It’s back to school time and with it being the first time back to in-person school for many kids since the pandemic started, anxieties are running a bit higher than normal. I wanted to create something fun for kids that could be taken with them to school as a friend that may help ease their anxieties and also, help to break the ice with other kids.
When I asked my kids what was the coolest thing that you could have on. your backpack, they said dinosaur. So I set about figuring out how to crochet a mini dinosaur, that could fit on a child’s backpack.
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This free crochet dinosaur pattern makes an adorable amigurumi brontosaurus that clips to your child’s backpack. Substitute your child’s favourite colour for the colour I’ve used or use a colour that matches their backpack.
Get your child envolved in the fun of making your Backpack Bronto which makes it extra special for them. Don’t be surprised though, if they come home with requests from friends for you to make them their own crochet dinosaur.
Purchase an inexpensive ad-free PDF version of this pattern in my Ravelry and Etsy shops, which includes instructions to make a giant brontosaurus and photo tutorial support as well.
The free crochet dinosaur pattern for the Backpack Bronto is made using worsted weight yarn. I used Brava Worsted Weight yarn from WeCrochet and this project takes such a small amount of yarn that you can use a single Brava Mini to make one.
The PDF version of the pattern includes the materials list and instructions to turn your Backpack Bronto into a Giant Bronto which is made with blanket yarn.
I’ve included this so kids can have a cuddle-sized friend at home and take a mini one on-the-go so no matter where they are, they have a friend with them.
Basic amigurumi techniques are utilized in this free crochet dinosaur pattern like invisible decrease, ultimate finish, magic circle and invisible join/finish. You can find tutorials for each of these techniques here on my blog by clicking on each technique name above.
I also have YouTube tutorials for each of those techniques so if you’re unsure about any of them, there is also the video support as well. You can find those each embedded on the blog post for the techique so you don’t even have to leave the site to find the help you may need.
Other than those basic amigurumi techniques, you’ll need to know how to do the single crochet stitch and how to increase and decrease single crochet stitches. Check out this tutorial on how to do the single crochet stitch.
Backpack Bronto
Disclaimer:
Feel free to sell the item created by this pattern but please provide pattern credit back to me when posting online, and please provide a link to my blog: https://theloopylamb.com. Please do not resell, distribute, duplicate, or share this pattern in any printed or digital form, or claim this pattern as your own original design. Please do not use my photos when selling your finished items.
Skill Level:
- Easy
Terminology:
- U.S. Terminology
Supplies for Backpack Bronto:
- 3.5 mm Clover Amour Crochet Hook
- 33 yards/30 m (15 g/ 0.5 oz) of We Crochet Brava Worsted in Avocado
- 2 – 9mm Safety Eyes
- 38mm Caribiner Clip
- Polyester Stuffing
- Clover Chibi Bent Tip Tapestry Needle
- Clover Mini Patchwork Scissors
- Multiple Clover Locking Stitch Markers
Abbreviations:
- CH = Chain
- FLO = Front Loops Only
- FO = Finish Off
- MC = Magic Circle
- PM = Place Marker
- SC = Single Crochet
- SCDEC = Single Crochet Decrease
- SCINC = Single Crochet Increase / 2 SC stitches worked into the same stitch
- SK = Skip
- SL ST = Slip Stitch
- ST = Stitch
Finished Size:
- Backpack Bronto: Approximately 5” tall (not including caribiner clip)
Special Techniques:
- Invisible Join: FO leaving a tail that is at least 5 – 6 inches in length. Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Place the tapestry needle through the top of the 2nd ST from front to back and pull through. Place tip of needle into top of the last ST of the round, under the back loop of the stitch, and pull through to the back of the work. Weave in the end. Check out my invisible join tutorial.
Notes:
- This pattern is worked in continuous rounds (unless stated otherwise). Do not join at the end of the row, unless indicated. A stitch marker is used to keep track of the beginning of the round.
- For a cleaner SCDEC, do your SCDEC under the front loops only of each stitch rather than under both loops. This is often referred to as an invisible decrease. Check out my invisible decrease tutorial.
- Gauge is not vital to the project but it may affect the amount of yarn needed for the project and the size of your toy.
Purchase an inexpensive ad-free PDF version of this pattern in my Ravelry and Etsy shops, which includes instructions to make a giant brontosaurus, more tips & photo tutorial support as well.
Body:
Round 1: Make a MC and SC 6 into the MC. (6)
Round 2: (SCINC) x 6. (12)
Round 3: (SCINC, SC) x 6. (18)
Round 4: SC, (SCINC, SC 2) x 5, SCINC, SC. (24)
Gauge Check: Piece should measure 1.5” across at the end of Round
Round 5: SC around. (24)
Round 6: SC, CH 7, SK 2, SC 21. (22 sts, 7 CHs) – PM in 2nd skipped ST of Round 6
Need Help With Round 6? The PDF version of this pattern includes photo support for this section of the pattern. Find it here in my Ravelry and Etsy shops
Round 7: SC in 1ST ST and the next 3 CHs, SCINC, SC in each remaining ST and CH around. (30)
Rounds 8 -11 : SC around. (30)
Round 12: (SC 3, SCDEC) x 6. (24)
Round 13: SC, (SCDEC, SC 2) x 5, SCDEC, SC. (18) – Start adding stuffing, continuing to add stuffing as you work.
Round 14: (SCDEC, SC) x 6. (12)
Round 15: (SCDEC) x 6. (6)
FO leaving a long tail. Weave tail through FLO of last round and cinch hole closed. Weave in ends.
Neck & Head:
Round 1: Attach yarn with a slip stitch to the marked stitch that we attached a stitch marker to in Round 6 of the body, SC 11 evenly around the opening in the body. (11)
Need Help With Round 1 of the Head/Neck? The PDF version of this pattern includes photo support for this section of the pattern. Find it here in my Ravelry and Etsy shops
Round 2: SC, SCDEC, SC 2, SCINC, SC 2, SCDEC, SC. (10) – Start stuffing, continuing to add stuffing as you work. Stuff firmly.
Rounds 3 – 8: SC around. (10)
Round 9: SC 5, SCINC, SC, SCINC, SC 2. (12)
Round 10: SC 6, (SCINC) x 5, SC. (17)
Round 11: SC 6, (SCINC, SC 2) x 3, SCINC, SC. (21)
Round 12: SC 9, SCINC, (SC 3, SCINC) X 2, SC 3 (24)
Rounds 13 – 17: SC around. (24)
Round 18: SC, (SCDEC, SC 2) x 5, SCDEC, SC. (18) – with dinosaur’s head facing away from you, place left safety eye in Round 16 and the right eye in Round 15, with 8 sts between them.
Round 19: (SC, SCDEC) x 6. (12)
Round 20: (SCDEC) x 6. (6)
FO leaving a long yarn tail. Weave the yarn tail through the FLO of the last round and pull the yarn tail to cinch the hole closed. Weave in ends.
Legs (Make 4):
Round 1: Make a MC and SC 6 into the MC. (6)
Round 2: (SCINC) x 6. (12)
Rounds 3 – 5: SC around. (12)
FO with invisible join (see special techniques), leaving a long tail. Stuff legs and sew all four legs to bottom of dinosaur.
Tail:
Round 1: Make a MC and SC 6 into the MC. (6)
Round 2: SC around. (6)
Round 3: SCINC, SC 5. (7)
Round 4: SC around. (7)
Round 5: SC 5, SCINC, SC. (8)
Round 6: SC around. (8)
Round 7: SC 3, SCINC, SC 4. (9) – Start stuffing, continuing to add stuffing every few rounds.
Round 8: SC 6, SCINC, SC 2. (10)
Round 9: SC around. (10)
Round 10: SCINC, SC 9. (11)
Rounds 11 – 12: SC around. (11)
FO leaving a long tail to sew onto the body. Stuff tail with stuffing and sew tail onto the body, using photo as reference.
Assembly:
Insert caribiner through the top of the back of your dinosaur.
Thanks to our friends at Clover USA, this pattern is free on my blog. I utilized Clover’s great tools to create this free crochet dinosaur pattern. I have linked to all of the products that I used in my materials list above.
I now have another backpack buddy pattern available! The T-Rex Backpack Buddy can now be found as a free pattern on my blog. Check out the free pattern for Trevor Triceratops too!
I’d love to see your finished items! Please share your finished makes by tagging the pattern on Ravelry, sharing it to our Facebook page or Instagram. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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When starting the neck, should I start at the second stitch up or the second stitch down at the hole? When I tried the second stitch down at the hole, the head turned backwards, so the dinosaur was facing the wrong way.
You should be starting in the 2nd st of round 6 which is the 1st CH of the CH 7 Space.
I don’t understand how to do round 6 and 7 of the body. Is there a video?
Hi Teryn,
No, there is no video for this pattern. For Round 6, you’re creating a chain that will become a space where we will later attach the neck. Place the stitch marker in the 1st chain of the chain 7. Then in round 7 you’ll be working into the chains to continue on to the body.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Ashley
Hi! I’m a little confused. My head came out backwards and I double checked all my stitches and they seem correct. The legs also seem very small but I don’t imagine I’m missing something there, maybe just doing something wrong? Is the head being backwards something I missed in the increases? Thank you!
The instructions for the head initially had a typo which was causing the head to come out backwards but it has since been corrected. If you’re using the pattern listed above, it should come out properly unless you attached to the incorrect stitch.
The legs are small but bulk up a bit when stuffed properly.
Yes i agree with one of the comments the head was turned back wards. I need to count further down the round and start the increase the right way it should be facing.
If the right side of the project is facing you and you’re starting in the 2nd stitch the head should face the correct way.I’ll remake one to double check everything and I’ll be updating this pattern soon with some photos
I have remade the dinosaur and have found the issue. The word Skipped is missing from the instructions for stitch marker placement in Round 6. It appears to be a transposition error because the testers’ notes all show the correct placement. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. The pattern has been updated with the correction. I apologize for the inconvenience.
This is a really cute crochet dinosaur! I love the colors and the way the pattern is written.
Thank you so much 🙂
Hi,
after round 7, i end up with 40 total stitches.
is that correct?
Hi Jana,
The stitch counts are included at the end of every row. At the end of Row 7, you should have 30 stitches. Here are the instructions for Round 7 written differently: Sc in the first stitch, sc in the next 3 chains (4 sts at this point). Then you’ll scinc in the next chain (6 sts total now). At this point you should have 21 sts and 3 chs remaining and you should work one sc stitch into each of those remaining chains and stitches (adding 24 sts to the round) . 4+2+24=30.
Hi Ashley,
On Round 7, I have problem to come up with only 30 sts given that Round 6 already got 22 sts and 7 CHs. The instructions for Round 7 said SC in 1st ST and the next 3 CHs which already takes up 4 sts. If we do SCINC, SC in each remaining ST (i.e. 21 sts) and CH (i.e. 4 CHs) around, together that should exceed 26 sts…
Much grateful for your advice.
Regards, Doris
Hi Doris,
In round 6, you should have 22 sts and 7 chains at the end of the round. Working into round 7, you should sc in the first stitch, sc in the next 3 chains (4 sts at this point). Then you’ll scinc in the next chain (6 sts total now). At this point you should have 21 sts and 3 chs remaining and you should work one sc stitch into each of those remaining chains and stitches (adding 24 sts to the round) . 4+2+24=30.
Got it. Thank you so much Ashley!
you’re welcome 🙂
I’m a beginner and very confused about round 6. I did ch7 but do I skip 2 on the chain and then sc into the chain, continuing into the main circle, or do I just go straight into the main circle?
If I stitch into the chain, it ends up being way more than 22.
Also I don’t understand round 7 at all. Can you explain it a bit more clearly for beginners? Thank you.
Hi Elisa,
When it says Skip 2 in round 6, you skip 2 stitches in round 5 and then sc into the next stitch in round 5.
Round 7, you SC in the 1st stitch and the next 3 chains, work your SCINC in the next CH, SC 1 in the next 3 CHs and the remaining stitches of the round.
How might you recommend to change it to not have the head tilted? I think it’s adorable but I’d like to make one where he just stares straight ahead of possible? I’ve made two and they’re so cute!!
Hi Jessi,
I’m so glad that you enjoy it! To make the change you’re looking for, you’d have to play around with which stitch you attach to in the neck
I’m not understanding round 1 of the neck, I have more than 11 stitches on my opening. I counted my stitches each round and they were correct.
In the opening of the neck, you should have the unworked loopps in the back of your 7 chains and the 2 skipped stitches, which is 9 stitches. If you have more than 9, something is off in the previous rounds. The instructions say to “evenly SC 11” which means that you have to evenly distribute the stitches around the opening, regardless of stitch count. You place 11 stitches around the opening so you can place one in the sides of the fabric between the chains the the skipped stitches.
Hi,
i’m a beginner but have made a few beanies so not completely new. In round 6
for the body it doesn’t say how many times you repeat the SC, CH 7, SK 2, SC 21 (22 sts, 7 CHs). but says 7 chains. How would I make 7 single chains with only 22 stitches? Also, do the chains get attatched to the main circle after skipping the first two stitches on the chain or do you directly stitch the chain to the main circle but skip 2 stitches when adding it to the circle?
Hope this makes sense 🙂
Thanks
Hi Megan,
The numbers in brackets at the end of the instructions are the number of stitches and chains you have at the end of the round. They are not part of the instructions for the round.
In Round 6, Sc in the first stitch, make a chain 7, skip 2 stitches and work a sc in the next stitch as well as the next 20 stitches. This creates an opening for the next that you’ll work into later.
I hope this helps.
Your dinosaur came out so cute! What a fun little crochet project. I just wanted to drop a quick message to let you know that today I’ve featured your tutorial on Crafts on Display. Hope you enjoy it! https://craftsondisplay.com/crochet/free-dinosaur-crochet-pattern-117857/
Hi! I am working on this and am confused on how you can crochet into a chain, do you like only crochet into one side of the V?
Hi! I am a bit confused on how to sc into a chain because it seems like you would be crocheting into nothingness!
Thank you!
Ps sorry if I already commented this, it didn’t look like it had gone through!
Hi Leah,
No problem. The comments get held for approval so that inappropriate spam comments don’t flood the blog.
I’m assuming that you are talking about when you join the dinosaur’s neck and have to crochet into a chain you already worked into? When you work into a crochet chain, there are technically 3 loops to each chain – a front loop, a back loop and a back bump. When you initially work into a chain, you should have two loops on your hook (unless told otherwise in a pattern, the expectation is that you should always have two loops on your hook). That leaves 1 loop remaining. This remaining look is what you work into. This tutorial on working on both sides of the chain may help you to visualize it: https://theloopylamb.com/how-to-crochet-on-both-sides-of-a-foundation-chain-tutorial/
If you’re not and you’re just unsure how to work into a normal chain this tutorial: https://theloopylamb.com/how-to-crochet-a-chain-for-beginners-with-pictures-and-video/ will show you how to do that and also explain the different parts of the chain.
Thank you so much that was very helpful!
You’re welcome