Maple is a chubby little fox who sits on his round bottom with a big bushy tail curled beside him. He has a white muzzle, tall ears with black tips, black paws and a soft white tummy, plus a teal cord scarf.
Like all our round friends, he is worked in simple single crochet. The tail is just a tube that changes colour. Step-by-step photos show every part, and at the end you can make a snowy Arctic fox with the same pattern.
Looking for another animal? See all our crochet animal patterns in one place, sorted by farm, wild, ocean, pets and fantasy.
Maple the Fox Free Crochet Pattern
What You’ll Need
- Sport / fine (size 2) cotton yarn in orange, white, black and teal
- 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 Maple.
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 (orange, 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 (white, 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.
Ears (black, then orange, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- Change to orange.
- R2: (1 sc, inc) ×3 (9)
- R3: (2 sc, inc) ×3 (12)
- R4-5: sc around (12)
- Do not stuff. Flatten.
- Close: 6 sc through both layers (6)
- Fasten off and sew to the top of the head over Rounds 4-6 so they stand up.
Body and Limbs
Body (orange, 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.
Tummy (white, make 1)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3: (1 sc, inc) ×6 (18)
- Slip stitch to join and fasten off. Sew to the front of the body.
Legs (black, then orange, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: inc ×6 (12)
- R3-4: sc around (12)
- Change to orange.
- 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 (black, then orange, make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
- R2: (2 sc, inc) ×2 (8)
- Change to orange.
- 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 (white, then orange, 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)
- Change to orange.
- R6-9: sc around (18)
- R10: (1 sc, dec) ×6 (12)
- R11-12: sc around (12)
- Stuff lightly. Flatten.
- Close: 6 sc through both layers (6)
- Fasten off and sew to the back of the body so the tail curls round to one side.
Scarf (teal, 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 white muzzle below the eyes and embroider a black nose.
- Sew the ears to the top of the head so they stand up.
- Sew the white tummy to the front of the body, then sew the head to the body.
- Sew the legs to the bottom front so the fox sits, then the arms below the neck.
- Sew the bushy tail at the back so it curls to one side, and tie the teal scarf.
For invisible seams, follow how to sew amigurumi pieces together, and for the nose see how to embroider faces on amigurumi.
Make a Arctic fox
Make the head, body, ears, arms and tail in white and the paws and ear tips in light grey. Use a red scarf.
FAQ
How do I make the tail stand out?
Stuff it lightly so it stays soft, then sew only the flat end to the body. Tack the tip to the side of the body so it curls round.
Which yarn works best?
A smooth sport-weight cotton shows the stitches clearly and keeps the shape. Velvet yarn makes a softer, cuddlier toy but hides the stitches.
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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