Welcome to the slow and steady world of amigurumi! 🐢✨ Today, I’m excited to share my free crochet pattern for a Tortoise—a charming and wise little companion perfect for nature lovers, wildlife-themed collections, or anyone who enjoys crafting adorable plush creatures! 🌿 Whether you love stitching up gentle animals, enjoy making textured and expressive designs, or simply want to add a lovable tortoise to your handmade lineup, this pattern will guide you through creating a beautifully detailed plush friend with a sculpted shell, tiny limbs, and that signature tortoise charm! 🤎
This design embraces soft textures, earthy tones, and intricate shaping to bring a heartwarming touch to your crochet creations! 🧶🏞️ I’ve carefully outlined each step to ensure your Amigurumi Tortoise turns out just right—ready to wander into your collection or become a treasured handmade gift! 🎁 So grab your hooks, pick out warm greens, sandy browns, and soft creams, and let’s stitch up an irresistibly cute tortoise friend! ✨
🐢 Amigurumi Tortoise Crochet Pattern
Meet your new slow and steady friend—the Amigurumi Tortoise! With a beautifully textured shell, sturdy limbs, and sweet eyes, this plush tortoise is a fun project for all animal lovers. Its realistic shape and shell design make it a perfect toy, decor piece, or gift.
✨ Skill Level
Intermediate – Involves color changes, shaping, seaming, and layered construction for the shell.
📏 Finished Size
Approx. 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) long using worsted-weight yarn and a 3.5 mm hook.
🧶 Materials
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Yarn (Worsted weight):
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Olive green (Head, legs, tail, neck)
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Rose pink (Shell scales, bottom shell, toe tips)
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Charcoal gray (Shell gridwork)
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Crochet hook: 3.5 mm
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10–12 mm safety eyes
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Polyfill stuffing
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Tapestry needle
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Stitch marker
🧵 Abbreviations (US Terms)
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MR – Magic Ring
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sc – Single Crochet
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inc – Increase (2 sc in same stitch)
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dec – Decrease (sc 2 together)
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sl st – Slip Stitch
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BLO – Back Loop Only
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FO – Fasten Off
🐢 Head
With green yarn:
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MR, 6 sc
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inc x6 (12)
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(1 sc, inc) x6 (18)
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(2 sc, inc) x6 (24)
5–12. sc around (24) -
(2 sc, dec) x6 (18)
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(1 sc, dec) x6 (12)
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dec x6 (6)
FO, stuff and sew to front of shell.
Attach safety eyes between rounds 7–8, about 8 stitches apart.
🐢 Neck
With green yarn:
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MR, 6 sc
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inc x6 (12)
3–8. sc around (12)
FO, stuff lightly. Sew to head and front shell opening.
🐢 Legs (Make 4)
With green yarn:
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MR, 6 sc
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inc x6 (12)
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(1 sc, inc) x6 (18)
4–8. sc around (18) -
dec x6, sc 6 (12)
10–12. sc around (12)
FO, stuff and sew under the shell.
Toes (make 3 for each leg in pink):
Ch 2, 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, FO and sew on bottom front of each leg.
🐢 Tail
With green yarn:
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MR, 4 sc
2–4. sc around (4)
FO, stuff and sew to back base of shell.
🐢 Shell Base (Bottom)
With pink yarn:
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MR, 6 sc
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inc x6 (12)
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(1 sc, inc) x6 (18)
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(2 sc, inc) x6 (24)
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(3 sc, inc) x6 (30)
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(4 sc, inc) x6 (36)
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(5 sc, inc) x6 (42)
8–10. sc around (42)
FO and set aside.
🐢 Shell Top
With gray yarn:
Work shell center panel first:
Central Hex (Gray + Pink):
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MR, 6 sc
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inc x6 (12)
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(1 sc, inc) x6 (18)
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(2 sc, inc) x6 (24)
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(3 sc, inc) x6 (30)
Switch to pink for texture: -
BLO sc around (30)
FO.
Make 6 shell side plates in the same way (Rounds 1–4 only).
Sew around center hex to form dome.
Join with charcoal gray gridlines:
Use surface slip stitch or sc to “outline” between hexes and form a hexagonal grid.
Shell Border
With pink yarn:
sc around entire shell top for a neat edge.
Then, sew or slip stitch top to base shell, inserting legs, neck, and tail as you go.
✂️ Finishing Touches
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Shape the shell and limbs firmly as you stuff.
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Use invisible stitch to cleanly close the shell seam.
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Add embroidery or shell detailing if desired.
💡 Customization Ideas
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Make in rainbow colors for a whimsical tortoise.
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Add floral motifs or buttons to the shell.
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Use soft velvet yarn for a plushier look.
This sweet slowpoke is ready to crawl into your heart—handmade, huggable, and full of personality! 🧶🐢
