Mini Belly Ellie Elephant - Free Crochet Pattern

Looking for a soft and heartwarming elephant stuffie to gift or sell at craft shows? The Mini Belly Ellie Elephant is a free, advanced beginner/intermediate crochet pattern for a stuffed elephant plush designed by Madeline Spence and shared by T&C Crafters.

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Mini Belly Ellie Elephant Free Crochet Pattern

Elephants are such caring and smart creatures, which explains why so many people love them! If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing stuffed toy, the Mini Belly Ellie Elephant crochet pattern should be at the top of your list! With its rounded belly, simple shaping, and adorable features, this elephant would make a great baby gift, birthday present, or craft show best seller.

This pattern was originally created by Madeline Spence of Madeline Mae Co. I have acquired the rights to share this pattern from her archived collection, and I am so excited to share it, and many more of her patterns, with you here on T&C Crafters.

Be sure to also check out some of her new designs in her Etsy Shop!

The Mini Belly Ellie Elephant is one of my favorite crochet patterns! I even wrote a pattern review for this pattern on the EyeLoveKnots blog!

Pattern at a Glance:

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner/Intermediate
Yarn Weight: Bulky or Super Bulky (Weight 5 or 6)
Hook Size: 3.5 mm or 4 mm
Construction Type: Worked in the round with separate pieces sewn on
Finished Size: Approximately 8-10 inches tall (varies by yarn)
Great For: Baby gifts, toddler gifts, craft fairs, nursery decor

Why Should You Crochet a Mini Belly Ellie Elephant?

The Mini Belly Ellie Elephant creates a super adorable, cartoon-like elephant stuffed toy that is perfect for kids and adults alike. Elephants are a common favorite nursery theme and are loved by many, so you are sure to please a large crowd by offering these in your inventory!

This pattern works up fairly easily without any complicated stitches or methods. It is a great pattern for an advanced beginner or intermediate crocheter, although experts will love it too! Because a lot of the pieces are made individually in this pattern, it works great for batch-making for inventory prep!

Elephants are a common favorite for nursery themes and animal lovers. This heirloom elephant stuffie is sure to make your loved ones delighted when they get to treasure this cute little version of these beautiful gentle giants.

What Supplies Do You Need to Crochet a Mini Belly Elephant Ellie?

Yarn: Any Bulky (5) or Super Bulky (6) Yarn – See some recommendations below

Hook: 3.5 mm or 4 mm Crochet Hook – I recommend using a Clover Amour or Knit Picks Dots hook!

Tools: Scissors, Yarn Needle, Stitch Markers

Notions: 16 mm Safety Eyes/Felt Eyes, Stuffing

Recommended Yarn

This pattern is made using bulky (5) or super bulky (6) yarn. Here are some great bulky and super bulky yarns I recommend:

Bernat Blanket Yarn – 100% Polyester plush yarn that works up really nice and thick! There are tons of color options and variations including Bernat Baby Blanket yarn, which is a little softer and available in softer colors. This is my go-to yarn choice!
Baby Bee Snugs and Kisses – 100% Polyester plush yarn that is super soft and works up in a similar weight to Bernat Blanket. Colors are limited to baby-friendly colorways.
Yarn Bee Cozy Occasion – 100% Polyester plush yarn that works up similarly to Bernat Blanket. Different color options are available, and the yarn is sold in smaller skeins to make it more affordable per skein.
Ella Rae Cuddle – 100% Polyester, chenille-style that is a bit thinner than other weight 6 yarns. It is super durable and soft!
Bernat Velvet Yarn – 100% Polyester, chenille-style yarn that is a weight 5 yarn but is still pretty thick.

Alternative Yarn Options

You can use any yarn weight to make the Mini Belly Ellie Elephant, although it is recommended that you use weight 5 or 6 yarn. The size of your finished elephant will just change with any adjustments in the weight of the yarn. You will likely need to adjust your hook size to match as well.

The designer used Premier Parfait Chunky yarn, which is a super bulky weight (6) yarn. If you are using Premier Parfait Chunky, you will need one skein of the color fog to make the pattern look like the pictures. Ella Rae Cuddle is a similar super bulky weight (6) yarn that works great!

If you are looking for a thinner, plush yarn, Bernat Velvet or Bernat Baby Velvet yarn and Circulo Amigurumi Pelúcia are both bulky weight (5) yarns that work up well!

If you would like to make a slightly larger Mini Belly Ellie Elephant, Bernat Blanket Yarn is a nice, plush option that will really make a statement! Even though it is a super bulky weight (6) yarn, I find that it works up much larger than the Premier Parfait or Ella Rae Cuddle.

Tools

3.5 mm or 4 mm Crochet Hook – This is the size the designer recommends. I use a much larger hook (K10.5/6.5 mm) when working with super bulky yarn, so choose based on your preference and tension.
Scissors
Yarn Needle – I highly recommend a steel yarn needle. It makes it really easy to sew on pieces when the giraffe is stuffed.

Notions

16 mm Eyes – While this pattern was made using safety eyes, you can certainly swap them out for felt eyes or embroidered eyes instead!
Stuffing – This project will require a good amount of stuffing. You’ll need a larger bag of stuffing to be able to fully stuff this design.

What Size is the Mini Belly Ellie Elephant?

The finished Mini Belly Ellie Elephant made with super bulky (6) yarn will be approximately 9 inches tall. Depending on your yarn choice, the size will likely range from 8 to 10 inches tall.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

Ch – Chain
Sl St – Slip Stitch
SC – Single Crochet
INC – Increase
DEC – Decrease
FO – Finish Off

Special Stitches

Magic Circle: This pattern starts with a magic circle. Here is a video tutorial by MJ Carlos on how to make a magic circle and crochet single crochets into the the circle (or ring).

Invisible Decrease: I use invisible decreases when reducing stitches in the round. Here is a video tutorial by A Menagerie of Stitches on how to crochet invisible decreases.

Tips Before You Begin

If you are planning to make these for markets or to make multiples of them at once, you can make all of the arms, ears, and trunks at once.. The arms need to be made before the body if you are planning on using the no-sew option for the arms.

It may be helpful to keep a notepad nearby to keep track of your rounds and to use a stitch marker to keep track of stitches as you go.

I ask that you please do not copy, sell, republish, or redistribute this pattern. You may sell items produced using this pattern (in fact, I hope you do!), however, please do not use my photos for your product listing.

Mini Belly Ellie Elephant Crochet Pattern

Arms – Make Two

Round 1: 4 SC into magic circle (4)

Round 2: INC x 4 (8)

Rounds 3-10: 8 SC around (8) – 8 rounds

Stuff the tips of the arms lightly. Fold in half and SC closed with 4 SC (you must have 4 SC or the arm placement will be off if using the no-sew method). Finish off and leave a long yarn tail for sewing later or a short tail for the no-sew option.

Legs – Make Two

Fasten off the first leg, but not the second leg.

Round 1: 6 SC in magic circle (6)

Round 2: INC x 6 (12)

Rounds 3-4: 12 SC around (12) – 2 rounds

Starting the Body

Connect the first leg to the second leg with a single crochet (see photos below). This single crochet counts as the first stitch of the next round.

Round 1: 10 SC, INC x 4, 10 SC (28)

Round 2: 13 SC, INC x 2, 13 SC (30)

Sew the gap closed between the legs.

Rounds 3 – 4: 30 SC around (30) – 2 rounds

Round 5: [3 SC, DEC] x 6 (24)

Stuff and shape the legs and belly.

Round 6: 24 SC around (24)

Round 7: [2 SC, DEC] x 6 (18)

Rounds 8 – 10: 18 SC around (18) – 3 rounds

Keep stuffing and shaping the body

Round 11: [SC, DEC] x 6 (12)

Continue to stuff and shape the belly

Note: If you would like to use the no-sew option for the arms, you will attach the arms next in round 12. If you would prefer to sew the arms in place, you can just SC without the arms.

Round 12: 4 SC, attach arm with 4 SC, 2 SC, attach 2nd arm with 4 SC (12) – This is a shift round. Your new starting point is now the stitch next to the arm

Note: Arm placement may have to be adjusted depending on how your work spirals.

Starting the Head

Round 13: INC x 12 (24)

Round 14: [3 SC, INC] x 6 (30)

Round 15: [4 SC, INC] x 6 (36)

Make sure the body is completely stuffed and start stuffing the head.

Rounds 16 – 20: 36 SC around (36) – 5 rounds

If using safety eyes, insert eyes between rounds 23 and 24 so they are 6 visible stitches apart. Make sure they’re centered.

Head Continued

Round 21: [4 SC, DEC] x 6 (30)

Round 22: [3 SC, DEC] x 6 (24)

Continue stuffing and shaping the head. Make sure you’re stuffing and shaping it evenly.

Round 23: [2 SC, DEC] x 6 (18)

Round 24: [SC, DEC] x 6 (12)

Keep stuffing and shaping as you go.

Round 25: DEC x 6 (6)

Finish off, finishing stuffing, and close the circle.

Elephant Free Crochet Pattern Body and Head

Trunk

Round 1: 5 SC into magic circle (5)

Round 2: 5 SC around in BLO (5)

Round 3: INC, 4 SC (6)

Round 4: INC x 2, 4 SC (8)

Rounds 5 – 6: 8 SC around (8) – 2 rounds

Round 7: INC x 4, 4 SC (12)

Round 8: 12 SC around (12)

Round 9: INC x 5, 7 SC (17)

Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing. Trunk gets stuffed.

Mini Belly Ellie Elephant Crochet Pattern

Ears – Make Two

Round 1: 7 SC into magic circle (7)

Round 2: INC x 7 (14)

Round 3: [SC, INC] x 7 (21)

Round 4: [2 SC, INC] x 7 (28)

Round 5: [3 SC, INC] x 7 (35)

Fold the ear in half with your last stitch centered in the middle, and SC 4 to close and keep the folded shape.

Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

Assembly Instructions

Felt/Embroidered Eyes: If you are using felt eyes or embroidered eyes, add them before adding the trunk. They should be about 5-6 rounds down the from the top of the head and centered on the head with about 6 visible stitches between them.

Ears: Ears are sewn about 5 rounds down from the magic circle.

Trunk: Stuff the trunk and sew the trunk on between the eyes. You will want to stuff the trunk first, and then add more stuffing as you continue sewing to make it nice and full without overstuffing. Make sure to sew with the trunk sticking up.

Arms (Sewing Option): If sewing on your arms, sew them onto round 12 of the body.

Eyebrows and Hair: Add eyebrows and hair details as shown in the finished picture.

Congratulations! You’re finished!

How to Customize

You can easily customized your Mini Belly Ellie Elephant by changing up the colors or yarn you use. In addition, you can add extra embellishments like hats, bows, or flowers headbands to include a dash of pizazz!

Selling & Market Tips

The Mini Belly Ellie Elephant works really well for:

Craft Fairs with Lots of Kids
Events with Animals or Petting Zoos
Online Sales Aimed at Animal Lovers and Kids
Custom Birthday Gifts for Elephant Lovers

Suggested Pricing Range:

$20 – $40 depending on materials and region

Display Tips:

Create a safari-themed section of your display by pairing the Mini Belly Ellie with some other fun safari animals like giraffes, lions, or zebras
Make some small and large Mini Belly Ellie Elephants using different weights of yarn and display the whole herd of elephants together!
Use shelves or crates to add height to your display and make sure your elephants are at eye-level! This is the best place to put them to draw attention.
If you make an extra large Mini Belly Ellie Elephant using weight 7 super bulky yarn, be sure to showcase him up high to draw in customers!

Frequently Asked Questions?

Can beginners make this pattern?

If you are brand new to crocheting, this pattern may be a bit too challenging. This pattern is geared towards advanced beginners and intermediate crocheters.

How long does it take to complete?

The time it takes to complete your Mini Belly Ellie Elephant varies by how quickly you crochet. If you are fast crocheter, you could conceivably finish the pattern as written in about 1-2 hours. If you are using a bulkier yarn, the time will likely increase because it slows down your speed. When I made this pattern using Super Bulky yarn, it took me about 2 hours from start to finish to crochet all the pieces and do the sewing and embellishments.

Can I sell items made from this pattern?

Of course! You may certainly sell your finished Mini Belly Ellie Elephant, and I hope you do! I would appreciate if you could give credit to the designer, Madeline Spence of Madeline Mae Co., and my blog, T&C Crafters, when sharing your designs online.

Please note: Selling of this written pattern, or any parts of this pattern are strictly prohibited!

What yarn works best?

Be sure to check out the suggested yarns listed in the materials section of this post! I recommend Ella Rae Cuddle, Premier Parfait Chunky, and Bernat Blanket yarn.

How do I wash this item?

I highly recommend spot cleaning with a mild soap to wash the Mini Belly Ellie Elephant.

For a full washing, hand-washing with a mild soap is recommended. Please ensure that the yarn you chose is color-fast so the yarn colors don’t bleed when washed.

If you have carefully constructed your project, you can consider machine washing based on the care instructions of the yarn you used. Machine washing may cause the stuffing to move around and the elephant to lose its shape. If you used safety eyes or felt eyes, be careful that they did not come loose in the washer.

Make sure that the entire piece is completely dried! You do not want the stuffing to remain wet, potentially causing an issue with its safety.