Crochet Dinosaur: A Cute Stegosaurus with Back Spikes
A chunky little dinosaur with a one-piece head and body, a curved tail, four stubby legs and a strip of spikes down its back. About 6 inches long — a favourite toy for little dino fans.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) cotton or acrylic: green 55 yd, contrast 12 yd
- Hook
- 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Time
- About 3 hours
- Finished size
- About 6 in (15 cm) long
You'll need
- Worsted (#4) yarn in green — about 55 yd
- Contrast colour for spikes — about 12 yd
- 3.5 mm (E-4) hook
- 9 mm safety eyes
- Fibrefill
- Stitch marker and tapestry needle
In this post
This crochet dinosaur is worked in one piece from the nose to the back of the body. A small head narrows into a neck, then the body widens to 30 stitches and closes. You add a tapered tail, four stubby legs and a strip of rounded spikes made in a single row. It's about 6 inches long and only needs a few parts sewn on.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
Head and body
- Rnds 1–4: In green, 6 sc in a magic ring and increase 6 per round to (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
- Rnds 5–9: Sc in each st — the head. Insert the eyes between Rnds 6 and 7, 6 sts apart. (24)
- Rnd 10: (2 sc, dec) × 6 — the neck. Stuff the head. (18)
- Rnds 11–12: Sc in each st. (18)
- Rnd 13: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
- Rnd 14: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
- Rnds 15–20: Sc in each st — the body. (30)
- Rnds 21–23: (3 sc, dec) × 6 (24); (2 sc, dec) × 6 (18); stuff; (sc, dec) × 6. (12)
- Rnd 24: Dec × 6. Close. (6)
The body points forward from the neck; when you sew on the legs, the head lifts up naturally.
Tail, legs and spikes
- Tail: 4 sc in a ring; (sc, inc) × 2 (6); (2 sc, inc) × 2 (8); (3 sc, inc) × 2 (10); (4 sc, inc) × 2 (12); 2 rounds of 12 sc. Stuff and sew to the back of the body, curving slightly.
- Legs (make 4): 6 sc in a ring; inc in each (12); 1 round in the back loop only (12); 3 rounds of 12 sc. Stuff firmly and sew under the body so the dinosaur stands.
- Spike strip: In the contrast colour, ch 22. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook; *skip 1, (hdc, dc, hdc) in the next, skip 1, sl st in the next* 5 times. Fasten off. (5 spikes)
- Attach: Sew the strip along the top, from behind the head to the base of the tail. Make a second strip with 3 spikes for the tail.
Other dinos
| Dinosaur | Change |
|---|---|
| Long-neck (brontosaurus) | Work 8 neck rounds instead of 2; skip the spikes |
| Triceratops | Add a frill (a half circle of dc) behind the head and three small cone horns |
| Baby dino in egg | Make a cream half-sphere with a zigzag top edge to hold the dino |
More toys kids love: the whale, the teddy bear and axolotl.
Common questions
How do you make spikes on a crochet dinosaur?
Crochet a chain and work small shells — (hdc, dc, hdc) — separated by slip stitches back along it. Sew the strip along the back.
Is a crochet dinosaur safe for toddlers?
Use embroidered eyes, sew the legs, tail and spikes on very securely and use cotton or acrylic that can be washed.
How big is the finished dinosaur?
About 6 inches long in worsted yarn on a 3.5 mm hook. Chunky yarn and a 5 mm hook make it about 10 inches.
Stegosaurus, T-rex or brontosaurus? 🦕
Did you make this?
Tap a star to rate this pattern — it helps other makers find it.
Be the first to rate it!
YarnBloom
Crochet patterns & tutorials
YarnBloom shares cozy, beginner-friendly crochet patterns written in clear US terms, with a stitch count on every round and tips for the tricky bits. Grab your hook — let’s make something lovely.
Leave a comment