Crochet horse and unicorn amigurumi for your shelf

Amigurumi horse and unicorn. Small hook, DK yarn. About a weekend, start to finish.

Crochet horse and unicorn amigurumi for your shelf
Crochet horse and unicorn amigurumi for your shelf
  • LevelIntermediate
  • Time4-6 hours
  • Hook2 mm
  • YarnDK / Light Worsted

About This Pattern

This pair makes a quiet evening project. One pattern, two outcomes — a horse or a unicorn, built from the same head and body. Each piece is small enough for a lap, worked in tight spiral rounds with a 2mm hook. It needs DK yarn, safety eyes, a little bouclé for the mane, and patience with the stuffing. Nothing about it is loud. It just sits, finished, on a shelf.

In the basket

For Both Versions

Main body color

Muzzle color

Mane

Main body color

Mane chains

Abbreviations

mr
Magic Ring
ch
Chain
sc
Single Crochet
hdc
Half Double Crochet
dc
Double Crochet
sl st
Slip Stitch
inc
Increase (2 sc in same stitch)
dec
Decrease (invisible decrease worked through front loops)
BLO
Back Loop Only
FLO
Front Loop Only
( ) x #
Repeat instructions the indicated number of times

Crochet horse and unicorn amigurumi for your shelf

Head

Work in main color throughout.

Stuff gradually as you work, but lightly — overstuffing will prevent successful eye indentation.

  1. Round 16 sc in mr (6)
  2. Round 2inc x 6 (12)
  3. Round 3(1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
  4. Round 41 sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, 1 sc (24)
  5. Round 5(3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
  6. Round 62 sc, inc, (4 sc, inc) x 5, 2 sc (36)
  7. Round 7(5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)
  8. Round 83 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) x 5, 3 sc (48)
  9. Round 9(7 sc, inc) x 6 (54)
  10. Rounds 10–1754 sc (8 rounds)Insert safety eyes between Rounds 16–17, with 6 visible stitches between them.
  11. Round 18(8 sc, inc) x 6 (60)
  12. Rounds 19–2260 sc (4 rounds)
  13. Round 234 sc, dec, (8 sc, dec) x 5, 4 sc (54)
  14. Round 24(7 sc, dec) x 6 (48)
  15. Round 25(4 sc, dec) x 8 (40)
  16. Round 26(3 sc, dec) x 8 (32)
  17. Round 27(6 sc, dec) x 4 (28)
  18. Round 28(5 sc, dec) x 4 (24)Sl st to close. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Body

  1. Round 16 sc in mr (6)
  2. Round 2inc x 6 (12)
  3. Round 3(1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
  4. Round 41 sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, 1 sc (24)
  5. Round 5(3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
  6. Round 62 sc, inc, (4 sc, inc) x 5, 2 sc (36)
  7. Round 7(5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)
  8. Round 83 sc, inc, (6 sc, inc) x 5, 3 sc (48)
  9. Round 9(7 sc, inc) x 6 (54)
  10. Rounds 10–1454 sc (5 rounds)
  11. Round 15(7 sc, dec) x 6 (48)
  12. Rounds 16–1848 sc (3 rounds)
  13. Round 19(6 sc, dec) x 6 (42)
  14. Rounds 20–2442 sc (5 rounds)
  15. Round 25(5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)
  16. Round 2636 sc
  17. Round 27(4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
  18. Round 2830 sc
  19. Round 29(3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)
  20. Round 3024 scSl st to close. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Arms

Make 2

Begin with hoof color (accent color).

For the horse: work Round 7 in white through both loops; then switch to main color from Round 8 onward. For the unicorn: switch to main color beginning at Round 7.

Work shift stitches as needed to position the color change cleanly at center.

Stuff the arm halfway. Fold the piece flat and sc across through both layers: 6–7 sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

  1. Round 16 sc in mr (6)
  2. Round 2inc x 6 (12)
  3. Round 3(1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
  4. Rounds 4–518 sc (2 rounds)
  5. Round 6(1 sc, dec) x 6 (12)
  6. Round 712 sc
  7. Rounds 8–1612 sc (9 rounds)

Legs

Make 2

Begin with hoof color (accent color). Both the horse and unicorn work identically through Round 8.

For the Horse — continue: switch to white yarn before Round 9.

Horse: switch to main color; work Round 12 in BLO.

Horse: work shift stitches as needed for a centered color change.

Horse: stuff the leg halfway. Fold flat and sc through both layers: 7–8 sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Horse: return to Round 12 (BLO row). Join white yarn and work the edging trim around the exposed front loops: Option 1 — 16 sc evenly around; Option 2 — (2 ch, sl st) repeated to end of round. Fasten off and weave ends inside.

For the Unicorn — continue: switch to main color; work Round 9 in BLO.

Unicorn: work shift stitches as needed for a centered color change.

Unicorn: stuff the leg halfway. Fold flat and sc through both layers: 7–8 sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Unicorn: return to Round 9 (BLO row). Join accent color from the back and work edging: Option 1 — 16 sc evenly around; Option 2 — (2 ch, sl st) repeated to end of round. Fasten off and weave ends inside.

  1. Round 16 sc in mr (6)
  2. Round 2inc x 6 (12)
  3. Round 3(1 sc, inc) x 6 (18)
  4. Round 4(2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
  5. Rounds 5–724 sc (3 rounds)
  6. Round 8(2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
  7. Round 9Horse (7 sc, dec) x 2 (16)
  8. Rounds 10–11Horse 16 sc (2 rounds)
  9. Rounds 12–20Horse 16 sc (9 rounds)
  10. Round 9Unicorn (7 sc, dec) x 2 (16)
  11. Rounds 10–11Unicorn 16 sc (2 rounds)
  12. Rounds 12–20Unicorn 16 sc (9 rounds)

Muzzle

Use off-white for the horse, main color for the unicorn.

Work shift stitches to position yourself at the center front of the muzzle. Sl st to close. Leave a long tail for sewing.

  1. Round 1Ch 6. Work along the chain: 4 sc, 3 sc in last ch; working along the opposite side: 4 sc, 3 sc in last ch (14)
  2. Round 24 sc, inc x 3, 4 sc, inc x 3 (20)
  3. Round 34 sc, (inc, 1 sc) x 3, 4 sc, (inc, 1 sc) x 3 (26)
  4. Rounds 4–526 sc (2 rounds)

Ears

Make 2

Work in main color.

Fold the ear flat and sc through both layers: 6 sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

  1. Round 16 sc in mr (6)
  2. Round 2(1 sc, inc) x 3 (9)
  3. Round 39 sc
  4. Round 4(2 sc, inc) x 3 (12)
  5. Round 512 sc
  6. Round 6(3 sc, inc) x 3 (15)
  7. Rounds 7–815 sc (2 rounds)
  8. Round 9(3 sc, dec) x 3 (12)

Horn — Unicorn Only

Work in hoof/horn color (#83).

  1. Round 16 sc in mr (6)
  2. Round 26 sc
  3. Round 3(1 sc, inc) x 3 (9)
  4. Rounds 4–59 sc (2 rounds)
  5. Round 6(2 sc, inc) x 3 (12)
  6. Round 712 scSl st to close. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Mane — Unicorn

  1. Round 1Chain 45.Fasten off, leaving a long tail for attaching.

Mane — Horse

Cut 15 strands of bouclé yarn, each approximately 40cm long. Cut 2 additional strands in a dark/black color. Attach along the head using a tapestry needle or lark's head knot method.

Tail — Horse

Cut 5 strands of textured yarn, each 20cm long. Attach to the back of the body.

Tail — Unicorn

Chain 20 in each of the 3 mane colors (2 chains per color, 6 chains total). Fasten off each, leaving tails for attachment.

More pictures

Crochet horse and unicorn amigurumi for your shelf — photo 2
Crochet horse and unicorn amigurumi for your shelf — photo 3

Before the first stitch

  1. Check you have enough main color yarn for both head and body — together they run 38 rounds.
  2. Place a stitch marker before Round 1 and move it every round; the spiral has no seam to guide you.
  3. Read Rounds 16–17 of the Head before you start stuffing, so you know where the eyes sit.

Minutes per piece

  • Head and body about 2 hours, because together they run 38 rounds of careful shaping
  • Arms, legs, ears, and finishing about 2 to 3 hours, because of the color change in the arms and the eye indentation step

Other yarns that work

  • Acrylic DK weight Close to the original in drape and stitch definition. Keep the 2mm hook for the same firm fabric.
  • Cotton DK weight Gives a crisper, less stretchy stitch. You may need a slightly larger hook, and stuffing will show more if tension loosens.

Where it ends up

  • A shelf piece next to other small animals, for a quiet collected look.
  • A gift for a child who already has a favorite stuffed animal, to sit beside it.
  • A desk companion, paired with a small dish for pins or paperclips.

Joining up

  1. Step 1 Eye indentation: Thread a needle from the base of the neck up through the head. Pull the thread out beside one eye, pass the needle back through beside the other eye, with the thread running along the underside. Pull gently to create the indentation and knot securely. Repeat for a second pass: bring the thread up from the neck join to the inner corner of each eye separately, pulling and knotting to deepen the indent on each side.
  2. Step 2 Attach the muzzle between the eyes and snout area; lightly stuff with polyfill before closing. Embroider eye whites, eyelashes, brows, and nose in the appropriate embroidery colors.
  3. Step 3 Attach ears folded in half between Rounds 7–8 on the head. Tack them again 2 rounds above for stability.
  4. Step 4 Attach the horn (unicorn only) between the ears; secure firmly.
  5. Step 5 Sew arms to the body between Rounds 28–29.
  6. Step 6 Sew legs to the body between Rounds 10–11.
  7. Step 7 Attach the mane along the top of the head down to the neck. For the unicorn, use the chain lengths; for the horse, secure each strand of bouclé individually.
  8. Step 8 Attach the tail at the back base of the body using the same method as the mane.

Small notes

  • A 2mm hook with DK yarn makes a dense fabric. Keep your tension even, or the stitches will not close around the stuffing.
  • Stuff the head lightly, not fully. Overstuffing will stop the eye indentation from working.
  • The arm color change happens at Round 7. Shift your stitches slightly so the join sits at the center, not the side.
  • This pattern uses US crochet terminology.
  • All parts are worked in continuous spiral rounds unless otherwise noted.
  • Use a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round.
  • Do not overstuff the head — it needs to remain slightly soft to achieve the eye indentation technique.
  • Choose your hook size based on your personal tension; the goal is a firm, tight fabric with no gaps showing the stuffing.
  • Tension is everything. Because this pattern uses a 2mm hook with DK weight yarn, your stitches should be snug. If you can see gaps in your fabric, go down a hook size. A tight gauge creates a clean finish and prevents stuffing from showing through.
  • The eye indentation technique is what gives these characters their expressive, lifelike faces. The key is to not overstuff the head — think 60–70% full. Too much stuffing will make it impossible to pull the thread tight enough to create the dimpled effect around the eyes.
  • Bouclé yarn for the horse's mane can be tricky to control. Use a tapestry needle to pull strands through from the outside rather than crocheting it directly, and secure each strand with a double knot on the inside of the head. This keeps the mane full and even.
  • Stuff legs and arms only halfway before flattening and closing.

Little questions

  • Can I make the unicorn and horse from the same yarn?

    Yes, the head, body, arms, and legs share one pattern. Only the color list and the horn change between them.

  • Why does the head need safety eyes at an exact round?

    The eyes sit between Rounds 16 and 17, with six stitches between them. This placement sets up the eye indentation step later.

  • What if my gauge is looser than 2mm with DK yarn?

    Go down a hook size until the fabric feels dense with no gaps. A loose stitch will let stuffing show through, especially at the head.

  • Is the bouclé mane necessary for the horse?

    It gives the texture the pattern calls for, but a smooth yarn in the same weight will also work. The mane is a single round, so either choice is a quick step.

Original pattern: https://amigurumicorner.com/crochet-horse-and-unicorn-amigurumi/

About the Author

Tamsin Okoro Who writes the patterns at Yarn Gallery, how a pattern gets from the hook to the page, and what this site will never do.

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A little pattern now and then. Nothing more.