Crochet Football
This crochet football is SO CUTE! Show off your love of the sport with this mini plush football. It’s a soft and lightweight toy for kids, and it’s really easy to make, using simple stitches.
A crochet football is a great way to celebrate the Super Bowl, and a fun accessory for fans of the NFL, CFL, or your local high school team. Follow along with our step by step photo and video tutorials, or download our free printable PDF crochet football pattern below!
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How to Crochet a Football
Materials:
- Free Printable Crochet football pattern
- Worsted weight yarn(size 4; brown and white)
- Fiber fill stuffing
Equipment:
Check Out The Video Tutorial:
Instructions:
Find what you need:
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Gather your supplies and materials.
Round 1:
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Make a slip knot with the brown yarn and tighten it on your hook. Chain 2.
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Insert 6 single crochet into the first chain.
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Pull on the tail to tighten.
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Slip stitch into the first single crochet.
Round 2:
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Chain 1 and insert 1 single crochet into the first stitch.
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Insert 2 single crochet into the next (second) stitch.
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Repeat the pattern of 1 single crochet into 1 stitch, 2 single crochet into the next stitch, until you’ve made your way around.Then slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 3:
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Switch to white yarn (do not cut off the brown yarn!) and chain 1.
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Insert 1 single crochet into each of the first 2 stitches.
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Insert 2 single crochet into the next stitch.
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Repeat this pattern all the way around. 1 single crochet into 2 stitches, 2 single crochet into the next.Once you’ve made your way around, slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 4:
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Chain 1 and add a single crochet into each of the first 3 stitches.
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Insert 2 single crochet into the next stitch.
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Repeat the pattern of 1 single crochet into 3 stitches and 2 single crochet into 1 stitch all the way around.Then slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 5:
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Switch back to brown yarn (don’t cut the white yarn) and chain 1.Insert 1 single crochet into each of the first 4 stitches.
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Insert 2 single crochet into the next stitch.
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Repeat the pattern of 1 single crochet into 4 stitches, 2 single crochet into 1 stitch, all the way around.Then slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 6:
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Chain 1 and insert 1 single crochet into the first 5 stitches.
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Insert 2 single crochet into the next stitch.
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Repeat (1 single crochet into 5 stitches, 2 single crochet into 1 stitch) all the way around, and then slip stitch into the first stitch.
Rounds 7 – 11:
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Chain 1 and add a single crochet into every stitch around before slip stitching into the first stitch.
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Repeat the last row 4 more times.
Round 12:
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Chain 1 and insert 1 single crochet into the first 5 stitches.
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Single crochet the next 2 stitches together (a decrease).
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Repeat all the way around and then slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 13:
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Chain 1 and insert 1 single crochet into the first 4 stitches.
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Then single crochet the next 2 stitches together (a decrease).
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Repeat all the way around (4 single crochet, 1 decrease) and slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 14:
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Switch back to the white yarn and chain 1.Insert 1 single crochet into each of the first 3 stitches.
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Single crochet the next 2 stitches together (a decrease).
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Repeat the pattern of 1 single crochet into 3 stitches and 1 decrease.Once you’ve made your way around, slip stitch into the first stitch.
Round 15:
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Chain 1 and insert 1 single crochet into the first 2 stitches.
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Single crochet the next 2 stitches together (a decrease).
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Repeat the pattern (1 single crochet into 2 stitches, 1 decrease) all the way around and slip stitch into the first stitch.Cut the white yarn and tuck the tail inside the football.
Stuff the football:
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Insert stuffing into the football until it’s firm and holds its shape.
Round 16:
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Switch back to the brown yarn, chain 1 and insert 1 single crochet into the first stitch.
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Single crochet the next 2 stitches together (a decrease).
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Repeat the pattern all the way around (1 single crochet, 1 decrease) and slip stitch into the first stitch.
Finish off the football:
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Cut off your yarn, leaving a 4 – 5 inch tail, and tie it off.
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Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and use a running stitch to sew the tail through the stitches all the way around.
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Pull the tail to close the hole in the end of the football and sew in the thread.
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Thread white yarn onto the yarn needle and sew the stitches on the side of the football. Then sew in the ends of the yarn.
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Your crochet football is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Embroider on a little face or add safety eyes to make a football amigurumi.
- If you don’t want to switch yarn and sew on the white stitches you can draw them on with puffy paint instead, creating a textured toy.
Download our free crochet football pattern:
Click on the link or photo below to download our free, printable crochet football pattern! The PDF file will open in a new window. Then simply follow along with the pattern on your device’s screen, or print it on 8.5 x 11 (letter size) printer paper.
>>> Crochet Football Pattern <<<
What is the size of this crochet football? Can I make a bigger football?
Using the same yarn and hook size as we did, this pattern creates a crochet football that’s about 4-1/4 inches long and 6 inches around the center.
To make a larger plush football (without adjusting the pattern), simply use a thicker yarn and/or a larger crochet hook. To make an even smaller football, do the opposite.
How do I single crochet decrease?
A decrease is single crocheting 2 stitches together, joining them at the top so they become one stitch. To do this, start by inserting your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull a loop through.
Then insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull another loop through. You should now have 3 stitches on your hook. Yarn over again and pull the yarn through all 3 loops. You’ve just made a decrease!
What type of yarn is used to make a crochet football?
We used worsted weight yarn (size 4) to make our crochet footballs. The brown colour is Loops & Threads “coffee”, while the white is Impeccable (also a Loops and Threads yarn).
How can I make a crochet football keychain?
To make this mini football plushie into a keychain, insert a jump ring (attached to keychain hardware) into 1 – 2 stitches at one end of the finished football. Use pliers to close and secure the jump ring.
What is the crochet football stuffed with?
We used poly-fil, a polyester stuffing, to stuff our mini crochet football. But if you don’t have a bag of this lying around, there’s no need to buy special stuffing.
Use stuffing from an old pillow, or buy an inexpensive pillow from the dollar store. You can also use stuffing from an old stuffed animal, or even stuff your football with cotton balls or scrap fabric.
Make a crochet football in the traditional brown and white, or create a plush football in your favourite team’s colours! This football crochet pattern makes a soft toy that’s super cute and perfect for kids to toss around during indoor play.
Here’s even more easy crochet ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
