Chenille Yarn Crochet Patterns: 9 Free Plushies and Blankets
Chenille is the yarn behind most of the squishy plushies and soft throws you see right now. It works up fast, it hides uneven stitches, and a finished piece feels the way it looks. Here are nine free patterns made for it — five plushies and four blankets — each with a skein count in our Cloud-Soft Bulky or Velvety Chenille Bulky and a shade to start from.
Every pattern is free to make from the designer's own page. Several also sell an ad-free printable version, which is a good way to support a designer whose pattern you use a lot.
About the skein counts
Most of these patterns were written for a #6 super bulky blanket yarn, and most give their yarn in yards. We've converted each one to Cloud-Soft Bulky at 131 yards per 180 g skein and rounded up, because running out of a colour two rows from the end is the worst way to finish a blanket.
Three things to know before you buy:
- Yard for yard, it's the same amount of yarn. Cloud-Soft Bulky carries about the same yardage per gram as the blanket yarn these patterns call for, so where a pattern lists grams instead of yards, the grams carry straight across.
- It's labelled #5 bulky, not #6. Use the hook the pattern gives and work a swatch first. If your piece comes out small, go up a hook size.
- Round up each colour separately. A two- or three-colour pattern usually needs a skein or two more than its total yardage suggests.
Our blanket yarn guide has the full conversion table if your pattern isn't listed here.
Plushies
1. Snuggle Bunny — Nicole Chase
A bunny about 7½ inches tall, worked in super bulky chenille on a small 4.5 mm hook, which keeps the fabric dense enough to hold its shape. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 1 skein. The pattern needs about 82 yards, plus a little contrast yarn for the face. Try: 23 Baby Blush Pink. Get the pattern →
2. Plush Mermaid — The Friendly Red Fox
A 10-inch mermaid doll with a separate tail and hair, written as a beginner project. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 1 skein of each colour, 3 in all. The pattern lists 40 g for the body and 30 g each for the tail and the hair, so every colour leaves plenty over. Try: 44 Light Peach Beige for the body, 37 Peacock Blue for the tail and 12 Raspberry Sorbet for the hair. Get the pattern →
3. Big Teddy Bear — Michele Wilcox for MarlyBird
A 19-inch bear on an 8 mm hook: big enough to hug, and quick, because the stitches are huge. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 4 skeins. The pattern calls for 440 yards, plus a few yards of black for the face. Try: 16 Caramel Drizzle Brown. Get the pattern →
4. Giant Whale Shark — Blackstone Designs
The biggest plushie here: 33 inches nose to tail. It's a statement piece for a kid's room, and it uses a 6.5 mm hook. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 4 skeins of blue and 2 of white. The pattern calls for 440 yards and 210 yards, plus scraps of black. Try: 34 Royal Berry Blue with 32 Pure Snow White. Get the pattern →
5. Velvet Bunny — Crochet For You
A 13½-inch bunny written for velvet yarn on a 5 mm hook. Velvety Chenille Bulky gives it the same smooth, velvet-like finish. Velvety Chenille Bulky: 3 skeins. The pattern calls for about 250 yards. It doesn't name a yarn weight, so work a few rounds and compare against the pattern photos before you commit. Try: 25 Latte Beige. Get the pattern →
Blankets
6. The Henry Blanket — You Should Craft
One stitch, three colours and eight sizes, from a 12-inch lovey to a full afghan. It's the simplest blanket here and a good first chenille project. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 4 skeins for the 30 × 30 inch baby size, 12 for the 60 × 50 inch throw and 13 for the 65 × 50 inch afghan. The pattern gives 440, 1,466 and 1,589 yards for those sizes; round up each colour, which may add a skein or two. Try: 15 Creamy Ivory, 39 Cloud Whip Gray and 22 Cloudy Slate. Get the pattern →
7. Lilac Dreams Baby Blanket — A More Crafty Life
A two-colour baby blanket about 30 × 37 inches on a 10 mm hook. It's a weekend project. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 4 skeins, 2 of each colour. The pattern uses 220 yards of each. Try: 13 Lavender Whip Purple with 35 Rose Soufflé. Get the pattern →
8. Pink Lemonade Throw — A More Crafty Life
A three-colour throw about 45 × 53 inches on a 9 mm hook, big enough for the sofa. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 12 skeins: 6 of the main colour, 4 of the second and 2 of the third. The pattern uses 660, 440 and 220 yards. Try: 12 Raspberry Sorbet, 04 Melted Butter Yellow and 01 Vanilla Mousse White. Get the pattern →
9. Chunky Cloud Blanket — CJ Design
The largest project here: about 56 × 66 inches on an 8 mm hook, in two colours. Cloud-Soft Bulky: 14 skeins, 9 of the main colour and 5 of the second. The pattern gives its yarn in grams, 1,530 g and 750 g, which carry straight across at 180 g a skein. Try: 15 Creamy Ivory with 48 Oat Biscuit Beige. Get the pattern →
Working with chenille: three things that help
Keep your tension snug. Chenille worked loosely "worms": loops of yarn push out of the fabric later. If it happens, drop a hook size. For a plushie, start at the bottom of the hook range. Our chenille yarn guide covers this in more detail.
Count as you go. The pile softens your stitches, so put a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round. If you're new to pile yarns, the guide-yarn method makes counting much easier.
Join new skeins inside the work. Chenille doesn't grip woven ends well. Weave each tail through several stitches, change direction once, and on a plushie, bury the end in the stuffing.
Washing chenille projects
Both yarns here are hand wash. Cloud-Soft Bulky should dry flat in the shade, and Velvety Chenille Bulky should be washed in cold water and laid flat to dry. Never tumble dry: heat crushes the pile, and it doesn't recover. For a baby blanket that will be washed often, it's worth knowing this before you start.
Choosing a shade
If you're making a blanket in several colours, buy every skein of each colour in one order so the dye lot matches. A color card shows every shade in real yarn before you commit.
Browse every shade of Cloud-Soft Bulky and Velvety Chenille Bulky, or the rest of our chenille yarns.
Common questions
What can I crochet with chenille yarn?
Plushies and blankets above all, because chenille is soft, quick and forgiving about uneven stitches. It also suits cushions, baby loveys and chunky scarves. Avoid it for anything that relies on crisp stitch texture, such as cables, because the pile hides them.
How many skeins of chenille yarn do I need for a blanket?
Divide the pattern's total yardage by the yards on one skein and round up, separately for each colour. In Cloud-Soft Bulky, a baby blanket usually takes about 4 skeins and a 50 × 60 inch throw about 10, though a dense stitch pattern can need more: the Henry throw above takes 12. Our blanket yarn guide has the full size table.
Can I use Cloud-Soft Bulky for a pattern written for super bulky blanket yarn?
Yes. It carries about the same yardage per gram, so convert by yards or grams as above. It's labelled #5 bulky, so swatch with the pattern's hook first and go up a size if your piece comes out small.
Is chenille yarn good for amigurumi?
Yes, as long as you work it tightly. Use a hook at the bottom of the yarn's range so the stuffing doesn't show, and expect the stitches to soften. For help choosing between chenille, velvet and cotton for a toy, see choosing yarn for amigurumi.