Jellyfish have bells, oral arms, and trailing tentacles; this toy compresses all three into one soft sphere. This rainbow jellyfish amigurumi crochet pattern uses cream chunky yarn, pastel scraps, 10–12 mm safety eyes, and a 4.5 mm hook for a finished size near 20 cm. The skill level is advanced beginner. Make it when a nursery mobile, market-table sea creature, or desk mascot needs color without a wide footprint.
The Design: What Makes This Jellyfish Different
The bell is not a plain ball. It needs a flattened lower edge, because a jellyfish should hang from the frill rather than sit on a torso. The 36-stitch plateau keeps the head round without making the chenille fabric too heavy; verified jellyfish patterns often use 30, 36, or 42 stitches before shaping, depending on scale. The underside disk gives the tentacles a hard anchor point, which matters when six rainbow curls pull in different directions. For this plush jellyfish amigurumi, the side lobes are small and shallow so they read as bell tissue, not ears. A common maker mistake is placing the eyes too low. In a rainbow crochet jellyfish, low eyes collide with the frill and make the face look squeezed rather than centered.
Project Info at a Glance
| Skill Level | Time | Finished Size | Hook | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced beginner | 3–4 hours | About 20 cm including tentacles | 4.5 mm | Nursery mobile, market plush, ocean display |
The finished-size target follows published jellyfish measurements near 20.3 cm including tentacles, while the hook and eye choices match plush and worsted jellyfish sources. Source
Materials and Tools
Yarn
- Cream white — chunky velvet or chenille — 30–35 g — Premier Parfait Chunky or similar
- Pink — chunky velvet or chenille — 3–5 g — tentacle
- Coral orange — chunky velvet or chenille — 3–5 g — tentacle
- Pale yellow — chunky velvet or chenille — 3–5 g — tentacle
- Mint green — chunky velvet or chenille — 3–5 g — tentacle
- Sky blue — chunky velvet or chenille — 3–5 g — tentacle
- Lavender — chunky velvet or chenille — 3–5 g — tentacle
- Blush pink — chunky velvet or chenille — 1–2 g — cheeks
Published patterns verify small jellyfish at 15–20 g total in DK or worsted yarn, so the larger chunky version needs more white yarn and small accent scraps rather than full skeins. Source
Tools
- Hook 4.5 mm
- 10–12 mm safety eyes
- Polyester stuffing
- Yarn needle
- Stitch markers
- Scissors
- Pins for placement
Safety eyes are not suitable for children under age 3; embroidered eyes are the safer choice for baby toys. Source
Abbreviations
- MR = magic ring
- sc = single crochet
- inc = 2 sc in same stitch
- dec = single crochet decrease
- sl st = slip stitch
- ch = chain
- BLO = back loop only
- FLO = front loop only
- hdc = half double crochet
For an invisible decrease, insert the hook through the front loops of the next two stitches, yarn over, pull through both front loops, yarn over again, and finish the sc decrease.
Pattern — Step by Step
Continuous spiral unless noted. The photo-matched size uses a medium 36-stitch plateau.
Head / Bell — Make 1
Yarn: cream white — Source: standard amigurumi math, compared with verified 36-stitch jellyfish construction. Source
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
R6: (4 sc, inc) ×6 (36)
R7–R13: sc around (36)
R14: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
R15: BLO (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
R16: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
R17: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R18: dec ×6 (6)
Place safety eyes between R10 and R11, about 7 stitches apart, before closing. Stuff firmly at the crown and lightly at the lower edge.
Fasten off. Leave 20 cm tail, weave through front loops of R18, pull closed.
Body / Under-Bell Base — Make 1
Yarn: cream white — Source: standard flat amigurumi disk math, aligned with verified jellyfish bottom construction. Source
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4: (2 sc, inc) ×6 (24)
R5: (3 sc, inc) ×6 (30)
Do not stuff this piece. It covers the tentacle knots and gives the underside a clean circle.
Fasten off. Leave 35 cm tail for sewing.
Front Oral Arms — Make 2
Yarn: pale yellow and mint green — Source: standard curl math; oral arms are verified as separate underside pieces in jellyfish patterns. Source
R1: ch 23 (23)
R2: starting in 2nd ch from hook, 2 hdc in each ch across (44)
These two curls sit at the front center under the face.
Fasten off. Leave 18 cm tail.
Back Support Tentacles — Make 2
Yarn: sky blue and lavender — Source: standard curl math.
R1: ch 21 (21)
R2: starting in 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc in each ch across (40)
These shorter curls sit behind the body disk and help the jellyfish stand for display photos.
Fasten off. Leave 18 cm tail.
Side Bell Lobes — Make 2
Yarn: cream white — Source: standard amigurumi oval math.
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: (sc, inc) ×3 (9)
R3: sc around (9)
R4: (sc, dec) ×3 (6)
Stuff with only two small pinches. Flatten the open edge before sewing.
Fasten off. Leave 20 cm tail.
Rainbow Spiral Tentacles — Make 6
Yarn: pink, coral orange, pale yellow, mint green, sky blue, lavender — Source: verified straight and curly tentacle construction adapted to six photo colors. Source
For each color:
R1: ch 31 (31)
R2: starting in 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc in next ch ×30 (60)
For a thicker curl, work 2 hdc instead of 2 sc. Keep the front center tentacles slightly longer than the back pair by adding 5 chains before R2.
Fasten off. Leave 20 cm tail.
Scalloped Frill
Yarn: cream white — Source: standard shell edging, matching the visible lower bell edge.
Attach yarn to any front loop left from R15 of the head.
R1: [sl st in next front loop, 3 hdc in next front loop, sl st in next front loop] ×8 (40 visible stitches)
The frill should sit outside the tentacle line. Do not pull the slip stitches tight.
Fasten off. Leave 15 cm tail and hide it inside the bell.
Cheek Patches — Make 2
Yarn: blush pink — Source: standard flat circle math.
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
sl st to first stitch (12)
Flatten each circle. Sew one cheek under each eye, centered one round below the eye posts.
Fasten off. Leave 18 cm tail.
Assembly
- Pin the head with the eye line facing forward and the closed R18 point on the bottom.
- Place the body disk under the head without sewing; mark four compass points with pins.
- Sew the cheek patches below the eyes, one round lower than the eye posts.
- Attach the front oral arms at the front center of the underside, 2 stitches apart.
- Attach the back support tentacles behind the body disk, 4–5 stitches apart.
- Add the six rainbow spiral tentacles in color order from left to right: pink, coral, yellow, mint, blue, lavender.
- Sew the side bell lobes between R13 and R15, slightly behind the cheeks.
- Work or adjust the scalloped frill so it sits over the tentacle joins.
- Sew the body disk over all underside knots with small whip stitches around R5.
- Weave in all tails, trim loose fibers, and steam only from a distance if the yarn label permits.
The finished jellyfish has a round white bell, two cheeks, two side lobes, a scalloped edge, and eight visible underside curls.
7 Technical Tips
- Stitch marker drift: A missed first stitch will rotate the eye line by 3–5 mm over the bell. Move the marker after every round, not after every few rounds.
- Stuffing firmness: Underfilled chenille creates a dent between the eyes. Pack the crown to medium-firm density, then reduce stuffing near R16 so the base stays flatter.
- Invisible decrease gaps: Chenille yarn exposes holes when decreases are loose. Pull each dec closed before starting the next sc, especially on R14–R18.
- Eye placement timing: Locked safety eyes cannot be moved without damaging plush yarn. Test placement with pins between R10 and R11 before pushing the posts through.
- Velvet tension loss: Velvet stitches can slide larger after handling. Keep the working loop about 4 mm high and avoid pausing mid-round with a loose loop on the hook.
- Pinning failure: Tentacles sewn without pins cluster to one side. Pin all six rainbow spirals first, then check the front view before sewing any tail.
- Tail weaving length: Short woven tails can pop out through chenille. Weave each tail at least 5 cm through the interior, reverse direction once, then trim.
Conclusion
This rainbow jellyfish amigurumi crochet pattern works because the construction separates the bell, underside base, frill, and curls instead of treating the toy as one plain sphere. Start with the white head, lock the eyes before stuffing closes the base, then build the rainbow tentacles in a fixed color order. Photograph the finished jellyfish from the front so the cheeks and scalloped edge are visible. Save the pattern image to Pinterest and post the finished front view on Instagram with #RainbowJellyfishAmigurumi. Which color should sit directly under the jellyfish’s face: yellow, mint, or blue?
