This mini squirrel is a pocket-sized woodland friend with an oversized curly tail, clutching a tiny acorn — and it sits upright on its own, because the tail doubles as a tripod leg. Worked from worsted-weight scraps in about an hour or two, it ties together our mini owl and our 45-minute mini acorns into a little woodland family.
One honest note: this is a low-sew make, not a no-sew one. The tail is whipstitched to the lower back with one extra tacking stitch so it stands — budget ten minutes at the end with a threaded tapestry needle.
What You'll Need
- Worsted-weight yarn (Category 4), acrylic or blend: rust/ginger or grey-brown, about 30–35 g; a cream scrap for muzzle and belly; a little darker brown for the tail tip and mini acorn. Scraps work perfectly.
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook.
- 6–8 mm safety eyes, or embroidered eyes for children under three (the safest finish for babies and toddlers).
- Polyester fiberfill, about 10–15 g.
- Stitch marker, tapestry needle, small scissors.
- Optional: a keychain ring or lobster clasp for the bag-charm version.
The Body (one rounded piece)
Continuous rounds, marking the first stitch of each. Press the base flat at the end so it rests without rocking.
- Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
- Round 2: inc in each st. (12)
- Round 3: [sc, inc] 6 times. (18)
- Round 4: [2 sc, inc] 6 times. (24)
- Rounds 5–8: sc in each st around. (24)
- Round 9: [2 sc, dec] 6 times. (18)
- Round 10: sc in each st around. (18)
- Round 11: [sc, dec] 6 times. (12) — stuff firmly.
- Round 12: dec 6 times. (6) Fasten off.
Press the base gently flat while the stuffing is fresh — the first half of the sitting trick.
The Head (a second small sphere)
A separate sphere joined at the neck keeps the counts clean. If you learned the back-loop increase trick, use it on the increase rounds — the face is the part everyone photographs.
- Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
- Round 2: inc in each st. (12)
- Round 3: [sc, inc] 6 times. (18)
- Round 4: [2 sc, inc] 6 times. (24)
- Rounds 5–7: sc in each st around. (24)
- Round 8: [2 sc, dec] 6 times. (18)
- Round 9: [sc, dec] 6 times. (12) — stuff lightly so the face stays soft.
- Round 10: dec 6 times. (6) Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Eyes: before closing the head, insert them between Rounds 5 and 6, about 6 stitches apart, and lock the washers inside.
The Big Tail (the signature piece)
A long tube worked in the round — the curl comes from a running thread pulled along one side to gather it. Finished size is about 3.5–4 inches sitting.
- Round 1: 8 sc in a magic ring. (8)
- Round 2: inc in each st. (16)
- Rounds 3–14: sc in each st around. (16)
- Rounds 15–17: switch to darker brown, sc around. (16) — the tail tip.
- Round 18: [2 sc, dec] 4 times. (12)
- Round 19: dec 6 times. (6) Stuff only the bottom third; the rest stays soft and bendable.
Run a length of body-colour yarn through the stitches along one side of the tail, pull gently, and knot both ends. A tight curl reads playful, a loose curl reads sleepy.
Ears, Muzzle and Arms
Ears (make 2): 4 sc in a magic ring; Round 2: [sc, inc] twice (6). Flatten, fasten off with a sewing tail.
Muzzle: in cream, 8 sc in a magic ring; Round 2: inc in each st (16). Fasten off flat. Embroider the nose and mouth line before sewing it on.
Belly (optional): in cream, ch 7; working both sides of the chain: 5 sc, 3 sc in last, 4 sc, 2 sc in last (14); next round: inc, 4 sc, inc x3, 4 sc, inc x2 (20). Sew the flat oval to the body's front.
Arms (make 2): 6 sc in a magic ring; Rounds 2–5: sc around (6). Flatten, fasten off.
The mini acorn: make our 45-minute acorn at about two-thirds scale.
Assembly Order (so it never wobbles)
Sew the tail first: whipstitch its base to the lower back, then add one tacking stitch at mid-tail height so it leans back at a gentle angle — the squirrel now sits on its tail like a tripod. Then join the head at the neck; sew on the ears, the muzzle, and the belly; angle the arms inward and sew the acorn between them in one pass through both arms and the acorn cap.
Check the sit after the tail, before the arms. If it tips forward, the tail is too vertical — re-tack it lower.
Three Ways to Use It
- Woodland pair: beside our mini owl — an instant autumn vignette.
- Thanksgiving scatter: one squirrel plus a handful of mini acorns fills a small bowl.
- Bag charm: a keychain ring on the head, per our bag-charm guide (embroidered eyes for small hands).
Colour Stories
Classic rust (rust-red body, cream belly, dark brown tail tip), grey squirrel (medium grey, charcoal tip, cream belly), or neutral taupe (soft taupe, cream belly) for beige-toned décor shelves.
Troubleshooting
- Tips forward: tail too vertical — re-tack it lower and flatter.
- Tail flops: you stuffed past the base third; remove the upper stuffing and add one extra tacking stitch.
- Acorn slips: sew through both arms and the acorn cap in a single pass.
- Head wobbles: add three or four whipstitches around the neck join in a second circle.
Make One This Week
Grab your rust scraps and a 3.5 mm hook, and make one squirrel this week. Pair it with the mini owl, and tell us in the comments which colour story you chose. Happy stitching.