Learn How to Make This Fun Crocheted Dog Keychain

Welcome! If you are looking for a quick, adorable, and highly giftable project, you’ve come to the right place. Creating a crocheted dog keychain is the perfect way to practice your amigurumi skills, test out new color combinations, and use up those leftover yarn scraps in your stash. It’s a small, manageable project that yields a high-quality result you can take with you everywhere.

Whether you are a beginner looking to build confidence or an experienced maker needing a quick “palate cleanser” project, this guide will walk you through every step of the process. Let’s grab our hooks and get started on this charming little companion!

Materials & Tools Needed

• Yarn: Medium-weight (worsted/aran) cotton yarn in your choice of colors (cotton holds its shape best).
• Hook: 3.0mm or 3.25mm crochet hook (using a smaller hook than recommended for the yarn creates a tight fabric, which keeps the stuffing from showing).
• Stuffing: Small amount of polyester fiberfill.
• Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, and stitch markers.
• Hardware: One sturdy keyring or lobster clasp.
• Embroidery: A small amount of black yarn or embroidery floss for the nose and eyes.

Abbreviations & Pattern Notes

• MR: Magic Ring
• SC: Single Crochet
• INC: Increase (2 SC in the same stitch)
• DEC: Decrease (Invisible decrease recommended: pick up front loops of next two stitches, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through)
• ST/STS: Stitch/Stitches
• Pattern Note: Work in continuous rounds rather than joining with a slip stitch to avoid visible seams. Use a stitch marker to keep track of the start of each round.

Step-by-Step Pattern Instructions

1. The Head: Start with a MR. Round 1: 6 SC in ring. Round 2: INC in each st around (12 sts). Round 3: (1 SC, 1 INC) repeat around (18 sts). Rounds 4–7: SC in each st around. Round 8: (1 SC, 1 DEC) repeat around (12 sts). Stuff firmly. Round 9: DEC around (6 sts). Fasten off and weave in ends.
2. The Body: Start with a MR. Round 1: 6 SC in ring. Round 2: INC in each st around (12 sts). Round 3: (1 SC, 1 INC) repeat around (18 sts). Rounds 4–6: SC in each st around. Round 7: (1 SC, 1 DEC) repeat around (12 sts). Stuff firmly. Round 8: DEC around (6 sts). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
3. Ears & Tail: For ears, chain 4, skip first ch, SC across. Make two. For the tail, chain 5, skip first ch, SC back down the chain.

Finishing & Helpful Tips

• Assembly: Pin the head to the body before sewing to ensure symmetry. Use the long yarn tail left on the body to whip-stitch the two pieces together securely.
• Faces Matter: Before sewing the face, experiment with eye placement using pins. Placing the eyes closer together creates a cute, youthful look, while wider placement looks more mature. Embroider the nose between the eyes.
• Tension is Key: For amigurumi keychains, consistency is more important than speed. If you find gaps where the stuffing is visible, try dropping down another half-size on your hook.
• Secure the Keychain: When attaching the keyring, use a double strand of yarn or a jump ring to ensure it doesn’t pull through the crochet fabric over time.