Amigurumi Tips and Tricks

I often hear that amigurumi looks too difficult and assembly is too hard. Anyone can learn to crochet, just like anyone can learn to crochet amigurumi! I’ve put together by favorite amigurumi tips to get you started on the right foot, or to advance your amigurumi skills!

If you have any favorite amigurumi tips to add to this list, leave them in the comments below!

First let’s start off with, what is amigurumi? — Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting stuffed toys.

How to get started with amigurumi? If you are brand new to crochet and amigurumi, I recommend checking out my free amigurumi for beginners course, which includes all the details that you need to know to get started crocheting amigurumi.

Use a Smaller Hook

Probably the most important of my crochet tips for amigurumi is to use a smaller hook! When working amigurumi, you should always use a smaller hook than what is recommended on the label. The reason to size down is to keep your stitches as tight as possible, to ensure that no stuffing is showing through your finished projects.

On every yarn label, you’ll see a small icon that looks like a little skein of yarn with a number on it. This indicates the yarn weight. Every yarn is broken up into one of the following categories.

Each yarn label will recommend a hook size based on the yarn weight. For example, a skein of WeCrochet’s Brava Worsted recommends hook sizes 5.25mm (I) through 6.5mm (K). This is my go-to yarn for amigurumi and I use a 4mm (G) hook when making amigurumi with this yarn.

In addition to using a smaller than the recommended hook size, you’ll also want to consider your tension. If you are someone who crochets fairly loosely, you may want to go even smaller in hook size. Whereas if you are someone who crochets very tightly, you might not need to go down quite as far. This is something you would only be able to know for sure through trial and error.

Size down based on the yarn label and then adjust your hook size accordingly, as needed. This may be slightly different for every yarn that you use, even if they are in the same yarn weight category. You can read more about that in my full post on choosing a hook size for amigurumi.

It’s great to have a full set of crochet hooks on hand so that you can easily adjust your hook size whenever you need! My absolute favorite hooks are the Clover Amour hooks, and a great, budget friendly alternative to the Clover hooks are WeCrochet’s Bright set.

Use Stitch Markers

One of the most important amigurumi tips for beginners is to use stitch markers. When you are working in continuous rounds, you do not join the end of each round with a slip stich; you just keep working round and round. This means that without counting every single stitch as you work, it is nearly impossible to keep track of which row you are on. This leads me to my next amigurumi tip… stitch markers. This is how you can keep count of every stitch while you’re busy watching your favorite Netflix show!

Stitch markers are a life saver. After you work your first stitch of the round you are working on, you loop your stitch marker through the top, and then continue working your round. When you get back to the stitch marker, take it out, work your first stitch of the next round, and insert the stitch marker into the top of that stitch. Stitch markers are great for various crochet projects, not only amigurumi.

I prefer locking stitch markers so that they don’t slip out. I have sets of stitch markers available in my shop, and I also really like these plastic stitch markers.

Learn the Invisible Decrease

Learning the single crochet invisible decrease can be an absolute game changer and one of the best amigurumi tips. All of my amigurumi patterns recommend using the invisible decrease.

You may see increases and decreases written a few different ways. In my patterns, I use 2 SC for a single crochet increase, or SC2tog for a since crochet decrease. Other patterns may use INC and DEC – in which you would do the increase or decrease in whatever stitch that you are working in the pattern, so this could be for single crochets, double crochets, etc.

SC2tog (using invisible decrease method): Insert hook into front loop of the first stitch. Insert hook into front loop of second stitch. Yarn over. Draw through the first two loops on hook. Yarn over. Draw through both loops on hook.

If you want to learn more about the single crochet invisible decrease, check out the full post with photo and video tutorials.

Learn Seamless Color Changes

Have you ever been making a color change that leaves a noticeable step up in the color? This next of my crochet tips for amigurumi is to use a seamless color change technique. This allows you to discreetly change from one color to the next. With a simple change in how you join your next color, you can make the color changes almost impossible to detect.

Check out the full post on the seamless color change to learn how!

Use a Row Counter

While a row counter is certainly not a necessity, it is very useful. Especially when you are working several rows of single crochet that can all blend together. Rather than going back and counting your rounds, you can just click the button on your row counter after you complete each round so that you don’t lose your place! This isn’t just an amigurumi tip, you can use a row counter for all sorts of crochet projects.

You can find a row counter just like the one that I use here. I love that it wraps around your finger like a ring so that you don’t misplace it every time you put it down – we all know how easily that can happen. Where did my hook go?! 🙂

Don’t over Stuff

When it comes time to add stuffing to your finished crochet pieces, it can be hard to know just how much stuffing to put in. Of course you don’t want to put too little stuffing in and have a super floppy finished piece (unless that’s the look you’re going for). But at the same time, you don’t want to over stuff for one main reason – your stitches will stretch and you’ll be able to see your stuffing poking through.

While the proper hook size typically prevents this from happening, if you stuff your amigurumi with too much poly-fil, that careful hook choice won’t matter at all.

So how do you make sure that you have the right amount? As you stuff, pull your stuffing apart and insert only small bits at a time. This allows you to have better control over the amount of stuffing. Poly-fil stuffing is very packed when you purchase, so you want to properly fluff it back up when it goes in to your creations. Think of it like fluffing your pillow at bed time.

While stuffing, be sure to spread the stuffing around and push it to he sides of your piece so that it is even throughout. I find it helpful to roll the piece in my hand as I stuff to make sure I cover all sides. Keep an eye on your stitches to be sure that you aren’t stretching them out. Your piece should be firm, but not hard. After you stuff your piece, you’ll want to smooth the outside if needed to make sure you don’t have any strange clumps or bumps.

If you are struggling with the head of your amigurumi projects flopping around, check out this post on how to prevent the wobbly head!

Use Pins for Assembly

One of the most important amigurumi tips that I have to share is using pins! The only part of amigurumi that I do not look forward to is assembly, and it is often noted as being the most difficult. However, since I’ve started using pins to assist with assembly, I dread this part just a little less.

There is nothing worse than lining up an arm, sewing it on, and then realizing that you’ve sewn it on crooked. Pins nearly eliminate that from happening. My favorite type of pins to use for assembly are T pins. If you do any blocking, you likely already have these on hand. But any straight pin will do!

I have also recently started using what is often called amigurumi sewing sticks, but they are essentially knitting needles. They can be especially helpful for larger pieces and projects made in plush yarns.

You just simply place your pieces to be sewn where you want them and insert the pins to hold the pieces in place. As you sew, just remove the pins that have been secured. Then when you’re finished, there are no surprises and everything is secured to the same place you wanted it to be.

Have you found any of these amigurumi tips helpful? Do you have any crochet tips that you would add to this list of amigurumi tips for beginners? Leave me a comment below!

More Crochet Tutorials

If you’ve enjoyed this post of amigurumi tips, you may also want to check out some of my other crochet tutorials. Looking for your next project? Check out my post on where to find free crochet patterns, and take a look at my full library of free amigurumi crochet patterns.