Tester Call: How to Crochet Grinch & Frog Festive Hat Baby Mushroom Plushie for Gifting

Author: Talha

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

I am back with another crochet plush pattern from the “UNIQUE Christmas Grinch plushies” series! Introducing the crochet miniature no-sew Grinch and frog in a Santa hat buddy plushie that you can learn to crochet with a FREE written pattern for all skill levels.

Choose from the Grinch variation that features the detailed felt Grinch eyes and face.

The 2nd one is the frog variation that features a cute smiling face made using black beads and embroidery only. There is a pom-pom on the top as well. Now, continue reading to learn more about this small plush buddy Grinch mushroom variation!

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Pattern to Crochet A Funny Grinch Mushroom Plushie

This project is a variation of the one-piece mushroom baby plushie. It features a bright red mushroom hat, a Grinch green body with built-in bobble stitch arms and feet, a top Grinch green pom-pom, embroidered Grinch green spots, felt grumpy eyes, and a mischievous smile.

Materials & Tools

Yarn:
- Bulky plush/chenille yarn (Weight 5) in Bright Red (for the mushroom hat)
- Bulky plush/chenille yarn (Weight 5) in Grinch Green (for the body, hat spots, and top pom-pom)
- Black embroidery floss or thin black yarn (for the mouth embroidery)
Crochet Hooks:
- 4.0 mm crochet hook (main hook for plush yarn)
- 3.0 mm crochet hook (support hook used to tighten sl st and ch 1 at round joins)
Felt & Face Details:
- Yellow felt (for large outer eyes)
- Black felt (for pupils/slits and slanting eyebrows)
- Fabric glue or hot glue
Notions:
- Stitch markers
- Yarn/tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Polyester fiberfill stuffing
- Pom-pom maker (approx. 2 inches / 5 cm) or a fork/cardboard template
- Tweezers (optional, for tucking yarn ends)

Abbreviations (US Terms)

MR: Magic ring
ch: Chain
sc: Single crochet
inc: Increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
dec: Invisible decrease (sc 2 stitches together using front loops)
sl st: Slip stitch
FLO: Front loop only
BLO: Back loop only
BO: Bobble stitch (4 incomplete double crochets in the same stitch: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Repeat 4 times until 5 loops are on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops).
st(s): Stitch(es)

Crochet Instructions

1. Mushroom Hat (Red Plush Yarn)

Using 4.0 mm hook and Red bulky plush yarn.

Rounds 1–9: Work in joined rounds starting with a magic ring:
- R1: 6 sc in MR. Join with sl st, ch 1. [6]
- R2: (1 sc, inc) × 3. Join, ch 1. [9]
- R3: (2 sc, inc) × 3. Join, ch 1. [12]
- R4: (3 sc, inc) × 3. Join, ch 1. [15]
- R5: (4 sc, inc) × 3. Join, ch 1. [18]
- R6: (5 sc, inc) × 3. Join, ch 1. [21]
- R7: (6 sc, inc) × 3. Join, ch 1. [24]
- R8: (3 sc, inc) × 6. Join, ch 1. [30]
- R9: (4 sc, inc) × 6. Join, ch 1. [36]
Round 10: Work sl st around in BLO.
Fasten off red yarn, leaving a short tail.

Invisible Finish for Hat Edge:

Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle.
Insert under both loops of the first stitch from back to front.
Insert back down into the center/front loop of the last stitch made.
Pull gently to create a faux stitch, weave inside the hat, and trim excess.
Turn the hat upside down so the inside (wrong side) faces up.

2. Mushroom Body (Grinch Green Yarn)

Locate the remaining 24 inner back loops from Round 7 on the inside of the red hat.

Round 11: Insert 4.0 mm hook into the last back loop of R7. Pull up a loop of Grinch Green plush yarn, make a slip knot, tighten, and knot tails together inside to secure.
- Work 1 sc into the first back loop and into each remaining BLO around. Join with sl st, ch 1. [24]
Rounds 12–13: 1 sc in each st around. Join, ch 1. (2 rounds total) [24]
Round 14 (Upper Arms): 7 sc, 1 BO, 8 sc, 1 BO, 7 sc. Join, ch 1. [24]
Rounds 15–16: 1 sc in each st around. Join, ch 1. (2 rounds total) [24]
Round 17 (Lower Feet): 8 sc, 1 BO, 6 sc, 1 BO, 8 sc. Join, ch 1. [24]

Note: Use the back of your crochet hook to push all 4 bobbles (arms and feet) outward so they pop out prominently.

3. Closing the Body

Round 18: (1 sc, 1 dec) × 8. Join, ch 1. [16]
Stuffing: Stuff firmly with polyester fiberfill, shaping the body into a plump round base.
Round 19: 8 dec. Join with sl st. [8]

Cinching Closed:

Fasten off, leaving an 8-inch (20 cm) tail.
Thread tail onto tapestry needle and weave through the front loops only of all 8 remaining stitches.
Pull firmly to cinch closed. Knot, insert needle into the center, bring out through the back, pull tight, and trim/hide tail inside.

Face & Assembly Details

1. Felt Grumpy Eyes & Eyebrows

Yellow Felt (Base Eyes): Cut 2 wide, sharply slanted oval eye shapes out of yellow felt.
Black Felt (Pupils & Brows):
- Cut 2 thin vertical black felt slits for pupils.
- Cut 2 thick, angled black felt rectangles for signature grumpy/mean eyebrows.
Assembly: Glue the black pupils onto the center of the yellow felt pieces, then glue the black angled eyebrows slanting downward over the top edge of each eye to give that classic grumpy Grinch expression.
Placement: Glue the finished eye pieces securely onto the face between Rounds 11 and 14, centered evenly between the two arms.

2. Embroidered Mouth

Thread tapestry needle with black embroidery floss or thin black yarn.
Embroider a wide, mischievous smirk/smile across the lower face below the eyes (around Round 15/16).
Tie off ends inside the body using tweezers to hide knots.

3. Top Pom-Pom

Using Grinch Green plush yarn, wrap yarn around a pom-pom maker or cardboard template until thick and fluffy.
Tie securely with a strong center strand, cut loops, and trim evenly into a tight, dense sphere.
Attach securely to the very tip top of the red mushroom cap using the long tie tails.

4. Grinch Green Spots on Hat

Thread tapestry needle with a strand of Grinch Green plush yarn.
Embroider small French knots or short straight stitches randomly scattered across the red cap to create textured green mushroom spots.
Pull ends inside the hat, tie off, and trim.