I have always loved aquariums — the slow drift, the flashes of orange and teal, the calm of it — but I am far too forgetful to be trusted with real fish and a feeding schedule. My solution is a whole bowlful of crochet fish instead: plush goldfish that never need their water changed, koi that bring good luck to a bookshelf, and tiny appliqué fish that can swim across a baby blanket in an afternoon. They are some of the happiest stash-busting projects I know, because most of them use small amounts of yarn in the brightest colours you own.
So I have gathered twenty of my favourite fishy designs for you here, and every single one is genuinely free. There are no-sew goldfish you can finish in under an hour, a rainbow plush fish made for cuddling, elegant koi with real colourwork, two sweet clownfish, a C2C square for blanket makers, and a handful of five-minute appliqués for cards and hats. I have noted sizes, yarns and the honest little details for each one as we go — pick your first fish, and let's go swimming.
1. Coral the Rainbow Fish in Plush Yarn
We are starting with pure joy: Coral the Rainbow Fish from Storyland Amis, designed in super bulky plush yarn so she comes out big, soft and wonderfully squishable. Her head and fins are a bright teal, and her body ripples through rainbow stripes — tangerine, sunshine yellow, lime and soft pink — with big 15 mm safety eyes that give her the sweetest expression. The full written pattern is free on Holly Lanier's blog, and she notes Coral works beautifully in ordinary worsted yarn too if plush is not your thing. If you prefer printing, there is an optional ad-free PDF in her shop, but the blog version has everything you need. Paired with the classic children's book as a gift, this one is guaranteed to make someone smile.
Pattern: Coral the Rainbow Fish by Holly Lanier at Storyland Amis — Get the free pattern
2. A Plush Pufferfish With Berry-Stitch Prickles
Also from Storyland Amis, this plush pufferfish might be the cleverest texture trick in the whole collection: the little prickles all over his round yellow body are berry stitches, worked right into the rounds so there is nothing to sew on afterwards. His belly is white, his mouth is shaped with a simple chain-space technique, and the whole pattern — including a video for the berry stitch itself — is free on the blog. He is worked from the top of the head down, mostly in single crochet, so the stitches are easy even if the texture looks fancy. In plush yarn he is a proper cuddle size; in worsted he becomes a smaller desk companion. Either way, he is impossible to walk past without squeezing.
Pattern: Plush Pufferfish by Holly Lanier at Storyland Amis — Get the free pattern
3. Ralph the Happy Fish
Ralph is a cheerful classic from Elisa's Crochet: a beginner-friendly amigurumi fish about eight and a half inches long, worked in grey, lilac and white cotton with sunny yellow fins. His eyes sit on little circles of white felt, which makes them pop beautifully against the grey, and his mouth is simply embroidered at the end. The complete pattern is free on Elisa Sartori's blog, written in joined rounds with a 3.25 mm hook. Ralph was designed as part of a sea-creature crib mobile, so he is light and perfectly shaped for hanging — but he is just as happy sitting on a nursery shelf. Make his friends the crab and jellyfish later, or let him swim solo in stripes of your own choosing.
Pattern: Ralph the Happy Fish by Elisa Sartori at Elisa’s Crochet — Get the free pattern
4. A Striped Little Fish in Caribbean Colours
Elisa's Striped Fish is the tropical holiday of this collection — pink, white, yellow, blue and orange all swimming together in one small, happy fish. The construction is clever: you crochet two little fins first, then merge them together and grow the striped body from them, so the tail shape is built in from the start. It is a beginner pattern in medium cotton with a 3.5 mm hook, and the full instructions are free on her blog; there is also an optional ad-free PDF on Etsy if you like a printed copy. Elisa suggests making several to hang on a crib mobile, and I agree — a whole school of these in different stripe orders would be adorable. They use so little yarn that your scrap basket will barely notice.
Pattern: Striped Fish by Elisa Sartori at Elisa’s Crochet — Get the free pattern
5. Carrie the Blowfish
Carrie the Blowfish completes Elisa's sea-creature set, and she has the most endearing face of the three — round, curious and just a little bit surprised. She is worked in aqua and white cotton to about six by five inches, and her tiny spines are not crocheted at all: they are little embroidered bumps added afterwards, which keeps the crocheting itself blissfully simple. The full pattern is free on the blog, with 10 mm safety eyes on white felt giving her that wide-eyed look. Because she is basically a friendly ball with fins, she works up quickly and sits beautifully without any propping. A lovely first amigurumi if you have a child in mind who loves the sea.
Pattern: Carrie the Blowfish by Elisa Sartori at Elisa’s Crochet — Get the free pattern
6. Hubert the Blob Fish, Proudly Unbothered
The blobfish is famous for looking gloriously unimpressed, and Hubert from Hooked by Kati turns that into the cutest desk companion imaginable — pudgy, pink, small enough to sit in your palm, with a big nose and a flat little smile. Best of all, he is completely no-sew: the nose and fins are crocheted first and then worked into the body as it grows, so there is no assembly at all. I will be honest about the format, as Kati is: the version free on her blog is text-only, and there is a premium version with step-by-step photos if you want extra guidance — but the free text pattern is complete. He is a quick, funny make and a brilliant gift for anyone who appreciates a creature that refuses to pretend.
Pattern: Hubert the Blob Fish by Kati Brown at Hooked by Kati — Get the free pattern
7. The No-Sew Rainbow Fish Keychain
Chai Coffee Crochet's little fish is the one I make most often, because it takes under half an hour and uses five cheerful stripes of DK scrap yarn. The whole fish — body, tail and both fins — is crocheted in one piece with no sewing whatsoever; the fins are worked directly onto the body with a few clever stitches. The full pattern is free on their blog, and there is a spot to hook in a keychain ring while you work the dorsal fin, which is such a thoughtful detail. In DK he is keychain-sized, but the designers note that super bulky yarn and a 7 mm hook turn him into a seven-inch squishy plush. An embroidered smile finishes him off. Make a rainbow school of them for party favours or market stalls.
Pattern: No-Sew Fish Keychain by Chai Coffee Crochet — Get the free pattern
8. A Chubby Little Fish Keychain
If you like your fish round and cuddly, AmiguWorld's Chubby Fish is exactly that — a plump blue and white body, a tiny round nose, and two little fins, all written out round by round on their site for free. The pattern uses fine yarn with 5 mm eyes, so the finished fish is small and neat, perfect for a keychain, a bag charm or a zipper pull. The colour change from blue to white halfway down the body gives him a sweet dipped look, and the stuffing does the rest of the shaping. It is an easy, relaxing pattern that beginners can genuinely enjoy, and it looks wonderful made in a whole row of different colours. One of those makes you will repeat without even deciding to.
Pattern: Chubby Fish Keychain by AmiguWorld — Get the free pattern
9. The Jelly Bean Goldfish, No Sewing Required
Sara at Darling Maple Designs built her Jelly Bean Goldfish to be as fuss-free as possible: the body, fins and tail are all worked in one piece in light super bulky yarn, so there is not a single seam to sew. He comes out at just over three and a half inches and takes under an hour, which makes him a perfect last-minute gift or craft-fair filler. The complete written pattern is free on her blog, with a full video tutorial alongside it; a premium printable PDF exists if you want one, but nothing is held back from the free version. His fins are added with a neat front-loop trick as you go, which feels like magic the first time you do it. Try him in peach, classic orange, or a whole fantail rainbow of colours.
Pattern: Jelly Bean Goldfish by Sara at Darling Maple Designs — Get the free pattern
10. A Realistic No-Sew Goldfish
Sweet Softies' goldfish is for those of us who like our amigurumi with a touch of realism: the shaping is done with back-loop-only rounds through the midsection, which creates those gentle curves a real goldfish has, and the fins and tail are crocheted on without any sewing. The written pattern is free in full on the Sweet Softies blog, worked head to tail in one piece with a 3.25 mm hook. The sample uses a softly variegated yarn that does half the colour work for you, and honestly that is the loveliest way to make it — every fish comes out with slightly different markings, just like real ones. He is elegant enough to display in a glass bowl on a shelf, no water required. A satisfying make for intermediate crocheters.
Pattern: Realistic No-Sew Goldfish by Sweet Softies — Get the free pattern
11. A Fancy Red and White Goldfish
This elegant goldfish is the most detailed make in the collection: a red and white body worked in fine combed cotton with a 2.8 mm hook, a long flowing tail built from back-loop rows that fan out like real fins, and a tiny pearl tucked into the mouth as a finishing touch. The complete pattern — body, tail, fins, mouth, eyes and even the embroidered gold-thread texture — is published free in full on the All Crochet Ideas page. It is not the fastest fish here, but it is the one that looks most like a little work of art, and the colour changes are all charted out round by round so you never have to guess. If you enjoy careful, rewarding projects, save this one for a quiet weekend. The finished fish deserves a place where people can admire it.
Pattern: Beautiful Goldfish by All Crochet Ideas — Get the free pattern
12. A Colourful Koi With Whiskers
StringyDingDing's koi is a proper little showpiece: ten inches long from mouth to tail tip, with pink, white, orange and black patches worked in as you go and the sweetest crocheted whiskers. The pattern is free in full on her blog, and she has simplified the colourwork notation so the many changes stay easy to follow — each round tells you exactly which colour to use for every stretch of stitches. There is an optional paid PDF if you want a printable copy, but the blog pattern is complete. Koi symbolise luck and perseverance, which makes this a meaningful handmade gift as well as a beautiful one. Keep the colours true to life, or go pastel — the designer herself encourages experimenting.
Pattern: Koi Fish Amigurumi by StringyDingDing — Get the free pattern
13. A Plump Plush Koi Carp
For a softer, snugglier take on the koi, Amigurumi Corner's Koi Carp is worked in bulky plush yarn and comes out around eight inches of pure squish. The fins are integrated as you crochet for a smooth, seamless finish, and the full tutorial — materials, pattern instructions and assembly — is free on their page. It is rated for intermediate crocheters, mostly because of the colour spotting and shaping, but the plush yarn is forgiving and hides a multitude of sins. The sample is milk-white with orange patches, just like the ornamental carp in a garden pond. This is the koi I would make for a child's bedroom or as a calming lap companion. Big stitches mean he grows satisfyingly fast, too.
Pattern: Koi Carp Amigurumi by Amigurumi Corner — Get the free pattern
14. Cleo the Clownfish
Cleo, from EmmaCraftsDesign, is a classic clownfish done properly: bright orange bands divided by white stripes edged in black, worked in DK cotton with a 3.5 mm hook. Emma shared the pattern free on her blog as a thank-you to her readers, and it is all there — body, fins and those all-important colour changes, with her usual clear round-by-round writing. There is an optional printable PDF for a small fee if you prefer paper, but the blog version is the complete pattern. She even includes a little note about why real clownfish live in anemones, which tells you how much love went into this design. Every children's toy box needs one clownfish, and Cleo is a very good one.
Pattern: Cleo the Clownfish by Emma at EmmaCraftsDesign — Get the free pattern
15. Cecil the Clown Fish
Cecil is our second clownfish, and he has a different personality altogether — he was designed for the Operation Crochet Shoeboxes crochet-along at Crafting at the Poole, which means he was made to be gifted to a child. His fins are edged in black single crochet and the black lines between his white and orange bands are back-stitched on at the end, a finishing technique that gives him a crisp, storybook look. The full pattern was published free as part of the crochet-along and is still there on the blog for anyone to use. He is a touch more detailed than Cleo, so confident beginners and intermediates will enjoy him most. Make him for a shoebox gift, a classroom mascot or your own little reef.
Pattern: Cecil the Clown Fish by Crafting at the Poole — Get the free pattern
16. A Sunny Little Flounder
Anyone who grew up on a certain mermaid film will recognise this fellow instantly: a round, sunny-yellow flounder with periwinkle blue fins, tail and surface stripes, and big expressive eyes with white rings. The complete pattern is free on All Things Heart and Home, worked in continuous spiral rounds in worsted or DK yarn, and the designer includes a keychain ring in the materials list so you can carry him everywhere. His body is more ball than fish at first — that roundness is exactly right for the character — before the fins and tail give him his shape. Little ones will adore him, and grown-up film fans will too, if we are being honest. A joyful, nostalgic little make.
Pattern: Flounder Amigurumi by All Things Heart and Home — Get the free pattern
17. The Fish C2C Square for Blanket Makers
Not every fish has to be a toy — Melissa Hassler's C2C fish square turns a bright little angelfish-style fish into a generous 22-inch corner-to-corner panel for blankets, pillows, wall hangings and tote bags. Both the downloadable graph and the complete written row-by-row colour counts are free on the Lovable Loops page, so you can follow whichever style suits you. It is one of six sea animal squares in her ocean blanket series, so you can mix it with turtles and seahorses or let the fish swim alone as a cushion front. The colour changes keep it interesting for advanced beginners, and worsted yarn means it grows quickly. A wonderful way to put a fish on a baby blanket without a single appliqué to sew down.
Pattern: Fish C2C Square by Melissa Hassler at Lovable Loops — Get the free pattern
18. The Five-Minute Tiny Fish Appliqué
Jenny and Teddy's tiny fish appliqué really does take about five minutes: you start with a chain of seven, work one small round of single, half double and double crochet, then add two little chain tails — done. The pattern is free on their blog with a video tutorial if you want to watch it made first. Because it is flat and tiny, it is perfect for sewing onto hats, cardigans, tote bags and handmade cards, and it uses barely a gram of yarn per fish. Make them in school-of-fish colours and scatter them across a baby blanket for instant underwater charm. This is also a lovely first project to teach a child or a brand-new crocheter. Small, quick and endlessly useful.
Pattern: Tiny Fish Appliqué by Jenny and Teddy — Get the free pattern
19. The Heart Fish Appliqué
GoldenLucyCrafts is famous for building animals out of hearts, and her fish is one of the sweetest: a large heart forms the body, a small heart becomes the tail, and the two are simply sewn together with an embroidered eye. The finished appliqué is about two inches long, and the full pattern is free on her blog. It is a natural fit for Valentine's cards — a little "you are a catch" note writes itself — but in ocean colours it works beautifully on nursery makes and summer tops too. The hearts themselves are quick, meditative crochet, and once you have the shape memorised you will make them without looking. Keep a few in your project bag for last-minute card emergencies.
Pattern: Heart Fish Appliqué by GoldenLucyCrafts — Get the free pattern
20. The Playful Fishbone Appliqué
We are finishing with the fish that got away — or rather, what is left of him. GoldenLucyCrafts' fishbone appliqué turns a heart-shaped head, a slip-stitched spine and little chain bones into a skeleton fish that makes everyone grin, especially cat lovers. The pattern includes two sizes, both free on her blog, and it finishes with a googly eye that gives the whole thing its cartoon charm. It is a brilliant Halloween-adjacent make, a funny addition to a cat-themed blanket, or a quirky bookmark and card topper. The slip-stitch work is easy but looks impressively detailed, and blocking keeps the bones lying flat and neat. A playful end to our aquarium — every collection needs one joker.
Pattern: Fishbone Appliqué by GoldenLucyCrafts — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And there we are — twenty fish, and not one of them needs feeding. If you want a quick win, start with the no-sew keychains, the Jelly Bean Goldfish or the five-minute appliqué; if you are ready to settle in, the koi and the fancy red-and-white goldfish will reward every stitch. My favourite way to use these is to make a whole school across a few evenings, each one in different scrap colours, and string the little ones into a nursery garland. They also make the sweetest gift toppers — a tiny crochet fish tied to a parcel gets kept long after the present is opened.
Now tell me — which fish is going on your hook first, the rainbow plush or a lucky koi? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
