Beginner
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Amigurumi 39 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Plush mini dragon amigurumi pattern for beginners
A plush mini dragon: 12-round head, 10-round body, 9-round tail, 3.0 mm hook. Beginner-friendly amigurumi.
- Skill
- Beginner
- Time
- 3-5 hours
- Yarn weight
- Super Bulky
- Hook
- 3.0 mm
- Rounds
- 39
Super Bulky
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
39
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This mini dragon takes shape from separate legs and arms that join into a continuous 10-round body, topped with a 12-round head, a separately worked 9-round tail stitched on afterward, and a row of dorsal spines running center-back. Every piece works in continuous spiral rounds off a magic ring, so no slip stitching or chaining up is needed between rounds. The finished dragon stands about 5.5–6 inches tall. Before starting, have bulky plush yarn in your favorite green (or any main color) and a small amount of yellow for the crest and belly stripes, a 3.0 mm hook, a pair of 8-10 mm safety eyes, fiberfill, and a stitch marker ready on the table.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing track of the round start
- Move the stitch marker to the first stitch of every new round as soon as it is made; because the pattern never joins or chains up, this is the only way to spot a missed increase.
- Folding the arm off-center before closing
- Line up the arm's opening evenly on both sides before single crocheting through both layers, so the final 3-stitch seam sits flat rather than twisting the tube.
- Stuffing showing through loose stitches
- If fiberfill is visible between stitches on the body or head, go down a hook size rather than stuffing more tightly, since the pattern notes gauge is flexible but fabric density is not.
The materials list
- Yarn (Main Color): Bulky plush or velour yarn, approx. 100 g / 120 m — any Super Bulky chenille-style yarn works well (e.g., Yarn Art Dolce Baby or Himalaya Dolphin Baby equivalent)
- Yarn (Contrast Color): Small amount of yellow plush yarn in the same weight — used for crest and belly stripes
Hook
- D-3 / 3.0 mm (adjust up or down to match your tension)
Safety eyes
- 8–10 mm, 1 pair
Stuffing
- Polyfill fiberfill
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 9 short forms
Arms — Make 2
Round 1
6 sc in MR. (6)
Round 2-6
Sc in each st around. (6)Fold the arm flat so the opening lines up. Working through both layers simultaneously, sc across: 3 sc. (3) Do not stuff. Set aside — arms will be crocheted into the body.
Legs — Make 2
Round 1
6 sc in MR. (6)
Round 2
*1 sc, inc* repeat 3 times. (9)
Round 3
Sc in each st around. (9)
Round 4
Sc in each st around. (9)
Round 5
Sc in each st around. (9)
Round 6
Sc in each st around. (9)For the first leg: fasten off, leaving a short tail. For the second leg: do not fasten off. Continue directly to Body.
Body
Worked continuously from the second leg, joining both legs together.
Joining Rnd: Ch 3, sc 9 around the first leg, sc 3 along the chain, sc 9 around the second leg, sc 3 along the opposite side of the chain. (24)
Place your stitch marker here — this is the beginning of the body rounds.
Round 1
Sc in each st around. (24)
Round 2
Sc in each st around. (24)
Round 3
Sc in each st around. (24)
Round 4
Sc in each st around. (24)
Round 5
*2 sc, dec* repeat 6 times. (18)
Round 6
Sc in each st around. (18)
Round 7
Sc in each st around. (18)
Round 8
*1 sc, dec* repeat 6 times. (12)Stuff the body firmly now, before continuing.
Round 9
Arm Attachment Round: Place one arm flat against the side of the body. Working through the arm and the body stitch at the same time, sc 3 to join the first arm. Sc 3–4 across the front of the body. Place the second arm on the opposite side and sc 3 to join it. Sc remaining sts to complete the round. (12)
Round 10
Sc in each st around. (12)
Head
Worked continuously from the body — do not fasten off.
Round 11
Inc in each st around. (24)
Round 12
*3 sc, inc* repeat 6 times. (30)
Round 13
Sc in each st around. (30)
Round 14
Sc in each st around. (30)
Round 15
Sc in each st around. (30)
Round 16
*3 sc, dec* repeat 6 times. (24)
Round 17
Sc in each st around. (24)
Round 18
Sc in each st around. (24)Insert safety eyes now, between Rnds 15 and 17. Press fingertip indentations into the face to find the most flattering placement before setting them permanently.
Round 19
*2 sc, dec* repeat 6 times. (18)
Round 20
Sc in each st around. (18)Stuff the head firmly.
Round 21
*1 sc, dec* repeat 6 times. (12)Leave the opening open at this stage — complete any muzzle shaping or tightening stitches before closing.
Round 22
Dec 6 times. (6)Fasten off. Close the remaining opening and weave in the end.
Tail
Round 1
6 sc in MR. (6)
Round 2
*1 sc, inc* repeat 3 times. (9)
Round 3
Sc in each st around. (9)
Round 4
*2 sc, inc* repeat 3 times. (12)
Round 5
Sc in each st around. (12)
Round 6
*3 sc, inc* repeat 3 times. (15)
Round 7
Sc in each st around. (15)
Round 8
*4 sc, inc* repeat 3 times. (18)
Round 9
Sc in each st around. (18)Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Crest / Dorsal Spines
Worked in the contrasting color (yellow) directly onto the assembled toy, beginning at the base of the tail and running up the back to the center of the head.
Join contrasting yarn at the base of the tail.
Spine Unit: Ch 1, [work 3 unfinished dc into the next st, draw yarn through all loops on hook to complete the bobble, ch 1, sc into the next st, sl st into the next st].
Repeat the spine unit continuously along the back, from the tail base to the center of the head.
Do not fasten off the contrasting yarn after completing the crest. Use the same yarn to embroider 3 evenly spaced horizontal stripes across the belly.
Assembly, in order
Step 1Sew the tail to the center back of the lower body using the long yarn tail and a tapestry needle. Whipstitch around the full opening for a secure join.
Step 2Confirm arms are fully crocheted in at Rnd 9 of the body and lie flat against each side.
Step 3Confirm safety eyes are set securely between Rnds 15 and 17 of the head.
Step 4Work the crest from the tail base to the center of the head, following the spine unit as described above.
Step 5Embroider belly stripes with the remaining contrasting yarn before fastening off.
Step 6Weave in all ends.
Check these before you start
- Every piece is worked in continuous spiral rounds — do not slip stitch to join and do not chain up between rounds, or the stitch count will shift.
- Move the stitch marker up after the first stitch of each new round; with no join point visible, it is the only reliable way to track where a round starts.
- Fabric tension matters more than exact gauge here — stuffing should never show through the stitches, so tighten up a hook size if the swatch looks loose.
- all dec rounds in the head and body, work an invisible decrease: insert the hook under the front loop of the first stitch and the front loop of the second stitch, then complete the sc as normal — this keeps the fabric smooth and avoids the small V-dip that regular decreases leave behind.
On one line
| Rounds | 39 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 6 |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time | 3-5 hours |
| Hook | 3.0 mm |
| Yarn | Super Bulky |
Set-up
- Confirm the main-color yarn will stretch across arms, legs, body, head, and tail before winding a separate small ball of yellow for the crest and belly stripes.
- Set a stitch marker aside specifically for round tracking — every part is worked in continuous spiral with no join, so a dropped round is easy to lose.
- Read through the Body's joining round once before starting the legs, since both legs are worked first and then joined with a chain-3 gusset in one continuous pass.
- Test a small swatch with the 3.0 mm hook and check that no fiberfill shows between stitches; go down a hook size if gaps appear.
Finishing
- Weave in all loose ends from the arms, legs, tail, and crest pieces before assembly, since several are worked separately and set aside until the body is complete.
- Stuff the body and head firmly through the open rounds before closing, keeping the arms unstuffed since they are crocheted flat and joined directly into the body.
- Whipstitch the tail to the center back of the lower body around its full opening, then attach the crest along the spine and embroider the belly stripes last.
Construction
The Body's joining round works a chain-3 between the two finished legs, then single crochets 9 stitches around each leg plus 3 stitches along each side of the chain, producing a continuous 24-stitch base without any separate seaming.
The final row of each arm is worked flat rather than in the round: the tube is folded so the opening lines up, and single crochet passes through both layers together, which flattens the tip so it can be crocheted directly into the body at Rnd 9.
Time per section
| Arms and legs | about 30-45 minutes, because both pairs are small pieces of only a few rounds each |
|---|---|
| Body | about 45-60 minutes, because of the two-leg joining round plus 10 body rounds and working the arms in at Rnd 9 |
| Head, tail, and crest | about 60-90 minutes, because the head alone runs 12 rounds with safety eyes set between Rnds 15 and 17, plus separate tail and spine pieces to attach |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.