Faces for Amigurumi Part 1: Using Safety Eyes And Simple Embroidery

This amigurumi face is super cute and easy to do!

Posted by Jennifer Olivarez

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to add a face to your amigurumi using safety eyes, felt, and simple embroidery techniques.

First a few notes about safety eyes. If you're making your amigurumi for a small child or pet, please consider embroidering your ami's eyes instead. Despite the name, they can still pose a choking hazard if they accidentally get ripped out of your ami. Also, safety eyes can really only be added before you close up the head of the amigurumi, usually when 12 to 18 stitches remain. Sometimes it helps to stuff the head in order to position the eyes, then take the stuffing out to put on the lock washers.

Are you ready to give your ami a cute little face? Let's go!

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You Will Need (8 things)

Fabric Pen
Sewing Needle
Chenille Needle
Beige or Light Brown Felt
Brown or Black Embroidery Floss
Thread to match felt
Fabric Scissors
4 ½ mm Black Safety Eyes with lock washers (2)

Steps (24 steps, 30 minutes)

1

Eyes

First, cut 2 squares out of beige felt approximately 1” by 1”.
2

Fold a square in half and snip a hole into the center with a pair of scissors.
3

Unfold and insert the shank of a safety eye into the hole.
4

Using the eye as a guide, cut the felt into a circle, approximately 1/8” – 1/4” wider than the eye.
5

Insert the shank of the eye into your amigurumi and press the washer onto the shank until it clicks to lock it in place. This can’t be undone, so it’s important to check the placement of your eyes before you pop on the back. For instance, check to see that the eyes are in the same row or round.
6

The washers have 3-6 little points on one side, which grab the fabric. Make sure that these points are facing toward the fabric when you pop them on.

Repeat steps 2-5 for the other eye.
7

Nose and Mouth

Cut a square out of felt approximately 3/4” by 3/4”.
8

Cut this into a circle by rounding out the corners. Or use a fabric pencil to trace onto the felt around a US penny (or another coin that is 3/4” in diameter). Then cut along the line.
9

Thread brown floss onto the chenille needle (or any needle that has a sharp point and an eyehole large enough to accommodate the floss).
10

Tie a knot on the end.
11

Work the needle up through the felt from the back, just above the middle of the circle and about 1/4” from one edge.
12

Push the needle back down about 1/4” from the other side.
13

Come back up through the felt just below the stitch you made and push the needle back down on the other side ever so slightly below the last stitch.
14

Repeat Steps 12 and 13, each time coming in a tiny bit more from the edge to create an upside-down triangle shape to the nose. End with the needle at the back of the work.
15

Come up from behind the last stitch, pulling the needle out from below the stitch.
16

Go back down about 1/4” below.
17

Come back up to the right of this. Go back down through the same entry point as in Step 16.
18

Come back up to the left. Go back down through the same entry points as Steps 16 and 17.
19

Tie off your thread and trim the ends of the floss.
20

Sew Nose and Mouth onto Your Amigurumi

Note: Because the nose and mouth are sewn on, this can be done after you have stuffed and closed up the amigurumi’s head.

Thread your standard sewing needle with thread to match the beige felt.
21

To secure the thread, I like to tie it to the floss in the back, but you could use a knot if you prefer.
22

Using a running stitch of about 1/8” per stitch, sew the felt nose and mouth to the amigurumi doll.
23

Pass the needle and thread through the head of your amigurumi, coming out the back. Trim off your thread close to the back of the head and the thread should disappear into the head.
24

Yay! Now your amigurumi has a super cute face like my squirrel friend here. Want to make a squirrel friend of your own? Be sure to check out my crochet squirrel pattern here on Cut Out + Keep!