I have been getting a lot of requests lately for more crochet dinosaur free patterns and this week I’m delivering with a new pattern for a Crochet T-Rex Backpack Buddy. The t-rex is made all in one piece (yay for no seaming) and then a teeny tiny (but functional) backpack is made separately and added to the dinosaur.
The reason I added this element is to enable parents/caregivers to send little messages to school with their little ones. My son has a T-Rex Backpack Buddy on his bag and I fold up little messages for him to read at school and place them in the dino’s backpack.
He has even surprised me by writing me back a few notes of his own. This is a fabulous project to make as a gift (it’s perfect for stocking stuffers or back to school season). But be warned… once your child takes it to school, they may come home with requests from friends for their very own crochet t-rex friends. I’m still working on fulfilling requests from his friends.
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Purchase an inexpensive ad-free PDF version of this pattern in my Ravelry and Etsy shops.
The Crochet T-Rex Backpack buddy is made from the top down, in a single piece. It’s a relatively easy project but you do need to keep track of where you’re placing your increases to ensure that the necessary shaping and elements like the eyes and arms end up where they are supposed to be.
As with all my other amigurumi projects, a locking stitch marker is utilized to mark the beginning of each round of the project and moved up after each subsequent round is completed.
If you don’t have a locking stitch marker, other substitutes that you may have handy could be a piece of yarn in a contrasting colour, a bobby pin, or a safety pin.
Did you know that the T-Rex Backpack Buddy isn’t my only crochet dinosaur free pattern? Check out my other Backpack Buddy, the Backpack Bronto pattern and Trevor Triceratops
After we make our T-Rex, we work on crocheting our mini, functional backpack for them. As I mentioned above, I created this in order to be able to send notes to school with my son.
This was his first year back to in-person school since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and he was anxious about his return to school. I wanted to create a friend that would help him feel like he wasn’t so alone during those first few days of school and I wanted to be able to send notes with words of encouragement for him.
So I thought a little backpack would be a great place to hide little notes and his dino friend would be a great little messenger. I’ve sent many notes with him, including things to remember, words of encouragement and affection.
My son loves this so much that he has been inspired to write me his own notes that he gives to me when I pick him up from school.
In order for the backpack to be functional, you’ll need to have a 10mm button. I got mine from this package of buttons that I found at Michaels but they are relatively simple to find in pacakages on their own.
When we’re crocheting the flap of the backpack, we will create a chain space that will act as a button hole for our button, th secure the flap and keep the notes we place inside the backpack safe.
You’ll need a bit of sewing thread and a sewing needle to do this part as most tapestry needles are too bulky to fit through the holes in a button of this size.
After completing the backpack, we’ll add some straps to the backpack (because, t-rex backpacks need straps too, obviously lol). After we’re done adding our straps, we’ll sew the backpack to the back of our dinosaur to secure it.
Then we’ll add a caribiner clip (which will secure our dinosaur to the child’s backpack) through the top of the t-rex’s head and they’re good to go.
I used Brava Worsted Weight yarn for this crochet dinosaur free pattern and it has created a really durable toy for my son’s bag. His T-Rex has seen some abuse in the time since school started and it still looks amazing.
I love Brava Worsted for projects like this and if you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it. It’s my favourite acrylic yarn and I use it regularly. It comes in a ton of colours and you can even get giant 500g balls of it (which are super reasonably priced). You can check Brava Worsted yarn on the WeCrochet Website.
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 The Loopy Lamb Blog. 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:
- 3.5 mm (E) Furls Crochet Hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
- 33 yards/30 m (15 g/ 0.5 oz) of We Crochet Brava Worsted in Avocado
- 11 yards/10 m (5 g/ 0.2 oz) of We Crochet Brava Worsted in Caution
- 2 – 6mm Black Safety Eyes
- 38mm Caribiner Clip
- Polyester Stuffing
- Tapestry Needle
- Sewing Needle and Thread
- 10mm button
- Scissors
- Multiple 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
- SK = Skip
- SL ST = Slip Stitch
- ST = Stitch
Finished Size:
- Approximately 3.75” tall (not including caribiner clip)
Gauge:
- Rounds 1 – 4 = 1.5” across
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.
Video Tutorials You May Find Helpful for this Pattern:
Purchase an inexpensive ad-free PDF version of this pattern in my Ravelry and Etsy shops.
Head:
Round 1: Using Avocado, make a MC and SC 6 into the MC. (6)
Round 2: (SCINC) x 6 (12)
Round 3: (SCINC, SC 1) x 6 (18)
Round 4: SC 1, (SCINC, SC 2) x 5, SCINC, SC 1 (24)
Gauge Check: Piece should measure 1.5” across at the end of Round 4.
Rounds 5 – 9: SC around (24) – Place safety eyes in sts 1 and 13 of Round 6.
Round 10: (SC, SCDEC) x 6, SC 6 (18)
Round 11: (SCDEC) x 6, SC 6 (12) – Start adding stuffing, continuing to add stuffing as you work.
Round 12: (SCDEC) x 3, SC 6 (9)
Round 13: SC around (9)
Round 14: (SCINC) x 3, SC 6 (12)
Round 15: (SC, SCINC) x 3, SC 6 (15)
Round 16: SC 2, CH 4, SC in the 2nd CH from the hook and the next 2 CHs, SC 6, CH 4, SC in the 2nd CH from the hook and the next 2 CHs, SC 7 (15)
Round 17: SC 3, SCINC, SC 2, SCINC, SC 8 (17)
Rounds 18 – 21: SC around (17)
Leg 1:
Round 22: SC 8, CH 1. Leave the rest of the STs unworked. PM in 9th ST of Round 21. (8)
Round 23: Starting in the first ST of Round 22, SC 8, SC in the CH 1 (9)
Round 24: SC around (9)
Round 25: SC, (SCDEC) x 4 (5)
FO leaving a long tail. Weave end through FLO of last round and cinch hole closed. Insert tapestry needle through center of last round and out through the other side of the body and gently pull last round tight.
Do not weave in ends. Save tail until after Leg 2 is completed.
Leg 2:
Round 1: Attach yarn to 9th ST of Round 21, SC in the first ST and the remaining 8 STs of Round 21. PM in first SC to mark first ST of the round and move it up with each subsequent round. (9)
Round 2: SC around (9)
Round 3: SC, (SCDEC) x 4 (5)
FO leaving a long tail. Weave end through FLO of last round and cinch hole closed. Insert tapestry needle through center of last round and out through the other side of the body.
Pull the tails on both legs tight until the legs appear to be the same length. Use one of the tails to sew up the hole between the legs. Weave in ends.
Tail
Round 1: Using Avocado, make a MC and SC 6 into the MC (6).
Rounds 2 – 3: SC around (6)
Round 4: (SCINC, SC 2) x 2 (8)
Round 5: (SC 3, SCINC) x 2 (10)
Rounds 6 – 8: SC around (10)
FO leaving a long tail to sew onto the body.
Stuff tail with stuffing and sew tail onto the body.
Backpack
Round 1: Using Caution, CH 6, SCINC in the 2nd CH from the hook, SC 3, 4 SC in the last CH, working on the other side of the CH, SC 3, SCINC in the last CH (14)
Rounds 2 – 6: SC around (14)
Row 7: SC in the first ST, CH 1 and turn. We are now going to be working back and forth in rows. SC in the ST just made and the next 6 STs. (7)
Rows 8 – 9: CH 1 and turn. SC across (7)
Row 10: CH 1 and turn. SC 3, CH 3, SK 1, SC 3 (6)
FO and weave in ends. Do not stuff.
Sew button on to front of backpack and use CH 3 space from Row 10 as a button loop.
Backpack Straps
Join yarn to Round 5 of the backpack, on the back of the bag. CH 10 and SL ST into the back of the bag into Round 2, CH 1 and turn. Working back up the CH, SC in each CH. FO and leave a long tail. Use the tail to secure the top of the strap to the bag. Weave in ends. Repeat with second strap on the other side of the back of the backpack.
Assembly:
Use a long tail of Caution yarn to sew the backpack to the back of the dinosaur. Insert the caribiner through the top of the head.
That’s it! I hope you enjoyed this crochet dinosaur free pattern for my T-Rex Backpack Buddy.
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