle. You also need to decrease—creating two stitches with the same top—to close the sphere.

Right before you finish the sphere, add the eyes, along with polyfill to the head to give it some structure.

For this amigurumi seahorse pattern, the head and body are made in one piece. So, after decreasing into the neck, you’ll begin increasing again to form the body.

The techniques used here are the same as for the head, you’re just making a slightly different shape—it’s more of an egg than a sphere. And of course, you can’t forget the stuffing!

After completing the body, it’s time to decrease into a taper for the tail. This time, you won’t be using the stuffing before you close off the end.

Instead, you curl the tail end and, using your tapestry needle, sew through both the top of the curl and the back of the tail. This serves two purposes: It holds the curl in place, and the added thickness provides the structure you normally would get from the stuffing. Once you finish off your yarn, you’ve completed the main body!

The seahorse’s mouth uses the same techniques as the body but on a much smaller scale. When sewing it onto the face, make sure it’s centered between the eyes, or your amigurumi seahorse will look like it bumped into a coral reef.

The fins are made by crocheting in the straight instead of in the round, making them easier to finish. Just like the mouth, make sure to sew them onto the main body in the right spot.

The real fun part about this amigurumi seahorse is that it’s a simple design that is extremely customizable—you can make an entire rainbow of seahorses with different colored fins, or even adapt the pattern into other amigurumi animals. 

But for now, your seahorse is complete, so saddle up and enjoy your cute little creature of the sea!