Looking for a soft crochet pumpkin? This plush chenille design is worked in the round, gently stuffed, shaped into six segments, and finished with a pointed leaf and stem.
Soft chenille yarn gives this crochet pumpkin a wonderfully squishy feel, while the rounded body keeps the pattern simple to work in continuous rounds. The pumpkin grows through a series of increases, stays at its widest point for several rounds, and then tapers back down.
The most distinctive part comes after crocheting the body. A long yarn tail is used to pull through the center and divide the stuffed pumpkin into six even sections, creating the familiar ridged crochet pumpkin shape. A small pointed leaf and short stem finish the top.
Materials Needed
- Plush or chenille yarn in orange or mustard for the pumpkin body
- Green yarn for the leaf and stem
- 5.0 mm crochet hook
- Scissors
- Darning needle
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Stitch marker
Crochet the Pumpkin Body
Work the pumpkin body in a continuous spiral. Keep a stitch marker in place to identify the beginning of each round, especially as the increases and decreases change the shape.
Round 1: Chain 2, then work 8 sc in the second chain from the hook. (8)
Round 2: Work 8 inc around. (16)
Round 3: Work (1 sc, 1 inc) around. (24)
Round 4: Work (1 sc, 1 inc, 1 sc) around. (32)
Round 5: Work (3 sc, 1 inc) around. (40)
Rounds 6–11: Work 1 sc in every stitch around for 6 rounds. (40)
Round 12: Work (3 sc, 1 dec) around. (32)
Round 13: Work (2 sc, 1 dec) around. (24)
Round 14: Work (1 sc, 1 dec) around. (16)
Add the Stuffing
Stuff the pumpkin loosely with fiberfill before closing the remaining opening. The goal is a soft, squishy pumpkin rather than a firmly packed one.
Shape Check: Gently press the sides as you add the stuffing. You want enough fiberfill to give the pumpkin a rounded body while still allowing the stitches and later shaping to move naturally.
Round 15: Work 8 dec around. (8)
Closure: Work 2 additional decreases to close the remaining gap, then slip stitch to the opposite side. Fasten off, leaving a very long tail for shaping the pumpkin segments.
Shape the Pumpkin Segments
The long tail is what transforms the rounded crocheted body into a recognizable pumpkin. Instead of adding separate pieces, you use the yarn to pull the center inward and create the recessed lines between the sections.
Create the First Ridge
Thread the long tail onto your darning needle. Insert the needle straight down through the top center of the pumpkin and bring it out through the bottom center.
Pull the yarn firmly, then wrap it around the outside of the pumpkin and insert the needle through the center again. This creates an inverted ridge running down the body.
Divide the Pumpkin in Half
Repeat the same shaping process in the opposite direction. This divides the pumpkin into two halves and establishes the main cross-shaped structure.
Form Six Sections
Now divide each half into three equal sections. Continue passing the yarn through the center and around the outside until you have 6 evenly spaced segments.
Secure the shaping thread with a knot at the top and weave the remaining end inside the pumpkin.
Why This Step Matters: The spacing of these shaping passes determines how balanced the pumpkin looks. Take a moment to check the sections from the top before securing the yarn completely.
Crochet the Leaf
The leaf is small but gives the plush pumpkin a pointed finishing detail. It is worked around a short foundation chain, with six double crochets placed together at the tip to create the wider end.
Foundation: Chain 5.
Side 1: Starting in the second chain from the hook, work 1 sl st, 1 sc, and 1 hdc.
The Tip: In the final chain stitch, work 6 dc all into the same space.
Side 2: Working up the opposite side of the foundation chain, work 1 hdc and 1 sc.
Finish: Slip stitch into the very top starting stitch, then chain 1 to create a pointed look. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Make the Stem
The stem is worked directly from the base of the leaf, so the two green elements can be attached to the pumpkin as one piece.
Join green yarn directly to the base of the leaf with a slip knot.
Stem Chain: Chain 4.
Stem: Starting in the second chain from the hook, work 1 sc in each of the 3 chains.
Finish: Slip stitch into the base of the leaf. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for attaching the foliage to the pumpkin.
Attach the Leaf and Stem
Position the finished leaf and stem at the top center of the pumpkin.
Isolate a single stitch at the center of the pumpkin body. Loop the long green tail through that stitch and secure it with a double knot using the remaining tail end.
Hide the Loose Ends
Use your crochet hook to pull the loose knotted ends inside the pumpkin. Push them into the fiberfill so they remain hidden within the soft body.
The pointed green leaf now sits above the six softly defined pumpkin sections, while the short stem anchors the foliage neatly at the center. The combination of plush yarn and gentle segment shaping gives the finished pumpkin its rounded, squishy character.
