Amigurumi Birthday Turtle – Crochet Pattern

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Party like it’s your birthday with this adorable, fun, fast and easy amigurumi turtle pattern! The “shell” is made to look like the sweetest little cupcake with sprinkles – complete with a cherry on top! So whether you’re looking for a birthday gift for a friend or family member, or want to commemorate your own special day with something cute, this Birthday Turtle is the answer! There are only a few pieces to this amigurumi, and only a handful of stitches used. So it’s perfect for advanced beginner / new crocheters and experienced ones alike! And you can make this turtle in two sizes – regular and large plushie sized!!!

Amigurumi Birthday Turtle

Guess what? My very own birthday is just around the corner! And I also have a friend who has an almost-Halloween birthday like myself. So I had lots of inspiration to make something fun, cute and birthday-themed this week! I love the idea of combining cute animal amigurumi with foods (see my Ice Cream Octopus pattern for proof!!!), and turtles are no exception. Their shells are just MADE for customization, right?! So feel free to get creative and customize this little critter with things like different “flavors” of icing like chocolate or red velvet, adding different decorative motifs like flowers, etc.! And since you can make this shelled sweetie in two different sizes, there’s even more room for personalizing it to your birthday loved one!

Whatever size you end up making your turtle in, be sure to have some fiberfill stuffing on hand! This pattern doesn’t use a ton, so this giant bag from Amazon will help you make tons of turtles!!!

Looking for the ad-free PDF copy of this pattern? Find it in my shop HERE!

Supplies
Size D/3 – 3.25 mm crochet hook
Size H/8 – 5.0 mm crochet hook
Size L/11 – 8 mm crochet hook
Size N/P/15 – 10 mm crochet hook
Small Size:
*Medium weight green yarn – about 90 yds (Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Dusty Green used in photos)
*Medium weight white yarn – about 40 yds (Red Heart Super Saver in White used in photos)
*Light or medium weight variegated yarn – about 40 yds (Bernat Baby Coordinates in Candy Baby used in photos)
*Medium weight beige yarn – about 30 yds (Red Heart with Love in Tan used in photos)
*Medium weight yarn in red – about 10 yds (Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red used in photos)
*Small amount of medium weight pink yarn – less than a yd (Red Heart Soft Baby Steps in Strawberry used in photos)
Large Size:
*Super Bulky weight green yarn – about 90 yds (2 skeins of Lion Brand Hometown USA in Oklahoma City Green used in photos)
*Super Bulky weight white yarn – about 40 yds (Lion Brand Hometown USA in New York White used in photos)
*Medium weight variegated yarn – about 4 yds (Red Heart Super Saver in Retro Stripes used in photos)
*Super Bulky weight yarn in beige – about 30 yds (Lion Brand Hometown USA in Houston Cream used in photos)
*Super Bulky weight yarn in red – about 10 yds (Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Cranberry used in photos)
*Medium weight yarn in black – about 10 yds (Red Heart Super Saver in Black used in photos)
*Small amount of Super Bulky weight pink yarn – less than a yd (Lion Brand Hometown USA in Providence Pink used in photos)
*Small amount of medium weight yarn in white – less than a yd (Red Heart Super Saver in White used in photos)

1 pair of 10 mm safety eyes (for small size)
Fiberfill stuffing
Yarn Needle (if making large size – one with a large eye)
Scissors

Abbreviations
*= indicates beginning/end of a section to be repeated
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
Hdc = half double crochet
Rem = remaining
Rep = repeat
Rnd(s) = round(s)
Sc = single crochet
Sc2tog = single crochet 2 together
Sl st = slip stitch
St(s) = stitch(es)

Gauge
Exact gauge is not essential to this project.

Size
Small Size: about 7 inches in length from head to tail; Large Size: about 13 inches from head to tail 

Notes
Turtle can be made in small or large size.
To make Small Size, use yarns listed for “Small Size” above, and 3.25 and 5 mm crochet hooks where noted throughout pattern.
To make Large Size, use yarns listed for “Large Size” above, and 8 and 10 mm crochet hooks where noted throughout pattern.

How to Make This

Instructions
Head
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up at the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – with 3.25 or 8 mm hook and green yarn, make a magic ring. 6 sc in ring. (6 sc)
Rnd 2 – 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)
Rnd 3 – *2 sc in next st, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (18 sc)
Rnd 4 – *2 sc in next st, sc in 2 next sts.* Rep from * to * around. (24 sc)
Rnd 5- *2 sc in next st, sc in 3 next sts.* Rep from * to * around. (30 sc)
Rnds 6 – 8 – sc in each st around. (30 sc)
Rnd 9 – *3 sc in next st. Sc in next 6 sts.* Rep from * to * once more. 3 sc in next st. Sc in last 15 sts. (36 sc)
Rnds 10 – 13 – sc in each st around. Attach safety eyes if making small size, and begin stuffing piece. (36 sc)
Rnd 14 – *sc2tog over next 2 sts.* Rep from * to * around. (18 sc)
Rnd 15 – *sc2tog over next 2 sts. Sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. Finishing stuffing. Squeeze piece together while decreasing to help prevent gaps in sts (first photo below). (12 sc)
Rnd 16 – *sc2tog over next 2 sts.* Rep from * to * around. (6 sc)
Rnd 17 – Sc2tog over next 2 sts. Leave rem sts unworked. (5 sc)
Fasten off, leaving long tail to use for sewing rem gap. (Second photo below shows finished piece.)

Leg (make 4)
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up at the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – with 3.25 or 8 mm hook and green yarn, make a magic ring. 6 sc in ring. (6 sc)
Rnd 2 – 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)
Rnd 3 – *2 sc in next st, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (18 sc)
Rnds 4 – 6 – sc in each st around. (18 sc)
Rnd 7 – *sc2tog over next 2 sts. Sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (12 sc)
Rnds 8 – 10 – sc in each st around. (12 sc)
Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing

Tail
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up at the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – with 3.25 or 8 mm hook and green yarn, make a magic ring. 6 sc in ring. (6 sc)
Rnd 2 – *2 sc in next st, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (9 sc)
Rnd 3 – sc in each st around. (9 sc)
Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing.

Shell
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up at the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – with 5 or 10 mm hook, and one strand of white yarn held together with one strand of variegated yarn, make a magic ring. 6 sc in ring. (6 sc)
Rnd 2 – 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)
Rnd 3 – *2 sc in next st, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (18 sc)
Rnd 4 – *2 sc in next st, sc in 2 next sts.* Rep from * to * around. (24 sc)
Rnd 5- *2 sc in next st, sc in 3 next sts.* Rep from * to * around. (30 sc)
Rnd 6 – *2 sc in next st, sc in 4 next sts.* Rep from * to * around. (36 sc)
Rnds 7 – 8 – sc in each st around. (36 sc)
Rnd 9 – working in FLO (first photo below), *2 hdc in next st, 2 hdc in st after that. Sl st in next st (second photo below).* Rep from * to * 9 more times. Leave rem 6 sts unworked.
Fasten off. (Third photo below shows finished piece.)

Belly
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up at the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – with 3.25 or 8 mm hook, attach beige yarn in one of the rem loops from Rnd 9 of Shell (first photo below); ch 1. Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts. Rep from * to * 4 more times. Working in BLO of sts unworked from Rnd 9 of Shell (second photo below), rep from * to * once more. (30 sc)
Rnd 2 – *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts.* Rep from * to * 5 more times. (24 sc)
Rnd 3 – *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts.* Rep from * to * 5 more times. (18 sc)
Rnd 4 – *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * 5 more times. (12 sc)
Rnd 5 – *Sc2tog over next 2 sts.* Rep from * to * around. (6 sc)
Rnd 6 – *Sc2tog over next 2 sts.* Leave rem sts unworked. (5 sc)

Cherry
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up at the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – with 3.25 or 8 mm hook and red yarn, make a magic ring. 6 sc in ring. (6 sc)
Rnd 2 – *2 sc in next st, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (9 sc)
Rnd 3 – sc in each st around. (9 sc)
Rnd 4 – *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st.* Rep from * to * around. (6 sc)
Rnd 5 – Sc2tog over next 2 sts. Leave rem sts unworked. (5 sc)
Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing.

Eye (for Large Size only; make 2)
This piece is worked in continuous rnds; do not join. You may wish to use a stitch marker and move it up and the beginning of each new rnd.
Rnd 1 – With Black, make a magic ring. 5 sc in ring. (5 sc)
Rnd 2 – 2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep around. (10 sc)
Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing.
Eye Sparkle
With White, make several vertical lines near edge of Eye. Make several smaller lines to the side for smaller sparkles. Tie off White ends on back of Eye.

Finishing
Sew Head to Shell with back of Head facing unworked sts from Rnd 9 of Shell (first photo below). Press Legs and Tail flat and arrange as seen in second photo below and sew to outer edges of Belly, near Rnd 1 of Belly and Rnd 9 of Shell (third photo below). Sew Cherry to top of Shell near Rnd 1. With pink yarn on needle, sew a few horizontal lines below each eye for Blush (fourth photo below). Weave in all ends and/or tie knots and hide inside sts. (Fifth and sixth photos show finished piece.)

Here is the finished Turtle!

I hope you enjoyed crocheting this Birthday Turtle along with me today. If you love fun, free patterns like this one, then please be sure to sign up for my email list to keep up to date with all my latest designs:

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Happy Crocheting!

COPYRIGHT:

This pattern is owned by Crafty Kitty Crochet (Melissa Moore). Any reselling or distribution of this pattern is prohibited. Sale of items made using this pattern is welcomed, but I do ask that credit/a link be provided back to my site, craftykittycrochet.com.