Crochet Triceratops Snuggler – Free Pattern & Tutorial

Fall in love with this soft and cuddly project for little ones. This crochet Triceratops Snuggler is the sweetest companion a baby or toddler could have. Made with gentle textures and a flat, snuggle-friendly body, it’s perfect for bedtime comfort, stroller cuddles, or simply being carried around the house by tiny hands. This free pattern is beginner-friendly, easy to follow, and ideal for creating a safe, huggable dinosaur friend that little ones will adore during naptime and playtime alike.

More Crochet Animals with Plush Yarn

If you like chunky yarn, you’ll love the no-sew crochet animal collection! From the cuddly crochet horse and playful puppy, to the sweet bee, cow, and even a charming duck, each pattern follows the same beginner-friendly style with plush yarn and step-by-step photos. These quick projects are perfect to expand your collection of handmade crochet animals!

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Triceratops Snuggler Pattern

Materials:

• 6mm and 2mm crochet hooks,
• Super Bulky chenille yarn. I used Hobbii Snuggle Baby in orange, gray and beige.
• Black and white sports-weight yarn to embroider the eyes.
• Sewing needle,
• Stuffing material hypoallergenic polyester,
• Scissors

Finished Size

The finished Triceratops snuggler measures approximately 616″ (41 cm) talls. However, the final size may vary depending on your stitch tension and the materials used.

Gauge

Gauge is not crucial for this pattern, so feel free to use a hook size that matches your chosen yarn. I always recommend using a slightly smaller hook to keep the stitches tight and prevent the stuffing from showing through. If needed, adjust your hook size for a neater finish.

However, if you’d like to know the gauge for my chosen yarn and materials, here it is:
With super bulky-weight chenille yarn and a 6mm crochet hook, the gauge for 4 rounds (increasing to 24 stitches) measures approximately 2.5″ (5 cm).

Terms and abbreviations (US terms):

Slip stitch (sl): insert the hook into the stitch and pull up a loop, now, pull it through the loop on your needle.

Single crochet (sc): insert the hook into the stitch, and pull up a loop yarn over the needle, you will have two loops on the hook, yarn over the needle, and pull it through the two loops.

Double Crochet (dc): yarn over the needle, insert the hook into the stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over the needle, pull through the first two loops of your needle, yarn over the needle, inside all loops on the needle.

Increase (inc): make two single crochet inside the same stitch.

Decrease (dec): Insert the hook into the front loop only of the next two stitches, yarn under, and pull through, you will have two loops on the hook. Yarn under and pull through both loops on the hook.

Especial Stitches

Bobble stitch (BO): Yarn over, insert your hook into the stitch and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through two loops (like starting a double crochet). Repeat this process five times in the same stitch, so you will have 6 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops. Gently tug the stitch to pop the bobble outward.

Crochet TRICERATOPS – Step-by-Step

Feet Top

With orange yarn chain 5. Skip the first chain and start,

1 rnd      3sc, 4sc in the last stitch turning you work, 2sc, 3sc in the last chain Total 12sts

2 rnd      1inc, 3sc, 1inc, 1sc, 1inc, 3sc, 1inc, 1sc Total 16sts

• Cut the yarn and fasten off.
• Weave in the ends.
• Make four of these tops. We will use them later to secure the stuffing inside the feet.

Front Legs

With orange yarn chain 5. Skip the first chain and start,

1 rnd      3sc, 4sc in the last stitch turning you work, 2sc, 3sc in the last chain Total 12sts

2 rnd      1inc, 3sc, 1inc, 1sc, 1inc, 3sc, 1inc, 1sc Total 16sts

• For the next round, we will work the claw nails using a bobble stitch in gray yarn.
• When making each bobble stitch, work into the front loop only.

3 rnd      4sc [orange], (1bo [gray], 1sc [orange], repeat 3 times), 6sc [orange]

• Cut the gray yarn, fasten off and continue working only with orange.

4 rnd      16sc

• For the next round, we will together with one of the feet top.
• Before finishing the round and closing it completely, add the stuffing.

5 rnd      16sc connecting with the closing part

6 rnd      (2sc, 1dec) repeat 4 times Total 12sts

7-10 rnd               12sc

• Fold the leg in half. You should now have 6 stitches on each side.
• Make sure the edges fold together so that the claws are pointing forward and the starting stitch sits right at the corner. This way, you can crochet both sides together neatly.
• If, when you fold the leg, your working stitch ends up in the middle (see image XX), simply crochet a few stitches until you reach the edge (see image XX).

11 rnd                   6sc crocheting the sides together. Closing the leg.

• Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Back Legs

Repeat the same instructions from the front legs until round 10.

• Cut the yarn and fasten off.
• Make a second leg following the same instructions.
• Do not cut the yarn from the second back leg.
• Place both legs side by side. The starting stitch should be at the back of the leg. If needed, crochet a couple of single crochet to bring the starting stitch to the center-back (see image for reference).

Body

• Chain 4.
• Begin crocheting into the first leg, making sure both legs are facing backward toward you.

11 rnd   12sc around the finished leg, 4sc on the chain, 12sc around the second leg, 4sc on the other side of the chain Total 32sts

• From here on, we will work with hdc

12 rnd                   (3hdc, 1inc hdc) repeat 8 times Total 40sts

13 rnd                   40hdc

• Attach the beige yarn. From here on, you will crochet using both colors.
• Find the central 8 stitches at the front of the body.
• If your starting stitch is in a different position than mine, the beige central detail will end up slightly off-center. If that happens, simply adjust your starting stitch so it aligns with the instructions below.

14 rnd                   14hdc orange, 8hdc beige, 18hdc orange

15 rnd                   12hdc orange, 12hdc beige, 16hdc orange

16 rnd                   10hdc orange, 16hdc beige, 14hdc orange

17-18 rnd             10hdc orange, 18hdc beige, 12hdc orange

19 rnd                   orange: 8sc, 1dec, beige: 8hdc, 1dec, 8hdc, orange: 1dec, 8hdc, 1dec Total 36sts

20 rnd                   orange: 4sc, 1dec, 3hdc, beige: 1hdc, 1dec, 4hdc, 1dec, 4hdc, 1dec, 3hdc, orange: 1hdc, 1dec, 4hdc, 1dec Total 30sts

21 rnd                   orange: 3sc, 1dec, 3hdc, beige: 1dec, 3hdc, 1dec, 3hdc, 1dec, 3hdc, orange: 1dec, 3hdc, 1dec Total 24sts

• Cut the orange yarn and fasten off. Continue working only with the beige.
• For the next round, you will crochet the body together with the front legs.

22 rnd                   7hdc, 6hdc crocheting together with one leg, 3hdc, 6hdc crocheting together with the other leg, 2hdc

23 rnd                   (2sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 18sts

• Cut the yarn, fasten off leaving a tail for sewing

Tail

With orange yarn start,

1 rnd                      6sc in a magic ring

2 rnd                      (1sc, 1inc) repeat 3 times 9sts

3 rnd                      (2sc, 1inc) repeat 3 times 12sts

4-5 rnd                  12sc

6 rnd                      (3sc, 1inc) repeat 3 times 15sts

7-9 rnd                  15sc

10 rnd                   (4sc, 1inc) repeat 3 times 18sts

11-12rnd              18sc

• Fold the tail in half, you will now have 9 stitches on each side.

13 rnd                   9sc closing the sides together, closing the tail.

• Cut the yarn, fasten off and leave a tail for sewing it.

Head

With beige start,

1 rnd                      6sc in a magic ring

2 rnd                      6inc Total 12sts

3 rnd                      (1sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 18sts

4 rnd                      (2sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 24sts

5 rnd                      (3sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 30sts

6 rnd                      (4sc, 1inc) repeat 6 times Total 36sts

7 rnd                      (8sc, 1inc) repeat 4 times Total 40sts

8-12 rnd               40sc

13 rnd                   (8sc, 1dec) repeat 4 times Total 36sts

14 rnd                   (4sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 30sts

15 rnd                   (3sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 24sts

16 rnd                   (2sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 18sts

• Stop here to add stuffing material before continuing

17 rnd                   (1sc, 1dec) repeat 6 times Total 12sts

• Cut the yarn and fasten off by weaving the tail through the front loops of all 12 stitches.
• Pull the yarn tight to close the circle. Hide the remaining tail inside the head.

Frill

With gray, make 29sc around the head. Chain 1, turn

From here, start working with hdc

1 row     (4hdc, 3hdc in same stitch) repeat 5 times, 4hdc, chain 1 and turn Total 32sts

2 row     5hdc, (1fpdc, 6hdc) repeat 4 times, 1fpdc, 5hdc

• Change to orange

3 row     5sc, (1bpdc, 6sc) repeat 4 times, 1bpdc, 5sc

• Cut the yarn and fasten off.

Snout

With light beige start,

1 rnd      6sc in a magic ring

2 rnd      6inc Total 12sts

3 rnd      12sc

4 rnd      6sc, [(6inc) repeat 6 times] Total 18sts

5 rnd      6sc, [(1inc, 1sc) repeat 6 times] Total 24sts

6-7 rnd  24sc

• Cut the yarn and fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing later.

Horns

Nose horn

With gray yarn start,

1 rnd      4sc in a magic ring

2 rnd      1inc, 1sc total 6sts

3 rnd      6sc

• Cut the yarn and fasten off leaving a tail for sewing later.

Brow horns

With gray yarn start,

1 rnd      4sc in a magic ring

2 rnd      1inc, 1sc total 6sts

3 rnd      6sc

4 rnd      1inc, 2sc total 8sts

• Cut the yarn and fasten off leaving a tail for sewing later.
• Make two.

Assembly

1. Sew the remaining 18 stitches from the body to the 18 stitches of round 16 of the head.
2. Sew the snout in place between rounds 9 and 15 of the head.
3. Next, sew the smaller horn on top of the snout, then the two brow horns (one stitch apart from the frill and roughly six stitches apart from each other).
4. Finally, sew the tail on the back of the triceratops body, at round 12 of the body.

Eye Embroidery

1. With black sport-weight yarn and a tapestry needle, embroider straight vertical lines stacked on top of each other. Each line should be 2 rounds tall and 1 stitch wide. Repeat until you form the full shape of the eye. Cut the yarn, fasten off, secure the edges, and hide the tail inside the head.
2. Next, with white sport-weight yarn, embroider one straight line on the outer side of each eye. Then add a small highlight: a short line starting in the middle of the black section and going upward. Cut the yarn, fasten off, secure the edges, and hide the tail inside the head.
3. Finish by using the black yarn again to embroider three small lines on the top-right corner of each eye to create the eyelashes.

Congratulations!!!

Your Triceratops Snuggler is ready!

I hope you enjoy this pattern! If you have any questions or comments, leave them in the comment box below.

If this crochet snuggler free pattern was clear and useful to you, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. I plan to add a new free pattern and a stitch tutorial every week to help you learn more about this crochet toy world!

See you next time!

Love,

Ana