How to Stuff and Assemble Amigurumi: Eyes, Limbs and Finishing

The crochet is only half the work of an amigurumi toy. How you stuff it, close it and sew the parts together decides whether it looks like a neat, soft toy or a lumpy one. This guide covers the finishing steps in the order you do them: stuffing, closing the last round, placing eyes, attaching limbs and weaving in the ends, with the mistakes to watch for.

What you need

• Polyester fiberfill (toy stuffing). It is light, washable and holds its shape.
• A yarn needle (tapestry needle) with a blunt tip and a large eye.
• Straight pins or stitch markers to hold parts in place before you sew.
• Safety eyes with washers, or embroidery thread for embroidered eyes.
• Small scissors, and the long tails you left on each piece.

Step 1: stuff in small pieces

Pull the stuffing apart into small, fluffy pieces about the size of a grape or a walnut. Push them in one at a time, using the closed end of your hook, a pencil or your fingers to reach corners and thin parts like noses and paws. Start from the far end of the piece and work toward the opening. One large lump leaves gaps and pressure marks, but many small pieces fill the shape evenly.

• Stuff firmly. A firm toy keeps its shape, and a soft, underfilled one looks wrinkled. Squeeze the piece: it should feel full and springy, but the stitches should not stretch open.
• If you can see white stuffing through the stitches, the fabric is too loose. Next time use a smaller hook, or pull your stitches a little tighter.
• Stuff small parts such as arms and ears only lightly, or follow the pattern if it says to leave them flat.
• Add stuffing before the opening is too small, because it is hard to add more after you close it.

Step 2: close the last round

Patterns often decrease the last rounds until about six stitches are left. To close the opening, follow these steps.

1. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) long, and pull it through the last loop to fasten off.
2. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle.
3. Pass the needle through the front loop of each of the remaining stitches around the opening, one after another.
4. Pull the tail tight so the opening closes like a drawstring.
5. Push the needle into the middle of the closed circle, bring it out somewhere on the body, pull the yarn and trim it close to the fabric so the end hides inside.

Step 3: place the eyes

Safety eyes have a post and a washer. They go in before you close the head, because you need to reach inside to fit the washer. Push the post through the fabric between two stitches, press the washer on from inside until it clicks, and check that it does not turn. The position changes the whole expression, so test it before you fix it.

• Use pins to mark the eyes on the finished head and look at it from a few steps back before you decide.
• Eyes set wider apart look younger and sweeter. Eyes close together look more serious.
• Keep both eyes on the same round and count the same number of stitches between them and the center on each side.
• For babies and children under three, do not use safety eyes. Embroider the eyes with thread, because a plastic eye can come off if it is pulled hard. Rules on toy safety differ between countries, so check the ones that apply to you, especially if you sell toys.

Step 4: sew on arms, legs, ears and tails

1. Pin each part to the body and look at the toy from the front and from the side. Move the pins until it looks balanced.
2. Thread the long tail of the part onto the needle.
3. Sew the part to the body with small, tight stitches, going through the last round of the part and the stitches on the body. Sew around the whole edge of the part, not only at the top, so it cannot flop or twist.
4. Make a few extra stitches at the end to strengthen the join, then hide the end inside the body.
5. Give each part a gentle tug. If it moves, add more stitches.

Some patterns use a no-sew method, where the limbs are crocheted straight onto the body. Our no-sew amigurumi patterns use that approach, and they need very little assembly.

Step 5: weave in the ends

Thread each loose tail onto the needle and run it through the inside of the toy, in a different direction from where it came out. Work back and forth for 3 to 4 stitches, then bring the needle out and trim the yarn close to the surface. The fabric springs back and hides the end. Avoid tying lots of knots on the outside, which can show.

Common problems and how to fix them

Washing and caring for the finished toy

Check the yarn label first. Many toys made from washable yarn can be washed by hand with mild soap in cool water, or in a mesh bag on a gentle cycle. Press the water out with a towel, reshape the toy while it is damp and let it dry fully before you put it away. Toys with wire, glued parts or plastic eyes are safer to clean with a damp cloth.

If you are new to amigurumi, read how to make a magic ring and how to single crochet first, then try one of our crochet patterns for beginners or a free crochet pattern. Each pattern lists the materials and the skill level before you download it.