Amigurumi Cheetah and Snow Leopard Crochet Pattern – absolutely free! This pattern lets you bring the majestic beauty of these big cats to life with your own hands.
With intricate details capturing their distinctive spots and sleek contours, these amigurumi creations are a joy to make and display. Whether you’re passionate about wildlife or simply love crafting, our pattern offers clear instructions and helpful tips, suitable for crocheters of all skill levels.
Large measures 15″(38 cm) tall when using a D hook Mini cheetah measures 8 inches(20 cm) tall using a D hook
Size:
- 15 inches from bottom of foot to top of head with weight 4 yarn and a 3.25 mm hook
Skill Level Needed:
- Intermediate- suitable for novice crocheters, requires patience and precisions when assembling the cheetah and basic crochet skills.
Abbreviations:
- mr= magic ring- crochet single crochet stitches in to the
- adjustable loop BLO= back loops only
- ch= chain stitch inc3= 3 sc in the same stitch
- sc= single crochet stitch F/O= fasten off
- sl= slip stitch
- dc= double crochet stitch
- inc= increase- make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch
- dec=decrease- crochet two stitches together using the decrease method
- (4 sc, inc) x 6= repeat the pattern between parentheses 6 times
Materials Needed:
- Yarn: Worsted Weight #4, approximately 150g of main color, 50g of accent colors
- Color A: Yellow, Color B: Black, Color C: White, Color D: Dark Yellow, Color E: Gray
- Hook Size: D Hook or 3.25 mm
- 15 mm safety eyes, 15 mm safety eye lids, 26 mm safety nose(all purchased at glass eyes
- online.com)
- Scissors, sewing needle, stitch marker, fiberfill stuffing
- Black embroidery thread, black fabric paint markers(optional), felt(optional)
Notes:
- Do not join rounds unless stated, work in a continuous spiral
- Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round
- All stitches are worked in both loops unless stated otherwise in the pattern
Head:
Crocheted from front of nose to back of head
Starting with Color C:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- (3 sc, inc) x 6= 30
- (4 sc, inc) x 6= 36
Change to Color A:
7-10. sc in each st around - (3 sc, inc) x 6, 12 sc= 42
- (4 sc, inc) x 6, 12 sc= 48
- (5 sc, inc) x 6, 12 sc= 54
- (6 sc, inc) x 6, 12 sc= 60
15-23. sc in each st around
Place the safety eye lid behind the eye. It will stay on once you put the backs of the eyes on
later. Make sure the larger side of the eye lid is on top of the eye. Place eyes between rounds
13 and 14, leaving 14 holes between them. 1st eye is placed after the 2nd increase between
rounds 13 and 14. Count 14 holes after the first eye and place the 2nd eye. If you want the
sunken eye look, do not place the backs until round 28. Place nose in between rounds 4 and 5
in between the eyes.
TIP! You may have to adjust the eye placement depending on yarn and hook size you use. - (8 sc, dec) x 6= 54
- sc in each st around
- (7 sc, dec) x 6= 48
- (6 sc, dec) x 6= 42
- (5 sc, dec) x 6= 36
Now for the eyes. Stuff the head well. Cut a long piece of yarn and remove the eyes. Place the
needle in the hole where the first eye was and thread the needle into a hole next to the eye
hole. Go back and forth between each eye hole repeating the process from the first eye. Pull
slightly on the yarn after going through each hole. Do this about 3 times on each side until you
reach the look you want. Follow the pictures for help. There is also a youtube video I have for
extra help on this process. Make sure the eyelid is positioned correctly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XoBnTY6k70&t=55s
To place the backs of the eyes you will need to remove most of the stuffing to place the
washers on the eyes then re stuff it. - (4 sc, dec) x 6= 30
- (3 sc, dec) x 6= 24
- (2 sc, dec) x 6= 18
- (sc, dec) x 6= 12
- Dec x 6= 6
F/O and sew the hole closed
Body:
With Color A:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- (3 sc, inc) x 6= 30
- (4 sc, inc) x 6= 36
- (5 sc, inc) x 6= 42
- (6 sc, inc) x 6= 48
- (7 sc, inc) x 6= 54
- (8 sc, inc) x 6= 60
- 11-15. sc in each st around
- (8 sc, dec) x 6= 54
- sc in each st around
- (7 sc, dec) x 6= 48
- sc in each st around
- (6 sc, dec) x 6= 42
- sc in each st around
- (12 sc, dec) x 3= 39
- sc in each st around
- (11 sc, dec) x 3= 36
- sc in each st around Start stuffing the body
- (10 sc, dec) x 3= 33
- sc in each st around
- (9 sc, dec) x 3= 30
- sc in each st around
- (8 sc, dec) x 3= 27
- sc in each st around
- (7 sc, dec) x 3= 24
- sc in each st around
- (6 sc, dec) x 3= 21
- sc in each st around
- (5 sc, dec) x 3= 18
- sc in each st around
- F/O and leave a long tail for sewing
Arms(Make 2):
With Color D:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- (3 sc, inc) x 6= 30
- (4 sc, inc) x 6= 36
- Change to Color A:
- BLO sc in each st around
- Sc in each st around
- 7 sc, (dec, 2 sc) x 5, dec, 7 sc= 30
- 7 sc, (dec, sc) x 5, dec, 6 sc= 24
- Sc in each st around
- (6 sc, dec) x 3= 21
- Sc in each st around
- (5 sc, dec) x 3= 18
- 15-16. Sc in each st around Start stuffing the legs
- 17. Dec, 16 sc= 17
- 18-19. Sc in each st around
- 20. Dec, 15 sc= 16
- 21-22. Sc in each st around Stop stuffing the arms
- 23. Dec, 14 sc= 15
- 24-25. Sc in each st around
- 26. Dec, 13 sc= 14
- 27-28. Sc in each st around
- 29. Dec, 12 sc= 13
- 30-31. Sc in each st around
- 32. Dec, 11 sc= 12
- 33-34. Sc in each st around Fold the arms in half and sc the opening closed. F/O and leave a long tail for sewing
Legs(Make 2):
Starting with Color D:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- (3 sc, inc) x 6= 30
- (4 sc, inc) x 6= 36 Change to Color A:
- BLO sc in each st around
- 8-10. sc in each st around
- (2 sc, dec) x 4, 20 sc= 32
- (sc, dec) x 4, 20 sc= 28
- dec x 4, 20 sc= 24
- (10 sc, dec) x 2= 22
- sc in each st around
- (9 sc, dec) x 2= 20
- Sc in each st around
- (8 sc, dec) x 2= 18
- Sc in each st around Start stuffing the legs
- (7 sc, dec) x 2= 16
- Sc in each st around
- (6 sc, dec) x 2= 14 Stop stuffing the legs
- Sc in each st around
- (5 sc, dec) x 2= 12
- Sc in each st around
- Fold the legs in half and sc the opening closed. F/O and leave a long tail for sewing
Ears(Make 2 in Color C, 2 in Color A):
Starting with Color C ears:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- (inc3, sc) x 23 = 12
- sc, (inc3, 3 sc) x 2, inc3, 2 sc= 18
- 2 sc, (inc3, 5 sc) x 2, inc3, 3 sc= 24 Do not F/O the Color A ears!
Place the back sides of Color C and Color A ears together. Start single crocheting around the edges to connect them together: 8 sc, Change to Color B: 7 sc, Color A: 9 sc F/O and leave a long tail for sewing
Tail for Cheetah:
Starting with Color B:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- sc in each st around
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- sc in each st around Change to Color A:
- 7-9. sc in each st around Stuff the tail as you work
- 10. (6 sc, dec) x 3= 21
- 11-13. sc in each st around
- 14. (5 sc, dec) x 3= 18
- 15-19. sc in each st around
- 20. (4 sc, dec) x 3= 15
- 21-30. sc in each st around
- 31. (3 sc, dec) x 3= 12 Stop stuffing the tail
- 32-36. sc in each st around
- F/O and leave a long tail for sewing
Belly for Leopard:
With Color C:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- (3 sc, inc) x 6= 30
- (4 sc, inc) x 6= 36
- (5 sc, inc) x 6= 42
- (6 sc, inc) x 6= 48
- Sc in each st around
F/O and leave a long tail for sewing
Tail for Snow Leopard:
Starting with Color C:
- Make 6 sc into a magic ring= 6
- Increase in each st around= 12
- sc in each st around
- (sc, inc) x 6= 18
- (2 sc, inc) x 6= 24
- sc in each st around Change to Color E:
- 7-9. sc in each st around Stuff the tail as you work
- 10. (6 sc, dec) x 3= 21
- 11-13. sc in each st around
- 14. (5 sc, dec) x 3= 18
- 15-19. sc in each st around
- 20. (4 sc, dec) x 3= 15
- 21-30. sc in each st around
- 31. (3 sc, dec) x 3= 12 Stop stuffing the tail
Assembly
Head and Body:
- Cut a long strand of black embroidery thread. Thread your needle and insert the needle into a hole in between the eyes. Bring the needle up to a corner of the eye. Wrap the needle down to the side of the nose. Bring the needle back up the the corner of the eye to make a facial line. Repeat again. Repeat for the 2nd eye and weave in the tail ends.
- Pin the head onto the body for extra support. You may need to add more stuffing as you sew.
- Sew the head onto the body.
- If you are doing the snow leopard. Pin the belly onto the front of the body and sew on.
Arms
- Mark 3 spots on the top of the paw approximately between rounds 10 and 11. Leave 2 holes between them. Thread your needle with a long strand of black embroidery thread. Insert the needle into a hole on the arm and bring the needle up to a pinned spot. Insert the needle into a hole on the bottom of the paw. Repeat for the next 2 claws. Weave in the tail ends.
- Pin the arm in a forward facing angle. There are no particular rows I place them on as it depends on how you stuff, shape, etc. its just better to judge how you want them.
- Sew the arm onto the body.
Legs:
- Repeat the claw process from the arms on the legs.
- Turn the body upside down with the nose facing away from you.
- Pin the legs onto the bottom of the body approximately between rounds 5 and 6.
- Sew the legs onto the body.
Ears:
- Pin the ears onto the top of the head approximately between rounds 22 and 23.
- Sew the ears onto the the head.
Tail:
- Pin the tail onto the back of the body approximately between rounds 14 and 15.
- Sew the tail onto the body.
Spots:
You have a few options for spots here. You can use a tweed yarn like the snow leopard. You can use felt like I did for the cheetah: Cut lots of small circles out of black felt and hot glue them all over the body. You can also use a fabric marker and draw them on. I do not have a particular type of brand I use. Its just whatever as long as its not alcohol based. You can also embroider them.
You have your finished Savannah the Cheetah!