Cocoa is a chubby little amigurumi reindeer with a warm brown body, a cream muzzle, a shiny red nose, small pointy ears and two little beige antlers. A red cord scarf finishes him off for the holidays.
He uses the same round head and body as our puppy patterns, so the shaping is all simple single crochet. The antlers are just two small tubes sewn together. Step-by-step photos show every part, and there is a white reindeer version at the end.
Looking for another animal? See all our crochet animal patterns in one place, sorted by farm, wild, ocean, pets and fantasy.
Cocoa the Reindeer Free Crochet Pattern
What You’ll Need
- Sport / fine (size 2) cotton yarn in warm brown, cream, beige, red and dark brown
- 2.5 mm crochet hook (a hook smaller than the yarn label suggests keeps the stitches tight)
- A pair of 10 mm safety eyes
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Tapestry needle, sewing pins and a stitch marker
The finished size depends on your yarn and hook: thicker yarn and a bigger hook make a bigger Cocoa.
Abbreviations (US terms)
- MR magic ring
- sc single crochet
- inc increase: 2 sc in the same stitch
- dec decrease (use the invisible decrease for a smooth finish)
- sl st slip stitch
- ch chain
- R round; the number in brackets is the stitch count at the end of the round
Before You Start
- Work in continuous rounds and move a stitch marker to the first stitch of each round.
- New to safety eyes? See how to attach safety eyes to amigurumi.
- Stuff as you go; this guide on stuffing amigurumi keeps the shapes smooth.
Head
Head (warm brown, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
- R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
- R6: (4 sc, inc) ×6 (36)
- R7: (5 sc, inc) ×6 (42)
- R8-15: sc around (42)
- Insert 10 mm safety eyes between Rounds 12 and 13, 7 stitches apart.
- R16: (5 sc, dec) ×6 (36)
- R17: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
- R18: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
- Stuff the head firmly and keep stuffing as you close.
- R19: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
- R20: (1 sc, dec) ×6 (12)
- R21: dec ×6 (6)
- Fasten off, weave the tail through the front loops and pull the hole closed.
Face and Details
Muzzle (cream, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4-5: sc around (18)
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Embroider the nose over Rounds 1-2, then sew the muzzle between the eyes, stuffing it lightly.
Red nose (red, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: sc around (12)
- Stuff lightly.
- R4: dec ×6 (6)
- Fasten off and sew to the top of the muzzle.
Ears (warm brown, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: (1 sc, inc) ×3 (9)
- R3-4: sc around (9)
- R5: (1 sc, dec) ×3 (6)
- Do not stuff. Flatten the ear.
- Close: 3 sc through both layers (3)
- Fasten off and sew to the sides of the head over Round 6, pointing outwards.
Antlers: main piece (beige, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2-9: sc around (6)
- Stuff lightly. Leave the end open to sew.
Antlers: branch (beige, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2-4: sc around (6)
- Stuff lightly and sew to the side of each main antler piece, halfway up.
Body and Limbs
Body (warm brown, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
- R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
- R6-10: sc around (30)
- R11: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
- R12-13: sc around (24)
- R14: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
- R15: sc around (18)
- Stuff firmly. Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the body to the head.
Legs (dark brown, then warm brown, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3-4: sc around (12)
- Change to warm brown.
- R5: (4 sc, dec) ×2 (10)
- R6-8: sc around (10)
- Stuff the foot lightly, then flatten the top.
- Close: 5 sc through both layers (5)
- Fasten off and sew the legs to the bottom front of the body so the toy sits.
Arms (dark brown, then warm brown, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: (2 sc, inc) ×2 (8)
- Change to warm brown.
- R3-9: sc around (8)
- Stuff only the bottom half. Flatten the top.
- Close: 4 sc through both layers (4)
- Fasten off and sew to the sides of the body just below the neck.
Tail (cream, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: sc around (12)
- Stuff lightly.
- R4: dec ×6 (6)
- Fasten off and sew to the back of the body near the bottom.
Scarf (red, make 1)
- Ch 46. Row 1: sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (45)
- Fasten off. Wrap the cord around the neck and tie a loose knot at the side, letting the ends hang.
Assembly
- Sew the cream muzzle below the eyes and the red nose on top of it.
- Sew the antlers to the top of the head, 8 stitches apart, and the ears just below them.
- Sew the head to the body.
- Sew the legs to the bottom front so the reindeer sits, then the arms below the neck.
- Sew the little cream tail at the back and tie the red scarf around the neck.
For invisible seams, follow how to sew amigurumi pieces together, and for the nose see how to embroider faces on amigurumi.
Make a White reindeer
Make the head, body, arms and ears in white, the antlers in light gold and the scarf in green. Keep the red nose.
FAQ
How do I keep the antlers upright?
Stuff them firmly but not tight, and sew all the way around the base. A few stitches through the branch into the main piece keep it from drooping.
Can I make Cocoa without antlers?
Yes. Leave them off and add round ears instead for a sweet little deer or bear cub.
Is it safe for babies?
Safety eyes can come loose with hard play. For a baby, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead.
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