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Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern

Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern
4.5★ Rating
8-10 Hours Time Needed
1.1K Made This
✂️

Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic knitting experience, featuring slightly more advanced stitches and techniques to expand your skills.

⏱️

All-Day Adventure

Requires 8-10 hours, ideal for a full day of immersive knitting.

🧸

Cute Companion

An adorable friend to cherish, handcrafted with love to bring comfort and joy for years to come.

About This Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern

Bubba the Elephant is worked primarily in continuous spiral rounds with some sections in rows for the distinctive trunk and ear shapes. The pattern features special shaping techniques to create Bubba's characteristic sitting pose with his long flexible trunk, large floppy ears made from two pieces each, and sweet embroidered nail details on hands and feet. With careful attention to stuffing and assembly, you'll create an elephant with personality and charm.

Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

The trunk and head are worked as one piece starting from the trunk tip, creating a seamless design. Each ear is constructed from two separate pieces joined with slip stitches for a three-dimensional effect that gives Bubba his signature look.

Why You'll Love This Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern

I absolutely love this Bubba pattern because it teaches you advanced construction techniques while creating something truly special. The way the trunk flows seamlessly into the head feels like magic as you work it, and watching those adorable floppy ears come together from two pieces is incredibly satisfying. The embroidered details on the feet and hands add such a professional touch that makes this elephant stand out. Plus, there's something deeply rewarding about creating a character with this much personality, one stitch at a time.

Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern step 1 - construction progress Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love how versatile this Bubba pattern can be once you've mastered the basic construction. Try experimenting with different color combinations to create your own unique elephant - perhaps a soft pink or blue for a nursery piece, or even a fun rainbow gradient effect throughout the body. You could add a small crocheted blanket or saddle on Bubba's back for extra charm.

Consider embroidering small flowers or patterns on the ears to give your elephant a bohemian touch, or add a tiny crocheted hat between the ears for a whimsical character. If you want to make Bubba extra special as a gift, you could personalize by embroidering a name on the sole of one foot.

For a more realistic look, brush not just the tail but also add subtle brushing to the top of the head and back to create a fuzzy texture that mimics real elephant hair. You could also experiment with the ear size by adding or reducing rows to create a baby elephant with smaller ears or an adult with dramatically large ones.

I've found that changing the nail embroidery color can dramatically affect the overall aesthetic - try using a slightly darker shade than the body for subtle contrast, or go bold with bright white for a more stylized look. The possibilities are truly endless once you understand the construction method.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Overstuffing the trunk which should remain slightly flexible, not rigid, to maintain natural movement and shape ✗ Missing the marked stitches for eye placement resulting in uneven facial features, always double-check positioning before installing safety eyes ✗ Not working rounds through back loops only where specified, which creates important texture changes and shaping details ✗ Incorrectly joining the ear pieces by using wrong loops, remember to use back loops only from both pieces

Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern

Meet Bubba, your adorable crocheted elephant companion ready to bring warmth and charm into your crafting world. This detailed pattern guides you through creating this sweet sitting elephant with his signature long trunk, floppy ears, and cute embroidered details. Standing at approximately 7.9 inches tall, Bubba makes the perfect handmade gift or decorative piece that captures the gentle spirit of these majestic creatures in miniature form.

Intermediate 8-10 Hours

Materials Needed for Bubba the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    100% acrylic worsted weight yarn in Dark Beige/Grey (VERTO DI ROMA Vinia color V69 or similar)
  • 02
    Small amounts of Beige or White yarn for embroidery details on nails and eyebrows

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook size 3.25mm
  • 02
    Safety eyes 12mm diameter
  • 03
    Yarn needle
  • 04
    Scissors
  • 05
    Stitch markers
  • 06
    Pins
  • 07
    Polyester fiberfill stuffing
  • 08
    Wire pet brush or hook and loop closure for brushing tail (optional)

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— Trunk - Head :

TRUNK

Round 1 :

6 sc in a magic ring (6)

R2 :

[1 inc] x 6 (12)

R3 :

[3 sc, 1 inc] x 3 (15)

R4 :

[3 sc, 1 dec] x 3 - WORK THIS ROUND THROUGH BACK LOOPS ONLY (12)

R5-R10 :

12 sc - 6 rounds (12)

Info :

Start stuffing the trunk and keep doing it as you go, but do not push too much the stuffing inside, we do not want the trunk to be stuffed too much, this way it will be a bit flexible. Be careful when stuffing the beginning of the trunk so it remains sunk.

R11 :

[5 sc, 1 inc] x 2 (14)

R12-R15 :

14 sc - 4 rounds (14)

R16 :

[6 sc, 1 inc] x 2 (16)

R17-R20 :

16 sc - 4 rounds (16)

R21 :

[7 sc, 1 inc] x 2 (18)

R22-R25 :

18 sc - 4 rounds (18)

R26 :

[8 sc, 1 inc] x 2 (20)

R27-R28 :

20 sc - 2 rounds (20)

Info :

Stop here, now we are going to start working for rows (later we will work in a continuous spiral again to make the head's part).

Row 1 :

12 sc (12)

Info :

Stop once you have finished the 12 sc (we leave without working the remain 8 stitches), and continue working for rows.

R2 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 8 sc, 1 dec (10)

R3 :

1 ch, turn, 10 sc (10)

R4 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 6 sc, 1 dec (8)

R5 :

1 ch, turn, 8 sc (8)

R6 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 4 sc, 1 dec (6)

HEAD

Round 1 :

24 sc (5 sc along the edges from R6 to R1, 8 sc in the R28 stitches of the trunk we left without working, 5 sc along the edges from R1 to R6, 6 sc in the stitches of R6) (24)

R2 :

[3 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (30)

R3 :

30 sc (30)

R4 :

2 sc, [1 inc, 4 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 2 sc (36)

R5 :

[5 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (42)

R6 :

3 sc, [1 inc, 6 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 3 sc (48)

R7-R8 :

48 sc - 2 rounds (48)

Info :

Remember to start stuffing normally from now on. Stop here and mark the nº 35 stitch you made on R8.

R9 :

48 sc (48)

Info :

Stop here and mark the nº 3 stitch you made on R9. Bubba's eyes will be placed later in the marked stitches. There will be 15 stitches between the two marked stitches.

R10 :

48 sc (48)

R11 :

[7 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (54)

R12 :

54 sc (54)

Info :

Stop here and install the safety eyes into the marked stitches and continue with the head.

R13-R20 :

54 sc - 8 rounds (54)

R21 :

[7 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (48)

R22 :

3 sc, [1 dec, 6 sc] x 5, 1 dec, 3 sc (42)

R23 :

[5 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (36)

R24 :

2 sc, [1 dec, 4 sc] x 5, 1 dec, 2 sc (30)

R25 :

[3 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (24)

R26 :

1 sc, [1 dec, 2 sc] x 5, 1 dec, 1 sc (18)

R27 :

[1 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (12)

R28 :

6 dec (6)

Info :

Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and close the hole using invisible join technique.

— Eyes Expression :

Info :

Add expression to Bubba's eyes by threading yarn through the edges between rounds 8 and 9, pulling horizontally to sink the eyes into the head, creating depth and character.

— Eyebrows :

Info :

Embroider eyebrows between rounds 11 and 12 of the head. Each one will be embroidered over 4 holes using Black yarn.

— Ears :

RIGHT EAR - 1st Piece

Row 1 :

1 inc (2)

R2 :

1 ch, turn, 1 inc, 1 sc (3)

R3 :

1 ch, turn, 2 sc, 1 inc (4)

R4 :

1 ch, turn, 1 inc, 3 sc (5)

R5 :

1 ch, turn, 4 sc, 1 inc (6)

R6 :

1 ch, turn, 1 inc, 5 sc (7)

R7 :

1 ch, turn, 6 sc, 1 inc (8)

R8 :

1 ch, turn, 1 inc, 7 sc (9)

R9 :

1 ch, turn, 8 sc, 1 inc (10)

R10 :

1 ch, turn, 10 sc (10)

R11 :

1 ch, turn, 9 sc, 1 inc (11)

R12-R13 :

1 ch, turn, 11 sc - 2 rows (11)

R14 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 8 sc, 1 inc (11)

R15 :

1 ch, turn, 11 sc (11)

R16 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 8 sc, 1 inc (11)

R17 :

1 ch, turn, 1 inc, 8 sc, 1 dec (11)

R18 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 7 sc - LEAVE WITHOUT WORKING THE 2 REMAINING STITCHES (8)

R19 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 4 sc, 1 dec (6)

R20 :

1 ch, turn, 1 dec, 4 sc + 1 sc + 2 sc (8)

Shape :

17 sc, 1 inc, 19 sc, 8 sc (46)

Info :

Finish with invisible join and mark the last stitch.

RIGHT EAR - 2nd Piece

Info :

Make another piece just like the 1st one until R20 (included). Stop before start working the shape.

Shape :

8 sc, 19 sc, 1 inc, 17 sc (46)

Info :

DO NOT FASTEN OFF. Join 1st and 2nd pieces together using slip stitch round through back loops only from both pieces stitches.

LEFT EAR - 1st Piece

Info :

Repeat the same instructions as right ear until R20 (included), and stop before working the piece's shape.

Shape :

8 sc, 19 sc, 1 inc, 17 sc (46)

Info :

Finish with invisible join and mark the false stitch.

LEFT EAR - 2nd Piece

Info :

Repeat the same instructions until R20 (included), and stop before working the piece's shape.

Shape :

17 sc, 1 inc, 19 sc, 8 sc (46)

Info :

DO NOT FASTEN OFF. Join pieces together using slip stitch round through back loops only.

— Body :

Round 1 :

6 sc in a magic ring (6)

R2 :

[1 inc] x 6 (12)

R3 :

[1 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (18)

R4 :

1 sc, [1 inc, 2 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 1 sc (24)

R5 :

[3 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (30)

R6 :

2 sc, [1 inc, 4 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 2 sc (36)

R7 :

[5 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (42)

R8 :

3 sc, [1 inc, 6 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 3 sc (48)

R9 :

[7 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (54)

R10-R15 :

54 sc - 6 rounds (54)

R16 :

[7 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (48)

R17-R19 :

48 sc - 3 rounds (48)

R20 :

3 sc, [1 dec, 6 sc] x 5, 1 dec, 3 sc (42)

R21-R23 :

42 sc - 3 rounds (42)

R24 :

[5 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (36)

R25-R27 :

36 sc - 3 rounds - Start stuffing (36)

R28 :

2 sc, [1 dec, 4 sc] x 5, 1 dec, 2 sc (30)

R29-R30 :

30 sc - 2 rounds (30)

R31 :

[3 sc, 1 dec] x 6 (24)

R32 :

24 sc (24)

Info :

Finish with a sl and cut the yarn leaving a long tail for sewing.

— Arms :

Info :

Make two.

Round 1 :

6 sc in a magic ring (6)

R2 :

[1 inc] x 6 (12)

R3 :

[1 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (18)

R4 :

1 sc, [1 inc, 2 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 1 sc (24)

R5 :

24 sc - WORK THIS ROUND THROUGH BACK LOOPS ONLY (24)

R6-R10 :

24 sc - 5 rounds (24)

R11 :

[6 sc, 1 dec] x 3 (21)

R12-R15 :

21 sc - 4 rounds - Start stuffing (21)

R16 :

[5 sc, 1 dec] x 3 (18)

R17-R20 :

18 sc - 4 rounds (18)

R21 :

[4 sc, 1 dec] x 3 (15)

R22-R27 :

15 sc - 6 rounds - Stop stuffing at R25 approx (15)

R28 :

[3 sc, 1 dec] x 3 (12)

R29 :

12 sc (12)

Info :

Fold arm in half and crochet 6 sc through the stitches of both parts. Fasten off and cut the yarn leaving a tail for sewing.

— Legs :

Info :

Make two.

Round 1 :

6 sc in a magic ring (6)

R2 :

[1 inc] x 6 (12)

R3 :

[1 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (18)

R4 :

1 sc, [1 inc, 2 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 1 sc (24)

R5 :

[3 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (30)

R6 :

2 sc, [1 inc, 4 sc] x 5, 1 inc, 2 sc (36)

R7 :

36 sc - WORK THIS ROUND THROUGH BACK LOOPS ONLY (36)

R8-R9 :

36 sc - 2 rounds (36)

R10 :

5 sc, [1 dec, 10 sc] x 2, 1 dec, 5 sc (33)

R11 :

33 sc (33)

R12 :

[9 sc, 1 dec] x 3 (30)

R13 :

30 sc (30)

R14 :

4 sc, [1 dec, 8 sc] x 2, 1 dec, 4 sc (27)

R15 :

27 sc (27)

R16 :

[7 sc, 1 dec] x 3 (24)

R17-R18 :

24 sc - 2 rounds (24)

R19 :

[3 sc, 1 inc] x 6 (30)

R20-R22 :

30 sc - 3 rounds (30)

Info :

Fasten off and cut the yarn leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff the legs.

— Tail :

Round 1 :

6 sc in a magic ring (6)

R2-R9 :

6 sc - 8 rounds (6)

R10 :

[2 sc, 1 inc] x 2 (8)

R11 :

8 sc (8)

R12 :

[3 sc, 1 inc] x 2 (10)

R13 :

10 sc (10)

Info :

Fold tail in half and crochet 5 sc through the stitches of both parts. Optional: brush the tail bottom to create fluffy texture.

— Assembly :

Info :

Sew ears onto head in row 7 counting from where the eyes are, with 9 stitches between them. Sew through 12 stitches per ear. Sew body to head, adding extra stuffing before closing completely. Attach legs to body bottom, arms to body sides, and tail to back of body. Embroider nail details: 4 nails on each foot, 3 nails on each hand using White or Beige yarn.

Assembly Instructions

  • Sew the ears to the head in row 7 counting from the eye position, with approximately 9 stitches between them, sewing through 12 stitches per ear.
  • Attach the body to the head using the yarn tail, pinning in place first to ensure proper alignment before sewing all around.
  • When you have about 6 stitches left to finish attaching the body, add more stuffing inside to keep the head firm and well-shaped.
  • Sew the legs to the bottom of the body, holding them in place with pins before sewing, and add extra stuffing before closing completely.
  • Attach the arms to the sides of the body using pins to position them correctly before sewing them securely in place.
  • Sew the tail to the back center of the body at the appropriate position for a sitting elephant.
  • Embroider the nail details on all four feet (4 nails each) and both hands (3 nails each) using Beige or White yarn for finishing touches.

Important Notes

  • 💡Use stitch markers to keep track of your rounds, especially during the trunk and head construction where precise stitch placement is critical
  • 💡Do not overstuff the trunk as it should remain slightly flexible to maintain a natural look and movement
  • 💡Mark the eye position stitches carefully on rounds 8 and 9 with 15 stitches between them before installing safety eyes
  • 💡Work through back loops only where specified as this creates important texture changes and shaping for the trunk, arms, and legs
  • 💡When joining ear pieces together, remember to use back loops only from both pieces stitches to create the proper dimensional effect
  • 💡Pin all parts in place before sewing to ensure correct positioning and symmetry throughout the assembly process
  • 💡The ears are constructed differently for right and left sides, so follow the instructions carefully for each ear

This charming Bubba the Elephant pattern brings together intermediate crochet techniques to create a sitting elephant full of personality and gentle charm. The carefully designed construction features a seamlessly integrated trunk and head, dimensional floppy ears made from joined pieces, and adorable embroidered details that bring this sweet character to life. With his sitting pose and endearing expression, Bubba makes a wonderful handmade gift or special keepsake that captures the majestic beauty of elephants in an huggable miniature form. Happy crocheting, and enjoy every stitch of creating your very own Bubba!

You ask,

we answer.

FAQs

Can I use cotton yarn instead of acrylic for this pattern?

Yes, you can use cotton yarn, but keep in mind that cotton doesn't have the same stretch as acrylic and the finished size may be slightly different. If using cotton, you won't be able to brush the tail for a fluffy effect, so consider the alternative method of attaching yarn pieces to the tail bottom instead.

Why does the trunk need to be less stuffed than the rest of the body?

The trunk should be lightly stuffed to maintain flexibility and a natural appearance. Overstuffing will make it rigid and stiff, losing the characteristic gentle curve that gives Bubba his elephant personality. Stuff it just enough to hold shape but allow some movement.

How do I know if I'm placing the ears correctly?

The ears should be sewn in row 7 counting from where the eyes are positioned, and they should be aligned one row above the eyebrows. There should be approximately 9 stitches between the two ears. Use pins to position them before sewing and check from multiple angles to ensure symmetry.

What's the difference between the right and left ear construction?

Both ears are made with two pieces each, but the order of working the shape rounds is reversed between right and left ears to create mirror images. The right ear's first piece follows one pattern while the left ear's first piece uses the second piece pattern from the right ear, ensuring they face the correct direction when attached.

Can I make Bubba larger or smaller?

Yes, you can adjust the size by using thicker or thinner yarn with an appropriately sized hook. Keep in mind that changing yarn weight will also require different sized safety eyes to maintain proper proportions. Test your gauge and be prepared to adjust stuffing amounts accordingly.

Is this pattern suitable for a child's toy?

Yes, but if making for children under 3 years old, replace the safety eyes with embroidered eyes to avoid choking hazards. Make sure all parts are securely sewn and the tail is firmly attached. Use child-safe stuffing and ensure there are no loose yarn ends.

How do I achieve the sunken eye effect shown in the pattern?

After installing the safety eyes, use matching yarn to thread through specific points around the eyes between rounds 8-9 and 9-10, then pull gently to create depth. This sinking technique gives Bubba a more expressive face and professional finish. The detailed tutorial on page 6 of the pattern shows this process step by step.

What should I do if my ear pieces don't line up when joining?

Make sure you've marked the correct starting stitch on each piece before joining. The marked stitch should be where you finished the invisible join on the first piece, or the specific stitch indicated for the second piece. Take your time with the slip stitch join and ensure you're working through the back loops only of both pieces.