How to Embroider Eyes on Amigurumi | Easy Crochet Tutorial

How to Embroider Eyes on Amigurumi: An Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial

Embroidered eyes are one of my favourite ways to finish a crochet amigurumi when the recipient is a young child or baby. Safety eyes are not always an option and a crochet eye creates a soft, sweet expression which you can easily adjust to suit different patterns you don’t need to add plastic safety eyes to your finished toy.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to embroider simple closed eyes with little eyelashes, followed by an optional shaping technique that helps the eyes sit beautifully within the face.

If you’re working on one of my crochet patterns, you can use this tutorial as an alternative whenever the pattern calls for safety eyes.

What You’ll Need

You only need a few supplies:

• Black yarn matching your project

• A small amount of yarn matching the colour of your amigurumi’s head

• Yarn needle

• Stitch markers

• Scissors

Before You Start

Before embroidering anything, use stitch markers or pins to plan where you want the eyes to sit, marking the beginning and the end of the eye lid.

This is worth taking a little extra time over! Even moving an eye by a single crochet stitch can completely change your amigurumi’s expression.

Place your markers, hold the head directly in front of you and check that the eyes look evenly positioned. You can also turn the head slightly from side to side to make sure you’re happy with the placement from different angles.

Once everything looks balanced, you’re ready to start embroidering.

Step 1: Embroider the First Eye

Cut approximately 25 inches (64 cm) of black yarn and thread it onto your needle.

Insert your needle through the lower part of the head and bring it out where you want the first eye to begin.

Take the needle horizontally across to make the desired size eye and insert it back into the head. Bring your needle out again at the original starting point.

Repeat this across the same section once more.

These repeated strands build up the eye and give it a lovely, defined appearance.

Don't pull your yarn too tightly while you work as you need to be able to create a curve to the eyelid. The strands should sit neatly against the crochet fabric without causing the surrounding stitches to pucker.

Using the same length of yarn, work a couple of tiny stitches along the length of the eyelid to catch the curve and hold it in place.

Step 2: Add the Eyelashes

Now we can give the eye a little more character.

Make three evenly spaced marks along the curve of the eyelid

Bring your needle through the head so that it comes out far enough below the eyelid line to make a little eyelash.

Take your needle back into the head just underneath the eyelid line. This creates your first eyelash.

Reoeat for the second and third lash.

You should now have three little lashes extending along the line of the eyelid.

Once you’re happy with their position, take your yarn through the head and bring it out somewhere discreet, such as underneath the head. Secure the yarn and hide the remaining end inside your amigurumi.

Step 3: Embroider the Second Eye

Repeat the same process on the opposite side of the face.

Keep checking the face from directly in front of you as you work. Rather than worrying about making every stitch mathematically identical, concentrate on making the two eyes look balanced when viewed together.

If something doesn’t look quite right, it’s much easier to redo a few embroidery stitches now than after all your yarn ends have been secured.

Step 4: Shape the Eyes

This part is optional, but I love the extra definition it can give an amigurumi face.

Cut approximately 16 inches (41 cm) of yarn in the same colour as the head and thread your yarn needle.

Insert the needle through the back of the head and bring it out immediately beside the first embroidered eye.

Take the needle to a point that doesn't interfere with the actual embroidery and insert your needle back into the fabric catching a few stitches as you go.

Next, guide the needle through the stuffing inside the head and bring it out beside the second eye.

Repeat for the second eye in the same way, then guide your needle back through the head so that it comes out near your original entry point at the back.

Step 5: Create a Gentle Eye Indent

At the back of the head, carefully pull on the yarn ends.

As you tighten them, the strands around the eye will sink into the crochet fabric and become hidden.

Pull gently until you see a small indentation around each eye.

A little shaping goes a long way here. You’re looking for a subtle contour that gives the face some dimension rather than pulling the eyes deeply into the head.

Check the face from the front and make sure both sides look even.

When you’re happy with the result, secure the yarn at the back of the head and hide the ends inside.

Tips for Getting Even Amigurumi Eyes

Don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t perfectly symmetrical. Embroidering amigurumi faces gets much easier with practice.

A few things can help:

• Mark your placement first. Stitch markers let you experiment without committing to a position.

• Check the face straight-on. An eye that looks perfectly positioned from the side can look slightly uneven from the front.

• Keep your tension gentle. Pulling embroidery yarn too tightly can distort the crochet stitches underneath.

• Use the crochet stitches as your guide. They make handy reference points when positioning both eyes.

• Adjust for the character. Wider spacing, different lash angles or slightly longer eyes can completely change the finished expression.

Most importantly, don’t feel that you have to make both eyes absolutely identical. Handmade details are part of what gives an amigurumi its personality.

Ready to Make Your Next Amigurumi?

Once you know how to embroider eyes, you can use the technique on all sorts of crochet animals and characters.

Have a browse through [MY CROCHET PATTERNS] to find your next project, then come back to this tutorial whenever you need a little reminder of how to add the finishing touches.

Happy crocheting!