Ducklings are the amigurumi equivalent of a warm-up. Round body, round head, two tiny wings, a flat orange bill — that’s the entire parts list, and none of it needs shaping you haven’t already done. Which makes this a good one to hand a beginner, or to knock out in an evening when you want something finished rather than something ambitious. Free duck pattern’s linked below.

Dressed up ducks have taken over the amigurumi world and this matching pair in pink and blue hats shows exactly why everyone loves making them. Worked in white yarn with chunky orange beaks and bright yellow feet, these little ducks have a roundness and softness that makes them almost impossible not to want to pick up.

Crochet Duck Amigurumi

Making both colorways back to back is half the fun since the only real difference is the hat and the result is an instantly giftable pair that suits baby showers, nursery decor or just sitting prettily on a desk. This free pattern keeps each step clear so you can move through the body beak feet and hats without losing momentum.

Free Crochet Duck Amigurumi Pattern — Beginner Yellow Duck with Bucket Hat, Headphones, and Orange Beak

Materials & Tools

Yarn:

• Yellow yarn — for the head, body, and wings
• Orange yarn — for the beak
• Accent color yarn — for the bucket hat (pink, blue, green, or any color you like)
• Main color yarn — for the headphone headband
• Black or grey yarn — for the headphone ear cushions

Hook: Sized to suit your chosen yarn weight

Other supplies:

• 6 mm safety eyes
• Polyester fiberfill stuffing
• Yarn needle
• Stitch markers
• Scissors

Abbreviations

• MR — Magic ring
• sc — Single crochet
• inc — Increase (2 sc into the same stitch)
• dec — Invisible decrease (front loops only of 2 consecutive stitches)
• ch — Chain
• dc — Double crochet
• sl st — Slip stitch
• FLO — Front loops only
• BLO — Back loops only

Customization Ideas

Before you start, a few choices are worth making — they shape the whole character of the finished duck.

1. Hat color: The bucket hat is the duck’s personality. Sage green reads as outdoorsy; pale pink reads as soft and sweet; bright cobalt reads as confident. A variegated or self-striping yarn in the hat color produces a tie-dye effect on the brim that photographs beautifully. Any accent color you have on hand works — the hat uses very little yarn.
2. Headphone style: Black and grey headphones give a sleek, modern look. Swap to a bright contrast color for the ear cushions and the headband for something more playful. The headband chain can be left as a simple chain in any color, or worked in a contrasting stripe for a sportier look.
3. No accessories version: The duck works perfectly as a standalone plush without any accessories. Skip the hat and headphones and you have a clean, classic little yellow duck that suits any age. The beak and wings are part of the base pattern regardless.
4. Size: The finished duck size depends on your yarn weight and hook. A DK weight on a 3.5 mm hook produces a compact, palm-sized duck. A bulky yarn on a 6.0 mm hook gives a large, squeezy plush. The accessory pieces scale automatically when you change yarn weight, so no pattern adjustments are needed — just keep all your yarn the same weight throughout.
5. Expression: The eye spacing is the biggest influence on the duck’s expression. Eyes placed 4 stitches apart give a wide, open look. Eyes placed 5 stitches apart give a softer, more relaxed expression. Test both positions with scrap yarn markers before locking the safety eyes in place.

A Note on Construction

The head and body are worked as one continuous piece — the body begins directly off the neck decreases of the head with no joining or fastening off between sections. This means the head must be stuffed before the body rounds begin, so have your fiberfill ready partway through the very first piece. Work in continuous rounds throughout — do not slip stitch and chain to join at the end of each round. Place a locking stitch marker in the first stitch of each new round and move it up each time a round completes so you never lose your place.

The Pattern

Head & Body

Use yellow yarn. Work in continuous rounds with a stitch marker tracking the start of each round.

Round 1:

• Make a magic ring
• Work 6 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed tightly so no hole remains at the center

If you’re still learning how to read crochet patterns, no stress! Follow the video tutorial below and use the written pattern below as you get more comfortable!

Round 2:

• Work 1 inc into every stitch around — 6 increases total, one into each of the 6 stitches from Round 1

Round 3:

• Work 1 sc into the first stitch, then 1 inc into the next stitch
• Repeat this combination — 1 sc followed by 1 inc — all the way around the round

Round 4:

• Work 2 sc across the first two stitches, then 1 inc into the third stitch
• Repeat this combination — 2 sc followed by 1 inc — all the way around the round

Rounds 5, 6, 7, and 8:

• Work 1 sc into every stitch around with no increases or decreases
• Repeat this same even round 4 times total
• These rounds build the height of the head and give it its rounded shape

Place the 6 mm safety eyes now, between Rounds 6 and 7 — do this while the opening is still wide and easy to reach inside:

• Mark both eye positions with scrap yarn loops first, leaving 4 to 5 stitches of space between them
• Check the spacing from the front and from slightly above before committing
• Push each safety eye post through the fabric at the marked position from the right side, reach inside, and press the locking washer firmly all the way down the post until it clicks
• Once the washers are locked, the eyes cannot be moved

Round 9:

• Work 2 sc across the first two stitches, then work 1 dec over the next 2 stitches
• For the invisible decrease: insert your hook through the front loop only of the next stitch, then through the front loop only of the stitch after it, yarn over and pull through both loops, yarn over and pull through the remaining 2 loops — one decrease completed
• Repeat this combination — 2 sc followed by 1 dec — all the way around the round

Round 10:

• Work 1 sc into the first stitch, then work 1 dec over the next 2 stitches
• Repeat this combination — 1 sc followed by 1 dec — all the way around the round
• Stuff the head firmly now, before the opening narrows further — add fiberfill in small pinched pieces, distributing it evenly so the head holds a smooth, fully rounded shape with no flat spots

Round 11 — the body begins here:

• Work 1 inc into every stitch around — this round expands directly off the neck to begin the body, with no fastening off between the head and body
• The duck’s head is now fully formed and the body rounds spiral upward from this point

Rounds 12, 13, 14, and 15:

• Work 1 sc into every stitch around with no increases or decreases
• Repeat this same even round 4 times total
• These rounds build the main cylinder of the body

Round 16:

• Work 2 sc across the first two stitches, then work 1 dec over the next 2 stitches
• Repeat this combination — 2 sc followed by 1 dec — all the way around the round

Round 17:

• Work 1 sc into the first stitch, then work 1 dec over the next 2 stitches
• Repeat this combination — 1 sc followed by 1 dec — all the way around the round
• Finish stuffing the body now — add the remaining fiberfill to fill the lower body evenly before the opening closes further

Round 18:

• Work 1 dec over every pair of stitches around — 6 decreases total, worked sequentially

Finishing:

• Fasten off, leaving a tail of approximately 15 cm
• Thread the tail onto your yarn needle and pass it through the front loop only of each of the 6 remaining stitches all the way around the opening
• Pull the tail slowly and steadily to draw the opening closed into a tight, seamless circle
• Knot the tail close to the surface to secure it
• Push the needle straight through the body, pull the tail taut, and snip it close so the end disappears completely inside the stuffing

The Beak

Use orange yarn.

Round 1:

• Make a magic ring
• Work 4 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed tightly

Round 2:

• Work 1 sc into the first stitch, then 1 inc into the next stitch
• Repeat this combination — 1 sc followed by 1 inc — all the way around the round

Finishing:

• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• Flatten the beak by pressing both edges together so it forms a small teardrop disc shape
• Embroider any nostril detail if desired before attaching
• Sew the beak directly between the eyes, positioning it so its top edge slightly overlaps the lower line of the eyes — check from the front that it sits centered before stitching all the way around

The Wings (Make 2)

Use yellow yarn.

Round 1:

• Make a magic ring
• Work 5 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed tightly

Round 2:

• Work 1 inc into every stitch around — 5 increases total, one into each stitch

Finishing:

• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• Fold the wing flat so both edges line up and it forms a small, flat oval shape
• Sew the top edge of each wing to the sides of the body at approximately Round 12 — one wing on each side, positioned symmetrically
• Sew only the top edge of each wing rather than the entire perimeter, so the bottom edge remains free and the wings have a slight dimensional lift away from the body
• Make a second wing in exactly the same way

The Bucket Hat

Use your chosen accent color yarn.

Round 1:

• Make a magic ring
• Work 6 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed tightly

Round 2:

• Work 1 inc into every stitch around — 6 increases total

Round 3:

• Work 1 sc into the first stitch, then 1 inc into the next stitch
• Repeat this combination — 1 sc followed by 1 inc — all the way around the round

Round 4:

• Work 2 sc across the first two stitches, then 1 inc into the third stitch
• Repeat this combination — 2 sc followed by 1 inc — all the way around the round

Round 5 — creating the hat walls:

• Work 1 sc into the back loop only of every stitch around — do not work into the front loop at all this round
• Working into the back loop only pulls the fabric downward at a right angle, turning the flat circle into the walls of the hat — this is the structural round that gives the bucket hat its shape
• The front loops left unworked in this round will be used for the brim in Round 8

Rounds 6 and 7:

• Work 1 sc into every stitch around both rounds with no shaping changes
• These two rounds build the depth of the hat walls

Round 8 — the brim:

• Work this entire round into the front loops only — the same front loops left unworked in Round 5
• Work 3 sc into the next stitch, then sl st into the following stitch
• Repeat this combination — 3 sc in one stitch followed by sl st in the next — all the way around the round
• The 3-sc clusters fan outward to create the wavy, scalloped brim edge that gives the bucket hat its finished look

Finishing:

• Fasten off and weave in all ends
• Try the hat on the duck’s head before committing to weaving the final tail — adjust the fit if needed
• The hat can be left fully removable, or tacked lightly to the head with a few hidden stitches of matching yarn

The Headphones

Ear cushions (Make 2) — use black or grey yarn:

• Make a magic ring
• Work 6 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed
• Switch to your main headphone color
• Work 1 sl st into every stitch around — 6 slip stitches total — to create the outer ring of the ear cushion
• Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing

Headband:

• Using your main headphone color, chain between 12 and 15 stitches
• Before fastening off, lay the chain across the top of the duck’s head between the two ear cushion positions and count whether it bridges the gap evenly — adjust the chain length if needed, as every maker’s tension varies slightly
• Fasten off once the length is confirmed

Assembly:

• Sew one ear cushion to each end of the headband chain, securing it all the way around the edge of the cushion for a firm join
• The headphones can be placed over the bucket hat or directly over the duck’s head depending on the look you prefer

Assembly — Putting It All Together

• Lay all completed pieces out in front of you before picking up the sewing needle. Pin the beak, wings, hat, and headphones in position and look at the duck from the front, from the side, and from above before sewing anything permanently.
• Beak: Center it between and just below the safety eyes, letting the top edge slightly overlap the lower eye line. Sew all the way around the outer edge — a partial seam causes the beak to gap with handling.
• Wings: Pin both wings symmetrically to the sides of the body at Round 12 before sewing either one. Sew the top edge only so the wings retain their slight lift.
• Hat and headphones: Set the bucket hat squarely on the duck’s head and decide whether to leave it removable or tack it with a stitch or two of matching yarn. Stretch the headphones across the top of the hat or directly over the head and secure each ear cushion to the sides.

Tips

• Stuff the head before the body begins. Round 10 is your last comfortable opportunity to reach inside the head with fiberfill before the body rounds start expanding outward from Round 11. Aim for firm and round — enough that the head holds its shape when you press it gently, but not so packed that the stitches visibly stretch.
• Flatten small pieces before sewing. Both the beak and the wings look most natural when pressed flat before attachment. A beak that hasn’t been flattened tends to pucker outward from the face instead of lying flush. A minute of pressing each piece flat between your fingers before sewing saves visible awkwardness on the finished duck.
• Measure the headband before fastening off. The chain length of 12 to 15 stitches is a guide, not a fixed number — your personal tension determines the actual length needed. Lay the chain across the duck’s head between the ear cushion positions before you fasten off, adjust the count, then secure. Getting this right before cutting means you never have to unpick and rechain.

FAQ

Q: Can I make the hat and headphones permanent instead of removable? Yes — simply tack the hat to the head with three or four hidden stitches of matching yarn through the inner brim, and sew the headphone ear cushions directly to the duck’s head or hat rather than just resting them in position. Permanent attachment makes the finished piece more durable for handling, especially as a gift for a child. If you want both options to remain open, finish the duck completely before deciding — it’s much easier to tack things down than to unpick them.

Q: Are 6 mm safety eyes safe for young children? Safety eyes with locking washers are not recommended for children under three regardless of size, as the post can disengage with determined pulling. For a baby gift or a toy for a very young child, embroider the eyes instead using black yarn in a tight satin stitch circle — the result reads clearly and is completely secure. The beak in this pattern is sewn on with yarn rather than being a plastic component, so it is already the safer option.

Q: My bucket hat brim is coming out very wavy and uneven. Is that normal? Yes — the scalloped brim round is intentionally wavy. The 3-sc clusters fan outward more than the flat fabric, which creates the ruffled bucket-hat brim effect. If your brim is coming out extremely wavy or pulling the hat out of shape, try working the sl st in the brim round more loosely — tight slip stitches pull the scallops too tightly together. If it is barely wavy at all, try going down a half hook size for the brim round only so the clusters fan out more fully.

Q: The head and body don’t look like separate pieces — they blend together. Did I make a mistake? No — that is exactly how this pattern is constructed. The head and body are deliberately worked as one continuous piece with a neck formed by the decrease and re-increase rounds at Rounds 9 through 11. There is no seam between head and body because there is no join. The slight indentation at the neck is what visually separates the two sections. If you want a more defined neck, you can add one extra decrease round before Round 11 and one extra increase round in Round 11 to make the neck narrower.