7 Free Crochet Ninja Turtle Patterns (Amigurumi, Hats, Mask & a Blanket)
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Cowabunga. If you grew up on pizza-loving turtles in the sewer, this one is going to hit you right in the childhood.
Ninja turtles are the perfect crochet subject. They are already turtle-shaped, they come in a built-in set of four, and the whole look is basically a green body plus a colored mask.
That means one pattern gives you four different characters just by swapping the bandana color. Blue for Leonardo, red for Raphael, purple for Donatello, orange for Michelangelo.
We pulled together 7 free crochet ninja turtle patterns that actually work, and actually stay free. Little amigurumi turtles, a keychain, cozy character hats, a pull-down face mask, and a full-size TMNT blanket.
Every pattern below links out to the original designer, because they did the hard part. We are just pointing you to the good ones.
Meet the Four Turtles (So You Get the Colors Right)
Before you start, here is the cheat sheet. Every ninja turtle pattern uses the same green body. The mask color is what tells them apart.
Get these right and your set will be instantly recognizable.
| Turtle | Mask Color | Weapon | Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | Blue | Twin katana | The leader, serious one |
| Raphael | Red | Sai | The tough, hotheaded one |
| Donatello | Purple | Bo staff | The brainy tech one |
| Michelangelo | Orange | Nunchucks | The fun, pizza-obsessed one |
Most crocheters make all four as a set. If you are only making one, red and blue are the crowd favorites.
You do not need to crochet the weapons. A tiny felt weapon or a bit of pipe cleaner does the job if you want the full look.
Free Crochet Ninja Turtle Amigurumi Patterns
This is the heart of the collection. Little stuffed ninja turtles you can line up on a shelf, hand to a kid, or gift to the grown-up who still quotes the movie.
1. Ninja Turtle Amigurumi by Ami Amour
This is the one to start with. It is clean, it is genuinely free, and it comes with a video tutorial alongside the written pattern.
The finished turtle stands about 3.5 inches tall with a green shell, a yellow tummy, tiny arms and legs, and a colored bandana.
Skill level is easy, so it is friendly for a confident beginner. Make one in each mask color and you have the whole team.
2. One-Hour Ninja Turtle by Amigurumi Space
Short on time? This little turtle comes together in about an hour and keeps the sewing to a minimum.
The head and body are worked as one piece, so there is far less assembly than a typical amigurumi. It finishes around 3.5 inches, perfect as a bag charm or a quick gift.
Great for when you want the ninja turtle payoff without a weekend-long project.
3. Ninja Turtle Keychain by Amigurumi Day
Same lovable turtle, shrunk down and turned into a keychain. Clip it to a backpack, a set of keys, or a rearview mirror.
At about 13 cm it is a nice portable size, and it is a smart way to use up small amounts of green and colored yarn. Make all four and hand them out.
If you want to turn any turtle into a keychain, we walk through the little loop-and-hardware trick in our own guide too.
Your Yarn Stash Called. It Wants to Be a Turtle.
Look, you could spend another weekend scrolling Pinterest for the “perfect” turtle pattern.
Or you could grab one that’s already perfect.
Turt-ally Hooked gives you 5 complete turtle patterns—each with a different theme, personality, and skill level.
Bee, strawberry, sunflower, Christmas, and cupcake. All adorable. All doable.
It’s straightforward, it’s cute, and if you’ve been meaning to make something other than another scarf—here’s your chance.
Free Crochet Ninja Turtle Hats & Beanies
Hats are where ninja turtles really take off, especially for kids. A green beanie with a colored mask across the eyes is an instant costume, a birthday gift, or just a fun winter hat.
4. Ninja Turtle Hat by Repeat Crafter Me
If you make one hat, make this one. Sarah Zimmerman’s pattern is the gold standard, and it comes in seven sizes from newborn all the way to teen and adult.
The hat itself is a simple green beanie. The face, eyes, and mask are cut from felt using her free printable templates, then stitched and glued on.
That felt shortcut means the hard part is basically coloring inside the lines. It is beginner-friendly and looks fantastic in photos.
5. Beanie With Pull-Down Mask by Heart Hook Home
This one is clever. It is a green beanie with a colored mask panel that actually pulls down over the face, complete with eye holes.
So it works as a normal hat, and then flips into a full ninja disguise when the kid wants to be in character. Sized for a large child or pre-teen, with notes on adjusting the fit.
This single pattern covers both the hat searches and the mask searches, since the mask is built right in.
Free Crochet Ninja Turtle Blanket
6. TMNT Blanket by Kathy862
Ready for a bigger commitment? This throw celebrates all four turtles in one blanket.
A dark green base stands in for the shells, with blue, red, purple, and orange bands and big cartoon eyes for each character. It finishes around 43 by 61 inches using medium-weight yarn and a 5.5 mm hook.
Best part, it is worked in plain single and double crochet rather than a fussy chart, so it stays firmly in easy territory. It is just a longer project, not a harder one.
Bonus: Turn Any Turtle Into a Ninja (Appliqué)
7. Turtle Appliqué by Repeat Crafter Me
Here is the hack that unlocks everything. Sarah Zimmerman’s flat turtle appliqué is not a ninja turtle on its own.
But add a thin band of colored yarn or felt across the eyes, and it becomes one instantly. Stitch it onto a hat, a bag, a hoodie, or a plain blanket.
It is a fast, low-yarn project and a great way to sneak a ninja turtle onto something you already made.
Which Ninja Turtle Pattern Should You Make?
Too many good options? Here is the quick sorter.
- Total beginner: Start with the one-hour turtle from Amigurumi Space or the felt-face hat from Repeat Crafter Me. Both hide the tricky parts.
- Making a gift fast: The keychain or the one-hour turtle. Done in an evening.
- You want the whole team: Ami Amour’s amigurumi. Make it four times in four mask colors.
- For a kid who wants a costume: The pull-down mask beanie from Heart Hook Home.
- You love a long cozy project: The TMNT blanket.
- You want to add a ninja to something you own: The appliqué.
Tips for Crocheting Ninja Turtles
A few things that make these turn out better.
Nail the green. A medium grass green reads most like the classic cartoon. A darker olive works if you want the gritty movie look.
Use safety eyes on toys with care. For anything going to a baby or toddler, embroider the eyes instead of using plastic safety eyes, which can be a choking hazard.
Keep bandana tails long. Those little trailing ends on the mask are what sell the ninja look. Leave them a touch longer than feels right.
Make the set together. If you are doing all four, crochet the four green bodies in one batch, then just switch bandana colors. Assembly-line style is much faster.
Weapons are optional. Felt, pipe cleaners, or even a printed cardstock weapon glued on will finish the look without extra crochet.
New to amigurumi in general? Our complete beginner’s guide to crocheting an amigurumi turtle walks through the whole process, and the magic ring tutorial covers the one stitch every pattern above starts with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these crochet ninja turtle patterns really free?
Yes. Every pattern in this roundup is free to access at the designer’s site or on Ravelry. Some designers also sell a tidy printable PDF for a small fee, but the pattern itself is free to use.
Can I sell the ninja turtles I make?
This is the tricky part. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a trademarked, licensed property owned by its rights holders.
Making them for yourself, your kids, or as gifts is completely fine. Selling finished items based on a trademarked character is legally gray and technically not allowed without a license.
If you want something you can sell freely, crochet a generic cute turtle and skip the official character branding.
What yarn should I use?
Standard worsted-weight (medium, size 4) acrylic yarn is perfect for all of these. You want green as your main color plus the four mask colors: blue, red, purple, and orange.
Acrylic is cheap, washable, and holds its shape well, which matters for toys that get played with.
Which pattern is easiest for a beginner?
The one-hour amigurumi from Amigurumi Space and the felt-face hat from Repeat Crafter Me are the two friendliest. Both minimize the fiddly bits.
If you can single crochet, increase, and decrease, you can make either one.
How do I make all four turtles look different?
Only the mask color changes. Keep the green body identical and swap the bandana to blue, red, purple, or orange for Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo.
Add the matching felt weapon if you want to go the extra mile.
Can I turn a regular crochet turtle into a ninja turtle?
Absolutely, and it is the easiest hack here. Take any basic turtle pattern, then add a colored band across the eyes.
Our beginner crochet turtle patterns are a great starting body. Add a bandana and you have a ninja.
Grab Your Green Yarn
Ninja turtles are one of those projects that make people smile before you even finish. They are quick, they are nostalgic, and one pattern stretches into a whole crew.
Start with a single turtle to get the hang of it. Then, be honest, you are going to make all four.
Pick a pattern above, dig out your green yarn, and go. Cowabunga.
If cute turtles are your thing, we have a whole shelf of them, from kawaii crochet turtles to free sea turtle patterns.
About Author
Muntaseer Rahman started keeping pet turtles back in 2013. He also owns the largest Turtle & Tortoise Facebook community in Bangladesh. These days he is mostly active on Facebook.
