Free Crochet Lion Pattern – Easy Amigurumi Lion

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Say hello to the newest crochet stuffy in the A Crafty Concept stuffy family! This is the Issac Lion. This cutie works up quickly and is a perfect beginner project if you are wanting to try amigurumi.

If you like this design be sure to check out the Ava Bunny, the Doxie Chicken and the Mia Moo Moo patterns as well! They are all made in the same style.

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may receive a small commission from purchases made at no extra cost to you.

Here is what you will need to make your own crochet lion.

MATERIALS (WITH CLICKABLE LINKS)

G (4.0mm) Crochet Hook
– Scissors
– 2 colors of worsted weight yarn. One for the main body color and one for your stripes. You’ll also need about 12 inches of black yarn for the mouth.
– 15mm Safety Eyes
 Tapestry Needle
– 4 Sewing Pins
– Polyfil

*I have linked most of the supplies I used in the materials section above.

Stitches

CH- Chain
SC- Single Crochet 
INC- Increase (in this case- 2 SC in the same stitch)
DEC- Decrease, in this case, invisible decrease (explained below)
SLST- Slip Stitch
* To be repeated

SPECIAL STITCHES

  • Magic Circle –We will be using the Magic Circle method for this crochet pattern. If you are unfamiliar with this technique I will link a good YouTube video for you here.
  • Invisible Decrease – invisible single crochet decrease – insert hook into front loop of next stitch, then insert your hook into the front loop of the following stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 remaining loops on hook.  
  • Continuous Rounds – This pattern is worked in continuous rounds without joining. After you finish the stitches of one round, start right on the next without joining between. I find it handy to use a stitch marker (or a piece of yarn) to mark the start of each round so you know when each round starts/ends.
  • Color Changes – change colors at the end of the round. Complete last single crochet of the round until the last yarn over. Yarn over with new color and pull through last step of the single crochet. So your single crochet will go like this: insert hook into last stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over with new color, pull through both loops on hook.  

BEFORE YOU START– IMPORTANT

If you do plan on selling these cuties in your shop (either online or at markets), And I hope you do, I would include a warning that it is made with small pieces and children under 3 should be supervised when playing with them.

The safety eyes and safety noses are in there REALLY GOOD and they’re super hard to pull apart after you snap them shut, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Alternatively, if you would rather stitch on the eyes of your Issac Lion  here is a cute embroidered eye tutorial from Grace and Yarn

You can purchase the ad-free PDF here for only $3.00.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

ok onward to the crochet lion pattern!

CROCHET LION PATTERN: Issac Lion

Starting with your first leg and using your body color worsted weight yarn.

Round 1: SC 6 into magic circle (6)

Round 2: INC in each stitch around (12)

Round 3: INC, SC* around 6 times (18)

Round 4: INC, SC, SC* around 6 times (24)

Rounds 5-13: SC in each stitch around (24)

SLST into the next space and tie off. Sew in your tails.

Repeat rounds 1-13 for your second leg, but do not SLST at the end or cut your yarn and tie off.

Sew in your tails you made when starting each foot.

We are going to start Round 14 working on the second leg- this will be the first round of our chicken body.

If you need help with this part you can check out the Doxie Chicken or Ava Bunny pattern videos on my Youtube. They are all made the same way. 

Round 14: SC 24 (leave in your stitch marker after the 24th SC.)

Grab your first leg and place a SLST in the SLST from where you tied off in Round 13 of leg 1.

SC in the same space where you SLST to tie off Round 13 from leg 1.

So you are slip stitching into a slip stitch- then putting a single crochet into the same space where the original slip stitch was. If this is confusing please refer to the video that goes with this pattern.

This is the best way I could get it where there wasn’t a hole between the two legs that would have to be stitched closed. If you prefer to stitch up a small hole that’s totally fine. The main thing is round 14 has 48 stitches total, 24sc for the first leg and 24sc for the second leg.

SC 23 more times around the leg. (48 stitches total in Round 14)

SLST into the same space as your 24th sc from Round 13 on leg 2. (where your stitch marker is.) CH 1.

None of the slip stitches count as a stitch, they’re just creating the desired shape of our chicken.

Round 15-31: SC around (48)

Before we start our decreases we’re gonna do a few things. Pull up a big loop from your working yarn so you don’t accidentally pull out any stitches.

Sew in all your tails using a tapestry needle. (I show how I do this on the video that goes with this pattern)

If you want to do embroidered eyes just skip the next few steps and go down to where it says “ok back to our crochet lion body”.

For this crochet lion stuffy, I am going to embroider sleepy eyes because I don’t have any safety eyes at the moment. But If you want to use safety eyes I will put the instructions below.

Stuff the bottom half of your lion with polyfill.

Find the center of your lion’s face to help you line up your eyes.

Tip: I like to use a piece of yarn to help me find the center.

Position the Eyes centered and between Rounds 27 and 28. I usually have about 3-5 stitches between my eyes. Depending on which size eyes I have.

Ok back to our crochet lion body!

Insert your hook back into the loop you left up and begin Round 32.

Round 32: SC 6, DEC* around 6 times (42) – remember I prefer the invisible decrease method here for a cleaner look.

Round 33: SC 5, DEC* around 6 times (36)

Round 34: SC 4, DEC* around 6 times (30)

Round 35: SC 3, DEC* around 6 times (24)

Finish stuffing your chicken.

Round 36: SC 2, DEC* around 6 times (18)

Add any more stuffing if necessary.

Round 37: SC 1, DEC* around 6 times (12)

Round 38: DEC around 6 times (6) Cut your yarn leaving a long tail for sewing.

Thread your tail onto a tapestry needle and close the top of your chicken by picking up the front loop of every stitch and pulling your tail through all the loops. (I show how to do this in the video that goes with this pattern)

Finish sewing in your tail.

Ears

Make 2

Round 1: SC 6 into magic circle (6)

Round 2: INC in each stitch around (12)

Rounds 3-6: SC in each stitch around (12) \

SLST in the next stitch.

Tie off leaving a long tail for attaching to your lion. Sew in your first tail.

Cheeks

Make 2.

Round 1: SC 6 into magic circle (6)

Round 2: INC in each stitch around (12)

Round 3: INC, SC* around 6 times (18)

SLST in the next space leaving a long tail for attaching to your lion. Sew in your first tail.

Using your mane color yarn and a tapestry needle, cut off a long piece of yarn and sew on “specks” for your lion’s cheeks. This part is optional but I like the look of it 🙂

Pro tip: I don’t sew my specks tails in, I gently knot them together on the back and they stay put.

Mane

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Using your Mane color- CH 60.

Join into the first chain to make a circle. Be sure not to get your chain twisted. CH 1.

Starting in the space where you just joined, SC in each stitch around (60)

I like putting my single crochet’s in the back bump of the chain but that’s just personal preference.

Join into the top of your first SC. Again, be careful not to get your work twisted. CH 1.

Skip 2 CH spaces and place 6 DC in the next space.

Skip two stitches, and SLST in the next stitch. This is our first scallp of our mane.

Repete all the way around ending with a SLST into the CH 1 you made at the beginning of the row.

Those instructions again are below.

*SK 2, 6DC together, SK 2, SLST*

SLST into the CH 1 you made at the beginning of the row and tie off leaving a tail long enough to sew your mane onto your lion.

Sew in your first tail.

Crochet Lion Assembly

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

First, attach your cheeks. Find the center of your lion face and use pushpins to hold your cheeks in place.

Once you get them where you like them, use a tapestry needle and sew them on using the whip stitch.

Whip Stitch: Insert your needle into the body of the lion, then out one of the cheek stitches. Repeat all the way around.

Next, we are going to embroider the nose.

Crochet Lion Nose

Using your tapestry needle and a long piece of nose color yarn, insert your needle into the head of the lion.

It doesn’t matter where, just make sure you’re going between 2 stitches and not in the middle of one. This will make tieing off easier.

Poke your needle back out of your lion face where you want the bottom tip of your nose to be.

Insert your needle to the top right side of the point you just made, creating the right side of your nose triangle, and pop out at the top left-hand corner of your nose triangle.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Push your needle back into the bottom tip point creating the left side of your nose.

Come back out at the top of the right side of your nose and go back in at the top of the left side of your nose.

Pop back out at the bottom tip of your nose. You should now have a triangle shape.

Fill in your triangle by going in and out of your lion face with your yarn.

If the top is messy you can make one more horizontal bar between the right and left top points to hide any mess.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Once your nose is finished push your needle back into the body of the lion’s face and come out where you originally started (between the stitches remember?)

Tie a knot with your two tails then hid them into the body of your lion by pulling them out the back and cutting.

I am going to embroider sleepy eyes on my lion since I didn’t have any safety eyes on hand. This is also a good option if you don’t want any extra choking hazards.

Assembly Continued

Now it’s time to attach your ears.

Using push pins, line your ears up on the top/side of your lion head. Sew them on and hid your tail.

Lay your mane on the face of your lion. Make any adjustments then use a few pushpins to hold it in place.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.

Using your tail and a tapestry needle, attach your mane using the whip stitch and going around the inside of the ring.

Tie off and hide your tail.

Learn how to make a beginner-friendly amigurumi lion by following this free crochet lion pattern with step-by-step photos.


3 thoughts on “Free Crochet Lion Pattern – Easy Amigurumi Lion

  1. Pixie says:

    I love the lion 🦁 I’m going to make some for my great granddaughters. Thank you so much for the patterns:)

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