Leo the Lion Amigurumi For Easy Crochet Fun
Finished Size: Approximately 10 inches (25 cm) tall and 7 inches (18 cm) wide
Skill Level: Beginner
Estimated Time: 2-4 hours
Hook Size: 3.5 mm
Yarn: worsted yarn
Notions: Yarn needle, stitch marker, polyfill
Gauge: Approximately 12 sc x 14 rounds = 4 inches with 3.5 mm hook
Why This Pattern Is Worth Your Time
This Leo the Lion amigurumi is a toy worked in golden yellow, rust orange, white, and brown. You will crochet the head, mane, body, muzzle, nose, eyes, ears, arms, legs, tail, tail tuft, tail tip, and the mouth. The instructions use basic stitches like single crochet, increases, and decreases, with clear round-by-round counts.
Use the pattern card as your material checklist before starting. Safety eyes give a polished look. It stands upright on its own. Keep your tension even, count stitches at the end of shaping rounds, and check the placement notes before sewing pieces together for a clean handmade result.
Important Notes Before Beginning
Everything You Need to Make This
| Material | Details |
|---|---|
| Yarn | worsted yarn in golden yellow, rust orange, white, brown, black, tan, rust, rust brown |
| Hook | 3.5 mm crochet hook |
| Stuffing | Polyfill or fiberfill |
| Eyes | Safety eyes or embroidery thread |
| Extras | Yarn needle, stitch markers, scissors |
Gauge: Approximately 12 sc x 14 rounds = 4 inches with 3.5 mm hook. Not critical but aim for tight, even stitches, if stuffing shows through, go down one hook size.
The Stitches, Explained
Note: This pattern uses US crochet terms. All rounds are worked in continuous rounds unless stated otherwise. Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sc | Single crochet |
| inc | Increase (2 sc in same stitch) |
| dec | Decrease (sc 2 together) |
Crochet Along: Full Instructions
head, golden yellow yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
Rnd 6: sc around (30)
Rnd 7: sc around (30)
Rnd 8: (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)
Rnd 9: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Rnd 10: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)
Rnd 11: dec around (6)
Rnd 12: fasten off, close hole (6)
Switch to rust orange yarn for the mane.
mane, rust orange yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 5: sc around (24)
Rnd 6: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Rnd 7: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)
Rnd 8: dec around (6)
Rnd 9: fasten off, close hole (6)
Switch to golden yellow yarn for the body.
body, golden yellow yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 5: (11 sc, inc) x 2 (26)
Rnd 6: sc around (26)
Rnd 7: sc around (26)
Rnd 8: sc around (26)
Rnd 9: sc around (26)
Rnd 10: sc around (26)
Rnd 11: (11 sc, dec) x 2 (24)
Rnd 12: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Rnd 13: (1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)
Rnd 14: dec around (6)
Rnd 15: fasten off, close hole (6)
Switch to white yarn for the muzzle.
muzzle, white yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: (1 sc, inc) x 3 (9)
Rnd 3: sc around (9)
Rnd 4: (1 sc, dec) x 3 (6)
Rnd 5: fasten off, close hole (6)
Switch to brown yarn for the nose.
nose, brown yarn
Embroider the nose with black thread after the eyes are placed.
Work a small triangular satin stitch centered between the eyes, about 8 mm wide.
Switch to black yarn for the eyes.
eyes (make 2), black yarn
Use 6 mm safety eyes or embroidered eyes; place them on the upper half of the head, about one eye-width apart.
If using safety eyes, insert the posts before closing the head opening and secure the backs firmly on the inside.
If embroidering, work two small black satin stitches, then add a tiny white stitch highlight if desired.
Switch to golden yellow yarn for the ears.
ears (make 2), golden yellow yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: (2 sc, inc) x 2 (8)
Rnd 3: sc around (8)
Rnd 4: sc around (8)
Rnd 5: sc around (8)
Rnd 6: (2 sc, dec) x 2 (6)
Rnd 7: fasten off, close hole (6)
arms (make 2), golden yellow yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 3 (2 sc, inc) x 2 (17)
Rnd 4: sc around (17)
Rnd 5: sc around (17)
Rnd 6: sc around (17)
Rnd 7: sc around (17)
Rnd 8: sc around (17)
Rnd 9: sc around (17)
Rnd 10: sc around (17)
Rnd 11: sc around (17)
legs (make 2), golden yellow yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: sc around (18)
Rnd 5: sc around (18)
Rnd 6: sc around (18)
Rnd 7: sc around (18)
Rnd 8: sc around (18)
Rnd 9: sc around (18)
Rnd 10: sc around (18)
Rnd 11: sc around (18)
tail, golden yellow yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: sc around (6)
Rnd 3: sc around (6)
Rnd 4: sc around (6)
Rnd 5: sc around (6)
Rnd 6: sc around (6)
Rnd 7: sc around (6)
Rnd 8: sc around (6)
Rnd 9: sc around (6)
Switch to rust orange yarn for the tail tuft.
tail tuft, rust orange yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: sc around (6)
Rnd 3: sc around (6)
Rnd 4: sc around (6)
Rnd 5: sc around (6)
Rnd 6: sc around (6)
Rnd 7: sc around (6)
Rnd 8: sc around (6)
Rnd 9: sc around (6)
Rnd 10: fasten off, close hole (6)
tail tip, rust orange yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
Rnd 2: sc around (6)
Rnd 3: sc around (6)
Rnd 4: sc around (6)
Rnd 5: sc around (6)
Rnd 6: sc around (6)
Rnd 7: sc around (6)
Rnd 8: sc around (6)
Rnd 9: sc around (6)
Rnd 10: fasten off, close hole (6)
Switch to brown yarn for the mouth.
mouth, brown yarn
Embroider the mouth with black or dark brown thread after the eyes are placed.
Use a single curved satin stitch or back stitch, centered below the eyes and about 1.5 cm wide.
Final Stitch Counts
- head: 30 stitches at widest point
- mane: 24 stitches at widest point
- body: 26 stitches at widest point
- muzzle: 9 stitches at widest point
- nose: See pattern
- eyes (x 2): See pattern
- ears (x 2): 8 stitches at widest point
- arms (x 2): 17 stitches at widest point
- legs (x 2): 18 stitches at widest point
- tail: 6 stitches at widest point
- tail tuft: 6 stitches at widest point
- tail tip: 6 stitches at widest point
- mouth: See pattern
Final Assembly, Step by Step
1. Stuff head, body firmly with polyfill. Shape the stuffing as you go, pressing and molding to create a natural form. Add extra stuffing to the center for a rounded shape, less near the edges for a tapered look.
2. Sew muzzle to the front of the head. Center between the eyes, slightly below the eye line. Stuff lightly with polyfill before closing for a 3D effect. Pin in place before sewing to check alignment from all angles.
3. Embroider the nose with black thread centered between the eyes. Work a small triangular satin stitch about 8 mm wide.
4. Attach eyes to the head. Position on the upper half of the head, spaced about one eye-width apart. Secure firmly with embroidery thread or fabric glue. Embroider a small line below each eye for a more expressive look.
5. Sew ears to the sides of the head. Position on the upper sides of the head, angled outward. Pin in place before sewing to check alignment from all angles. Use the long tail left for sewing and whipstitch around the base.
6. Sew mouth to the head. Pin in place before sewing to check positioning. Use whipstitch for a secure attachment.
7. Sew arms to the body. Position symmetrically on each side. For arms: attach at the upper third of the body, angled slightly outward. For legs: attach at the base, spaced evenly apart so the figure stands balanced. Pin in place, check from front and side views, then sew firmly with whipstitch.
8. Sew legs to the body. Position symmetrically on each side. For arms: attach at the upper third of the body, angled slightly outward. For legs: attach at the base, spaced evenly apart so the figure stands balanced. Pin in place, check from front and side views, then sew firmly with whipstitch.
9. Sew tail to the body. Position symmetrically on each side. For arms: attach at the upper third of the body, angled slightly outward. For legs: attach at the base, spaced evenly apart so the figure stands balanced. Pin in place, check from front and side views, then sew firmly with whipstitch.
10. Sew tail tuft to the body. Align the flat edge against the body and whipstitch along the seam. Leave the outer edge free for a natural, dimensional look.
11. Attach tail tip to the body. Secure firmly with embroidery thread. Position eyes on the upper half of the head, spaced about one eye-width apart. Embroider a small line below each eye for a more expressive look.
12. Sew mane in place following the reference photo. Pin first to check positioning, then whipstitch with matching yarn, weaving in the ends securely.
13. Sew tail tuft in place following the reference photo. Pin first to check positioning, then whipstitch with matching yarn, weaving in the ends securely.
14. Sew tail tip in place following the reference photo. Pin first to check positioning, then whipstitch with matching yarn, weaving in the ends securely.
15. Check all seams are secure. Gently tug each attached piece to test. Trim any loose yarn ends with sharp scissors. Weave in all remaining tails with a needle, passing through at least 3 stitches in each direction to prevent unraveling. Give the finished piece a gentle squeeze to distribute stuffing evenly and shape the final form.
Maker Tips and Keeping It Clean
These tips will help you crochet a clean, well-finished toy:
- Blocking matters: A quick steam block transforms crooked pieces into professional-looking ones.
- Consistent tension: Keep your gauge even throughout. Looser stitches show gaps; tighter ones make stiff fabric.
- Swatch first: Make a small a small practice piece before starting. It saves time and disappointment later.
- Count every round: A single missed increase or decrease changes the entire shape. Count before moving on.
- Use stitch markers: Place one in the first stitch of every round, it is the easiest way to stay on track.
- Color management: Carry unused colors inside your work instead of cutting and rejoining frequently.
Leo the Lion amigurumi:
- Hand wash in cool water with mild detergent, no machine washing.
- Air dry flat, away from direct sunlight. Sun fades colors faster than you think.
- Block lightly after washing to keep the finished shape crisp.
- Spot clean small stains with a damp cloth instead of washing the whole piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this beginner-friendly?
This pattern uses basic stitches. If you can do single crochet, increases, and decreases, you can make this.
Can I sell items made from this pattern?
Yes, you can sell finished items. Please credit the pattern and don't share the pattern itself.
What yarn should I use?
The pattern works with DK or worsted weight yarn. Cotton for crisp stitches, acrylic for softness.
How long does this take?
Plan for 2-4 hours depending on your experience. First-timers should budget more time.
Can I make this in a different size?
Change your hook size and yarn weight to scale up or down. See the pattern card for size guidance.
I keep losing count, any tips?
Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round. Count at the end of each round before moving on.
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