If your saved boards look anything like mine, they are slowly being taken over by tiny roaring faces and very serious little horns — so I finally gave in and gathered my favourite crochet dinosaur patterns into one happy herd. Whether you crochet for your children, grandchildren, your desk at work or purely for yourself, a handmade dino is the gift that gets hugged first and kept longest. There is something about those chunky tails and earnest expressions that turns grown women into gift-making machines.
Inside this roundup you will find T-rexes with proper jaws, triceratops with frills and beaks, plated stegosauruses, gentle long-necks, one flying friend, a backpack buddy, an appliqué and even a hooded dinosaur blanket. Every pattern is genuinely free on the designer's own page, and where an optional paid PDF exists I have said so honestly, as always. Sizes, yarns, hooks and difficulty are noted as we go — so pick your dinosaur, raid the stash, and let's stomp.
1. The T-Rex With Sculpted Eyes and a Gentle Roar
We are starting with Danny, the T-rex from Cuddly Stitches Craft, who might be the most expressive dinosaur in this whole collection. His big head is shaped with real care, the eyes are sculpted into gentle indents, and a row of little spikes runs down his back, so he looks storybook-soft rather than scary. In sport weight yarn with a 2.5 mm hook he sits at about eight and a quarter inches and stands at eleven and a quarter, but the pattern gives hook sizes for DK, worsted and even plush yarn if you want him bigger and squishier. This one is rated intermediate to advanced with a fair amount of sewing, and it earns that label — but the step-by-step photos and video tutorials walk you through every tricky moment. The full pattern is free on her blog; an optional ad-free printable PDF is available on Etsy and Ravelry.
Pattern: Danny the Dinosaur by Cuddly Stitches Craft — Get the free pattern
2. A Proper Jaw, Embroidered Teeth and Teeny Arms
Hooks and Dragon's Tyrannosaurus Rex is for those of us who like our dinosaurs cute but anatomically committed. He has a separately worked oval muzzle, a lower jaw you sew underneath, embroidered teeth, little eyebrows, indented nostrils, and — the detail that made me smile — two-part arms with two tiny fingers each, because a T-rex's arms deserve the attention. A light green belly panel, worked on a smaller hook and sewn down his front, gives him that classic two-tone look. Written in US terms for aran yarn and a 3.5 mm hook, the complete pattern is free on her blog — no paid version, no sign-up, just scroll and start. With toes, tail and legs all worked separately, he is a bit of a project, but the finished softie has real shelf presence.
Pattern: Tyrannosaurus Rex by Hooks and Dragon — Get the free pattern
3. Nose-to-Tail Cleverness With Just One Seam
DROPS Design builds Bob the Dinosaur the clever way: the four legs are crocheted first, then the dinosaur is worked from the nose to the tail in one continuous piece, with the legs folded and crocheted in as you go. That means the only seam on the whole toy is one neat line under the body — a small miracle for those of us who dread assembly day. A row of fan-like spines is worked along the back at the very end, and the eyes are embroidered with a loop stitch — no hard parts at all, so he is lovely and safe for the smallest dinosaur fans. He is worked in olive and forest green with a 3.5 mm hook and finishes at a petite, palm-friendly size of about 18 cm. As always with DROPS, the complete pattern is free on the Garnstudio site.
Pattern: Bob the Dinosaur (DROPS Children 37-21) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
4. A Mini T-Rex Cousin With Spikes and a Video
Meet Mini Toby the Tarbosaurus — the T-rex's close cousin, and every bit as fun to say. Nicole Chase works him in purple with pink legs and arms, white embroidered nails, and seven little pink spikes running from the tip of his tail, up his back and right over his head. He is the mini version of her original Toby, rated advanced beginner, and worked with a 4.0 mm hook in continuous rounds with clear assembly photos. My favourite thing here: the page includes a full video tutorial alongside the written pattern, so visual learners can crochet along in real time. The written pattern is free on her site, and there is an optional ad-free PDF if you want a printable copy. Make him in plush yarn and he turns into a proper cuddle size.
Pattern: Mini Toby the Tarbosaurus by Nicole Chase — Get the free pattern
5. The Frill You Crochet Straight Onto the Head
The hardest part of any triceratops is the frill — unless you make this one, because Cuddly Stitches Craft crochets the frill directly onto the head, so there is no wobbly disc to sew on straight. Her triceratops is worked in deep purple with a lighter purple belly and cream details, and his toes are clever modified puff stitches that give him real little claws. In sport yarn on a 2.5 mm hook he measures about nine inches seated and twelve and a quarter standing, and there is a dedicated video tutorial just for the frill technique. Like Danny at number one, he is rated intermediate to advanced and does involve sewing, but the instructions and photos are wonderfully thorough. The complete pattern is free on the blog, with an optional ad-free PDF on Etsy and Ravelry. Danny and this fellow make a roaring pair, by the way.
Pattern: Triceratops by Cuddly Stitches Craft — Get the free pattern
6. A Two-Piece Beak and a Scalloped Frill
Trixie the Triceratops from Storyland Amis has the most convincing beak in this roundup, because designer Holly Lanier builds it in two pieces — a top and a bottom — and sews them to the face so Trixie gets that proper parrot-like triceratops profile. Her frill is worked in rows with a pretty scalloped shell edge, the horns are cream, and the whole dinosaur is crocheted in worsted yarn — her sample is mid green with ivory — on a 4.0 mm hook. She finishes at about six and a half inches tall — a sweet shelf or desk size — and the pattern is full of step-by-step photo collages for every stage of sewing. Everything is free on the blog; a formatted, ad-free version is available in her shop. Trixie has a gentle, friendly face that children seem to adore instantly.
Pattern: Trixie the Triceratops by Storyland Amis — Get the free pattern
7. A Petite Blue Triceratops in Fine Cotton
Amigurumi Today's triceratops is the delicate one of the family — worked in fine cotton-blend yarn with a tiny 2.0 to 2.5 mm hook, finishing at just about 15 cm of jewel-like detail. Their sample is dusty blue with a contrasting frill, which begins cleverly with a back-loop-only round on the head — the ridge the frill grows from. It is rated intermediate, with horns, little spikes and careful shaping, and at this scale he feels like a keepsake rather than a toy — the kind of make that ends up on a bookshelf among the novels. The full pattern is free on the Amigurumi Today page, and a printable PDF is sold in their store if you want one. If you enjoy fine yarn and small hooks, this is your triceratops. Pair it with a tiny plant and try not to smile every time you pass.
Pattern: Amigurumi Triceratops by Amigurumi Today — Get the free pattern
8. A Flat Ragdoll Triceratops With Bobble Horns
Trish the Triceratops is made in Spin a Yarn Crochet's signature ragdoll style — flat pieces worked in rows, then joined around the edges, giving her that charming two-dimensional, soft-book look. She is built from twelve pieces, including three cream horns and three orange spots, and her cleverest detail is the row of tiny bobble-stitch horns worked right into the frill's edge as you join the head panels. Her body is dark green, her face a soft light green, and you can add stitched pink cheeks if you want extra sweetness. Worked with a 3.25 mm hook, she finishes at about 20 cm high and 24 cm wide — flat enough to prop against nursery cushions or hang as wall décor. The pattern is free on the blog, and an inexpensive ad-free PDF is available on Etsy. She belongs to a little dino series, and she pairs beautifully with Stan at number eleven.
Pattern: Trish the Triceratops by Spin a Yarn Crochet — Get the free pattern
9. One Long Body and a Strip of Spikes
Greg the Steg from A Purpose and a Stitch is a wonderfully economical make: his head, body and long tail are crocheted as one continuous piece in joined rounds, so the whole dinosaur flows from a single ball of yarn. The plates that make him unmistakably a stegosaurus are worked as one clever strip along a foundation chain — a rhythm of double crochets and picot points — then pinned and sewn down the centre of his back. You add four little legs and a scattering of spots in three sizes, and he is done: about eight and a half inches long and four and a half inches tall. He takes roughly 85 yards of worsted for the body and only about 17 yards for the spikes and spots, which makes him a genuine stash-buster. The pattern is free on her blog, with an optional ad-free PDF available. His embroidered smile is the finishing touch of charm.
Pattern: Greg the Steg by A Purpose and a Stitch — Get the free pattern
10. Sixteen Plates on One Very Long Dinosaur
Lucy Kate's stegosaurus is a true one-piece wonder: head, body and tail are crocheted as a single long piece shaped with partial increases, so the back rises and falls exactly where a stegosaurus should. Onto that back go sixteen plates in five graduated sizes, arranged in two rows and finished with surface crochet in the body colour using a tiny 2.25 mm hook — a small step that makes the plates look beautifully defined. Her sample is a joyful teal with orange plates and orange soles on his two wide, stability-first legs, worked with a 5 mm hook. The pattern is written in US terms and is completely free on her site, with no paid version at all. It is a longer make, but nearly all of it is simple single crochet — perfect slow-evening, television-watching crochet. The finished dinosaur stands up sturdily all by himself.
Pattern: Stegosaurus by Lucy Kate Crochet — Get the free pattern
11. A Pumpkin Ragdoll Steggy With Shadow Legs
Stan the Steggy is Trish's ragdoll cousin from Spin a Yarn Crochet, and he is just as flat, soft and huggable. His body panel is built in a clever order — the foreleg, tail and head are made first and then crocheted into the body as you go — and his back plates are two panels of six plates each, worked along one long chain, then joined and lightly stuffed for a gentle puff. Two little "shadow legs" stitched behind the front pair give him a three-dimensional look from the side. He is worked in warm pumpkin shades with butterscotch spots, uses less than 50 grams of each colour, and finishes at about 26 cm wide and 16 cm tall. The full pattern is free on the blog; an inexpensive ad-free PDF is on Etsy and Ravelry if you prefer. Make Stan and Trish together and you have a matching pair for two siblings.
Pattern: Stan the Steggy by Spin a Yarn Crochet — Get the free pattern
12. The Brontosaurus That Stands Up Properly
Every long-neck owner knows the heartbreak of a dinosaur who cannot hold his own head up — and StringyDingDing has engineered it away. Her brontosaurus begins with the head flowing into the neck as one piece, which is then crocheted directly to a separately made back to form the body, with a step-by-step sewing guide that anchors the limbs so they hug the body instead of splaying. Thoughtful extras include optional contrast spots that can double as cheeks, optional face shaping for dimpled eyes, an optional white chest panel, and a tip about weighting the base to balance that long neck. It is rated intermediate and worked in worsted yarn with a 4 mm hook and 12 mm safety eyes. The pattern is free on her blog, with an optional PDF version in her shop. This is the brontosaurus for perfectionists, in the nicest way.
Pattern: Brontosaurus by StringyDingDing — Get the free pattern
13. A Five-Inch Bronto That Clips to a Backpack
Backpack Bronto from The Loopy Lamb might be the most giftable dinosaur in this whole list. He is a mini brontosaurus, about five inches tall, designed to clip onto a child's backpack or lunch bag with a simple carabiner through his back — a little travelling friend for the school run. Rated easy, with basic stitches and no colour changes, he takes only about 15 grams of worsted yarn — a single mini ball or your leftovers will do; the sample is fresh avocado green. The neck and head grow out of the body in one clever piece, with a 3.5 mm hook and 9 mm safety eyes. The pattern is free on her blog, and the optional inexpensive PDF on Ravelry and Etsy also includes instructions for a giant plush-yarn version. Expect requests from classmates — the designer warns about exactly that.
Pattern: Backpack Bronto by The Loopy Lamb — Get the free pattern
14. One-Piece Wonder: Head, Neck and Body Together
Mohu Mohu's big brontosaurus is the one I recommend to amigurumi beginners, because the head, neck and body are crocheted in a single piece from the top down — no wrestling a long neck on at assembly time. Only the snout, legs and tail are sewn on afterwards, and the eyes are embroidered with black yarn — no plastic parts at all. It is rated easy and uses nothing but basic single crochet, worked in worsted yarn with a 3.75 mm hook to about 24 cm tall from roughly 50 grams of yarn. Want him bigger? The designer shows a 40 cm version made with two strands held together and a 6 mm hook. The complete pattern is free on the Mohu blog, written out in full with photos. Simple, sturdy and very squeezable.
Pattern: Amigurumi Dinosaur by Mohu Mohu — Get the free pattern
15. The Biggest Dino of the Bunch, in Purple
Andy the Apatosaurus is the largest of Nicole Chase's dinosaur family — the long-necked giant so closely related to the brontosaurus that scientists argued about them for a century. Andy is gloriously purple, with lavender feet, embroidered nostrils and eyebrows, and tiny white nails on his feet and arms, and his big chubby head gives him a gentle, sleepy expression. The pattern is rated advanced beginner and comes with extensive photo tutorials for every piece, including a clever trick of closing the legs and arms by crocheting them flat. He is a satisfying, substantial make — the sort of dinosaur that becomes the centrepiece of a nursery shelf. The written pattern is free on her site, and an optional ad-free PDF is available if you like to print. If you make one dinosaur as a statement gift, Andy is a strong candidate.
Pattern: Andy the Apatosaurus by Nicole Chase — Get the free pattern
16. Wings! A Mini Pterosaur for Your Shelf
Every dinosaur herd needs one who flies, and Mini Tori the Pterosaur is ours. Tori's body, beaked head and jaunty crest are worked in continuous rounds, while her wings are built from a stuffed "muscle" piece with a flat web crocheted separately and attached, which gives the wings real shape instead of floppy triangles. In worsted yarn with a 4.0 mm hook she stands about seven inches tall (five sitting), in sunny yellow with orange wings and legs; she also works up beautifully in plush chenille, if you want a bigger, huggable version. She is rated advanced beginner, and the photo tutorials are excellent, as Nicole Chase's always are. The pattern is free on her site with an optional ad-free PDF available. Perched on a shelf edge with her wings out, Tori steals every scene she is in.
Pattern: Mini Tori the Pterosaur by Nicole Chase — Get the free pattern
17. The Friendly All-Rounder, Made Your Way
The Friendly Dino from The Friendly Red Fox is not one particular species — he is the storybook dinosaur of childhood drawings, with a round belly, an accent-coloured muzzle and five chunky spikes down his back. That makes him the most customisable dinosaur in this list: add stripes or circles, work him in realistic greens or in a favourite colour, and he is unmistakably yours. He takes about 120 grams of worsted yarn for the main colour and 50 grams of accent, with a 3.75 mm hook and 10 mm safety eyes, finishing around eight inches sitting and twelve inches from foot to top spike — a proper cuddle-and-carry size. The pattern is free on her blog, with an optional printable PDF on Etsy and Ravelry. For a first amigurumi dinosaur for a little one, this friendly fellow is a wonderful place to start.
Pattern: The Friendly Dino by The Friendly Red Fox — Get the free pattern
18. Bob, Supersized: A Giant Cuddle Dino
Remember Bob, back at number three, with his clever nose-to-tail construction and single seam? Dino Cuddles is exactly the same DROPS pattern idea, supersized: two strands of super bulky DROPS Snow held together on a big 8 mm hook, in sea green with cheerful curry-coloured spines and feet. Because the yarn is enormous, this giant works up far faster than his size suggests, and he finishes at close to half a metre of pure cuddle — the kind of dinosaur a child can genuinely lounge against. The construction will feel familiar if you made Bob: legs first, crocheted in as you go, embroidered loop-stitch eyes, and the spines worked along the back at the end. The complete pattern is free on the Garnstudio site, as DROPS patterns always are. Make Bob and Dino Cuddles as a pair and you have a dino family in two sizes.
Pattern: Dino Cuddles (DROPS Children 41-29) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
19. A One-Piece Appliqué for Blankets and More
Not every dinosaur needs stuffing. Maria's Blue Crayon's brontosaurus appliqué is worked flat, in one continuous piece — body, both legs, the graduated tail, neck and head all flow from the hook without fastening off — then finished with three little spots made on a smaller 2.75 mm hook and a safety eye. She designed it for her Dinosaur Granny Square Blanket, and the pattern for the 8-inch square it sits on is on the same page, along with a video tutorial. But do not stop at blankets: sew him onto cushions, tote bags, dungarees and nursery wall hangings. Her blanket pairs a green one with yellow spots and an orange one with blue spots. The whole thing is free on her blog — a quick, satisfying evening make.
Pattern: Brontosaurus Appliqué by Maria’s Blue Crayon — Get the free pattern
20. A Hooded Dino Blanket They Can Wear
We are finishing with the dinosaur you can actually wear: Moogly's Cuddle Up Dinosaur Blanket, a hooded blanket with a long row of spikes marching down the back. The body and hood are worked in corner-to-corner stitch — though Tamara Kelly notes you can use plain double crochet rows to the same dimensions if C2C is not your thing — and there are little hand pockets at the top corners so the blanket wraps and stays put. It comes in three children's sizes, roughly ages three to eight, worked in sturdy Caron One Pound in Kelly Green with Grass Green spikes on a 6.5 mm hook. Change the colours and, as she points out, it becomes a dragon just as easily. The full pattern is free on Moogly, with an optional ad-free PDF on Ravelry and Etsy. Movie nights will never be the same.
Pattern: Cuddle Up Dinosaur Blanket by Moogly — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty dinosaurs, my friend — roaring T-rexes and gentle long-necks, frills, plates, wings, one backpack traveller and one blanket you can wear, every single one free. If you are new to amigurumi, start with the Mohu Mohu brontosaurus, Backpack Bronto or the Friendly Dino; if you love detail, Danny, Trixie and the Hooks and Dragon T-rex are waiting for you. A practical tip: dinosaurs are the ultimate stash-busters, because nobody has ever objected to a purple stegosaurus — odd balls and leftover greens, oranges and creams are all welcome here.
Now tell me — are you team T-rex, team triceratops or team long-neck, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your dinosaurs!
