Introduction
A platypus is a bill-first mammal, so the oval muzzle has to govern the whole amigurumi. This platypus amigurumi crochet pattern uses chunky chenille, a 4 mm hook, and 12 mm safety eyes to make a medium 25 cm plush for intermediate beginners. Make it when you need a seated Australian animal with a basket prop that photographs clearly from the front.
The Design: What Makes This Platypus Different
Build the bill wide but shallow. That one choice keeps the face readable and prevents the head from turning into a duck shape. You need the tail broad, flat, and slightly undersized so the toy sits forward instead of tipping backward. The maker then balances that mass with a round body and low back feet. Cheek patches add scale; without them, the 12 mm eyes can look too large for the plush platypus crochet style. The basket is not just decoration. It gives the front paws a job and hides the lower body seam. A common mistake in a crochet platypus plushie is making the bill too narrow. That reduces the animal cue and makes the face depend too much on color alone.
Project Info at a Glance
| Skill Level | Time | Finished Size | Hook | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate beginner: MR, inc, dec, sewing, shaping | Plan separate part and assembly sessions | 25 cm high in comparable chunky chenille | 4 mm | Seated shelf plush, basket staging, adult display unless eyes are embroidered |
The size, yarn weight, hook, main yarn amount, accent yarn amount, and 12 mm safety eye benchmark come from a chunky chenille platypus source. Safety eyes are listed as a choking hazard for children under 3, so embroidered eyes are the safer option for baby toys.
Materials and Tools
Yarn
- Caramel — chunky chenille — 60 g — James C. Brett Flutterby Chunky or similar
- Dark gray — chunky chenille — 20 g — bill, paws, feet, tail
- Cream — chunky chenille — 15 g — basket and one egg
- Pink — chunky chenille scraps — 5 g — cheek patches
- Light peach — chunky chenille scraps — 5 g — egg variation
Tools
- Hook 4 mm (G)
- 12 mm black safety eyes, or black embroidery yarn
- Polyester stuffing
- Yarn needle
- Locking stitch markers
- Pins
- Scissors
Abbreviations
MR = magic ring; sc = single crochet; inc = 2 sc in next stitch; dec = decrease over next 2 stitches; sl st = slip stitch; ch = chain; BLO = back loop only; FLO = front loop only; R = round or row.
For an invisible decrease, work through the front loops of the next two stitches before completing one sc; this keeps closing rounds from forming gaps.
Pattern — Step by Step
Continuous spiral unless noted. This stitch plan is original and follows standard amigurumi math.
Head — Make 1
Yarn: caramel
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)
Insert 12 mm eyes between R9 and R10, 8 stitches apart. Add washers before R14.
R14: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
R15: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
R16: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
R17: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
Stuff firmly, especially under the cheeks and crown.
R18: dec ×6 (6)
Fasten off. Leave a 20 cm tail, close the final hole through FLO, and hide the yarn inside the head.
Body — Make 1
Yarn: caramel
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–R12: sc around (36)
R13: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
R14: sc around (30)
R15: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
R16: sc around (24)
R17: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
Stuff the base firmly enough that it stands without rocking.
R18: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R19: dec ×6 (6)
Fasten off. Leave a 25 cm tail for sewing the head to the body.
Arms / Front Paws — Make 2
Yarn: dark gray
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4–R5: sc around (18)
R6: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R7: dec ×6 (6)
Do not stuff heavily. Press into a small oval pad.
Fasten off. Leave a 25 cm tail for sewing each paw to the basket side and body front.
Back Feet — Make 2
Yarn: dark gray
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4–R6: sc around (18)
R7: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
R8: dec ×6 (6)
Flatten the foot with the closing point toward the back.
Fasten off. Leave a 30 cm tail for sewing to the lower front of the body.
Low Ear Nubs — Make 2
Yarn: caramel
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: sc around (12)
R4: dec ×6 (6)
Platypus ears should not read as large ears. Use these as tiny side nubs, mostly hidden behind the head curve.
Fasten off. Leave a 15 cm tail for optional placement.
Bill / Snout — Make 1
Yarn: dark gray
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–R8: sc around (30)
R9: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
R10: sc around (24)
R11: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
R12: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
Add only a thin layer of stuffing. Flatten the top and bottom to form a broad oval.
Fasten off. Leave a 40 cm tail for sewing across the lower face.
Tail — Make 1
Yarn: dark gray
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–R11: sc around (36)
R12: (4 sc, dec) ×6 (30)
R13: (3 sc, dec) ×6 (24)
R14: (2 sc, dec) ×6 (18)
R15: sc around (18)
Stuff lightly, then flatten. A thick tail pushes the toy forward.
Fasten off. Leave a 40 cm tail for sewing to the lower back.
Cheek Patches — Make 2
Yarn: pink
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
Sl st to first sc (12)
Keep these flat. Do not stuff.
Fasten off. Leave a 20 cm tail for face sewing.
Basket Bowl — Make 1
Yarn: cream
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: BLO sc around (30)
R7–R10: sc around (30)
R11: sl st loosely around rim (30)
Do not over-tighten the rim. The eggs need a visible opening.
Fasten off. Weave in the short tail.
Basket Handle — Make 1
Yarn: cream
Row 1: ch 31, starting in 2nd ch from hook, 30 sc (30)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc across (30)
Curve the strip over the basket before sewing.
Fasten off. Leave two 20 cm tails, one at each end if possible.
Eggs — Make 3
Yarn: cream, light peach, and off-white
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: inc ×6 (12)
R3: (sc, inc) ×6 (18)
R4–R5: sc around (18)
R6: (sc, dec) ×6 (12)
Stuff lightly. Overstuffing turns the egg into a ball.
R7: dec ×6 (6)
Fasten off. Close through FLO and hide the tail inside each egg.
Assembly
- Pin the head to the body with the head centered over the 6-stitch body closure.
- Sew the head to the body twice around the neck seam, pulling the tail through the stuffing between passes.
- Mark the face centerline between the eyes and place the bill so its top edge sits just below the eye line.
- Sew the bill across the lower face, adding one extra stitch at each corner to hold the oval width.
- Attach the cheek patches beside the bill, 1 stitch below the lower eye edge.
- Sew the front paws to the body sides first, then tack their inner edges to the basket after the basket is positioned.
- Place the back feet at the lower front, 6–8 stitches apart, and sew only the upper half of each foot.
- Sew the tail to the lower back with the widest section touching the body and the narrow end pointing outward.
- Add the low ear nubs behind the head curve only if the side view looks too plain.
- Sew the basket handle to opposite rim points, set the eggs inside, tack the basket between the paws, and weave all tails through stuffed areas.
The finished platypus is complete when it sits upright and the basket clears the belly without pulling the paws inward.
7 Technical Tips
- Marker drift: A spiral marker that shifts more than 2 stitches makes the bill sit crooked. Reset the marker at the front center after R6 of the head and after R6 of the body.
- Soft neck collapse: A 36-stitch head can lean forward if the upper body is underfilled. Pack stuffing under the neck until the body rebounds but does not dome.
- Visible decrease holes: Chenille shows gaps when standard decreases are loose. Use invisible decreases on every R14–R18 head decrease and every R15–R19 body decrease.
- Eye placement timing: Safety eyes must be set before the head opening narrows past 18 stitches. Place them between R9 and R10, then check the bill width before adding washers.
- Velvet tension drag: Chenille tension that is too tight strips fibers and makes gray paws look patchy. Keep the 4 mm hook moving with even loops, not forced loops.
- Pinning failure: A basket pinned too high covers the bill and shortens the body visually. Set the basket rim at the lower third of the body before sewing the paws.
- Tail weaving bulk: Yarn tails left inside the flattened tail can form a ridge. Weave the final tail sideways across 5–6 stitches, then bury it into the body seam.
Conclusion
Block the bill with your fingers before the final seam, then take one front photo and one side photo to check the beaver-like tail angle. The next step is testing yarn substitution: make a 10 cm swatch in your chenille and compare it with the 8 sc by 8 rows per 5 cm benchmark from the verified plush source. Share the finished platypus on Pinterest and Instagram with #PaddleBillPlatypus so readers can compare basket placement. Save this platypus amigurumi crochet pattern with notes on eye spacing, basket height, and tail width. Which color will you use for the bill—charcoal gray, espresso, or natural taupe?
