If there is one animal that was simply made to be crocheted, it is the koala: those enormous fluffy ears, that round grey tummy, that splendid oval nose. A crochet koala can be a squishy plush for the sofa, a lovey for a new baby, a charm dangling from your keys, or even a whole blanket — and every single one of the twenty ideas below is linked to a genuinely free pattern. Most of them ask for nothing more exotic than grey yarn, a little white or cream, and a quiet afternoon.
I have gathered loveys and rattles for baby gifts, cuddly amigurumi in every size from a five-centimetre mini to a full hugging plush, five different keychains, coasters, an appliqué and a beautiful C2C blanket for the nursery. I have noted sizes, yarns and the honest little details for each pattern as we go — including where a designer offers an optional paid PDF, which is always just that: optional. Pick your favourite, pour the tea, and let's make some koalas.
1. The Cuddly Koala Lovey Every Baby Needs
We are starting with the make that melts hearts fastest: Jess Coppom's koala lovey, a sweet stuffed koala head and arms attached to a soft ripple blanket body that babies can clutch, chew and drag everywhere. The body works up from just one skein of yarn plus scraps, which makes it a beautiful stash-friendly baby shower gift, and the little bow is cleverly designed to be worn as a bow on one ear for a girl or as a bowtie for a boy. The security-blanket shape means no loose limbs for tiny hands to worry about, and the ripple stitches give small fingers lovely texture to explore. The full lovey pattern is free to follow on the Make and Do Crew blog; if you prefer printing, there is an optional paid ad-free PDF you can buy, but the free version is complete. In soft grey and white it is pure nursery sweetness.
Pattern: Cuddly Koala Lovey by Jess Coppom at Make and Do Crew — Get the free pattern
2. Kaya the Faux-Fur Cuddle Koala
Ashley Parker's Kaya might be the most huggable koala on this list, because she is crocheted in super bulky faux fur yarn that gives her a realistic, pettable coat. She stands about ten inches tall — proper cuddle size — and takes just one ball of Fable Fur yarn plus a small amount of black worsted for her nose. Ashley rates the pattern beginner-friendly, and the fur is forgiving in a lovely way: stitch visibility hardly matters once that fluffy texture blooms, so small wobbles simply disappear into the fuzz. People regularly mistake finished Kayas for shop-bought soft toys, which is the highest compliment a handmade plush can get. The pattern is free on The Loopy Lamb blog, with an optional ad-free PDF in her Ravelry and Etsy shops if you want one.
Pattern: Kaya the Koala by Ashley Parker at The Loopy Lamb — Get the free pattern
3. Kaley, the Realistic Little Koala
If you like your amigurumi with a touch of realism, Kaley from Desert Blossom Crafts is your girl: a softly shaped koala of about eight to nine inches, worked in DK yarn with a white belly and muzzle crocheted right in as colourwork rather than sewn on afterwards. That built-in tummy gives her a polished, almost storybook look, and her proportions — big ears, round belly, little limbs — are pure koala. The full written pattern is free on the blog, and I will be transparent about the one detail: the ear chart lives in the optional paid print PDF, but the written ear rounds are right there in the free blog version, so you can absolutely finish Kaley without spending anything. She makes a lovely shelf companion or a gift for a koala-mad niece.
Pattern: Kaley the Amigurumi Koala by Desert Blossom Crafts — Get the free pattern
4. Kenny the Mini Koala, Almost No Sewing
Stephanie at Grace and Yarn designed Kenny for everyone who loves amigurumi but groans at the sewing-up stage: his legs, body and head are crocheted in one continuous piece, so there is barely any assembly to dread at the end. He finishes at around ten inches tall in worsted weight yarn, with the classic grey-and-white koala colouring and a sweet, simple face that suits beginners. The complete pattern is free on her blog; an optional ad-free PDF is available in her Etsy and Ravelry shops for those who like a tidy printable. She also happily allows finished Kennys to be sold, as long as you credit her as the designer and link back — good news for market-stall makers. One piece, minimal sewing, maximum cute.
Pattern: Kenny the Mini Koala by Stephanie at Grace and Yarn — Get the free pattern
5. Valerie, the Beginner-Friendly Hugger
Lucy Kate's Valerie is the koala I recommend to first-time amigurumi makers, because the pattern is written to be genuinely beginner-friendly and the shaping is wonderfully forgiving. She is worked in aran weight yarn in a soft mink grey with a cream tummy and a charcoal nose, and her parts are crocheted separately and sewn together — which sounds old-fashioned, but it means each piece is small, simple and confidence-building. My favourite finishing touch is that her hands are sewn together, so she sits in a permanent hugging pose, ready to hold a little note or simply look adorable on a desk. The whole pattern is free on the Lucy Kate Crochet site, with no downloads or sign-ups standing between you and your koala.
Pattern: Valerie the Crochet Koala by Lucy Kate Crochet — Get the free pattern
6. The Tiny Koala With His Own Eucalyptus Sprig
Supergurumi's little koala is a miniature charmer worked in fine sport-weight cotton with a 2.5 mm hook, and he comes with his own snack: a small green eucalyptus sprig to sew into his paw. The head and body are crocheted in one piece with the cream belly worked in as you go, and the ears get a pretty embroidered cream swirl inside that mimics a real koala's fluffy inner ear. At palm size he is part plush, part desk ornament, and the cotton yarn keeps every tiny stitch crisp and defined. The complete pattern is free on the Supergurumi site, for your personal use — which covers gifts and your own collection perfectly. Make him in an evening and try to stop at one.
Pattern: Amigurumi Koala by Supergurumi — Get the free pattern
7. The No-Sew Mini Noso Koala
Five centimetres tall and zero sewing — that is the promise of Supergurumi's Mini Noso, whose name is pronounced "no sew" for very good reason. The whole body, arms and legs are crocheted in a single piece using a clever separating technique, and only the little ears and nose are attached afterwards. He subsists, the designer jokes, on a single eucalyptus leaf, which is included in the pattern and takes about a minute to make. Worked in fine cotton with a 2.5 mm hook, he is the definition of a last-minute gift: an hour or so of stitching and you have a pocket-sized koala for a keyring, a plant pot or a dollhouse. The pattern is free on the site, for personal use.
Pattern: Mini Noso Koala by Supergurumi — Get the free pattern
8. The Plush Koala With a Heart on His Tummy
Designed by Olesya AmiToys and shared in English by Amiguroom Toys, this squishable plush is worked in velvety chenille-style yarn — the original uses Himalaya Dolphin Baby — so he comes out soft as a marshmallow at about eighteen centimetres tall. His head, body and legs are one piece, the arms are crocheted in as you work the body, and the detail I cannot resist is his tummy: a white heart, sewn proudly onto his front. It turns a sweet koala into a ready-made Valentine's, new-baby or just-because gift with the message built in. The full pattern is free on the page, with clear round-by-round instructions and photos. Worked on a 4 mm hook, he grows satisfyingly fast.
Pattern: Amigurumi Koala by Olesya AmiToys via Amiguroom Toys — Get the free pattern
9. One Pattern, Two Plush Sizes
Can’t decide between a big cuddly koala and a little one? This pattern from AmigurumiBook simply gives you both: materials and instructions for a large koala in plush Himalaya Dolphin Baby yarn and a smaller version in the finer weight of the same range, so you can make a parent-and-baby pair. The head and body are crocheted in one piece, with a separate oval tummy patch, two-tone ears and a tiny tail to sew on at the end. The instructions are laid out round by round with photos for every stage, and the whole pattern is free on the page — no account, no download, just scroll and stitch. Choose the big one for hugging and the small one for the nursery shelf.
Pattern: Koala Amigurumi by AmigurumiBook — Get the free pattern
10. The Flat Ragdoll Koala
Spin a Yarn Crochet is famous for her ragdoll style — flat panels worked in rows, joined around the edges and lightly stuffed for a soft, two-dimensional look — and her koala is a perfect example of why people love it. He finishes at about fifteen centimetres tall, worked mostly in bulky yarn, with just a whisper of white faux fur on his belly patch and inner ears for that koala fluff. Thirteen simple pieces sound like a lot until you realise each one is a quick rectangle-ish panel, and the join-as-you-go assembly is deeply satisfying. The full pattern is free on her blog; an inexpensive ad-free PDF exists on Etsy, Ravelry and Ribblr if you want it, entirely optional. Slightly bigger than your palm, he makes the sweetest desk mate.
Pattern: Koala by Spin a Yarn Crochet — Get the free pattern
11. The Classic Little Koala, Four Ways
Craft Passion's koala is a true crochet classic — a tiny three-to-five-inch amigurumi that has been delighting makers for years — and the pattern arrives as a free PDF download from the post. Worked in cotton with bead eyes, he is small enough to perch anywhere, and the post shares four playful ways to take him further: add a key ring and he becomes a bag charm, or tuck tiny magnets into his limb tips and he turns into a "huggy" koala that grips branches, curtain edges and pencils. Stuff him with beads instead of fibre and he becomes a weighted desk memo holder, or reach for chunky yarn and make a giant version instead. The designer made a pair in reversed colours, off-white and grey, which is a lovely idea for siblings or best friends.
Pattern: Crochet Koala by Craft Passion — Get the free pattern
12. Louis the Koala Baby Rattle
Louis, from Octopus Crochet, is a baby rattle with real personality: an eleven-centimetre koala in soft DMC Happy Cotton, sitting on a crocheted brown branch with three little green leaves, his hands sewn together so he grips a smooth wooden teething ring. The designer even skips stuffing in the legs to keep anything unnecessary out of a chewing baby's reach — the kind of thoughtful detail you want in a baby pattern. She rates him adventurous-beginner friendly, and the free version on the blog is complete; the paid Etsy PDF simply adds more step-by-step photos if you like extra guidance. As a handmade baby shower or welcome-home gift, he is thoughtful, practical and completely adorable. Use cotton yarn and embroidered eyes if the rattle is destined for a very small baby.
Pattern: Louis the Koala Baby Rattle by Octopus Crochet — Get the free pattern
13. The Koala C2C Graphgan Blanket
The biggest project on our list is Tonya Bush's corner-to-corner blanket, where a handsome koala climbs his tree across a soft peach background, pixel by pixel. She works it in the mini half-double-crochet C2C technique, which keeps the blocks small and the picture crisp, and at that gauge it finishes at about 32 by 37 inches — a baby blanket or pram throw size, using roughly 1,200 yards of worsted yarn. If you would like it bigger, simply work the same chart in standard double crochet C2C instead. The free blog version includes the complete row-by-row written colour changes, which is a generous amount of pattern to give away; an ad-free printable PDF is there if you prefer one. It is the cousin of her panda blanket, for a future wildlife set.
Pattern: Koala C2C Graphgan Blanket by Tonya Bush at Nana’s Crafty Home — Get the free pattern
14. The Koala Appliqué for Blankets and More
Sarah Zimmerman's flat koala appliqué shows a little koala sitting in his tree — head, fluffy two-tone ears, body, dangly legs, a tan branch and green leaves — all worked in worsted yarn with a size H hook and finished with 10 mm safety eyes. Sew him onto a plain blanket, a tote bag, a cushion or the front of a child's cardigan and the whole piece turns into a story. Sarah reworked her sloth appliqué to create him during the Australian bushfires, and donated the proceeds from the post to koala charities, which makes stitching him feel doubly good. The complete pattern is free on Repeat Crafter Me, and she pairs him with her moss stitch square blanket if you want the full look. He is flat, fast and endlessly reusable.
Pattern: Crochet Koala Appliqué by Sarah Zimmerman at Repeat Crafter Me — Get the free pattern
15. Koala Coasters With Picot-Fur Ears
Ling Ryan's koala faces are the hardest-working little makes in this roundup: crocheted in cotton aran yarn, each one is a heat-resistant, absorbent coaster of about eight and a half centimetres across — eleven and a half including the ears — and the final round uses tiny picot stitches to give those ears their famous fluff. The nose and chin are worked in as colour changes, and the eyes are embroidered afterwards with the yarn tail you saved, which is a clever bit of design. When they are not under mugs, the same faces work as appliqués for blankets and sweaters, or string a row together for nursery bunting. The pattern is free on Hooked On Patterns for personal use — finished coasters may be sold at markets with credit to the designer — and a printable PDF is available for £3.50 if you like paper patterns.
Pattern: Koala Coasters by Ling Ryan at Hooked On Patterns — Get the free pattern
16. The Fundraiser Koala Keychain
Fay at Stitch by Fay designed this pocket-sized keychain at the start of 2020, when Australia's bushfires were raging, and offered it for fundraising makes — a small pattern with a big heart. He measures about two and a half inches, worked in cotton DK with a 2.5 mm hook, with two-tone ears, a tiny oval of black felt for the nose and an embroidered mouth if you fancy one. Front-loop-only rounds give his head a subtle ridged texture that keeps the shape neat without stuffing peeking through. The pattern is free on her site for personal use, and finished keychains may be sold as long as you credit Stitch by Fay and link back — she wrote it to be shared for good causes, after all. A handful of these takes an evening, tops.
Pattern: Koala Keychain by Fay at Stitch by Fay — Get the free pattern
17. The Faux-Fur Koala Keychain
If Kaya in idea two tempted you but a full plush feels like a commitment, Ashley Parker's matching keychain is the taster project she designed for exactly that reason. Just fourteen yards of Fable Fur yarn — you can squeeze five of these fluffy heads from a single skein — plus safety eyes and a split ring, and you have a two-and-a-half-inch koala face for your keys or bag. She works the head inside-out so the fur's best side shows, and suggests a quick trim around the eyes with sharp scissors so his face peeks out properly. Leave the hardware off and the same little head becomes a pompom for a child's hat. The pattern is free on The Loopy Lamb, with an optional ad-free PDF on Ravelry and Etsy.
Pattern: Crochet Koala Keychain by Ashley Parker at The Loopy Lamb — Get the free pattern
18. The Neon Koala Plushie Keychain
Amy Yarbrough at Crochet Spot looked at the classic grey koala and thought: what if he was neon? Her plushie keychain is built from two flat panels crocheted in rows, edged together with a contrasting colour and lightly stuffed, finishing at about four inches square — and the pattern positively invites you to raid the brightest scraps in your stash, since it needs only around ten yards of the main colour. The face is simple embroidery, a teardrop nose and two-stitch eyes, so there are no tiny safety eyes to fiddle with. A chain of split rings turns him into a keychain or bag charm that nobody will ever mistake for theirs. The full pattern is free on Crochet Spot, cheerful proof that koalas look good in absolutely any colour.
Pattern: Neon Koala Plushie Keychain by Amy Yarbrough at Crochet Spot — Get the free pattern
19. The Keychain Koala Holding a Treat
Lennutas gives her keychain koala a prop, and you get to choose it: a smiling yellow emoji face to cuddle, or a little bamboo stalk to munch, both included in the pattern. He is worked in sport yarn on a fine 2.3 mm hook with two-tone ears edged in a picot-style trim, pink cheeks and embroidered eyebrows that give him a permanently surprised expression. The whole written pattern is free on the page — I should note honestly that the printable PDF version is reserved for her members and the pattern is for personal use only, but nothing you need is missing from the free version. Head and body flow in one piece, which keeps the sewing to the limbs, ears and that all-important snack.
Pattern: Koala Crochet Keychain by Lennutas — Get the free pattern
20. The Koala on a Leaf Keychain
We are finishing with the most detailed keychain of all: Penguin Hobbies' tiny koala sitting on a big green leaf, complete with a brown branch under his feet, a tiny white flower beside him and proper keyring hardware on a lobster clasp. The leaf is the engineering marvel here — two crocheted layers joined around a hidden craft-wire frame, with embroidered veins and a reinforced hanging loop, so the whole charm keeps its shape in the bottom of a busy handbag. It is rated intermediate, and the step-by-step pattern is completely free on the page; the design is for personal use, though finished charms may be sold in small handmade quantities. In sport or DK cotton with a fine hook, it is a miniature garden scene you can carry everywhere.
Pattern: Koala Leaf Keychain by Penguin Hobbies — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty koalas, my friend — a lovey for the nursery, a rattle on a teething ring, plushies in faux fur and plush chenille, a five-centimetre no-sew mini, coasters for your coffee table, an appliqué for your next blanket and a whole C2C graphgan to curl up under. If you are new to amigurumi, start with Valerie, Kenny or one of the keychains and let the ears do the charming; if you have a baby shower coming, the lovey and Louis the rattle are the gifts everyone will ask about. Grey yarn has never worked so hard, or looked so cute doing it.
Now tell me in the comments — which koala is going on your hook first: the cuddly plush, the baby lovey or one of the pocket-sized keychains?
