Bring the Ice Age to Life: Crochet Your Own Adorable Plush Mammoth

ByLina Morgen

How to Crochet a Cute Plush Mammoth: Step-by-Step Pattern

Create your own adorable plush mammoth with this detailed crochet guide. This pattern is designed for a medium skill level and results in a cozy, huggable prehistoric friend approximately 12-13 inches (30-32 cm) tall.

Materials Needed

  • Yarn:
    • Main Color: Plush yarn (e.g., Wolans Benny Baby #19) – 2 balls
    • Accent Color: Plush yarn (e.g., Himalaya Dolphin Baby #336) – 1/4 ball
    • Tusk/Detail Color: Cotton yarn (e.g., YarnArt Jeans #03 or Alize Cotton Gold) – small amount
  • Crochet Hooks:
    • 4.5mm for the main body
    • 2.25mm and 3.25mm for the tusks
  • Eyes: 18mm safety eyes
  • Stuffing: Approximately 200g of fiberfill
  • Tools: Yarn needle, scissors, stitch markers

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • MR: Magic Ring
  • sc: Single Crochet
  • inc: Increase
  • dec: Decrease
  • ch: Chain
  • sl st: Slip Stitch
  • hdc: Half Double Crochet
  • dc: Double Crochet
  • BLO: Back Loop Only

Pattern Instructions

Lower Legs (Make 2)

  • Round 1: 7 sc in MR (7)
  • Round 2: 7 inc (14)
  • Round 3: (1 sc, inc) * 7 (21)
  • Round 4: 1 sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) * 6, 1 sc (28)
  • Round 5 (BLO): 9 sc in Main Color, (2 sc Main, 4 hdc in one loop in Accent Color) * 3, 10 sc Main (28)
  • Rounds 6-7: 28 sc
  • Round 8: 8 sc, (1 sc, dec) * 4, 8 sc (24)
  • Round 9: (2 sc, dec) * 6 (18)
  • Rounds 10-17: 18 sc. Stuff the leg up to round 14.

Closing the legs:

  • Leg 1: Crochet 3 sc to shift position to the heel, fold in half, and sc 9 through both layers to close.
  • Leg 2: Crochet 11 sc to shift position to the toe, fold in half, and sc 9 through both layers to close.

Upper Legs (Make 2)

  • Round 1: 7 sc in MR (7)
  • Round 2: 7 inc (14)
  • Round 3: (1 sc, inc) * 7 (21)
  • Round 4: (6 sc, inc) * 3 (24)
  • Round 5 (BLO): 7 sc Main, (2 sc Main, 4 hdc in one loop in Accent Color) * 3, 8 sc Main (24)
  • Round 6: 24 sc
  • Round 7: 6 sc, (1 sc, dec) * 4, 6 sc (20)
  • Round 8: (2 sc, dec) * 5 (15)
  • Rounds 9-17: 15 sc. Stuff up to round 12-14.

Closing the legs:

  • Leg 1: 2 sc, fold and sc 7 through both layers.
  • Leg 2: 9 sc, fold and sc 7 through both layers.

Tail

Start with Accent Color (#336):

  • Round 1: 6 extended sc in MR, then change to Main Color.
  • Rounds 2-11: 6 sc.

Fold the tail in half and sc 2 through both layers to close. Do not stuff.

Body and Head

  • Round 1: 7 sc in MR (7)
  • Round 2: 7 inc (14)
  • Round 3: (1 sc, inc) * 7 (21)
  • Round 4: 1 sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) * 6, 1 sc (28)
  • Round 5: (3 sc, inc) * 7 (35)
  • Round 6: 2 sc, inc, (4 sc, inc) * 6, 2 sc (42)
  • Round 7: (6 sc, inc) * 6 (48)
  • Round 8: 48 sc
  • Round 9: 8 sc, 9 sc joined with lower leg, 14 sc, 9 sc joined with lower leg, 8 sc (48)
  • Round 10: 47 sc, 1 sc joined with tail
  • Round 11: 1 sc joined with tail, 47 sc
  • Round 12: 48 sc
  • Round 13: (6 sc, dec) * 6 (42)
  • Round 14: 12 sc, (1 sc, dec) * 6, 12 sc (36)
  • Rounds 15-16: 36 sc
  • Round 17: (10 sc, dec) * 3 (33)
  • Round 18: 33 sc
  • Round 19: (9 sc, dec) * 3 (30)
  • Rounds 20-21: 30 sc. Stuff the body firmly.
  • Round 22: Position marker at center back: 5 sc, 7 sc joined with upper leg, 6 sc, 7 sc joined with upper leg, 5 sc (30). Change to Accent Color (#336).
  • Round 23: 30 extended sc
  • Round 24: (3 sc, dec) * 6 using extended sc (24). Change back to Main Color.
  • Round 25: (3 sc, inc) * 6 (30). Stuff the body.
  • Round 26: (2 sc, inc) * 10 (40)
  • Round 27: (3 sc, inc) * 10 (50)
  • Round 28: 50 sc
  • Round 29: Position marker at center back of head: 20 sc, ch 10 (skip 10 sts), 20 sc (50)
  • Round 30: 20 sc, 10 sc in the chain, 20 sc (50)
  • Round 31: 14 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 12 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 14 sc (54)
  • Round 32: 54 sc
  • Round 33: 14 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 12 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 14 sc (50)
  • Round 34: 14 sc, dec, 1 sc, dec, 12 sc, dec, 1 sc, dec, 14 sc (46)
  • Round 35: 13 sc, 2 dec (mark for eyes), 12 sc, 2 dec (mark for eyes), 13 sc (42)
  • Round 36: 17 sc, 4 dec (at the center of the trunk), 17 sc (38)
  • Round 37: Align marker: 17 sc, 2 dec (at the center of the trunk), 17 sc (36)

The Trunk

  • Round 1: Attach yarn to the corner of the head opening. Sl st, 10 sc in the chain, 1 sc in the corner, 10 sl st along the bottom of the trunk, 1 sc in the corner (22)
  • Round 2: 11 sc, 10 sl st into the previous row, 1 sc (22)
  • Round 3: 11 sc, 10 sc under Round 1, 1 sc (22)
  • Round 4: 14 sc, 2 dec, 4 sc (20)
  • Round 5: 14 sc, dec, 4 sc (19)
  • Rounds 6-7: 19 sc
  • Round 8: dec, 8 sc, dec, 7 sc (17)
  • Round 9: 17 sc
  • Round 10: dec, 7 sc, dec, 6 sc (15)
  • Round 11: 15 sc
  • Round 12: dec, 6 sc, dec, 5 sc (13)
  • Rounds 13-15: 13 sc
  • Round 16: 9 sc, 2 dec (11)
  • Round 17: 7 sc, 2 dec (9)
  • Round 18: 9 sc
  • Round 19: 7 sc, dec (8)
  • Round 20: 8 sc
  • Round 21 (BLO): 4 dec (4). Leave a tail for closing.

Completing the Head

  • Round 38: 36 sc

Eyes: Insert safety eyes between rounds 35 and 36, placing each eye between the two decreases of round 35.

  • Round 39: (4 sc, dec) * 6 (30)
  • Round 40: 30 sc. Stuff the head and trunk up to round 15.
  • Round 41: (3 sc, dec) * 6 (24)
  • Round 42: 24 sc. Change to Accent Color (#336).
  • Round 43: 24 extended sc
  • Round 44: (2 sc, dec) * 6 using extended sc (18)
  • Round 45: (1 sc, dec) * 6 using extended sc (12)
  • Round 46: 6 dec using extended sc. Leave a tail for closing.

Ears (Make 2 – Worked in Rows)

  • Row 1: 4 sc in MR, ch 1, turn
  • Row 2: 4 inc, ch 1, turn (8)
  • Rows 3-6: 8 sc, ch 1, turn
  • Row 7: 2 dc, 2 hdc, 4 sc, ch 1, turn
  • Row 8: 4 sl st, 2 hdc, 2 dc, ch 1, turn

Work 8 sl st along the side of the ear. Fold in half and sc 1 through both layers to finish. Ensure the ears are mirrored for left and right.

Tusks (Make 2)

Start with cotton yarn and a 2-2.25mm hook:

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR
  • Rounds 2-3: 6 sc
  • Round 4: (1 sc, inc) * 3 (9)
  • Round 5: 9 sc
  • Round 6: (2 sc, inc) * 3 (12)
  • Round 7: 12 sc
  • Round 8: (3 sc, inc) * 3 (15)
  • Round 9: 15 sc
  • Round 10: 6 sl st, 9 sc
  • Round 11: 6 sl st in previous row, 9 sc
  • Round 12: 6 sc under round 10, 3 sc, 3 inc, 3 sc (18)
  • Rounds 13-15: 18 sc
  • Round 16: 6 sl st, 12 sc
  • Round 17: 6 sl st under round 16, 12 sc
  • Round 18: 6 sc under round 16, 12 sc
  • Rounds 19-20: 18 sc. Stuff the tusk.

Switch to plush yarn (Main Color #19) and a 3-3.25mm hook:

  • Round 21: 14 sc loosely
  • Rounds 22-23: 18 sc. Sl st and leave a tail for sewing.

Eyelids (Make 2)

  • Round 1: ch 5, turn
  • Round 2: 3 sc, 1 sl st. Leave tail for sewing.

Assembly and Finishing Touches

Sculpting the Face

To give the mammoth character, use a needle and thread to pull the face into shape:

  • Bridge of the nose: Find two points between rounds 26 and 27. Pull them together.
  • Under eyes: Find four points between rounds 34 and 35. Connect them in a zigzag pattern (point 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 back to 1, 1 to 4, 4 to 5, 5 to 6, 6 back to 4). Pull gently and secure.

Final Assembly

  • Eyes: Embroider the whites of the eyes with double thread. Sew the eyelids in an arc over the eyes, with the center of the eyelid one row above the eye.
  • Ears: Sew between rounds 39 and 40, approximately 2-4 stitches to the side of the eyes.
  • Tusks: Sew between rounds 25 and 31, keeping the tusk close to the trunk.
  • Closing: Carefully sew and close any remaining openings at the top of the head and the base of the trunk

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