If you’ve ever scrolled through Etsy or Pinterest and thought, I wonder if I could design my own crochet pattern, you’re in the right place. Creating a crochet pattern is more than just writing down stitches—it’s taking an idea from your head and transforming it into something other people can make, gift, and love.
I still remember the very first time I decided to design a pattern. I wasn’t sure if anyone would even want to make it, but I had this idea for a donkey plushie that I couldn’t shake. So I grabbed my yarn, a notebook, and started experimenting. That donkey became one of my best-selling patterns, but more importantly—it taught me that the design process is equal parts creativity, trial and error, and a little bit of courage.
In this blog post, I’m going to pull back the curtain on my entire crochet pattern design process, from that first spark of inspiration to the moment you hit publish. Whether you want to sell crochet patterns online, create a gift for a loved one, or just stretch your creativity, this step-by-step guide will give you the tools (and confidence) to get started.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode below.
Step 1: Finding Inspiration for Your Crochet Pattern
Every design starts with a spark—and sometimes it comes from the most unexpected places. For me, it’s often my kids. When my son asked for a stuffed donkey after seeing one in a book, that became the seed of what’s now a beloved Simply Hooked pattern.
Inspiration can come from:
● Favorite animals (farm animals, jungle creatures, even dinosaurs!)
● Seasonal trends (pumpkins in the fall, snowmen in winter)
● Colors of yarn that catch your eye in the store
● Gaps in the market (ask yourself: what amigurumi isn’t out there yet?)
For example, my flamingo pattern came from seeing tropical décor everywhere one summer. I realized there weren’t many flamingo plushie patterns available, and that gap in the market turned into a bestseller. Inspiration doesn’t have to be complicated—it just has to be something that excites you enough to sit down and start stitching.
Step 2: Sketching and Mapping Out Your Idea
Once inspiration strikes, I grab a pencil. Now, let me be clear: I am not an artist. My sketches are simple outlines—circles for heads, rectangles for bodies, ovals for ears or wings. But sketching helps me visualize the project before I touch any yarn.
Here’s how I break it down:
● Start with the overall shape of the finished piece.
● Divide it into smaller shapes (head, body, arms, legs, tail).
● Decide which pieces will be crocheted separately and sewn on later.
When I designed my teddy bear snuggler, I knew I wanted the body to be flat and unstuffed, with a lightly stuffed head for snuggles. Sketching it out let me see how big the square body should be compared to the round head, so everything felt proportionate.
Even if your drawing is stick-figure level, it gives you a roadmap. And having that roadmap keeps you from feeling lost when you start crocheting.
Step 3: Choosing Yarn, Hook, and Materials
The materials you choose will define the look, feel, and even the difficulty of your crochet pattern. For plushies and amigurumi, I almost always reach for Bernat Blanket Yarn. It’s chunky, soft, and works up quickly, which makes it perfect for beginner-friendly patterns.
Here’s what I typically decide at this stage:
● Yarn weight – Will it be chunky and squishy or light and detailed?
● Hook size – Usually smaller than the yarn recommends, to keep stitches tight.
● Extras – Safety eyes, polyfill stuffing, yarn needle, stitch markers.
When I was designing my flamingo, the yarn color actually came first—I found the perfect bright pink Bernat Blanket yarn, and that decided the entire project. Sometimes the materials lead the design, and that’s okay too!
Step 4: Writing While You Stitch
Here’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a crochet designer: write everything down as you go.
It’s tempting to just crochet and think, I’ll remember this later. Trust me—you won’t. Rows and stitch counts blur together fast.
My process looks like this:
● I keep a notebook or open my Canva crochet pattern template on my laptop.
● After every round, I pause and write the exact stitches and counts.
● If I frog (rip out) stitches and redo, I note what I changed.
This step is what turns your crochet project into a crochet pattern. Without it, you’ll just have a finished plushie and no way to replicate or share it.
When I designed my donkey, I must have redone the ears three or four times to get the shape right. Each time, I wrote down what I did—so when I finally had the version I loved, I could see exactly which round and stitch count created that shape.
Step 5: Testing and Refining Your Crochet Pattern
Here’s the truth: no crochet pattern comes out perfect on the first try. Designing is trial and error, and that’s okay—it’s part of the process.
When I was designing my teddy bear snuggler, I had this vision in my head of a floppy, lightweight blanket body with a sweet little stuffed head. But my first attempt? The body looked more like a stretched-out square potholder than a cozy lovey. That’s when I learned the importance of testing and refining.
🧵 My process for testing a crochet pattern:
● I crochet the same section multiple times with slight variations.
● I compare stitch counts and shapes until the proportions look right.
● I make at least one full version of the project before sending it to testers.
This part takes patience, but it’s also where you start to see your design come to life. For example, with my donkey pattern, the first version had ears that were way too short. They looked more like bunny ears that someone had chopped in half. After three tries, I finally landed on the perfect length that gave him his adorable, floppy-eared personality.
And here’s the best part: every mistake you make along the way becomes a teaching point for others when they buy your pattern.
Step 6: The Importance of Pattern Testers
Pattern testers are the unsung heroes of the crochet design world. They’re other crocheters who agree to make your pattern before you publish it, giving you feedback on clarity, accuracy, and even design tweaks.
When I first started designing, I was nervous to ask people to test for me. What if they hated it? What if they found a bunch of mistakes? But that’s exactly the point—testers make sure the pattern makes sense to someone other than the designer.
Here’s why testers matter:
● They help catch typos, missing rows, or confusing directions.
● They show you how the pattern looks in different yarn colors and textures.
● They give you finished photos you can use in your marketing.
I’ll never forget one of my testers for the flamingo pattern who sent me a photo of her finished bird in a soft pastel pink yarn instead of the hot pink I used. It gave the design a completely different personality—soft and sweet instead of bold and tropical. That taught me how flexible a pattern could be, and it gave me extra marketing photos to show buyers that the flamingo looks great in any pink.
Step 7: Formatting Your Crochet Pattern
Once your stitches are written and tested, it’s time to turn your scribbled notes into a professional PDF. This is where presentation matters. A well-formatted pattern makes the difference between someone enjoying your design or leaving a bad review because they couldn’t follow it.
When I first started, I formatted patterns in Microsoft Word and exported them as PDFs. It worked, but it wasn’t pretty. That’s why I eventually created my crochet pattern template in Canva—a fill-in-the-blank layout that takes the overwhelm out of formatting.
Your pattern should include:
● A cover page with the name, a photo, and your branding.
● A materials list, gauge (if applicable), and finished size.
● Abbreviations and stitch explanations.
● Step-by-step written instructions, with photos for tricky parts.
● A copyright + safety disclaimer (for things like safety eyes).
● A “next steps” page pointing readers to your other patterns or website.
Formatting isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about building trust. A buyer should feel like they’re getting something professional and polished, not a messy set of notes.
Step 8: Photography and Branding
Let’s be real: beautiful photos sell patterns. A crocheter scrolling through Etsy is far more likely to click on a listing with bright, eye-catching photos than one with dim, cluttered images.
Here’s my simple setup:
● I shoot in natural light by a window.
● I use a clean, neutral background (like white poster board or a wood surface).
● I take multiple angles—front, side, and close-ups of details.
When I photographed my donkey for the first time, I styled him with a little straw hat for fun. That photo became the one that made people stop mid-scroll and say, “I have to make this.” Adding personality to your photos is part of your branding—it makes your work memorable.
Step 9: Launching Your Crochet Pattern
Launch day is a mix of excitement and nerves. You’ve poured hours of work into this design, and now it’s time to share it with the world.
My launch process looks like this:
● Upload the PDF to Etsy, Shopify, or Ravelry.
● Write an SEO-rich product title (ex: Donkey Crochet Pattern – Beginner Amigurumi Plushie PDF).
● Add a keyword-packed description that highlights outcomes (what the buyer can make).
● Share teaser photos on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
● Email my list of crocheters with a special launch-week discount.
When I launched my flamingo, I built anticipation for weeks by posting sneak peeks of yarn colors, half-finished wings, and even a photo of the messy first version. By the time the pattern dropped, people were ready to buy it because they felt like they had been part of the journey.
Step 10: Marketing Beyond Launch
Designing the pattern is only half the work—the other half is making sure people find it. Marketing doesn’t have to be pushy or overwhelming; it’s simply sharing your creation in ways that get it in front of the right people.
Here’s what I do after a pattern launches:
● Pinterest SEO: Every pattern gets multiple pins with keyword-rich titles like “Easy Donkey Crochet Pattern for Beginners” or “Beginner-Friendly Amigurumi Plushie PDF.” Pinterest continues to be one of the top traffic drivers for crochet designers.
● Email Marketing: I send a launch email, but also follow up a week later with inspiration photos, tester images, or ways people have customized the pattern. Your email list is your most reliable audience.
● Repurposing Content: The same pattern can turn into a YouTube tutorial, an Instagram Reel, or a behind-the-scenes podcast episode. Each format reaches a different type of crocheter.
● Bundles and Upsells: Once I have several related patterns, I bundle them together. For example, a “Farm Animal Crochet Pattern Bundle” that includes the donkey, cow, and chicken. Bundles increase average order value and give crocheters more bang for their buck.
Marketing is where you shift from being a hobbyist to being seen as an authority in the crochet space. The more consistent you are with marketing, the more your patterns will build long-term visibility on Google, Etsy, and Pinterest.
FAQs About Crochet Pattern Design
Can beginners design crochet patterns?
Yes! Many designers start as beginners. The key is to start simple—choose a project like a scarf, granny square, or basic plushie. Write down every step as you go, and don’t worry about perfection.
What program should I use to format crochet patterns?
Many designers use Canva because it’s drag-and-drop friendly. Others use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or even design software like InDesign. Canva is my favorite because it’s simple and produces professional-looking PDFs quickly.
How do I find crochet pattern testers?
You can post in crochet Facebook groups, Instagram stories, or Ravelry forums. Many crocheters are happy to test for free, though some designers offer a free finished copy of the pattern as a thank-you.
Do I need to copyright my crochet pattern?
In most cases, your pattern is automatically protected as intellectual property once you publish it. Still, it’s smart to include a copyright notice and clear language in your pattern about what buyers can and cannot do with it (e.g., sell finished items, but not share or resell the pattern).
How long does it take to design a crochet pattern?
It depends on the complexity. On average, it takes me several days to design, test, and format. More detailed amigurumi patterns can take weeks. Remember, the more time you spend refining, the better the final product will be.
Final Thoughts: You Can Be a Crochet Designer
If you’ve been dreaming about designing your own crochet pattern, this is your sign to go for it. Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” The truth is, readiness comes from doing. Each design you create—whether it’s a donkey, flamingo, teddy bear, or something completely your own—will teach you something new.
Designing crochet patterns is one of the most fulfilling parts of being a maker. You get to share your creativity, inspire others, and even build a crochet business that supports your family. It’s not just about stitches on a page—it’s about bringing joy into homes around the world.
So grab your hook, your yarn, and your notebook. Write down those stitches as you go. Share your work boldly. And remember: the world needs your creativity.
Happy designing! 💜
👉 [Shop the Crochet Pattern Template Here →]
About the Author
Marcy Gardner is the crochet designer behind Simply Hooked, where she creates beginner-friendly amigurumi patterns that help makers of all skill levels create adorable, giftable plushies.
With over 13 years of crochet experience, Marcy has taught hundreds of crocheters through her patterns, kits, and online courses.
