Crochet Skull Pattern: A 3-Inch Sugar Skull Amigurumi
A palm-sized skull worked in one piece from the top down: a round cranium, a narrower jaw and embroidered teeth. Leave it plain bone-white or decorate it as a Día de los Muertos sugar skull.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) cotton or acrylic in off-white, about 25 yd; black scraps
- Hook
- 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Time
- About 1½ hours
- Finished size
- About 3 in (7.5 cm) tall
You'll need
- Worsted (#4) yarn in off-white — about 25 yd
- Black yarn or felt for the eyes and nose
- 3.5 mm (E-4) hook
- Fibrefill
- Stitch marker and tapestry needle
In this post
A crochet skull is a sphere that narrows into a jaw. You work a 30-stitch ball for the cranium, decrease to 24 stitches for the cheekbones and jaw, then close the bottom and add the face with felt or embroidery. In worsted yarn on a 3.5 mm hook it comes out about 3 inches tall and takes an evening.
The same body makes two looks. Leave it bone-white for Halloween shelves, or stitch flowers and swirls around the eyes for a Día de los Muertos sugar skull.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The skull (one piece)
Worked in continuous rounds. Place a marker in the first stitch of each round.
- Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
- Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12)
- Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
- Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
- Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
- Rnds 6–11: Sc in each st. (30)
- Rnd 12: (3 sc, dec) × 6 — the cheekbones. (24)
- Rnds 13–14: Sc in each st — the jaw. (24)
- Rnd 15: (2 sc, dec) × 6. Stuff firmly. (18)
- Rnd 16: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)
- Rnd 17: Dec × 6. Fasten off, close the hole and hide the tail. (6)
New to working in spirals? Start with the magic ring and crocheting in the round.
The face
- Eyes (make 2): In black, 6 sc in a magic ring, then 2 sc in each st (12). Sl st and leave a tail. Sew them between Rnds 8 and 11, with 2 stitches between them.
- Nose: Embroider an upside-down heart (or a small triangle) in black just below the eyes, on Rnd 12.
- Teeth: Stitch one horizontal line across Rnd 14, then 5–6 short vertical lines across it.
Felt eyes are faster and give crisper edges: cut two 1.5 cm circles and glue or whipstitch them on.
Sugar skull decoration
| Detail | How |
|---|---|
| Flower eyes | Sew 5 lazy-daisy petals in pink or orange around each black eye |
| Forehead | A tiny crochet flower or a French-knot heart in the centre |
| Cheeks | Chain-stitch swirls in turquoise or yellow |
| Chin | Three French knots in a row |
Make it bigger or smaller
Size follows yarn and hook. Chunky yarn on a 5 mm hook makes a 5-inch skull for a mantel; sport-weight on 2.5 mm makes a 2-inch keychain (add a keyring through Rnd 2). The stitch counts stay the same.
Pair it with the crochet spider and bats for a full shelf display, or browse every Halloween crochet idea.
Common questions
How do you make a crochet skull look like a skull and not a ball?
The shaping comes from Rnd 12: decreasing to 24 stitches and working two straight rounds makes the narrower jaw. Placing the eyes low and wide, close to the decrease, sells the shape.
Can I use safety eyes on a crochet skull?
Yes. Use 12–15 mm black safety eyes between Rnds 8 and 11 and add them before stuffing. For a hollow, spooky look, crocheted or felt eye sockets work better.
What yarn is best for a crochet skull?
Cotton gives crisp stitches that look carved; acrylic is softer and fuzzier. Off-white, cream or light grey reads as bone better than pure white.
Bone-white or sugar skull: which one are you making? 💀
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