Of all the creatures in my crochet ocean, the crochet stingray might be the sweetest surprise. That wide, flat, flying-carpet body should not work in yarn — and yet it works beautifully, because a stingray is basically a hug with wings and a tail. Worked in plush chenille it becomes a palm-sized sea pancake you cannot stop squishing; worked in cotton it turns into keychains, appliqués and one very clever little bag.
So here are twenty of my favourite ray patterns for you, every single one genuinely free: no-sew minis, graceful manta rays, a pink blossom ray, a two-size classic and three video tutorials for my visual learners. I have noted the yarn, the hook and the honest little details for each one as we go. Pick your favourite, raid the stash, and let us make some rays.
1. The Tiny No-Sew Jelly Bean Ray
We are starting small and completely sew-free: Sara's Jelly Bean Stingray from Darling Maple Designs is worked in one piece, with the fins and tail crocheted straight into the body as you go. In super bulky plush yarn — she uses Hobbii Honey Bunny with a 5 mm hook — it finishes at a dinky 3.5 inches, the perfect desk pet or pocket friend. The full pattern is free on her blog, and there is an optional premium PDF if you prefer a printable; the blog version is complete on its own. Make one in an evening, then make six more, because everyone who sees it will ask.
Pattern: Jelly Bean Stingray by Sara at Darling Maple Designs — Get the free pattern
2. Ralph the Ray, Flat and Friendly
Ralph the Ray from Spin a Yarn Crochet belongs to her Sea Creature Keychain Collection, and his construction is wonderfully simple: two flat panels, one grey and one white, worked in rows and then seamed together with a little stuffing inside. She uses Bernat Handicrafter cotton in worsted weight with a 3.5 mm hook, so he has that crisp, sturdy finish that survives life on a keyring. Add the optional keychain ring and he is ready to swim around on your bag or your keys. The full pattern is free on her blog with her usual clear photos. Flat-panel amigurumi does not get more beginner-friendly than this.
Pattern: Ralph the Ray by Spin a Yarn Crochet — Get the free pattern
3. The Ragdoll Ray With the Sweetest Face
Loops & Love Crochet's Stingray Amigurumi is made ragdoll-style: two panels crocheted directly together, so there is no sewing marathon at the end. He finishes about 6 inches long and 4 inches wide in worsted yarn — she uses WeCrochet Brava with a 3.5 mm hook — with 9 mm safety eyes and a little embroidered smile on his pale underside, which is my favourite detail of all. The full pattern is free on her website; there is an optional paid ad-free PDF on Etsy and Ravelry if you like printables, but the blog version has everything. He is the ray I picture tucked into a child's backpack for luck.
Pattern: Stingray Amigurumi by Loops & Love Crochet — Get the free pattern
4. Connor the Manta Ray From Hobbii
Connor the Manta Ray was designed by Noelle Rigtrup of Peach Penguin Crochet for Hobbii, and he is a proper little manta: two panels crocheted together, finishing around 15 cm wide and 20 cm long. The pattern is a free download on the Hobbii website — the listing is genuinely $0 — and it is written for their Honey Bee yarn with a 5 mm hook and 8 mm safety eyes. His simple construction makes him a lovely first panel project, and the two-tone body with a white belly looks smart in any colour pairing. Try him in deep navy and cream for a classic aquarium look.
Pattern: Connor the Manta Ray by Noelle Rigtrup of Peach Penguin Crochet for Hobbii — Get the free pattern
5. The 45-Minute Plush Ray (Video Tutorial)
This one is a video tutorial: Theresa's Crochet Shop walks you through her no-sew plush stingray stitch by stitch, and the whole make takes about 45 minutes. She works in super bulky Parfait Chunky yarn, and the finished ray has embroidered spots and that cheerful little smile her designs are known for. Because it is a video, it is perfect if you are new to amigurumi and like to watch the shaping happen before you try it. A written PDF exists on her shop site, but the free video tutorial is the route I am sending you down here. Pause, rewind, crochet along — she makes it very doable.
Pattern: Plush Stingray (Video Tutorial) by Theresa’s Crochet Shop — Get the free pattern
6. The Plum Ray Fish With Sewn-On Fins
AmiguWorld's Ray Fish takes a more classic amigurumi route: a rounded three-dimensional body worked in plum with a white belly through colour changes, then two fins and a tail sewn on at the end. It is made in fine yarn with a 3.0 mm hook and 8 mm safety eyes, so the finished ray is small, neat and full of character. The complete pattern — body, fins and tail — is free on the AmiguWorld page. The two-tone body is a great canvas for trying your own colour stories, from slate grey to a full rainbow ray. If you enjoy a little bit of assembly, this one is satisfying.
Pattern: Ray Fish Amigurumi by AmiguWorld — Get the free pattern
7. The One-Piece Chenille Cuddle Ray
Elena at Amigurumi Arts has a clever trick up her sleeve: her Cuddly Stingray grows its wings and tail in a single round, working into the front loops for the wings and then the back loops to close the body. It is crocheted in super bulky chenille with a 4 mm hook and uses only about 10 grams of yarn, so it is a genuine scrap-buster that fits in your palm. The full one-piece pattern is free on her page, with lots of tips on tension and stuffing. Add a white underside round for that classic two-tone ray look. This is the one to make when you need a gift in under an hour.
Pattern: Cuddly Amigurumi Stingray by Elena at Amigurumi Arts — Get the free pattern
8. The Sea Pancake That Is Also a Bag
Kimberly Arenas at The Caffeinated Snail calls hers a sea pancake, and this stingray genuinely multitasks: stitch the two panels with a pocket and a strap and it is a phone bag; stuff it instead and it is a plushie. The complete pattern is free on her blog, worked in worsted yarn with a 5 mm hook and 14 mm safety eyes. My favourite part is the optional breakfast styling — a crocheted syrup splat and a little pat of butter sewn on top, which is exactly as adorable as it sounds. Skip the toppings for a classic ray, or go full pancake for the comments it will get. Either way, this is a conversation piece.
Pattern: Crochet Stingray (Sea Pancake) Bag by Kimberly Arenas at The Caffeinated Snail — Get the free pattern
9. Mortimer the Manta Ray, a Vintage Treasure
Mortimer the Manta Ray by Patricia Castillo at Pops de Milk has been charming crocheters since 2014, and his construction is the most ray-like on this list: a single-crochet body with little mouth flaps, a separate mouth lining and the two rolled cephalic lobes that real mantas have at the front. He is worked in blue yarn with a 4.5 mm hook — the designer doubled the size of hers to make a pillow, which tells you how lovable the shape is. The complete pattern is free on her blog. In classic black or deep blue with a white belly he reads instantly as a manta. Some patterns earn their classic status, and this is one.
Pattern: Mortimer the Manta Ray by Patricia Castillo at Pops de Milk — Get the free pattern
10. Stanley the Stingray (Video Tutorial)
Another video tutorial for my watch-and-make friends: Stanley the Stingray from Double Dutch Crochet is built from an oval body with chain-formed wings and a separate belly plate that gets sewn on as you stuff. The tutorial uses plush snuggle yarns in white and blue with a 5.5 mm hook and 12 mm safety eyes, so Stanley comes out soft, squishy and generously sized. The design has a few more steps than the no-sew minis, which makes it a lovely next-level project once you have one ray under your belt. The full tutorial is free on YouTube. His finished silhouette, with those shaped wings, is genuinely elegant.
Pattern: Stanley the Stingray (Video Tutorial) by Double Dutch Crochet — Get the free pattern
11. StringyDingDing's One-Piece Wonder
StringyDingDing's No-Sew Stingray is a little feat of engineering: the whole ray — body, chained wings and long tail — is worked in one continuous piece, with an optional pipe cleaner in the tail if you like a poseable curve. The pattern is offered as a free PDF on her own site, and it is written for two sizes: medium yarn with a 4 mm hook, or super bulky with a 7 mm hook if you want a bigger cuddle ray. Her photo instructions are famously clear, which makes this a confident beginner project. It is also a brilliant scrap-yarn make, since the small size sips yarn. One piece, zero sewing, all ray.
Pattern: No-Sew Stingray by StringyDingDing — Get the free pattern
12. The Sakura Blossom Ray
The prettiest ray on this list, without contest: Rikki Handmade's Sakura Stingray is a pink no-sew ray whose wings are edged with a round of front-loop petals, like a cherry blossom that learned to swim. She works it in super bulky chenille in pink and white plum tones with a 4 mm hook and 8 mm safety eyes, finishing with an embroidered blossom centre. The Sakura pattern itself is a free PDF download from the designer; the full 3-in-1 bundle with her Daffodil and Crocus rays is the paid version, and I will always tell you which is which. As a spring gift, nothing else here comes close.
Pattern: Sakura Stingray by Rikki Handmade — Get the free pattern
13. One Pattern, Two Sizes
This Small Stingray from Ambush Store is really two patterns in one: work it in sport-weight cotton with a 2.5 mm hook for a neat 12 cm ray, or in super bulky chenille with a 5 mm hook for a squishy 24 cm version. The shaping is clever — the wings are formed with chains worked into the round — and the finishing touch is a scatter of embroidered light-blue spots across the back. The complete pattern, every round of both versions, is free on the page. The wings get sewn together at the end to give that broad, unmistakable ray outline. Make the mini for your keys and the big one for the sofa.
Pattern: Small Stingray Amigurumi by Ambush Store — Get the free pattern
14. The Big Two-Colour Chenille Ray
Amigurumi Arts' second entry on this list is the most substantial ray of the twenty: the head and body begin as two circles joined by a chain bridge, which is exactly how she gets that wide, flat, gliding silhouette. It is worked in two colours of chenille — denim on top, grey beneath — with separately crocheted fins pinched flat and sewn on, plus little decorative cotton circles on the head. The complete 56-round pattern is free on the page. With 16 mm safety eyes sunk firmly into the head, the finished ray has real presence. Set aside a relaxed afternoon for this one; it is worth it.
Pattern: Crochet Stingray Amigurumi by Amigurumi Arts — Get the free pattern
15. The Mini Manta Keychain With Blush Cheeks
Handicraft-Art's little manta ray is designed as a keychain or bag charm, and it packs a lot of technique into a tiny make: a two-colour body, shaped fins, a slender tail and two tiny crocheted blush circles for the face. It uses 4-ply cotton yarn with a 2.0 mm hook, and the instructions are given in a clear stitch-symbol key (X for single crochet, V for increase, and so on), which is easy to follow once you glance at the legend. The complete pattern is free on the page. You make two pieces, sew them together with a whisper of stuffing, and add the face. Small, calm and very giftable.
Pattern: Beginner Manta Ray Keychain by Handicraft-Art — Get the free pattern
16. The No-Sew Ray, Straight or Curly Tail (Video Tutorial)
Our third and final video tutorial comes from Hooked by Robin, whose no-sew stingray gives you a design choice halfway through: leave the tail straight and simple, or thread in a pipe cleaner and curl it for extra character. She works in super chunky yarn with 9 mm safety eyes, so this ray grows fast and finishes soft and squishy. The tutorial is free on her YouTube channel and paced for confident beginners. I love a pattern that lets you personalise the finish, and that curled tail is pure personality. Make the pair — one of each — for a matched set.
Pattern: No-Sew Stingray (Video Tutorial) by Hooked by Robin — Get the free pattern
17. The Panel Ray With the Big Eyes
Crochet with Kyra's no-sew stingray — with the full written pattern published on DIY Crafts — takes a different route again: two flat panels built from a simple rectangle, with the wings formed by long chains worked back into the body. She uses worsted yarn (Big Twist Baby Bear) with a 5 mm hook and bold 20 mm safety eyes, and the finished ray measures about 5 to 7 inches across. The panels are crocheted together with the stuffing added as you close, then white dots are embroidered over the blue back. It is a forgiving, beginner-friendly construction with a really graphic, modern look. The bigger the eyes, the cuter the ray, apparently.
Pattern: No-Sew Stingray Amigurumi by Crochet with Kyra (written pattern at DIY Crafts) — Get the free pattern
18. The Flat Stingray Appliqué
Not every ray needs stuffing: this flat stingray appliqué from All Crochet Ideas is worked in simple rows of single crochet in Red Heart Super Saver (the sample is Dusty Gray) with a size H hook. The tail is chained as you edge the body, and the face is just two embroidered eyes, a smile and optional pink cheeks. The complete pattern is free on the page. Sew it onto a baby blanket, a beach tote or the pocket of a child's cardigan, and fold up those double-crochet corners so it looks like it is swimming. Flat, fast and endlessly usable — every crocheter needs one appliqué ray in the repertoire.
Pattern: Crochet Stingray Appliqué by All Crochet Ideas — Get the free pattern
19. The Teeny Two-Piece Ray
This tiny sting ray from Crochet Patterns is the quickest make here: two small flat pieces — one in your body colour, one white for the underside — joined around the edges with a chained tail worked in as you go. The full written walkthrough is on the page, using super bulky Bernat Blanket yarn with a 6.5 mm hook for a plush mini, or worsted yarn with a 4.5 mm hook if you want it keychain-sized, keyring and all. Lightly stuffed, with the head filled a touch more than the wings, it keeps that flat ray shape beautifully. An embroidered smile on the underside finishes it. Scrap yarn has never become a gift this fast.
Pattern: Bright Crochet Sting Ray by Crochet Patterns — Get the free pattern
20. The Chic and Chubby Finisher
We are ending with maximum squish: the Chic and Chubby stingray from Wool Pattern is built from two flat panels in super bulky yarn with a 7 mm hook, with a separate little head section worked into the top panel before the pieces are joined. The complete step-by-step written pattern is on the page, including where to place the 10 mm safety eyes and how to keep the stuffing soft and flat rather than ball-shaped. The tail is a simple chain of single crochets worked back to the body. In blue over white it is the classic ray; in pastel pink it is a whole nursery theme waiting to happen. A very cuddly note to finish on.
Pattern: Chic & Chubby Crochet Stingray by Wool Pattern — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty rays, my friend — no-sew minis and big chenille cuddlers, a blossom ray, a breakfast bag, a flat appliqué and three friendly video tutorials, every single one free. If you are brand new to amigurumi, start with the Jelly Bean, Ralph or StringyDingDing's one-piece ray; if you want a weekend showpiece, Connor, Mortimer and the big two-colour chenille ray are calling your name. Whichever you choose, remember the ray rule: keep the stuffing light and the wings flat, and your sea pancake will glide.
Now tell me — are you team tiny keychain ray or team big squishy manta, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
