There is something completely irresistible about a pufferfish: all round cheeks, tiny fins and that permanently surprised little mouth, like it just heard the best gossip on the reef. I have spent a happy while gathering the cutest spiky friends the crochet world has to offer, and these crochet pufferfish ideas cover every mood — classic round toys, grumpy faces, pastel babies, pocket-sized keychains and even a blanket square for the makers who prefer their fish flat. Every single one is genuinely free from its designer, and I have noted the yarn, hook and honest little details for each as we go.
A quick honest note before we dive in: seventeen of these twenty are written patterns or free downloads you can follow on the page, and three are video tutorials, clearly labelled as videos in their sections, because some of the sweetest pufferfish only exist as watch-and-make lessons. You will also find a mix of sizes here, from chunky bulky-yarn pals to tiny keychain fish that use up a single ball of yarn. Pick your favourite, wind up a ball of something cheerful, and let us puff up a new friend.
1. The Classic Spiky Sweetheart
We are starting with the pattern that feels like the dictionary definition of a crochet pufferfish: a chubby round body in dark and light yellow, sweet embroidered spines worked across the early rounds, pink cheeks and a tiny stitched mouth. It is worked in DK yarn with a 3.0 mm hook and 8 mm safety eyes, finishing about 11 cm wide, so it sits perfectly on a shelf without taking over the room. The full pattern is free on the designer's blog with a complete assembly guide for the fins, while a printable PDF version is sold in her shops if you prefer an ad-free copy. In sunny yellow it is pure happiness, but I can also see it in coral pink or soft mint for a nursery shelf.
Pattern: Pufferfish Amigurumi by Raffamusa Designs — Get the free pattern
2. Mr Puffy, the Little Shop Pet
Mr Puffy is a one-colour wonder worked in variegated orange DK yarn with a 3.5 mm hook and big 16 mm safety eyes, and he was made as a homage to a real shop pet called Mbu, which already tells you how much personality he has. The body grows from a magic circle through forty-five rounds, with clever front-loop and back-loop sections that shape the fish without any fiddly colour changes, and the mouth is left unfilled so you can indent it into that classic puffer pout. The whole pattern is free on the designer's blog, written in simple UK-friendly steps that a confident beginner can follow over a weekend. His variegated yarn does all the colour work for you, so every Mr Puffy comes out a little different, just like a real fish.
Pattern: Mr Puffy by LucyKate Crochet — Get the free pattern
3. A Wheat Stitch Wonder That Works Up Fast
If you love texture, this wheat stitch pufferfish is the one to try: the puff-like wheat stitch gives the whole body a soft ripple that reads as spikes without a single bobble in sight. It is a no-sew design that works up in just one to two hours in worsted weight yarn with a G/4.0 mm hook, finishing around three and a half by four inches, which makes it a brilliant last-minute gift or market-table make. One honest detail: the pattern text on the blog sits behind an email-unlock box, and the ad-free PDF version is sold, so expect one quick sign-up step before you can read the rounds. In buttery yellow with a white belly it looks good enough to squeeze, and it is an ideal stash-buster for leftover worsted.
Pattern: Wheat Stitch Pufferfish by Briana K Designs — Get the free pattern
4. Sunny, the Cuddle Bug
Sunny is exactly what his name promises: a round, soft, not-at-all-prickly pufferfish worked in Red Heart With Love yarn with a G/4.0 mm hook and 15 mm safety eyes, finishing about six inches square. His construction is wonderfully straightforward — a ball body with separate lips, fins and spines that you assemble at the end, placing the spines as symmetrically or as wildly as you like. The full text-only version of the pattern is free on the designer's blog, while the premium PDF version with checkboxes and extra tutorial photos is sold for six dollars. In tangerine with a cornsilk belly he is a summer project through and through, and he makes a lovely first amigurumi for someone who has only made scarves so far.
Pattern: Sunny the Puffer Fish by Kati Brown at Hooked by Kati — Get the free pattern
5. Harold, the Pocket-Sized Keychain Pal
Harold is the fifth creature in a sea creature keychain collection, which means he is designed small, sturdy and ready to clip onto a bag rather than sit on a shelf. He is worked in worsted weight cotton in white and pale yellow with a 3.5 mm hook, and his round body and spiky fins come together with just a few simple stitches, so he suits crocheters of all levels. The full pattern is free on the designer's website, with the usual keychain-collection charm of a friendly face and a shape that survives being carried around. Make him in ocean blues and greens for a realistic look, or go full whimsy with pinks and purples — either way he will make you smile every time you reach for your keys.
Pattern: Harold the Pufferfish by Spin a Yarn Crochet — Get the free pattern
6. A Round, Spiky Classic
This Puqqu pufferfish is the round-bodied, spiky-textured classic of the bunch, with a playful expression that makes it look mid-puff at all times. The pattern is free on the designer's blog in the usual Puqqu style: clear rounds, a satisfying shape that grows quickly, and a finish that looks polished even if your tension is still finding its rhythm. It is the kind of project you can start on a Friday evening and be sewing eyes onto by Sunday lunch, and it pairs beautifully with the rest of a sea-creature shelf. Try it in a bright tropical yellow for the classic look, or in a soft lilac if you want your pufferfish to feel a little more magical.
Pattern: Amigurumi Pufferfish by Puqqu — Get the free pattern
7. The Tiny Baby Version
If the classic pufferfish stole your heart but your shelf is already full, this baby version from the same designer is the answer: a smaller, younger take on the spiky friend, free on the blog as its own separate pattern. It keeps the round body and sweet face of its bigger cousin but in a daintier size that is perfect for a desk, a car mirror charm or a gift for a fellow maker. Because it is a distinct pattern rather than a resized copy, the rounds and shaping are written fresh for the baby size, so it works up cleanly without any guesswork. Make a whole family in graduating sizes and colours, and you have an instant reef display that never needs feeding.
Pattern: Amigurumi Pufferfish Baby by Puqqu — Get the free pattern
8. Bobbles, the Contest-Born Cutie
Bobbles began life as a contest entry, which explains the extra care in her design: an intermediate-level amigurumi worked in 100 percent acrylic yarn with a 4 mm hook, covered in the bobble texture that gives her name. The pattern is free on Ribblr with a free Ribblr account, and the interactive format lets you tick off rows as you go, which is a blessing when you are counting bobbles. Her round shape and cheerful face make her a wonderful first bobble project if you have only worked plain single crochet so far, and she looks adorable in any bright colour. Choose a sunny orange or a soft seafoam green, and do not be surprised if she becomes the most photographed fish on your shelf.
Pattern: Bobbles the Pufferfish by Si11y.Cr0ch3ts! — Get the free pattern
9. Pip, the No-Sew Bobble Friend
Pip is a no-sew pufferfish that leans fully into bobbles, worked with a 3.5 mm hook in one ball of body colour and one ball of belly colour, so there is almost nothing to sew on at the end. The pattern is free on Ribblr with a free Ribblr account, rated intermediate and loved by its makers, with a five-star average across its early projects. His bobble-heavy body gives him a properly spiky silhouette straight off the hook, and the two-colour belly adds that classic puffer contrast without any colour-change fuss. Pip is a brilliant weekend make for anyone who dreads assembly, and he looks wonderful in a soft cream belly paired with a coral or teal body.
Pattern: Pip the Pufferfish (no sew) by CraftyCellistCrochets — Get the free pattern
10. A Baby Pufferfish in Winter Earmuffs
From the same designer as Pip comes a different little fish entirely: a baby pufferfish, also no-sew, worked with a 3.0 mm hook in one ball of main colour and one ball for the belly and hat brim, with optional winter earmuffs for the coldest days. The pattern is free on Ribblr with a free Ribblr account, and the earmuffs are the detail that makes it — a tiny fish dressed for winter is almost too cute to be legal. It is a separate pattern from Pip, with its own rounds and its own baby proportions, so you are getting a genuinely new make rather than a resized repeat. In icy blue with a white belly and red earmuffs it is a Christmas stocking star; in pastel pink it is a baby-shower gift that will be kept forever.
Pattern: Baby pufferfish (no sew) by CraftyCellistCrochets — Get the free pattern
11. Piff, the Unpuffed Original
Piff is my favourite oddball on this list: an "unpuffed" pufferfish, the flat, floppy version of the fish, worked at beginner level in any yarn and hook size you like. The designer describes it as the free pattern for Piff, a laid-back little character who looks like he has decided that puffing up is simply too much effort, and you can finish his face with safety eyes or felt depending on who he is for. The pattern is free on Ribblr with a free Ribblr account, and because the yarn and hook are your choice, it is a perfect scrap-yarn project that scales from keychain to cushion. Piff is the fish for the maker who loves a joke in her crochet, and he pairs beautifully with a properly round pufferfish for a before-and-after display.
Pattern: Piff the unpuffed Pufferfish by made by lini — Get the free pattern
12. A Pastel Pal in Soft Colours
Pastel Pal is a blowfish in the prettiest pastel shades: pastel yellow and green with pastel blue, worked at intermediate level with a 3 mm hook, and made by its designer for her little sister. The pattern is free on Ribblr with a free Ribblr account, listed at zero dollars, and its gentle colour story sets it apart from the louder tropical fish on this list. It is a lovely choice for a nursery or a soft-coloured bedroom shelf, where its pastel spikes read more like a plush cloud than a sea creature. Keep the colours exactly as written for the dreamiest result, or swap in your own pastel trio — butter yellow, mint and baby blue would be just as sweet.
Pattern: Pastel Pal Blowfish by @pastelpals — Get the free pattern
13. The Blanket Square for Non-Toy Makers
Not every pufferfish needs to be a toy, and this blanket square proves it: a two-colour pufferfish worked in double crochet as part of an under-the-sea blanket, with an optional chain-three spike edging if you want the spiky outline. It uses Red Heart Super Saver in saffron and bright yellow with an H hook, and the full pattern is free on the designer's blog as one square of her ocean-themed blanket. This is the pick for makers who prefer flat projects, or for anyone building an ocean blanket one square at a time — make one fish square, or a whole school. Joined with blues and greens around it, the yellow fish pops like sunshine under water.
Pattern: Crochet Pufferfish – Under the Sea CAL Square 6 by Sarah Zimmerman at Repeat Crafter Me — Get the free pattern
14. A Pink Keychain Fish
This pink pufferfish keychain is a second pocket-sized friend on the list, but a very different one from Harold: a pink body with a white belly, worked in rounds up to twenty with separate eye, tail and fin sections, and sized to hang from a bag or a set of keys. The full pattern is free on the designer's blog, written out round by round so you can follow it without guessing where the belly shaping begins. Pink is an unexpected colour for a pufferfish, and that is exactly why it works — it turns a sea creature into a fashion accessory. Make it in bubblegum pink for a playful pop, or in a deeper rose if you want something a touch more grown-up.
Pattern: Puffer Fish Keychain by NgocLanHandmade — Get the free pattern
15. The Grumpy One Everyone Loves
Every collection needs a grumpy fish, and this angry pufferfish delivers: a cross little face on a round body, worked with a 3.25 mm hook in about one hundred grams of light worsted yarn and 12 mm safety eyes, finishing around six inches tall. The pattern is a free downloadable PDF on LoveCrafts, available with a free LoveCrafts account, and its grumpy expression comes from clever eye and mouth placement rather than any complicated shaping. It is the fish for the maker who prefers character over cuteness, and it makes a brilliant gift for the friend who is always a little bit grumpy before coffee. In classic yellow with a cream belly it is a cartoon come to life; in grey it looks like a tiny sea curmudgeon.
Pattern: Angry Puffer Fish by Carolyne Brodie — Get the free pattern
16. Finn, in Beautiful Scheepjes Yarn
Finn is a friendly little pufferfish offered as a free shop download at zero euros, worked in Scheepjes Stonewashed and Catona yarns and finishing around twelve centimetres tall. The pattern page gives no personal designer name, so it is credited here to the shop brand, and the yarn choice is the real star: the Stonewashed cotton gives Finn a soft, slightly marled finish that looks like sunlight through shallow water. It is a lovely make for anyone who already loves Scheepjes yarns and wants a small project that shows them off properly. Try him in the classic sandy yellows of the sample, or in a soft blue-grey for a cooler, deeper-water feel.
Pattern: Finn the Pufferfish by YarnZoo — Get the free pattern
17. Buffer, the Bulky Low-Sew Friend
Buffer is the chunky friend of the group: a low-sew pufferfish worked in bulky yarn with a 6.0 mm hook, using only about one hundred yards, with just the eyes to sew on at the end. The pattern is listed free on the designer's Ko-fi shop, where it has already found plenty of makers, and its bulky yarn means it works up fast into a satisfyingly squishy size. Low-sew designs are a gift for anyone who loves amigurumi but not assembly, and Buffer proves that a fish can be both big and beginner-friendly. In a soft mustard or a warm terracotta he looks like a designer toy; in rainbow stripes he is pure joy.
Pattern: Buffer the Pufferfish by Libelli Crochet — Get the free pattern
18. A Watch-and-Make Pufferfish in Three Parts (Video Tutorial)
Some makers learn best by watching, and this three-part video tutorial is a lovely watch-and-make route to a finished pufferfish, walking you through the fish amigurumi step by step on screen. The first part sets up the body and face, and the following two parts complete the fish, so you can pause, rewind and replay the fiddly rounds as many times as you need. It is labelled here as a video tutorial because the written pattern does not live on a page — the video itself is the free pattern, and it is a great choice if you like to crochet along with someone. Grab a yarn you love, settle in with a cup of tea, and let the tutorial carry you to a finished fish.
Pattern: Pufferfish Crochet – Part One (Video Tutorial, Parts 1–3) by Ada’s Handmade — Get the free pattern
19. The Easy Video Tutorial for Beginners (Video Tutorial)
This easy video tutorial promises exactly what its title says: a simple, friendly route to a crochet pufferfish, presented as a free pattern on video for makers who want to see every stitch before they make it. It is labelled here as a video tutorial, and it suits a confident beginner who has the basic stitches down and wants a first sea creature without a long written pattern to decode. The video format also makes it easy to check your shaping against the sample as you go, which is reassuring when you are working your first round body. Make it in a cheerful yellow for the classic reef look, or in a soft peach for something a little different.
Pattern: EASY Crochet Pufferfish Tutorial (Video Tutorial) by Double Dutch Crochet — Get the free pattern
20. A Flat-Face Pufferfish, Built Step by Step (Video Tutorial)
Our last fish comes from a maker whose video tutorials are loved across the crochet world, and this one builds a pufferfish with a distinctive flat face, starting with eye sockets and a mouth-face section before the body, side fins and tail fin are added. The tutorial is labelled here as a video tutorial, and its companion pattern page notes it as available for free, with dozens of finished projects and a near-perfect maker rating behind it. The step-by-step structure, with assembly at the end, makes it a satisfying watch-and-make for an evening project, and the flat face gives this fish a character all its own. In bright yellow with dark spikes it is a showpiece; in white and grey it looks like a little moon of the sea.
Pattern: Pufferfish (Video Tutorial) by Kylie Slee / ComplicatedKnots — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
From the classic spiky sweetheart to the grumpy one, from pocket-sized keychains to a blanket square and a whole unpuffed oddball, these twenty free patterns prove that a pufferfish can be whatever mood you are in. My advice is to start with the one that made you smile first, then come back for the rest — before you know it you will have a whole reef on your shelf. Which spiky friend will you hook first: the classic round one, the grumpy one, or the tiny keychain pal? Tell me in the comments below — I would love to see which fish wins your heart.
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