Tester Call: How to Crochet Amigurumi Buddy Slouchy Santa Hat Turtle Gift

Author: Talha

I am a crochet designer, macramé maker and a crafter who also loves doing MATH.

As I promised yesterday, here is a cuter and even more detailed crochet gift buddy Santa turtle! Meet the crochet slouchy Santa hat turtle amigurumi with a plush shell, plus a FREE written pattern you can use to learn to crochet it, suitable for all skill levels.

It also features white yarn embroidery and can be crocheted in under 45 minutes. This little Santa turtle amigurumi also has blush on its cheeks.

It has big eyes that make it the CUTEST! Now, continue reading to learn more about this crochet turtle amigurumi project for all skill levels!

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Pattern to Crochet Slouchy Santa Hat Turtle Amigurumi

Skill Level: Beginner – Level 4

Materials List

Worst-weight yarn (Green for the head and fins)
Black plush yarn (for the belly and joining)
Red plush yarn (for the shell)
DK or Sport weight yarn (White and Red for the Santa hat)
Crochet Hooks:
- 4.0 mm hook (for worst-weight yarn)
- 4.0 mm – 5.0 mm hook (for red plush yarn shell)
- 2.5 mm – 3.5 mm hook (or size appropriate for DK yarn to get tight stitches so stuffing won’t show)
Safety eyes
Fiberfill stuffing
Yarn needle and scissors

Abbreviations (US Terms)

st(s): stitch(es)
sc: single crochet
inc: increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
dec: invisible decrease (sc 2 together)
MR: Magic Ring
[ ]: total stitch count at the end of the round
FLO: Front Loop Only
BLO: Back Loop Only

Pattern Instructions

Head

Using worst-weight yarn with a 4 mm hook.

Round 1: Make a MR, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: 6 inc. (12 sts)
Round 3: [1 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (18 sts)
Round 3 (Note): [2 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (24 sts)
Rounds 4 – 6 (3 rounds): 18 sc around. (24 sts)
Insert Safety Eyes: Place safety eyes between Rounds 4 and 5, approximately 7 stitches apart, and snap backings securely inside.
Round 7: [2 sc, 1 dec] × 6. (18 sts)
Round 8: [1 sc, 1 dec] × 6. (12 sts)
Stuff firmly with fiberfill.
Round 9: 12 sc around. (12 sts)
Round 10: 6 dec. (6 sts)
Round 11 (Closing the neck flat): Work 2 sc (adjust by 1–2 sts so eyes face forward when folded flat). Flatten the opening and crochet 3 sc through both layers to seal the neck closed. (3 sts)
Fasten off leaving a tail for securing head position later, and set aside.

Red Shell

Using red plush yarn and a 4.0 mm – 5.0 mm hook.

Round 1: Make a MR, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: 6 inc. (12 sts)
Round 3: [1 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (18 sts)
Round 4: [2 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (24 sts)
Rounds 5 – 7 (3 rounds): 24 sc around. (24 sts)
Round 8 (Shell Rim): In FLO only, work [3 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (30 sts)
Cut yarn, make an invisible finish, and weave the tail inside the shell.

Fins (Make 4)

Using worst-weight yarn with a 4 mm hook.

Round 1: Make a MR, work 6 sc into the ring. Pull tight. (6 sts)
Round 2: 6 inc. (12 sts)
Round 3: [1 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (18 sts)
Round 4: [1 sc, 1 inc] × 6. (24 sts)
Round 5: Fold the circle in half flat. Working through both layers across the straight edge: crochet 11 sc through both layers, then work 1 inc (2 sc) into the final corner pair of stitches. (13 sts)
Fasten off leaving a medium yarn tail used to tack down the fin later.
Repeat to make 4 black fins, and set aside. (Note: In the final assembly, these are attached via the black plush belly yarn section).

Santa Hat (DK or Sport Yarn Section)

Worked in continuous spiral rounds (do not join rounds unless specified).

White Section (Pom-Pom)

Round 1: With White, 6 sc in MR. [6]
Round 2: [inc] x 6. [12]
Round 3: [sc 1, inc] x 6. [18]
Round 4: sc in each st around. [18]
Round 5: [sc 1, dec] x 6. [12]
Round 6: [dec] x 6. [6]
On the last stitch of Round 6, complete the final yarn over with Red to make a seamless color change.

Red Section (Hat Body)

Round 7: With Red, [sc 2, inc] x 2. [8]
Round 8: [sc 3, inc] x 2. [10]
Round 9: [sc 4, inc] x 2. [12]
Round 10: [sc 5, inc] x 2. [14]
Round 11: [sc 6, inc] x 2. [16]
Round 12: [sc 7, inc] x 2. [18]
Round 13: [sc 8, inc] x 2. [20]
Round 14: [sc 9, inc] x 2. [22]
Round 15: [sc 10, inc] x 2. [24]
Round 16: [sc 11, inc] x 2. [26]
Round 17: [sc 12, inc] x 2. [28]
On the last stitch of Round 17, complete the final yarn over with White.

White Section (Hat Brim)

Rounds 18–19: With White, sc in each st around (2 rounds). [28]
Round 20: [sc 13, inc] x 2. [30]
Round 21: sc in each st around. [30]

Belly & Joining (No-Sew Assembly)

Turn the shell upside down; the unworked Back Loops of Round 7 are visible inside the shell rim. Use Black plush yarn.
Preparation: Make a slip knot on hook and insert into any back loop of Round 7 at the back of the shell.
Round 9 (Joining limbs and head to BLO of Round 7):
- Work 2 sc in BLO.
- 1 sc-fin: Insert hook through the 1st stitch of a fin and the next BLO of Round 7, work 1 sc.
- Work 5 sc in BLO.
- 1 sc-fin: Attach the 2nd fin with 1 sc.
- Work 1 sc in BLO.
- 3 sc-head: Attach the 3 stitches of the flattened neck to the next 3 BLO sts of Round 7 with 3 sc.
- Work 1 sc in BLO.
- 1 sc-fin: Attach the 3rd fin with 1 sc.
- Work 5 sc in BLO.
- 1 sc-fin: Attach the 4th fin with 1 sc.
- Work 3 sc in BLO. (24 sts total)
Tip: Pull starting and ending tails from the head and fins outside between stitches to tack into place later.
Round 10: [2 sc, 1 dec] × 6. (18 sts)
Stuff body and shell firmly with fiberfill.
Round 11: [1 sc, 1 dec] × 6. (12 sts)
Fasten off leaving a long tail. Weave through the front loops of all 12 stitches, pull tight to cinch closed, knot, and hide the tail inside the body.

Assembly Analysis (Based on Image)

Head Positioning: The head is securely joined via its flattened 3-stitch neck into the front portion of the shell’s inner back loops, ensuring the safety eyes face forward and slightly upward. Small white highlights or stitches can be added just below the safety eyes for expression.
Fin Placement: The four fins are integrated symmetrically along the sides of the body during the no-sew belly round, giving the turtle a stable swimming stance.
Santa Hat Integration: The Santa hat rests with its red body curved playfully over the top of the red shell and tilted down toward the turtle’s head, featuring a small white pom-pom tip and a textured white brim framing the lower section. Additional small white French knots or surface stitches can be embroidered onto the red shell to resemble festive spots.