Sea Turtle Amigurumi Tutorial

✨ Create your own adorable sea turtle amigurumi with this detailed crochet pattern in English.

Bring a touch of ocean magic into your crochet collection with Tarti, a sweet sea turtle who loves exploring colorful coral reefs and collecting treasures along the seashore.

With her soft pastel shell, gentle smile, and beginner-friendly design, Tarti is the perfect project for anyone who loves cute ocean-themed amigurumi.

Are you ready to bring a sweet amigurumi turtle to life? In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to crochet using single crochet stitches, shape the shell dome, and assemble all the parts to craft a turtle approximately 20 cm long.

Sea Turtle Amigurumi | Crochet Video tutorial

For more detailed instructions, watch my complete video tutorial on my YouTube channel. You’ll find step-by-step explanations and helpful tips to achieve a flawless result!

🕰️ Estimated Time: about 1 hours
Skill level: 🌸🌸🌸 intermediate

*Time is approximate and depends on your speed. This is the average time required!

Used yarn and accessories

• Cairo mercerized gassed cotton yarn (Medium): 50g in beige for the body and green for the shell
• 4 mm crochet hook
• Polyester fiberfill
• Stitch markers
• Black embroidery thread for details
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle for assembly
• 10 mm safety eyes

🛍️ 🛍️ Discover the Accessories I Use in My Tutorials

If you’d like to achieve the same results as my amigurumi projects, I recommend using the same tools and materials that I use in my tutorials. In my Amazon storefront, you’ll find a carefully selected collection of yarns, crochet hooks, safety eyes, and accessories that I have personally tested and use every day in my projects. It’s the easiest way to have everything you need at your fingertips and start creating right away with confidence.

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The final size you’ll reach is about 20 cm if you use the suggested yarn.

Crochet Pattern: Sea Turtle amigurumi

The turtle is worked in continuous rounds (spiral) without joining rounds with slip stitches. Use a stitch marker to distinguish the rounds.

The finished amigurumi turtle, using the same yarn as suggested, will measure approximately 20 cm.
The final result will be irresistible! Get ready to dive into a creative and relaxing experience, perfect for both beginners and experts.

Step 1: The Turtle’s head

1. Head Start:
   • Using the beige yarn, start with a magic ring.
   • Work 6 single crochet stitches (sc) and progressively increase until you reach 42 stitches.
2. Shaping the Head:
   • Slip stitch (sl st) into the next stitch to secure the yarn and cut it, leaving a tail about 15-20 cm long.
   • Crochet rounds without increases to shape the head’s length (about 7 rounds).
   • Add fiberfill as you go and close with decreases. Attach the safety eyes to the head before stuffing it completely.

• Round 1: MR, 6 SC (6)
• Round 2: 6 INC (12)
• Round 3: *1 SC, INC *; REP * 6 times (18)
• Round 4: 1 SC, INC, *2 SC, INC *; REP * 5 times, 1 SC (24)
• Round 5: *3 SC, INC*; REP* 6 times (30)
• Round 6: 2 SC, INC, *4 SC, INC*; REP * 5 times, 2 SC (36)
• Round 7: *5 SC, INC *; REP * 6 times (42)
• Rounds 8-14: 1 SC in each stitches around (42×7)
• Round 15: *5 SC, DEC *; REP * 6 times (36)
• Round 16: 2 SC, DEC, *4 SC, DEC*; REP * 5 times, 2 SC (30)
• Round 17: *3 SC, DEC*; REP * 6 times (24)
• Round 18: 1 SC, DEC *2 SC, DEC*, REP * 5 times, 1 SC (18)
• Rounds 19-20: 1 SC in each stitches around (18×2)

Make 1 SL ST in the next stitch, to secure the thread and cut it, leaving a length of about 15-20 cm. Put it aside that we will recover it in the end.

Step 2: Fins and Tail

1. Front Fins:
   • Using the beige yarn, create a small oval shape starting with a magic ring and 6 sc.
   • Add increases to form a circle of 42 stitches, then fold to shape the oval.
2. Back Fins:
   • Follow the same procedure as the front fins.
3. Tail:
   • Create a small cone shape starting with 3 sc and increase progressively for 3 rounds. Then, crochet rounds to shape the cone’s height.

Follow this pattern three more times to make the four legs.

• Round 1: MR, 6 SC (6)
• Round 2: 6 INC (12)
• Round 3: *1 SC, INC *; REP * 6 times (18)
• Round 4: 1 SC, INC, *2 SC, INC *; REP * 5 times, 1 SC (24)
• Round 5: *3 SC, INC*; REP* 6 times (30)
• Round 6: 2 SC, INC, *4 SC, INC*; REP * 5 times, 2 SC (36)
• Round 7: *5 SC, INC *; REP * 6 times (42)
• Round 8: Fold the circle in half and sew together with 1 SC (20)

Slip stitch into the next stitch to secure the yarn. Cut it, leaving a long tail.

For the tail, follow the instructions below:

• Round 1: MR, 3 SC (3)
• Round 2: 3 INC (6)
• Round 3: *1 SC, INC*; REP * 3 times (9)
• Rounds 4-7: 1 SC in each stitches around (9×4)

Do 1 SL ST in the next stitch to secure the yarn. Cut, leaving the end long.

Step 3: The Turtle’s Shell

Start with a magic ring using green yarn.

Work crab stitch (reverse single crochet) until the stitch marker at the start of the round. Then slip stitch into the next stitch, secure the yarn, cut it, and weave in the ends.

• Round 1: MR, 6 SC (6)
• Round 2: 6 INC (12)
• Round 3: 12 INC (24)
• Round 4: *1 SC, INC *; REP * 12 times (36)
• Rounds 5-6: 1 SC in each stitches around (36×2)
• Round 7: *2 SC, INC *; REP * 12 times (48)
• Rounds 8-10: 1 SC in each stitches around (48×3)
• Round 11: *3 SC, INC*; REP* 12 times (60)
• Rounds 12-13: 1 SC in each stitches around (60×2)
• Round 14: *4 SC, INC*; REP* 12 times (72)
• Rounds 15-16: 1 SC in each stitches around (72×2)
• Round 17: *5 SC, INC *; REP * 12 times (84)
• Round 18: 1 SC in each stitches around (84)
• Round 19: Work 77 SC into the next stitches, working only into the front loops. Do not crochet the last 7 stitches, leaving space to attach the head. (77)
• Work 77 SC into the next stitches, working only into the front loops. Do not crochet the last 7 stitches, leaving space to attach the head.
• Round 20: Work crab stitch (reverse single crochet) until the stitch marker at the start of the round. Then slip stitch into the next stitch, secure the yarn, cut it, and weave in the ends.

Step 4: The Belly

Attach the beige yarn into the 19th round, 4 stitches before the last worked stitch.

Crochet only into the unused loops (see video tutorial for better understanding):

• Round 19: 4 SC, 7 chains (skip 7 stitches, leave space for the head), 5 SC, 5 chains (skip 5 stitches, leave space for one front leg), 17 SC, 5 chains (skip 5 stitches, leave space for one back leg), 4 SC, 3 chains (skip 3 stitches, leave space for the tail), 4 SC, 5 chains (skip 5 stitches, leave space for the second back leg), 17 SC, 5 chains (skip 5 stitches, leave space for the second front leg), 3 SC (84 stitches).
• Round 20: 1 SC in each stitches around (84)
• Round 21: 5 SC, DEC *10 SC, DEC*; REP * 6 times, 5 SC (77)
• Round 22: *9 SC, DEC *; REP * 7 times (70)
• Round 23: 4 SC, DEC * 8 SC, DEC *; REP * 6 times, 4 SC (63)
• Round 24: *7 SC, DEC*; REP* 7 times (56)
• Round 25: 3 SC, DEC * 6 SC, DEC *; REP * 6 times, 3 SC (49)
• Round 26: *5 SC, DEC *; REP * 7 times (42)
• Round 27: 2 SC, DEC * 4 SC, DEC *; REP * 6 times, 2 SC (35)
• Round 28: *3 SC, DEC *; REP * 7 times (28)

Step 5: Assembling the Parts

• Sew the legs, tail, and head to the body.
• Insert the legs into the spaces created by the 5 chains, the tail into the space created by the 3 chains, and the head into the space created by the 7 chains.
• Once the parts are secured, stuff the body and continue closing the circle.

• Round 29: 1 SC, DEC * 2 SC, DEC *; REP * 6 times, 1 SC (21)
• Round 30: *1 SC, DEC*; REP * 7 times (14)
• Round 31: 6 DEC, 1 SC (7)

• Slip stitch into the next stitch to secure the yarn, then cut and hide the tail inside the turtle.
• Finally, sew the head into the 7-chain space, completing your turtle.

Tips for Best Results

• Use consistent stuffing to avoid deformations.
• Attach the safety eyes securely before stuffing the head to ensure perfect alignment.

Conclusion and Sharing

I hope you had fun making this project! If you make it, tag me on social media @giuliapinkytime and use the hashtag #AMIGURUMIPINKYTIME

For more free crochet patterns, check out my list of OTHER AMIGURUMI TUTORIALS.

Do you have questions? Drop them in the comments or come say hi in the Facebook group — we’ll share some tea, a chat… and a bit of colorful yarn.

I can’t wait to see your version of this project! Feel free to tag me (@giuliapinkytime) in your photos on Instagram if you’d like!

This pattern is an original pattern by Giulia Mollica of giuliapinkytime.  Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern, but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use, but please DO NOT sell the pattern or distribute it.

You may sell products made from this pattern, but please clearly credit the design to me, Giulia Mollica of giuliapinkytime. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you!