Free Crochet Lion Keychain Pattern

I am really pleased with this tiny, stripped-back crochet lion keychain design. And you can make your own in the time it would have taken you to vacuum your home – I’m sure we can agree this is a much more productive way to spend the day.

I’ve always wanted to design a lion pattern, but despite several false starts I have never pulled off a crochet lion toy that I was happy to release for you as a pattern. Until today, that is! And this is even better than my original ideas, because it’s fast, easy and you can even make one just using your yarn scrap stash like I did.

• What you’ll need
• The crochet lion keychain pattern

Your Kit List

Here’s what I used to create this pattern. As usual, I’ve overestimated the yarn weights by a fair amount, because nothing frustrates me more than not having enough yarn to finish a project!

• 2.5mm crochet hook
• 30g yellow Hobbii cotton silk yarn
• 30g orange Hobbii cotton silk yarn
• Toy safe stuffing*
• 10mm safety eyes*
• Yarn needle

If you don’t have any yellow or orange yarn kicking around, you might want to check out my axolotl, pig or cat keychains instead!

Techniques and Helpful Tips

You’ll find the following abbreviations in this little pattern:

• magic circle
• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – put two single crochets into one stitch
• sc2tog – join two stitches with one single crochet
• ch – chain
• sk – skip the next stitch along
• slst – slip stitch

Start with the Lion’s Muzzle

Work in your yellow yarn with the 2.5mm crochet hook.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of eight stitches (8)

Round 2

1sc x 8

Round 3

2sc x 8 (16)

Round 4

1sc x 16

Round 5

(1sc, 2sc) x 8 (24)

Round 6

(1sc x 2, 2sc) x 8 (32)

Round 7 – 12

1sc x 32

Round 13

(1sc x 2, sc2tog) x 8 (24)

Round 14

1sc x 24

Insert the safety eyes at round five level.

Round 15

1sc x 24

Round 16

(1sc, sc2tog) x 8 (16)

Round 17

sc2tog x 8

Fill with toy stuffing.

Round 18 – 21

1sc x 8

Round 29

sc2tog x 4 and sew closed.

To make your lion’s tail fluffy you are going to crochet a series of chains in the orange yarn.

Cast onto your hook, then slst into the center of the tail’s magic circle.

*Ch8, then slst into the next stitch in the round. Repeat from * four more times.

Hide the tail of the yarn inside the stub of the yellow section.

Crocheting the Ears

Work with your 2.5mm crochet hook and yellow yarn.

Round 1

Make a magic circle of five stitches (5)

Round 2

2sc x 5 (10)

Round 3

1sc x 10

Now sew each ear so that it sits three rounds behind the eyes.