Bring Thanksgiving charm to your crochet table with this colorful turkey amigurumi, featuring a rounded caramel-brown body and a striking African flower tail.
This crochet turkey combines a simple rounded amigurumi body with a bright, decorative tail made from an African flower motif. The caramel-brown body gives the turkey its familiar shape, while the teal, cream, red, and brown colors add a festive Thanksgiving feel.
The head and body are crocheted as one continuous piece, so most of the shaping happens directly through increases and decreases. The most important crochet part is keeping the stuffing controlled as the shape changes: add it when instructed, firm up the form without overfilling, and check the silhouette before closing the bottom.
Materials Needed
- Light worsted or DK weight yarn in Caramel Brown, Dark Teal, Cream, Red, and Brown
- 3.25 mm (D) crochet hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Polyester filling
- Safety eyes (optional)
Pattern Notes
The head and body are worked in continuous rounds, so there is no joining at the end of each round. Use a stitch marker to keep track of the beginning of the round.
The pattern also recommends the yarn under method for tighter single crochet stitches. This is particularly useful for amigurumi because a firm crochet fabric helps keep the polyester filling contained.
If you use safety eyes, insert them at the point specified in the pattern before closing the head.
Body Shape Checkpoints
There are three useful moments to pause and look at the turkey’s shape:
- After Round 9: The head has been shaped and is ready for the eyes and initial stuffing.
- After Round 18: The body has widened to 36 stitches, creating the fuller middle section.
- Before Round 24: The body begins narrowing again, so make sure the stuffing is evenly distributed before the opening becomes smaller.
These checks help you catch uneven stuffing early rather than trying to reshape the body after it has been completely closed.
Crochet Abbreviations
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- inc – increase
- dec – decrease
- sts – stitches
- dc – double crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
Step-by-Step Crochet Turkey
Head and Body
Work the head and body in Caramel Brown. Keep the rounds continuous and use the yarn under method for tighter stitches.
Round 1: Chain 2, make 6 sc into the second chain from the hook (or use a magic circle). (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [1 sc, inc] repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 4: 1 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] repeat 5 times, 1 sc. (24 sts)
Rounds 5-6: Sc in each st around. (24 sts)
Round 7: 3 sc, dec, [6 sc, dec] repeat 2 times, 3 sc. (21 sts)
Round 8: [5 sc, dec] repeat 3 times. (18 sts)
Round 9: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Add the eyes and begin stuffing here.
If you are using safety eyes, position them before adding too much filling. Once the head is stuffed, it becomes harder to reach inside and adjust their placement.
Round 10: [1 sc, dec] repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Rounds 11-13: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 14: [1 sc, inc] repeat 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 15: 1 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] repeat 5 times, 1 sc. (24 sts)
Round 16: [3 sc, inc] repeat 6 times. (30 sts)
Round 17: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)
Round 18: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] repeat 5 times, 2 sc. (36 sts)
Rounds 19-21: Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
At this point, the body has reached its widest section. Check that the filling is spread evenly rather than forming one hard lump in the center.
Round 22: 2 sc, dec, [4 sc, dec] repeat 5 times, 2 sc. (30 sts)
Round 23: [3 sc, dec] repeat 6 times. (24 sts)
Continue stuffing the body.
Add the remaining filling gradually as the opening becomes smaller. Work it toward the sides and lower portion of the body so the finished turkey keeps a rounded shape.
Round 24: 1 sc, dec, [2 sc, dec] repeat 5 times, 1 sc. (18 sts)
Round 25: [1 sc, dec] repeat 6 times. (12 sts)
Round 26: 6 dec. (6 sts)
Finish: Cut an 8-inch tail, pull it through the last stitch, and sew the bottom hole closed.
Beak
The supplied tutorial begins the beak with the following instruction:
Beak: Chain 2, make 3 sc into the first chain.
The provided transcript cuts off at this point, so the remaining beak instructions are not available in the supplied pattern. Do not add unverified rounds or shaping here; use the complete original tutorial for the remainder of the beak.
African Flower Tail Feathers
The colorful African flower is attached to the back of the turkey body to create the tail-feather display.
The supplied tutorial jumps to the final rounds of the flower, so the earlier rounds are not included here. It also notes that the creator accidentally made a 7-sided flower instead of a 6-sided one.
Use the following supplied instructions for the available final rounds.
Dark Teal Round
Round 5 (Dark Teal): 7 sc, then 1 double crochet (dc) spiked down between rounds 2 and 3. Repeat this sequence [7 sc, 1 long dc] all the way around. Slip stitch to join.
The long dc reaches down between earlier rounds, which creates the pointed definition around the flower. Keep these stitches positioned consistently so the outer edge remains even.
Cream Round
Round 6 (Cream): Chain 3 and turn. Dc into the first 3 stitches. In the 4th sc (the middle of the 7-sc sequence), work [1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc] into the same stitch. Continue with dc in the remaining stitches. Repeat this sequence all the way around. Slip stitch and fasten off with a long tail.
The [1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc] section creates the fuller points around the outer edge of the flower. Take care to identify the middle stitch of each 7-sc group before working this increase.
Attach the Tail Feathers
Lay the finished African flower against the back side of the turkey body and use the long yarn tail to sew it securely in place.
Positioning is important here: center the flower on the back rather than letting it sit too high or too low. Check the turkey from the front as you sew so the tail feathers frame the body evenly.
Finishing
Sew the African flower securely to the back of the turkey body.
Weave in any remaining yarn ends neatly. Give the finished turkey a final check to make sure the body is evenly stuffed, the eyes are secure if used, and the tail is firmly attached.
A Note About the Supplied Tutorial
The instructions provided for this article contain two incomplete areas: the beak stops after its opening instruction, and the African flower jumps directly to Round 5. The available instructions have been preserved exactly rather than filling the gaps with guessed crochet directions.
For a complete finished turkey, follow the original video for the missing sections before beginning those parts.
