How To Make Amigurumi Bigger (Without Rewriting the Pattern!)
Want to make your favorite crochet stuffed animal pattern bigger without rewriting the design? Whether you’re turning a beloved amigurumi into a giant pillow or just want a more huggable plush, scaling up amigurumi is easier than you think!
You don’t need to redo the math or modify the pattern. By using thicker yarn, a larger crochet hook, or holding multiple strands together, you can size up your plushies without changing a single stitch count.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through three easy ways to make your amigurumi bigger, plus pro tips on supplies and sizing so your final project comes out just right.
Use Thicker Yarn to Scale Up Amigurumi
One of the simplest ways to make a stuffed animal crochet pattern larger is to use a heavier yarn weight.
Look for the yarn weight number (1–7) on the yarn label. If your pattern calls for worsted weight (#4), try bumping up to bulky (#5) or super bulky (#6) to get a much larger finished piece—without altering the pattern at all.
This works really well on amigurumi, as long as you are willing to put in the shoulder workout to make those giant stitches!
🧶 Tip: If you want to shrink an amigurumi instead, just go down a yarn weight!
Yarn Weight Conversion Considerations
- Going from worsted to blanket yarn? Expect to need 3x more yardage.
- Blanket yarn looks huge in the skein but may have less actual yardage than it seems.
- Budget accordingly—super bulky yarns can get pricey for large projects.
💡 Featured example: Hue the Manatee is a great pattern to try with blanket yarn!
Of course, if you are going up a yarn size, you will also need to go up in hook sizes to accommodate.
Use a Larger Crochet Hook
Even if you use the same yarn, going up a hook size will make your stitches bigger—and your project larger overall.
A one-size increase is usually enough to add a few inches to a big pattern like Vincent the Dragon. On smaller projects, the size change is subtle but still effective.
Be Careful with Loose Stitches
- Do a gauge swatch with your new hook to check fabric density.
- Loose stitches can let stuffing poke out or weaken the structure.
Hold Multiple Strands Of Yarn Together
This is my favorite quick trick! By holding two or more strands of yarn together, you simulate a thicker yarn weight without buying specialty yarns.
✔️ Holding 2 strands of worsted yarn = similar to bulky
✔️ Holding 3 strands = super bulky feel
This method works great for scaling up simple amigurumi patterns like Fizzle the Baby Dragon.
Important Notes:
- For complex or shaped pieces, it may be better to just size up your yarn instead.
- Tension matters. Uneven strand tension can cause loops or uneven rows.
- Your stitches will look less defined, and thicker fabric can be harder to sew together.
Tips For Scaling Up Amigurumi Supplies
When you enlarge an amigurumi, you’re not just making the plush bigger—you’ll need to scale up all the supplies too:
🧿 Safety Eyes
- Use larger safety eyes that fit snugly in bigger stitches.
- OR try crocheted eyes as a fun alternative.
🪡 Sewing & Assembly
- Bulky yarn is hard to sew with. Instead, use matching worsted weight yarn for sewing parts together—it’s easier to control and less bulky in seams.
🧵 Wire Armatures
- If the pattern calls for wire (like for wings or poseable arms), you’ll need thicker or stronger wire to support the added weight.
🧸 Stuffing Needs
- More yarn = more stuffing! Be sure to stock up.
Scaling Up Doesn’t Have To Be Scary!
You don’t need to be a crochet engineer to make giant crochet plushies from your favorite patterns. Just remember:
- Use thicker yarn
- Try a larger hook
- Hold multiple strands together
- Adjust supplies like safety eyes, stuffing, and wire for the bigger size
That’s it! With just a few tweaks, you can turn a small stuffed animal into a giant huggable crochet pillow.
Want To Try It Out? These Patterns Scale Up Beautifully:
Hue the Manatee – great in blanket yarn!
Fizzle the Baby Dragon – no safety eyes to worry about!
Guineacorn and Pigasus – Whimsical and fun to make “hug sized”
Elephants In Love – Makes a charming oversized gift
Pin, Save, or Share!
If this guide helped you learn how to make your crochet stuffed animals bigger, share it with a friend or save it to Pinterest! 🧶💕
Have you tried making oversized amigurumi before? Share your results (and photos!) in the comments or in the Epic Amigurumi Patterns and Crochet Inspiration Group!
Kati is the designer behind Hooked by Kati. With thousands of patterns sold around the world, Kati prides herself in creating innovative, easy-to-follow amigurumi patterns. She has designed for several publications, including Crochet!, Crochet World, Simply Crochet, and I Like Crochet. Kati finds her inspiration in science fiction, video games, and numerous visits to the zoo — all passions she shares with her husband and two boys.
I made Charlie the Celestial Dragon with gauge 6 velvety yarn and he turned out 61″ long, when stretched out. He doesn’t support himself, but he wraps around my shoulders and arm well and feels like a hug. When making them bigger, they are also heavier and don’t support themselves as well. What do you recommend for your Vincent dragon to support the neck and head better to keep it upright when scaling up the yarn?
Would you be able to tell mewhether or not I could multiply each part by the same number and get a bigger amigurumi?
That wouldn’t really work, at least not easily. You see, increase rounds have to be done with X amount in each round in order to get the desired slope of the increase. If you were in change the number of increases in a round, it would drastically change the slope. So you would need to add more increase rounds at the same rate to get a larger diameter, but that would require you to change the number of rows to match the rate of increase or the width/height ratio would be off, plus factor in the added stitch drift of adding more rows, and if there is shaping or short rounds, you’d have to do the math for keeping the angles the same….and it gets more complicated from there. I’ve thought about upscaling Vincent before, but the work to do it is as much as writing a new pattern. It may be possible for a simple pattern, but for anything with shaping, it would be time consuming and very, very mathy.