There is something about a handmade crochet baby rattle that a shop-bought toy simply cannot copy — the softness, the gentle sound, and the quiet knowledge that someone sat and stitched it with love before the baby even arrived. Whether you are crocheting for your own little one, a grandbaby on the way, or a friend's baby shower, a rattle is the perfect small project: quick, portable, and endlessly giftable.
So I have gathered twenty of my favourite rattle patterns for you here, every one a real, written pattern that is genuinely free — ring rattles and stem rattles, sleepy bunnies and circus elephants, a sunshine teether and even a vintage rattle with a ribbon bow. For each one I have noted honestly what makes the sound, whether that is a rattle insert tucked into the head, a jingle bell, or something cleverer. Pick your favourite, raid the cotton yarn stash, and let's make some happy noise.
1. A Dino Rattle With a Friendly Grin
We are starting with a little roar: Raffaella's dinosaur rattle has a softly stuffed head with embroidered eyes and a row of rounded plush spikes, so there is nothing sharp or pokey anywhere near baby. The sound comes from a 24 mm rattle ball tucked safely inside the body as you stuff, which gives a clear, cheerful shake without being startlingly loud. It is worked in DK cotton on a 3.0 mm hook to around five inches, a lovely size for small hands learning to grip. The stem is crocheted in segments, which makes it a brilliant scrap-buster — work each section in a different leftover colour for a rainbow dino. The complete written pattern is free on her blog; she also sells a printable PDF in her shops if you prefer a paper copy, but you do not need it to make the rattle.
Pattern: Dinosaur Baby Rattle by Raffamusa Designs — Get the free pattern
2. Gifa the Giraffe and Her Colour-Stack Stem
Kiran and Shama's giraffe rattle, Gifa, is part of their much-loved baby rattle series, and her signature is the handle: a stem built from four plump crocheted balls in colours of your choice, stacked under her head like a tiny totem pole. Those rounded segments are not just pretty — they make the rattle wonderfully easy for little fingers to hold onto, and the whole thing finishes at about seven and a half inches in DK yarn. A 24 mm rattle insert goes inside the head, well padded round with stuffing, so the sound stays soft and cosy. Her ears, little horns and embroidered face are all baby-safe, with no plastic parts to worry about. The pattern is for personal use, although finished rattles may be sold in small quantities with credit — and an optional print-friendly PDF is in their Ravelry store.
Pattern: Gifa the Giraffe Rattle by Kiran and Shama at Chai Coffee Crochet — Get the free pattern
3. A Sleepy Bunny on a Wooden Ring
Petra's sleepy bunny is the rattle I picture in every pastel nursery: long floppy ears, embroidered closed eyes, and a sweet round head sewn firmly onto a natural wooden ring that doubles as a teether. The ring is first wrapped in a tight crocheted stripe, and the head is stitched to that stripe with extra rounds of sewing, so the finished rattle feels reassuringly solid. For the sound, you tuck a rattle insert or rattle ball into the middle of the head while stuffing, padding it well all round so the head stays soft. Petra works it in a cotton and bamboo blend with a 3 mm hook, and the finished bunny stands about seven inches tall. The full written pattern is free on her blog page, and if you would like a printable copy she offers the PDF free when you join her newsletter.
Pattern: Sleepy Bunny Rattle by Petra at Cuddly Stitches Craft — Get the free pattern
4. The Fox Rattle With the Clever Loop Handle
Cheryl's fox rattle has the smartest handle in this whole collection: the head grows straight into a long striped tube, which you fold and sew back to the head to make a closed loop that a baby can grab, wave and chew on from any angle. Worked in worsted weight yarn with a 4 mm hook, he stitches up fast and feels satisfyingly chunky at about five inches tall. A toy rattle noise insert is tucked between the stuffing in his head before you sew it shut, and his eyes can be embroidered instead of using safety eyes if you prefer. That bold Tiger Lily orange against the white face is pure woodland storybook, but he would be just as handsome in rust, grey or soft sage. The complete pattern is free on Cheryl's blog; an ad-free printable version is also available to buy if you want one, entirely optional.
Pattern: Crochet Fox Rattle by Cheryl Bennett at Crochet 365 Knit Too — Get the free pattern
5. A Sunshine Rattle That Doubles as a Teether
If you know a baby arriving in summer, this smiling sun is the happiest gift on the list: a round golden face with stitched rays, crocheted straight around a natural wooden teething ring, so the finished toy is half rattle and half teether. Inside the sun's face you can hide a rattle insert for the classic shake, or slip in crinkle paper instead for that crinkly sound babies adore — the designer leaves the choice deliciously open. The face is worked in DK cotton with a 3 mm hook, and the whole piece is soft, flat and easy for tiny hands to hold up and admire. Embroidered closed eyes give it that peaceful, sleeping-sunshine expression that looks so sweet in nursery photos. It is a quick, joyful make in scrap-friendly amounts of yarn.
Pattern: Amigurumi Sun Baby Rattle by Puqqu — Get the free pattern
6. A Teddy Bear Teether With a Secret Rattle
Amanda's teddy bear sits on top of a smooth wooden teething ring, looking for all the world like a classic ring teether — until you give him a gentle shake and hear the secret. The pattern invites you to tuck a small toy rattle noise insert into the bear's head as you stuff him, so the sound is a surprise extra rather than the whole point. His body is a simple crocheted wrap around the ring, his ears and muzzle are quick little pieces, and the face is embroidered, keeping everything baby-safe. The finished teether is dinky enough for the changing bag and works up in an evening from DK cotton leftovers. The written pattern is free and complete on the Maisie and Ruth blog, with step-by-step photos; an ad-free PDF is sold in Amanda's Etsy shop if you ever want a printable copy.
Pattern: Teddy Bear Teether Rattle by Amanda at Maisie and Ruth — Get the free pattern
7. A Penguin Rattle With a Jingle Bell Heart
This little penguin waddles in with a different kind of music: instead of a plastic insert, Amanda Saladin hides a one-inch jingle bell inside the head, giving the rattle a bright, silvery tinkle that is honestly charming. The penguin's striped body wraps around a three-and-three-quarter-inch wooden teething ring, so baby gets a smooth ring to hold and gum while the penguin bobs on top. Worked in worsted weight yarn, the body stripes are a lovely way to use favourite colours — classic black and white, or soft grey and cream. A tiny orange beak and embroidered details finish the face, and the whole toy is sized for the smallest hands. The full pattern is free on the Love Life Yarn blog, and Amanda also offers an optional ad-free PDF in her shop if you prefer printing.
Pattern: Penguin Baby Rattle by Amanda Saladin at Love Life Yarn — Get the free pattern
8. A Sleeping Fox With the Softest Ears
Ana Carolina's sleeping fox is the calmest character in the collection: a rust-red head with a cream muzzle panel, tall ears, and peacefully embroidered closed eyes, all sitting on her clever ball-stack grip handle. That handle is a series of plump crocheted balls in cream and brown — a bumpy, interesting stem for baby to hold, and wonderfully firm. The rattle noise is added together with the stuffing as you close the head, cushioned all around so the sound stays gentle. A round of front post single crochet between the head and the handle gives the join a neat, sturdy finish that stands up to enthusiastic shaking. The complete written pattern is free on the Little Crochet Farm blog; if you want the ad-free PDF, Ana offers it as a perk for her Patreon members, but the blog version has everything you need.
Pattern: Sleeping Fox Baby Rattle by Ana Carolina at Little Crochet Farm — Get the free pattern
9. A Rainbow Bear With Rings That Slide and Click
Raffaella's rainbow bear has two sound tricks up his sleeve: a rattle ball hidden in his head for the shake, and two smooth wooden rings threaded on his rainbow-striped handle that slide and click softly as baby plays. That handle is the real showpiece — a curved rainbow in cheerful colour bands with the sleepy bear's head resting on top, worked in sport or DK cotton. He finishes at roughly five to six inches, small enough for a first grasping toy and pretty enough to prop in the nursery afterwards. As with all of Raffaella's baby designs, the face is embroidered and the pattern recommends cotton yarn for anything a baby will mouth. The full written pattern is free on her blog; a printable PDF is available in her shops if you would like one, but it is an optional extra.
Pattern: Rainbow Bear Baby Rattle by Raffamusa Designs — Get the free pattern
10. Flippy the Frog and His Bumpy Grip Stem
Flippy the frog has the happiest face in the pond: big round eyes perched on top of his head, a wide embroidered smile and two little pink cheeks. Like the others in Kiran and Shama's series, he stands on a stem of four plump crocheted balls that stay firm when stuffed — perfectly shaped for a baby's fist. A 24 mm rattle insert is placed in the head at just the right moment in the pattern, buried in stuffing so the shake sounds soft rather than hollow. Work the stem balls in a gradient from light to dark, as the designers suggest, and he looks like he has hopped straight out of a picture book. The pattern is for personal use, with finished rattles allowed to be sold in small quantities with credit — and there is an optional paid print-friendly PDF in their Ravelry store.
Pattern: Flippy the Frog Rattle by Kiran and Shama at Chai Coffee Crochet — Get the free pattern
11. Edward the Circus Elephant and His Spiral Handle
Edward is the vintage charmer of the list: a circus elephant head in soft DK yarn, a frilly two-colour collar, and a handle worked as a colourful spiral tube that you fold into a chunky doughnut ring for baby to hold. His sound comes from a rattle insert tucked into the head — or make your own from jingle bells wrapped in cotton fabric, using San's linked tutorial. Honesty corner: this is a two-step make — Edward's head is crocheted first from Dedri Uys's free Edward the Circus Elephant comfort blanket pattern (the rattle post links you to it), worked to round 24, then you continue with San's rattle instructions. Both halves are free, and the finished rattle makes a gorgeous heirloom-style gift; finished items may be sold, with credit to both designers.
Pattern: Edward the Circus Elephant Rattle by San at Loopsan — Get the free pattern
12. A Little Ladybug for Luck
They say ladybirds bring luck, and this one brings a gentle rattle too: Raffaella's ladybug has the classic loop-fold handle, where the striped stem is worked long, folded and sewn back to the body so baby gets a sturdy closed ring to grip. The head carries a rattle ball tucked inside the stuffing, and the black head, red shell and tiny spots are all crocheted and embroidered — no small parts anywhere. Her face is a pair of sleepy embroidered eyes with the sweetest calm expression, making this a lovely first rattle for a newborn photo shoot as well as playtime. In sport weight yarn she is a pocket-sized make at around four and a half inches. The complete pattern is free on the Raffamusa Designs blog, with an optional printable PDF in Raffaella's shops if you like a paper copy beside you.
Pattern: Ladybug Baby Rattle by Raffamusa Designs — Get the free pattern
13. A Happy Hippo With a Bead-Filled Surprise
Amigurumi Today's hippo rattle hides the most old-fashioned sound-maker of all: a small plastic egg or container filled with beads, sealed and tucked inside the head, so every shake gives a soft, natural rustle rather than a plastic clatter. The finished hippo is about five inches of blue-grey cuteness in cotton-blend yarn, with a yellow tummy panel. Now, the honest part: the pattern is completely free, but Amigurumi Today asks you to sign in with a free account on their site to see the full instructions — it costs nothing, and their listings say so plainly. Once you are in, the step-by-step pattern is all there. You are welcome to sell finished hippos made from it, as long as you mention Amigurumi Today as the source.
Pattern: Hippo Baby Rattle by Amigurumi Today — Get the free pattern
14. A Sweet Cat Rattle for Tiny Hands
Ana Carolina's cat rattle is proof that simple stitches make the most huggable toys: a round stripy head, two neat triangle ears and her signature grip handle of stacked crocheted balls in soft, gender-neutral colours. The rattle noise insert goes into the head along with the stuffing, and Ana's photo-rich instructions show exactly when to add it so the head keeps its round shape. At about six and a half inches in sport weight yarn, it is a just-right size for a baby to hold in both hands and study — and believe me, they do study those embroidered whiskers. The pattern is written in US terms with clear round-by-round counts — friendly for a first amigurumi rattle. It is free and complete on the Little Crochet Farm blog; the ad-free PDF version is offered to Ana's Patreon members.
Pattern: Cat Amigurumi Rattle by Ana Carolina at Little Crochet Farm — Get the free pattern
15. Cleo the Cow With Her Rainbow Stem
Cleo the cow brings the farmyard to the nursery: a white head with a pink muzzle, tiny beige horns, and one black ear and one white ear, which might be my favourite detail in this entire roundup. She follows the Chai Coffee family's favourite formula — a 24 mm rattle insert in the head and a stem of four plump balls in colours you choose — so she matches their frog, giraffe and lion rattles beautifully if you are building a gift set. In DK yarn she stands about seven and a half inches and works up in a couple of hours — a realistic night-before-the-shower project. Her eyes and lashes are embroidered, so there is nothing for little fingers to pick at. The pattern is for personal use, with small-quantity sales of finished rattles allowed with credit; an optional print-friendly PDF is in their Ravelry store.
Pattern: Cleo the Cow Rattle by Kiran and Shama at Chai Coffee Crochet — Get the free pattern
16. A Berry-Pink Pig With Sleepy Eyes
Cheryl designed this pig in one juicy magenta yarn, start to finish, which makes him the most stash-friendly rattle here — one skein, one evening, one very cute gift. He uses the same clever folded loop handle as her fox: a long stuffed tube sewn back into the head, giving baby a closed ring that is easy to grab. A toy rattle noise insert hides inside the head between layers of stuffing, and his face is nothing but embroidery — sleepy eyes, a stitched snout — so he is safe from the very first cuddle. At five inches tall in worsted weight yarn, he is a speedy, satisfying make for a last-minute baby shower. The complete pattern is free on the Crochet 365 Knit Too blog; Cheryl also offers an ad-free printable version to buy, if that is your preference.
Pattern: Crochet Pig Rattle by Cheryl Bennett at Crochet 365 Knit Too — Get the free pattern
17. One Pattern, Two Friends: Butterfly or Bee
This is the cleverest two-for-one in the collection: one pattern from Raffaella that becomes a pastel butterfly, or a buzzy bee in yellow and black stripes, just by changing colours and adding wings or antennae. Both versions are built on her fold-over handle — the long striped stem sewn back to the head as a graspable loop. A rattle ball of about 24 mm sits in the centre of the head, padded with stuffing as you sew the opening closed during assembly. The butterfly's four wings and the popcorn-stitch antennae are small, quick pieces that add a lovely bit of texture for baby fingers to explore. The full pattern is free on the Raffamusa Designs blog; if you want it printed, the PDF is sold in her shops as an optional extra.
Pattern: Butterfly & Bee Baby Rattle by Raffamusa Designs — Get the free pattern
18. A Sleepy Cow With Dangly Legs
Ana Carolina's second cow in this list could not be more different from Cleo: this is a whole sleepy calf, worked around a stack of eight plump crocheted balls that form her body and grip in one, with a big soft head, a pink snout, floppy ears and four little dangling legs. The rattle noise maker is listed right in the materials and goes into the head while you finish stuffing — and Ana even suggests adding a little noise to the legs as well if you want an extra-jingly toy. At about seven inches she is part rattle, part first cuddly toy, and those embroidered sleeping eyes make her a dreamy gift for a newborn. The pattern is free and fully illustrated on the blog; an ad-free PDF is available through Ana's Patreon membership.
Pattern: Baby Cow Amigurumi Rattle by Ana Carolina at Little Crochet Farm — Get the free pattern
19. Luki the Lion, King of the Nursery
Every nursery menagerie needs a king, and Luki earns the crown with a mane made from seven small crocheted discs pinned and sewn around his face like a friendly little sun. He was designed for a baby named Shershah — "sher" means lion — which might be the sweetest pattern origin story I have ever read. Under the mane sits the series' trusted formula: a round head with a 24 mm rattle insert at its heart, a soft oval muzzle, and a stem of four bright balls. In DK yarn he finishes at about seven and a half inches, impressive enough to gift on his own or alongside the matching Luki toy. The pattern is for personal use, finished rattles may be sold in small quantities with credit, and an optional print-friendly PDF is in the designers' Ravelry store.
Pattern: Luki the Lion Rattle by Kiran and Shama at Chai Coffee Crochet — Get the free pattern
20. Emma's Vintage Rattle With a Ribbon Bow
We are finishing with a little piece of crochet history: Emma's rattle from Crochet 'N' More is a lacy crocheted cover with a ribbon woven through the eyelets and tied in a bow, designed to slip over the sound-maker like a pretty bonnet. And that sound-maker is gloriously homemade — an empty film canister filled with dried beans, taped securely onto a craft stick, so the rattle has that soft, old-fashioned shuffle. If film canisters are impossible to find these days, any small lidded plastic pot works the same way inside the cover. The cover itself is simple half double crochet with a shell-edged top, a lovely gentle project in baby yarn. The pattern is offered for personal use only, and it is a charming reminder that handmade rattles were loved long before plastic inserts existed.
Pattern: Emma’s Baby Rattle by Crochet ‘N’ More — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty rattles, my friend — dinosaurs and giraffes, jingle-bell penguins and bead-filled hippos, sunshine teethers and one very vintage rattle with a bow. If you are new to amigurumi, the sun, the ladybug or Emma's simple cover are gentle places to start; if you want a gift with real wow-factor, Edward the elephant or the rainbow bear will steal the baby shower. Whichever you choose, work in cotton yarn, embroider the eyes, and sew every join twice — these little toys will be shaken, chewed and loved hard.
Now tell me — which of these twenty is going on your hook first, and who is the lucky baby? I read every comment, and I would love to see your finished rattles!
