Crochet Eyes Tutorial - An Alternative To Plastic Safety Eyes

Hi everyone! I wanted to share today one of my favorite alternatives to plastic safety eyes when making amigurumi. And bonus, they are fast and easy!

These came to be when I was searching for an 'eye' to have a crisp, delicate look. 

I have made some with worsted black yarn but it just didn't meet the look I was going for when the eye needed to be on a smaller scale. 

There are many reasons we look for an alternative to plastic safety eyes. The most popular reason being the recipient of our beautiful creation is a little one under 3. 

I now make most of my amigurumis with plastic safety eyes because my kids are over this age and the fact that they pop in quickly! 

With that being said though, I have to admit I love the look of using crochet thread. By the time I'm done, it was worth a few extra minutes. Here's an example from the Amigurumi Cow Pattern!

To make these I used a 2.25mm hook (2.5mm should work just fine too) and size 10 black crochet thread. I also use some white to add a little reflection from time to time for added detail. 

I know a lot of you may have embroidery thread/floss on hand and this can be used too, however, it is thicker so you may want to bring it down to 4 ply instead.

On an off note, I absolutely love crochet thread! The beautiful color selection they now come in are amazing! I use them often to make tiny flowers like in these hair clips.

Ok, back on track now...... these eyes work up fast and can be sewn on your amigurumi project before or after you close the head. You can also easily add eyelashes as you sew them on!

I used the 12mm size below for my Cuddly Caterpillar pattern! It was perfect to add a bit of reflection and detail!

Below are instructions for making 4 common sizes found in amigurumi patterns:

9mm, 10.5mm, 12mm and 15mm

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Materials-

• Black crochet thread size 10
• 2.25mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Sewing needle

US Abbreviations-

• HDC - Half double crochet
• SC - Single crochet
• Sl st - Slip stitch
• MC - Magic circle
• Ch - Chain

Alright, lets get started!

NOTE: For any of the sizes chosen below, fasten off at the end and be sure to leave a long tail to sew onto your amigurumi project

9mm-

Round 1: Create a MC with 8 HDC, join with a sl st to the first HDC (8 HDC)

10.5mm-

Round 1: Create a MC with 12 HDC, join with a sl st to the first HDC (12 HDC)

12mm-

Round 1: Create a MC with 8 HDC, join with a sl st to the first HDC, Ch 1 (8 HDC)

Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch, join with a sl st to the first SC (16 SC) 

15mm-

Round 1: Create a MC with 8 HDC, join with a sl st to the first HDC, Ch 1 (8 HDC)

Round 2: 2 HDC in each stitch, join with a sl st to the first HDC (16 HDC)

To add a reflection take a small amount of white crochet thread and pass through a stitch once or twice as pictured below, secure and fasten off.

I told you they would be easy! Be sure to PIN this tutorial to pull it up for a future project you would like to use them on.

Looking for an amigurumi project? Scroll through my homepage here to find some fun patterns!

If you are new to amigurumi, check out my tips and materials page to help you get started!

 Be sure to join the Grace and Yarn Crochet Group on Facebook! You can share your projects, favorite patterns and ask any questions you may have along the way.

Thanks for visiting!

Stephanie