Amigurumicrochet turtle keychain

Sea Turtle Keychain

October 8, 202610 min read

Free pattern · Step by stepJump to the crochet steps

Crochet turtle keychain: a mini sea turtle with a domed sky blue shell worked in spiral rounds and edged with a neat blue ridge, a round white head with two small black eyes, two long white front flippers and two short back flippers, hanging from a silver split ring and short chain, lying on an oatmeal linen cloth next to a blush pink mug and a few seashells

This crochet turtle keychain is a mini sea turtle with a domed sky blue shell, a white head and four little flippers. The shell is a dome and a flat belly joined with one round of single crochet, which makes the neat ridge around the edge. You'll need about 45 yards of worsted cotton in two colors, a 3.5 mm hook and about 2 hours.

Key Takeaways

Seven small pieces: a shell top, a belly, a head and four flippers, plus a hanging loop.

The joining round of the shell and belly is what gives the turtle its tidy blue rim.

The loop is anchored inside the shell, not just in the head, so it holds up to daily use.

About 45 yd of worsted cotton: about 15 yd of blue and 28 yd of white.

Why I love this turtle keychain

A turtle is the perfect keychain shape: flat enough to sit in a pocket, round enough to feel nice in your hand. This one is the little friend I clip to my beach bag every summer, and it always gets a "where did you get that?"

It's also quick. The shell is two flat-ish circles, the head is a tiny ball, and the flippers are short tubes you press flat. If you've made one amigurumi ball, you can make this turtle in an evening.

Why sew the loop into the shell? Because a keychain gets tugged all day. A loop sewn only to the top of the head pulls the head off sooner or later. Anchored inside the shell, it takes the strain where the turtle is strongest.

Skill level. Easy. You need a magic ring, sc, inc and dec in the round, joining two pieces with sc, and some sewing.

If you love sea turtles, my sea turtle crochet coaster is the perfect match for a beach-house gift.

What you'll need

Yarn: worsted #4 cotton, such as Lily Sugar 'n Cream. Cotton keeps its shape on a keychain and its stitches stay crisp.

Color	Used for	Amount
Sky blue	Shell top, joining round	about 15 yd
White	Belly, head, flippers, loop	about 28 yd

I worked those amounts out from the stitch counts: about 210 sc in blue and 370 in white, at about 2.2 in of worsted cotton each, plus tails for sewing.

Hook and notions

3.5 mm (US E/4) hook.
Two 6 mm black safety eyes, or black yarn to embroider them.
A 25 mm (1 in) split key ring, with a short chain if you like the dangle.
A little polyester fiberfill.
A tapestry needle, a stitch marker and scissors.

Gauge and finished size

Gauge isn't critical, but tension is. Work tightly, so the stuffing doesn't show through. As a check, the belly (Rnd 5, 30 sts) should be about 2 in (5 cm) across.

Finished turtle, approximately: about 3½ in (9 cm) from the head to the back flippers, and about 4 in (10 cm) across the front flippers, with a shell about 2¼ in (5.5 cm) across. The ring and chain add about 1½ in. These are guide sizes: your tension and how long you make the flippers change them, so measure your first one.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

MR = magic ring
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
inc = 2 sc in the same st
dec = single crochet two together (I use the invisible decrease through the front loops)
st(s) = stitch(es)
rnd(s) = round(s)

Work in continuous rounds, without joining, unless the pattern says otherwise.

The pattern — step by step

Part 1 — The shell and belly

Shell top (blue). The magic ring is the top of the dome.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc × 6. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
Rnds 6–8: Sc in each st around. (30) These three rounds curve down into a dome. For a flatter shell, work only two; more than three turns it into a cup rather than a dome.

Sl st in the next st. Don't fasten off: keep the blue on the hook, and drop it while you make the belly. Pull the loop a little bigger so it can't unravel.

Belly (white). A flat circle.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc × 6. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)

Sl st in the next st and fasten off. Weave in the tails. Set the belly aside: you'll join it to the shell in Part 3.

Step 1 of the crochet turtle keychain: a sky blue magic ring on a 3.5 mm hook, the shell top growing in spiral rounds to 30 stitches, three even rounds curving it into a dome, and a flat white belly circle of 30 stitches next to it

Part 2 — The head, flippers and loop

Head (white). The magic ring is the tip of the nose. The open end is the neck.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc × 6. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnds 4–7: Sc in each st around. (18)

Eyes. Insert the safety eyes between Rnds 4 and 5, on the sides of the head, with 7 sts between them across the top. Turtles' eyes sit on the sides, not on the front.

Rnd 8: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)

Stuff the head firmly. Fasten off, leaving a 12-in (30 cm) tail. Leave the neck open.

Front flippers (white, make 2). The magic ring is the tip.

Rnd 1: MR, 4 sc in the ring. (4)
Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) × 2. (6)
Rnd 3: (2 sc, inc) × 2. (8)
Rnds 4–8: Sc in each st around. (8) That's 5 rounds, for long front flippers.

Don't stuff. Press flat. Fasten off, leaving an 8-in tail.

Back flippers (white, make 2). Shorter.

Rnd 1: MR, 4 sc in the ring. (4)
Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) × 2. (6)
Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (6)

Don't stuff. Press flat. Fasten off, leaving an 8-in tail.

Hanging loop (white). Leave a 6-in tail, ch 12, and fasten off, leaving a second 6-in tail. You have a short chain with a tail at each end. Thread it through the split ring and fold it in half, so both tails hang side by side.

Stronger loop. A single chain in cotton stretches over time. For a sturdier loop, work it with the yarn doubled.

Step 2 of the crochet turtle keychain: a small white head growing from a magic ring, black safety eyes on the sides of the head 7 stitches apart, two long flat white front flippers, two short back flippers, and a short white chain loop folded through a silver split ring

Part 3 — Putting the turtle together

The head and the loop go on the shell before you close it, so the loop tails can be knotted inside.

Loop through the head. Thread both loop tails onto the needle. Push the needle in at the top of the head, about 2 rnds behind the eyes, and out through the open neck. Pull until the folded loop sits snugly on top of the head.
Head on the shell. Hold the head against the edge of the shell top, neck against Rnds 6 to 8, face pointing out. With the head's 12-in tail, sew the neck all around to the shell, going around twice. That's a load-bearing seam, so use plenty of stitches.
Anchor the loop. Push the two loop tails through the shell fabric, right under the head, to the inside of the dome. Tie them tightly around a stitch of Rnd 5, knot them twice, and trim to ½ in.
Stuff and join. Stuff the dome lightly, just enough to round it. Hold the belly under the shell, wrong sides together, with the head at the front. Pick up the blue loop. Ch 1, then sc through both layers (the shell's Rnd 8 and the belly's Rnd 5) all the way around. (30) Sl st in the first sc. Bolder rim (optional): ch 1, then sl st in the back loop of each sc around, loosely, so the shell doesn't pucker. Fasten off and weave in the tail.
Flippers. Pin the front flippers at about 10 and 2 o'clock, just under the blue rim, tips pointing out and slightly forward. Pin the back flippers at about 4 and 8 o'clock, tips pointing back. Sew the flat base of each one to the belly, right under the joining round, with its tail. Go over each seam twice.

Give the loop a firm tug. If anything moves, add a few more stitches there.

Step 3 of the crochet turtle keychain: the loop tails threaded through the head, the head sewn to the edge of the blue shell, the white belly joined to the dome with a round of blue single crochet that forms the rim, the four white flippers sewn under the rim, and the finished turtle keychain on its split ring

Safety. A keychain has a metal split ring and safety eyes, so it's not a toy for children under 3. For a little one's bag, embroider the eyes, and keep the turtle out of reach of babies.

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation	Change from base pattern
Green sea turtle	Work the shell in sage green and the head and flippers in mint.
Shell stripes	Change color every round of the shell top for a spiral rainbow.
Bag charm	Swap the split ring for a lobster clasp and clip it to a zipper pull.
Plush turtle	Use plush chenille yarn and a 5 mm hook for a palm-sized cuddle turtle.
Turtle family	Make a big one with a 4 mm hook and a small one with a 3 mm hook.

Troubleshooting the three things that go wrong

The shell is flat, not domed

Rounds 6 to 8 need to stay at 30 sts with no increases. If you increased by habit, the edge flares out. Rip back and work them plain.

The belly and shell don't line up

Both should have 30 sts on their last round. Count them before you join. If one has 29 or 31, fix it now: the joining round only works stitch for stitch.

The head flops forward

The neck seam is too loose, or the head isn't stuffed enough. Push a little more stuffing in through the neck, and sew the seam again, a little further back on the shell.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this turtle keychain take? About 2 hours. The shell and belly take about 45 minutes, the head and flippers about 45 minutes, and the assembly about half an hour.

How much yarn do I need? About 45 yd of worsted cotton in all: about 15 yd of blue and 28 yd of white.

Can I use acrylic instead of cotton? Yes. Acrylic is softer and a little fuzzier, so the spiral on the shell won't look as crisp. Use the same hook and work tightly.

Can I make it without a keyring? Yes. Skip the loop and you have a tiny turtle amigurumi for a desk or a shelf. Skip the safety eyes too if it's for a toddler.

Can I sell turtle keychains made from this pattern? Yes, you're welcome to sell finished keychains made from this free pattern at markets, on Etsy or as gifts. Please credit "Pattern by Wavode" in your listing and link back to this page. What you can't do is republish this write-up or my photos as your own pattern.