11 Crochet Baby Toys Free Patterns
A handmade baby toy is one of the sweetest gifts you can bring to a baby shower. It is small, quick to make, and it gets used every day. Rattles, grab rings and soft balls are also a fun way to try amigurumi without starting a big project.
Here are 11 free crochet baby toys patterns from real designers, including rattles, a teether, a puzzle ball, soft blocks and a giraffe friend. For each one we share the skill level, yarn and hook from the pattern page. Please read the safety notes at the end before you gift.
Crochet Baby Toys Free Patterns
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What You’ll Need
- Soft cotton yarn (baby safe and washable)
- Crochet hooks from 2 mm to 4.5 mm
- Polyester fiberfill stuffing
- Rattle inserts for crochet toys
- Unfinished wooden teething rings
- Locking stitch markers
- Blunt yarn needle
1. Crochet Baby Rattle / Clutch Toy
Photo: Petals to Picots
A round, striped clutch toy sized for tiny hands, with a rattle insert inside. It is all single crochet in the round, with a color change every round for bold stripes. The ball is stuffed, then worked into a tube to make a handle. It is about 7.5 inches long. The designer reminds you to use a rattle insert that meets toy safety rules.
- Designer: Petals to Picots
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: worsted weight cotton (#4)
- Hook: 4 mm (G-6)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
2. Baby Rattle Teddy Bear Teether
A little teddy head with ears, a snout and a ruffled collar, sitting on a wooden teething ring. A crochet cover goes over the ring, so baby can chew on it, and you can add a rattle insert inside the head. It uses single and double crochet in continuous rounds. A lovely gift that is both a rattle and a teether.
- Designer: Amanda / Maisie and Ruth
- Skill level: Easy
- Yarn: fine (#2) cotton, Hobbii Rainbow Cotton 8/4
- Hook: 3 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
3. Cat Amigurumi Rattle
Photo: Ana Figueiredo / Little Crochet Farm
A sleepy cat rattle in soft pink and beige, about 6.6 inches tall. It starts from the head and works down into the handle, with the rattle insert added as you go. The eyes, nose and cheeks are embroidered, so there are no hard parts. The designer calls it beginner-friendly, and it is sized for newborns.
- Designer: Ana Figueiredo / Little Crochet Farm
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: light worsted or DK
- Hook: 2 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
4. Crochet Amish Puzzle Ball
Photo: Dedri Uys / Look At What I Made
A classic baby ball made of three segments that fit together. The chunky stitches are easy for small hands to grab, and older babies love pulling it apart. It is about 6 inches across and uses only chains, single crochet, decreases and slip stitches. Use scraps for a rainbow ball, or pick three soft colors.
- Designer: Dedri Uys / Look At What I Made
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Yarn: worsted (#4), Scheepjes Stonewashed XL
- Hook: 4.5 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
5. Crochet Fox Rattle
Photo: Cheryl Bennett / Crochet 365 Knit Too
An orange fox head with a white muzzle and black-tipped ears, on a spiral handle that holds a rattle insert. It is mostly single crochet in rounds, with a satin stitch nose. It is about 5 inches tall. The designer suggests embroidered eyes instead of safety eyes if you are worried about small parts, which is a smart swap for babies.
- Designer: Cheryl Bennett / Crochet 365 Knit Too
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: worsted (#4)
- Hook: 4 mm (G6)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
6. LOOP Baby Rattle Grab Toy
Photo: Amy Herbst / Herbst Handmade
Two small stuffed rings slide onto one big ring. That is the whole toy, and babies love it. Each ring is a crochet tube, stuffed and closed into a loop, and you can tuck small bells inside the big ring. It uses only chains, slip stitches and single crochet, so it is super easy and great for using up worsted scraps.
- Designer: Amy Herbst / Herbst Handmade
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: worsted (#4)
- Hook: 3.25 mm
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
7. Teddy Rattle
Photo: aishakenza / Is it a toy
A chubby little teddy head with arms and a tube handle that holds a rattle insert. It is about 12 cm (4.7 inches) long, according to the designer. It uses single crochet in the round, and the page includes an optional cotton lining for the head, which the designer recommends for babies. Make it in two soft colors.
- Designer: aishakenza / Is it a toy
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: sport weight (#2)
- Hook: 3 mm
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
8. Baby’s Blocks
Photo: Lily Sugar’n Cream / Yarnspirations
Soft stuffed blocks in large and small sizes, made in cotton. The pattern comes with several looks: graphic, stripey and flower blocks. Babies can squeeze them, stack them and knock them down. They are made in washable cotton, which is great for toys that end up in little mouths. Download the free PDF to see the finished sizes.
- Designer: Lily Sugar’n Cream / Yarnspirations
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Yarn: Lily Sugar’n Cream The Original (cotton)
- Hook: see pattern
- Price: Free (PDF download)
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
9. Gigi Giraf
Photo: Marike van Loo / ZieZo Dutch Design
A sweet, slim giraffe softie worked in the round in fingering weight yarn. It has a long neck that is easy for babies to hold, and small surface crochet details. It is a popular free Ravelry pattern with many finished projects to look at for color ideas. A nice first stuffed animal for a nursery.
- Designer: Marike van Loo / ZieZo Dutch Design
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: fingering (#1)
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E)
- Price: Free (Ravelry download)
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
10. Daisy Flower Rattle
Photo: Mariska Vos-Bolman / DIY Fluffies
A soft daisy with white petals and a round center, about 4 inches tall when made as a rattle in bulky velvet yarn. You slip the rattle insert into the flower center before the last decrease round. The same pattern makes a 3-inch keychain in sport weight cotton. It is beginner-friendly and has a video tutorial.
- Designer: Mariska Vos-Bolman / DIY Fluffies
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: bulky velvet (rattle) or sport weight cotton (keychain)
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E/4) for the rattle, 2.5 mm (B/1) for the keychain
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
11. Ideal Crochet Sphere
Photo: Emily Premise-Conclusion (Ravelry)
Want a simple, perfectly round soft ball? This pattern gives stitch counts for 10 sizes of ball, and it works with any yarn and hook. It is plain single crochet shaping, so it is a great base for a baby ball. Make a few sizes in bright cotton for a soft ball set, or add a rattle insert inside.
- Designer: Emily Premise-Conclusion (Ravelry)
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: any weight
- Hook: see pattern
- Price: Free (Ravelry download)
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
Which One Should You Make?
- First baby toy ever? Start with #6 (LOOP grab toy). Just tubes and rings.
- Want a classic rattle? Try #1 (Clutch Toy) or #3 (Cat Rattle).
- Baby is teething? #2 (Teddy Bear Teether) gives them a wooden ring to chew.
- Gift for an older baby? #4 (Amish Puzzle Ball) or #8 (Baby’s Blocks) grow with them.
- Want a matching set? Make #10 (Daisy Rattle) and a few sizes of #11 (Sphere) in the same colors.
FAQ
What is the safest yarn for crochet baby toys?
Cotton is a top pick. It is soft, strong, washable and does not shed much. Smooth acrylic made for babies also works. Avoid fuzzy yarns like mohair or loose eyelash yarn, since fibers can come off. Work tight stitches with a smaller hook so stuffing cannot poke through.
Are safety eyes safe for baby toys?
Most makers skip them for babies and toddlers under 3. Even good safety eyes can come loose with chewing. Embroider eyes with yarn or thread instead. Sew all parts on firmly, and check the toy often for loose stitches. If you add a rattle insert, use one made for toys.
How do I wash crochet baby toys?
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap is the safest choice, then squeeze out water gently and air dry. Many cotton and acrylic toys can go in a mesh laundry bag on a gentle cycle, but rattle inserts and wooden rings should not be soaked. Check your yarn label first.
Grab a soft cotton yarn and make a little toy that a baby will reach for every day.