7 Amigurumi Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner! 

If you're not ready to sell the amigurumi that you just learned how to make, don't let your mom post pictures on her facebook. She will absolutely tell all her friends that you'll make them one 👍 coming from someone who is sitting here at midnight making 5 baby yodas :')

7 tips: 1. use smaller hook, loosen my tention to avoid holes 2. use invisible decrease 3. It is best to work in spiral, don't join at the end of each round 4. Always use stich marker 5. use locking stich markers to help with seaming. 6. use cotten yarn whenever possible 7. Do not stuff too much a little goes a long way

A tip I've found over the years.....I prefer to use left over scraps of yarn to stuff my amigarumi. It's a nice way to recycle those scraps instead of trashing them and it works actually really nice to shape too! 💓💓💓

My tip: Count your stitches!!!! I never used to and it would always get messed up and have to be redone. So now I count my stitches in every round.

99 percent of my frustration has been to not using stitch markers. I thought i was a waste of money. But SERIOUSLY! BUY THE STITCH MARKERS.

Hmm a tip would be, dont give up on your projects even if you mess up. Take your time with it! :D

If you yarn under instead of yarning over when doing your single crochets it makes an x looking stitch that does not make any holes! I love it!

The advice about smaller hook, less tension is a total game changer. Now I can keep crocheting amigurumi without the hand and wrist pain that made me stop before. And, the result is better! I was suffering for nothing! 🙄😄

If you're a starter, keep a photo of what you're making in front of you, years ago, I made my daughter a wolf, after so much work, suffering, loving doing it, crocheting and undoing over and over again, I was done, I ran proudly showing my daughter the finshed project, she said, oh mom, love the mouse you crocheted. LOL 😆. I never made that mistake again. Have fun lovely people 💕 and laugh with me.

When finishing off an open edge of a piece worked in a spiral (like a hat), work the last 2 or 3 stitches as slip stitches. It reduces the 'step' as you finish off.

My "hack" is that wherever possible, crochet the limbs first and then crochet the whole project as one piece where you have no seams to sew. Yes, I mean crochet the limbs on as you go. For example, if I am doing a doll, I make both arms and one leg, then I start at the foot of the other leg and when I get to the top of the leg, I start to crochet the torso adding the other leg. When I get to where the armpits would be I crochet a round with the lower half of the arm and the next row would include the upper half of the arm. I them decrease across the shoulders to the neck, after a few rounds of neck I increase to make the head. This way I have no seams. Of course you will stuff parts of the doll as you go.

One thing I have found that helps me with my Amigurumi projects is that I create a Line count sheet that I can check at the end of each round. So in addition to marking the beginning of my new round, I also can set my work down and pick it back up a week later and see which round I last completed. It does take a few minutes to prepare, but it has saved me many a headache. Thank you, Brittany for all your tips and guidance. Your videos have helped me the most of any I've found.

deadass, USE STITCH MARKERS. I didn't think it was necessary but oh my god they help so much

When I make dark toys, I use a nylon sock liner for my poly fill.

For stuffing amigurumi (not sure if that's spelled right) you can also stuff it with chopped up socks or tee shirt, especially if it's going to be given to a child to play with. Using the chopped up clothing gives a bit more structure but also is cheaper than fiber fill.

I recently saw a tip to use a longer piece of yarn as a stitch marker and weave it in and out of either the beginning or end of each row. This has been a wonderful tip when working a spiral, as I can easily see the number of rows I have crocheted. I tend to lose count of where I am, especially if I leave the project for a while and come back later. This way I don't have to write it down or make a mark on my pattern! This tip has been extremely helpful!

I use a Q-tip to push in stuffing into nooks and crannies.

I like to mark the first or last stitch (choose one) of each row by pulling a contrasting scrap of yarn through each row. This provides a lifeline for those times when I need to frog multiple rows. I am not forced to figure out where the rows below the stitch marker started because I left a trail of scrap yarn to show the way. The scrap yarn can be pulled out easily as long as you haven’t accidentally put a stitch through it. Another thing that made seaming easier is to use a needle with a bend at the tip. It makes stitching curved body parts together SO much easier!

I use waste yarn for marking, with the length from a double magic ring, I can mark the start for quite a way. A paper clip also works in a pinch. Mark every 5th round to make re-counting easier. A separate strand of waste yarn, of a different colour used horizontally over 3 or so stitches, can save heaps of time.. Stitch markers just get in the way. I fold the top of head while relatively flat and mark centre front, back and both sides, and continue down as I work more rounds. Yarn stays in until the toy is completed, without causing marks or holes. I use staggered inc and dec rather than invisible. Kristie Tullus explains this well in her tips. You can brush yarn to make doll hair, then use the waste to line the body of darker pieces etc, so the white fill can't show. If you stuff well enough, you don't need extreme methods to stop wobbly neck. Stuffing will settle over time with cuddling, so be careful not to understuff. Are you using cotton stuffing, poly isn't so hard when well stuffed? A tip I heard was like an orange, not like a brick. Door stops and cloth teddies can be stuffed with waste cotton /embroidery thread... I stuff just the hands, feet and the tip of tails to keep them round in tiny limbs. Where the limbs are larger, and the tops are flattened, I like only stuffing 3/4s of the pieces, check the pattern. I have a lot of blunt yarn needles, handy to hold limbs on without drawing blood. Doll needles(long), and mattress needles(longer), help to find placements. To wash toys, put one inside a stocking, tie a knot and wash on gentle. Do not press or put acrylic yarn in a dryer, acrylic is also prone to pilling, natural fibre is a moth magnet. Cotton works better for baby toys, and frequent washing, if constantly being wet, it will rot though. Cotton blend is a little softer and more resilient. The best yarn for each toy is dependant on the pattern and design characteristics. Check the pattern. Check colour-fastness before making up yarn. I do not use safety eyes on baby toys, the shaft can snap, I embroider granitos stitch yarn eyes, which can be replaced if they get too messy. All the best.

Bonus tip from my nan! use YARN as a stitch marker and counter, place some scrap yarn over the loops as you do the last stitch and it'll stay there (sometimes I knot the end to be sure it stays put) then every round repeat with the same yarn and it'll weave in and out and make counting rows SO MUCH EASIER. I tend to use normal stitch markers for my inc and dec rows but when I'm working straight down i always use yarn

The best tip I can give is to use use Coats and Clark Nylon thread to sew your projects together. Using this thin, fairly strong thread results in virtually invisible and flat seams. Just thread a needle and sew together. After trying it, I’ve never gone back to seaming my projects with bulky yarn. Peace, AM

If I have a scrap of about a yard of yard, I keep it to use as both a stitch and row counter. Leave a decent tail and drape the yarn just before you make that first stitch, inward or outward doesn't matter. When you come back around, drape the yarn in the opposite direction. If you had lain the yarn in, lay it outward. You will wind up with what looks like a running stitch that marks where the first row is... which also helps you count your rows faster.

So I've run a mini business purely with amigurumi and I completely agree with EVERYTHING you've said. All things I learned also.

For any starting people i recommend getting yourself a “woobles” kit, they pretty much taught me most of these 7 tips so I started making amigurumi’s the best way possible from the very start. Not only do they give you all the materials for your amigurumi, but they also provide video tutorials to really teach you how to crochet from how to hold the hook to doing invisible decreases, all of it! It’s really an amazing resource imo for beginners.

Although I'm an experienced crocheter, I'm only just starting to dabble in amigurumi. It's important to me to do as much research as possible before attempting anything new, so videos like these are really helpful. One of the things I've been wondering about, and just can't seem to find much info about, is how difficult techniques affect basic amigurumi (3D) shapes. For example: how does alternating increase and non-increase rounds affect 3D shaping or continuous increasing followed by continuous non-increase rounds? How pointy can a cone get and how do I achieve that vs a more even shape (a traffic cone vs a pine needle or the neck of a doll, for example)? For me, everything I do, including crochet, needs to be intuitive and it can only be achieved when one has a basic understanding of "why this happens". Could you perhaps delve into this aspect in an additional video?

I do my invisible decrease by going in the first front loop, then the second front loop, then wrap around and pull through both instead of doing them both separately

I use Bobby pins as stitch markers!!!

Safety pins and paper clips make good stich markers aswell

So I see that I do my invisible decrease differently. When I do the invisible decrease, I loop the front loops of the next two stitches onto my hook and then yarn over and pull through them both and finish it like a regular single crochet and it is almost impossible to tell that there was a decrease at all. It took me several smaller projects, which at that point to me weeks, to figure out how to tell from both the front and the back of that stitch I never learned to loop it twice like you did in the video. Just one loop through the front loops of those two stitches as if it were a regular single crochet stitch.

Oh my giddy aunt! I am so pleased I watched this tutorial. The tips are just what I’m looking for. Changing hook sizes has made a big difference. Thank you

Seriously perfect timing, I'm making amigurumi for the first time for my nieces and nephews. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much. I'm starting on a bear and thought I'd watch your tips. I especially love the tip about attaching the limbs temporarily with stitch markers while sewing them in place. Again, some really great tips!!

“im still a leaner” the giant cow or lamb in the back: 👁💧👄💧👁

I used the Re-Up yarn and made a tank top with it. It’s so soft and washed up just lovely, even softer. I also have used it to make kitchen towels and cookware savers(rounds or squares that go between my pots and pans to prevent the surfaces getting scratched when stacked up or nested ) and yes again they wash up great! -.

Old hooked earrings make great stitch markers, you can squish it together . Also you can crochet a little fingerette (a bit like a bandaid and poke the wool through a couple of stitches and you have a tension regulator

Amigurumi tip: when I make something like an amigurumi Pokémon, I don’t want to use just black beady eyes and I want it to have the same sort of anime eyes that it has in the show. A lot of people will instead use felt or fabric and glue it onto the amigurumi with a hot glue gun. But I like to embroider the eyes on. I’ll usually use a whip stitch a just sew onto the head so u can see the yarn and just keep doing that until I like how it looks.

Thank you for sharing your tips. They really make life easier. I have had trouble embroidering the inside of an ear till I found an alternative. I crochet another round of the ear in a finer yarn to make a smaller thin piece and sew it to the inside of the other bigger piece of the ear. Hope this helps those who are struggling like me to "colour" the inside of an ear neatly. Amigurumiers Unite!

The best tip I got was to make and finish the head/ face first! Get the eyes, lashes, brow, etc just right and you will have no trouble finishing the project!

I use a contrasting yarn the length from the top to bottom of the shape to mark my first stitch. When I get to the stitch I just flip that contrasting yarn over my upcoming stitch and make my stitch right over it, When I get around again I flip it back. It stays in the project till you finish that piece. When done with it it just pulls out.

1. Learn the magic circle and invisible seam stitches. 2. This is my #1 crochet tip actually... Learn to read both written and graph patterns. This way you can make ( or design) any pattern you find and fall in love with. I couldn't read graphs for awhile and didn't want to because I understood written. Finally I fell in love with a pattern I really wanted to make & after downloading saw it was graph only. I finally learned. 😊

Yarn under instead of yarn over to eliminate ALL holes or gaps :)

One I learned just last night that changed my darn life: If doing repeated sequences (i.e. sc X 4, dec, sc X 4), put a stitch marker at the end of each sequence so you don't forget where you are. Soooo many times I've gotten distracted and been like "uhhhh...did I already do the dec...?" It saves having to count out stitches multiple times. Also put stitch markers every five or ten stitches to make counting stitches easier!

When you need to take a break from a project put a stitch marker in your working loop so it doesn't accidentally get unraveled. Especially useful with little ones around.

Thank you! I haven't started an amigurumi project yet so it's encouraging to know all these tips BEFORE my 1st attempt :)

I prefer some kind of smooth thin scrap cord as my stitch marker, where I loosely weave it into each rounds. So I can count each rows! I also use a knitting counter to keep track of rows. My last tip is, when I have a skinny limb, like an arm, I just weave in the tail yarn into it, acting like stuffing, so it's slightly stuffed. Also a good way to hide and not waste your tail yarn! Happy crocheting!

Love the tip about using stitch markers when seaming. I appreciated your video.

The invisible decrease would have helped me so much lol Thank you for the tips ❤

When doing a sc dec, put the hook up in the from loop of the next stitch, then without doing yo, go straight up in the flo of the next stitch, yo, pull through one loop, yo, through the remaining 3 loops on hook. It’s invisible. You won’t see it. The way you are doing it is wrong 🤗 I learnt it from a lady in turkey that doesn’t have her RU-vid up anymore 😞 When you place the hook up in flo of first stitch, turn your hook and go straight up in next flo. It makes it easier if your hook is backwards to pickup flo of second stitch. I hope this helps. The only problem is you need to frog if you forget where you are as it’s very difficult to see. Happy crochet everyone ❤️🇦🇺

Thank you so much for these helpful tips. I will keep them in mind when working on my next amigurumi project

Thank you - I really couldn't figure out what 'working in a spiral' meant until you explained - I'm learning this type of crochet and love it.

Oh! Perfect timing! Thank you for this video🙂

I’m just getting back into crocheting and these tips are so great! Thank you so much. Even the comments are full of tips.

Thanks for this video! I love Lion Brand yarns...so glad they are your sponsor!

You do the invisible decrease different than I learned. You go through both front loops before you draw the yarn under

Wow! Can't believe how many of my problems had such simple solutions. Thanks so much.

THANK YOU for this video!!! I couldn’t figure out why I had such big holes. Switching to a smaller hook and a looser stitch worked perfectly!!! All of this advice was super helpful but that one has saved my sanity!!!

Long time crocheterer, haven't done much with amigurumi for many of the reasons you mentioned. I just may give it another try though. Thanks for all your helpful tips. I love using Lion Brand yarns too.

Thank you for your tips. I consider myself to be an intermediate crocheter and I'm working on my very first amigurumi animal. And yes, after restarting 3 times I learned that stitch markers will save your life lol. And that invisible decrease was a great tip!! 👍🤗

Thanks so much for the excellent tips and from your viewers as well. Every little thing helps! Love amigurumi projects but they can be frustrating sometimes without help.

Thank you for sharing! You already said my tips)) I prefer cotton and yes, it works better. Also prefer to keep going to the next raw instead of a slip stitch to join. I count the stitches instead of the marker, works for me.I'll try the invisible decrease, liked that one. We learn something new as we go.

Thank you for your video. I watched and read that i should stuff more to keep the shape and doing that always made the yarn stretch and then have see through spots. Im glad i came across your video.

Thank you so much for the tips. Very helpful.

Thank you for these tips, great help. My biggest problem was the floppy head syndrome, I've used several methods depending on what I have to hand. Electric or thicker floral wire are good, I curl the ends round and wrap with masking tape for added safety, the length is from the top of the legs to mid head, making sure it is well covered with the filling, again for added safety. I've even used craft lollipop sticks and pipe cleaners, curling two or three around each other for strength. I'm so grateful for all these tips, as I've never crocheted in my lifetime, now in later life and retired I've done so many projects and yet I'm learn something new every day, cotton yarn produces a much more professional finish x

I also use an old stocking and put the stuffing in there, I try to use very light coloured ones so that doesn’t show through. White where my crochet project yarn is white, black for black yarn etc. It is also good because when you sew through you have extra grip and no stuffing pulling through.

Thank you so much for this video! Great tips! I’ve only made a couple amigurumi projects but I think I’m “hooked”. (Yeah. That really bad pun was intended! 😆)

I just recently found reup. Love this yarn.

Thank you I love the tips and I love reupholster yarn

Great tips! I'm pretty new to amigurumi so this was very helpful. I feel like I'm ready to try a bit project now.

I found your tips to be excellent! I’m a beginner and just started making my first amigurumi. Luckily I knew enough to know I was going to need to watch lots of tutoring videos.

WOW! WAY TO PRESENT A TUTORIAL!!! Standing ovation from me! Everything was right with your video! Lots of exclamation points here, but there are so many amateurish tutorials online that when I see one like yours I want to sing about it in a Broadway stage song and dance number! The set, the lighting, the audio, the editing, ...all great. But MOST OF ALL, you were prepared on the subject, knew exactly what you wanted to say, and were very eloquent. It was quite helpful to me and I subscribed right off the bat. While I do appreciate the efforts of the more amateur tutorials, it takes longer, much more prep, and lots of effort to make yours. Thanks soooooo much!! By the way, this was the first tutorial of yours that I've seen, and I'm digging in right now to search your other videos. Great job.

I love your tips,that was very helpful ,thanks for sharing it.

Thanks for this. The tip on the invisible decrease is my favorite.

if you ever work with a pattern for the first time, read the pattern COMPLETELY, it´s really usefull to know what´s coming in a project and to be sure you understand every stich and every rown

just exactly what I was looking for. I’ve learned so much from you, thank you

Thanks for this video. So well detailed and helpful explanations!

Tip: the yarn color on the skein of yarn can look different when u crochet it. I recommend crocheting a small flat single crochet square and taping it onto a piece of paper and writing down what the color is called and what the brand is with every type of yarn you have. For crocheting, I usually use 4.25 mm hook or 3.75 mm hook or anything in between. Red heart yarn is the most popular yarn and is one of the easiest ones to find and has the most types of yarn. If you want to use yarn that has a nice shine to it (when I say shine I mean like it’s sparkly not that it has sparkles in it or anything) you should try the brand Charon yarn or I love this yarn brand. I recommend using the same type of brand when crocheting one project.

...cont... :) and you knit, too! Yay! Forgot to say, the newer Lion Brand yarns are incredible. I'm wondering if Re-Up is a trial yarn, as well as some newer ones? New Lion Brand yarns I've tried throughout this summer are Pima Cotton, a medium weight 100% cotton that is wonderfully soft but still holds shape quite well; Truboo, a light weight 100% rayon from bamboo; and Re-Play, which is a 100% tencel. They're all very affordable and beautiful yarns, and I'm hoping they continue, but haven't noticed any re-stocking at JoAnns, or even seen them anywhere else. Anyway...thanks again. Lion Brand should be very happy to sponsor you!

This video was extremely helpful! Thank you so much 😊

Thank you for the awesome tips😆

Thank you for this great video. I am a new amigurumi crocheter.

These all tips are very helpful for me bcz I have just started to make stuffed dolls since 3 months so I hope definitely this tips would be helpful, thanks 🙏🏼

for decreasing i use the front loop for the 1st one then the back loop for the 2nd so far its worked well

Nicely edited. I appreciate the cutaways to the video demonstrations.

You're very pleasant and realistic. Thanks for the tips!

iThankyou so much .Ive been trying for ages to not get holes .Now i realise i have been having a really tight tension even after going to a smaller hook .

I do an invisible decrease differently and it truly is invisible. I put the hook through the front loop only of the next stitch, then grab the next front loop with my hook, THEN yarn over and pull through both loops, then yarn over again and finish the single crochet.

Thanks! Great info!

Oh, just found Lucy pattern! Thank you!

Thank you for this video, trying to learn this magic circle has been so frustrating for me especially since I’m left handed.

I was wondering why I could still see the stuffings whenever I finish an amigurumi! I never gave it much thought when some of my stitches are tight! Your video is super super helpful! Thank you so much!!!!

I have made it a goal in 2023 to become efficient in Amigurumi. I know how to crochet and using the smaller hook and tighter tension, hopefully will lead me to my goal of making doilies. That being said, when you mentioned the Re Up yarn I immediately Googled it and it's discontinued. Man! Just my luck. I did buy cotton yarn from Michaels and Hobby Lobby, so I have about 8 skeins on hand to get started. I'm excited to go through your videos!

Thank you so much for the tips

Great tips!

Definately use stitch markers. Thank you for explaining why dec in the front loops works over using both loops.

I wish I'd known I could have crocheted my arms and legs on as I went instead of sewing them later. I wish I'd known about melting the post of my safety eyes and pressing them flat against the lighter to keep them from being able to coming out and keep the eyes from being in a weird position after stuffing. This has been my biggest blessings, don't ever have to worry about children nor animals getting them out. I'm not telling or suggesting anyone to try these this is simply what works best for me.

so true. One other thing I do for stuffing is reusing old cuttings from yarn or threads for stuffings.

Very helpful!😁 thank you!

Thank you so much I only made on a few years ago ! Great tips

Thank you for this video! I found that a bobby pin works best for me, I was using another color yarn. Also I like how you do the decrease, I've been going under both front loops, then yarn over, pull through 2, pull through 2. (I think that's right, not good at typing it.) Thanks again, andi can't wait to try that yarn!

Wow, I’m new to amigarumi. Just saw another version of invisible decrease. Yours is much easier. Thanks