12 Free Crochet Baby Rattle Patterns, With Yarn, Hook and Rattle Notes for Each

These 12 free crochet rattle patterns make sweet baby gifts, as long as you seal the rattle inside, sew every part on firmly and keep toys out of the crib.

A crochet baby rattle is a small stuffed toy with a sealed noisemaker inside. Many patterns use cotton yarn, a hook between 1.75 and 4 mm and a sealed insert such as an egg pod with beads. Pick one with embroidered or firmly sewn parts and no loose bits at all.

Safety comes first. CPSC says rattles are exempt from the small parts ban and are defined in 16 CFR 1510. That rule says no part of a rattle may enter a test cavity.

The AAP says a crib should hold only a fitted sheet, with no stuffed toys.

Below you’ll find the same 12 patterns. Each one now lists the designer, the yarn and hook, how the rattle goes in and what to watch for. Pick the toy first, then check the safety notes.

How to Use This Guide

Every pattern here is free, and each one lives on the designer’s own page. We link to each one, so you get the full instructions from the source. We never copy a pattern.

Some designers ask for credit or ask you not to share their pattern. Follow their rules, and link to the page instead of reposting. We noted the ones that said so.

Which Pattern Should You Pick?

Start with the table. It sums up what we found on each designer’s page. A dash means the page did not say.

#	Toy	Designer	Hook	Yarn	Rattle	Face
1	Fish	Anne Bank Nielsen	2.0 mm	Fingering cotton	Rattle box	Crocheted eyes
2	Bipedal bunny	Lucía (Lanukas)	Not stated	DMC Natura Just Cotton	Bells	Simple face
3	Teddy	aishakenza	3 mm	Sport weight	Rattle insert in the head	Embroidered
4	Pumpkin	Ashley Stallsworth	4 mm (G)	Not listed	Rattle insert	None
5	Hippo	Cheryl Bennett (Crochet 365 Knit Too)	4 mm (G6)	Worsted	Insert in the stuffing	9 mm safety eyes or embroidery
6	Owl	Marina Chuchkalova	1.75 or 2.0 mm	DK cotton	Egg pod with beads	8 mm safety eyes or half beads
7	Merbaby	Erin Greene	3.25 mm	Worsted	1.5 in insert	Embroidered
8	Bunny with ball	Carla Mitrani	3.0 mm	100% cotton	Two rattles	Embroidered
9	Chubby mushroom	Hattalahutta	3.5 mm	Not listed	Not in the pattern	Not described
10	Microphone	Craftie Marie	3 mm	Cotton blend	Egg container	None
11	Baby dragon	Kristi Tullus	1.75 mm	Sport cotton	Plastic egg with beads	Not specified
12	Smile toy (sun)	Punqa	2.5 mm	DK cotton	Insert in the face	Embroidered

For a first project, try the dragon or the bipedal bunny. The dragon is rated 2 out of 5 for difficulty, and the bunny is called suitable for beginners. The fish needs a trick where parts are crocheted straight onto the body.

1. Fish Rattle

A small fish for small hands. Anne Bank Nielsen designed it as both a rattle and a sensory toy. It is a free download on Ravelry, in US terms, and the page offers it in Danish and English.

You crochet the fins and tail straight onto the body, so there is almost no sewing. The page warns the technique may take practice and gives photos of each step. You’ll need fingering cotton, a 2.0 mm hook, fiberfill and a rattle box.

The eyes are crocheted separately in white and black. The page doesn’t say whether they are safety eyes or stitched. Sew them on firmly or skip them.

Get the pattern: Fish Rattle on Ravelry

2. Bipedal bunny

A little bunny that stands on two legs. Lucía of the Lanukas blog wrote the pattern in Spanish, and the post includes an English version as an image. It is rated suitable for beginners.

She used DMC Natura Just Cotton in a sand color and a moss green. The post doesn’t give the hook size. A commenter used 3.5 mm, and the author later said she would use 3 or 3.25 mm at most.

Bells go inside the body for the rattle sound. The pompom tail is a nice touch, but sew it on very firmly. A commenter says the finished toy can go in the washing machine on cold, inside a bag.

Get the pattern: Bipedal bunny on Lanukas

3. Teddy rattle

A round-faced teddy with a handle. The blog Is it a toy, by aishakenza, gives the pattern. It uses sport yarn in two colors, a 3 mm hook and a rattle insert in the head.

The finished toy is about 12 cm long with a head about 5.5 cm across. That size comes from a designer reply in the comments. The face is embroidered, which keeps it free of loose parts.

But the designer suggests lining the head with soft cotton so stuffing can’t escape. Sew the rattle in and close the gap by hand.

She says the pattern was not formally tested. The handle must be stuffed firmly and sewn on tightly. She asks people not to repost it.

Get the pattern: Teddy rattle on Is it a toy

4. Crafty Pumpkin Rattle

A cheerful pumpkin with a brown stem and a green vine. Ashley Stallsworth of A Crafty Concept designed it from her boho pillow pattern. It is about 7.5 inches tall and 6 inches wide.

You need a G (4 mm) hook, orange, brown and green yarn, polyfill and a rattle insert. The front is worked flat and the back in the round, then you join them and crochet around while stuffing. The rattle goes in after stuffing and before you close the pumpkin.

The page gives no safety notes. It’s also the biggest toy here, so check that it suits your baby’s hands. Sew the vine on so tightly that it can’t pull free.

Get the pattern: Crafty Pumpkin Rattle on A Crafty Concept

5. Hippo Baby Rattle

A soft gray hippo with a long handle. Cheryl Bennett of Crochet 365 Knit Too wrote the pattern in US terms, and the full free version is on her blog. She says it was the first baby rattle she made, and she remade the muzzle several times to get it right.

You need a US G6 (4 mm) hook, about 1-1/2 oz of gray worsted yarn, scraps of pink, polyfill and a rattle insert. The head and handle are worked in one piece, and the muzzle and ears are sewn on.

The finished hippo is about 5 inches tall without the ears and 4.5 inches across. Yarn thickness changes the size.

She places the rattle in the stuffing, then sews the head shut with the head stuffed firmly. The sample uses 9 mm safety eyes. She says you may embroider the eyes if choking is a worry, and we suggest embroidery for a young baby.

Get the pattern: Crochet Hippo Rattle on Crochet 365 Knit Too

6. The owl Rattle

A bright owl with striped wings. Marina Chuchkalova designed it in DK cotton, with a 1.75 or 2.0 mm hook. The colors are blue, yellow, white, green and orange.

For the rattle, place a Kinder Surprise egg pod with beads inside the body before closing. The page lists 8 mm safety eyes or black half beads glued with super glue. For a young baby, embroidery is safer than glued beads.

The designer asks anyone who shares the pattern to include a photo, a link and her name.

Get the pattern: The Owl Rattle on Kumutushka

7. Merbaby Rattle

A baby mermaid with a hand-dyed tail. Erin Greene of ekayg crafts designed it with a D (3.25 mm) hook. She suggests worsted yarn, with a thinner yarn because of the small hook.

You need a 1.5 inch rattle insert, though a smaller one works with extra stuffing. She places stuffing in the bottom of the tail first, then the rattle, then more stuffing around it. The eyes and nose are embroidered.

The hair and the two small arms are made separately and sewn on. Sew them firmly, since they are small parts.

Get the pattern: Merbaby Rattle on ekayg

8. Bunny Rattle with ball

Two toys in one set. Carla Mitrani of Amour Fou designed the bunny and a matching ball. Each has its own rattle, one in the body and one in the ball.

Use 100% cotton and a 3.00 mm hook, with a yarn needle and polyfiber fill. The eyes and snout are embroidered. The bunny wears a t-shirt color and the ball repeats the colors.

The pattern is for personal use only. You need the designer’s permission to sell the pattern or the finished rattles. The page has a numbering error, with step 44 appearing twice in the head section.

Get the pattern: Bunny Rattles and Ball on Amour Fou

9. Chubby mushroom

A chubby red cap with white spots. The designer, Hattalahutta, shares it on the blog Free craft patterns. It uses a 3.5 mm hook, red yarn for the cap and off-white for the stem and frill.

The page doesn’t mention a rattle or a bell. If you want a rattle, you would have to add a sealed insert yourself, in the stem, before you close it. The cap has white French knot spots, so embroider them on tightly.

The author says the pattern is probably untested. She asks readers to report errors. She advises stuffing the hat firmly before the hole gets too small.

Get the pattern: Chubby mushroom on Free craft patterns

10. Microphone Rattle

A tiny microphone for a future star. Craftie Marie wrote the pattern in Spanish with an English translation. It uses Katia Mississippi for the head and a contrast yarn for the handle and stripe, with a 3 mm hook.

You put noisemakers in a Kinder egg-style container. Place it inside the head after round 14, then stuff lightly. Do this before the decreases, because you can’t add it later.

The post gives no handle instructions. It says the cable is a small i-cord and links to a video. The author glued and sewed the felt decorations so a baby cannot pull them off.

Get the pattern: Microphone Rattle on Craftie Marie

11. Baby Dragon

A tiny dragon rattle. Kristi Tullus designed it as a free eight-page PDF on Ravelry in US terms.

It is rated 2 out of 5 for difficulty. That makes it beginner friendly, but assembly takes patience.

It uses sport weight cotton and a 1.75 mm hook, with 98 to 115 yards of yarn. The finished size is 11 cm using fingering cotton and a 1.75 mm hook. You add a plastic egg with beads inside the body.

The pattern covers the magic ring, joining pieces and hiding yarn tails. The idea came from Laura’s artefleur blog.

Get the pattern: Baby Dragon on Ravelry

12. Baby’s Smile Toy

A smiling sun with a ring handle. Punqa shares a free written pattern for an amigurumi sun baby rattle. It is rated beginner to intermediate and uses US terms.

You need DK cotton in yellows and orange, a 2.5 mm hook, fiberfill and a baby-safe rattle insert. You also need a wooden teething ring about 2.5 to 3 inches across. The finished sun is about 5.5 inches tall, and a strip of crochet wraps the ring to make the handle.

You insert the rattle while working the widest rounds of the face, then decrease and stuff firmly. The face is embroidered.

The sun has 10 to 12 small rays sewn on, so sew each one on tightly and give it a hard tug. The page has a copyright and usage policy, so read it before you share.

Get the pattern: Amigurumi Sun Baby Rattle on Punqa

How Do You Add a Rattle Safely?

The designers all do it a little differently. Here is what they say, so you can pick the method that suits your toy.

Method	Pattern	What to do
Insert in the head	Teddy	Line the head with cotton, sew the rattle in, close by hand
Insert in the tail	Merbaby	Stuff the bottom, place the rattle, add more stuffing around it
Insert in the stuffing	Hippo	Stuff the head lightly, set the rattle in, then sew shut
Insert in the face	Sun	Add it in the widest rounds, then decrease and stuff firmly
Egg pod with beads	Owl, Dragon	Place the egg pod inside the body before the final seam
Egg container	Microphone	Put noisemakers in it, set it inside after round 14
One rattle each	Bunny with ball	One in the body and one in the ball
Insert after stuffing	Pumpkin	Add after stuffing, before closing
Bells	Bipedal bunny	Bells go inside the body

The steps are simple.

Steps:

1. Make the body, and stuff the bottom first.
2. Place the sealed insert in the middle of the stuffing.
3. Add more stuffing around it so it can’t shift to the seam.
4. Close the opening with small, tight stitches.
5. Shake the toy and press every seam hard.

The rule is the same for every method. The insert must be sealed, and nothing should be able to escape. Don’t use loose beads or bells that are not enclosed.

What Safety Rules Apply to Baby Rattles?

Rattles have their own federal rule. CPSC says the small parts ban for children under three exempts rattles, which follow the rule in 16 CFR part 1510 instead.

Section 1510.3 says no portion of a rattle may be capable of entering the full depth of a test cavity. Rattles must meet this before and after use and abuse tests. The test fixture sizes are in a figure in the regulation.

The pages we read do not say how these rules apply to handmade toys. If you plan to sell your rattles, check with CPSC or a testing lab first. For a gift, use the safe habits below.

What Is a Safe Way to Make a Crochet Baby Rattle?

A few habits keep a handmade rattle safe. They come from the designers’ own notes and the rules above.

• Embroider the eyes and nose when you can.
• Sew every part on with strong stitches, and test with a hard tug.
• Stuff firmly so there are no gaps or holes.
• Seal the rattle and keep it deep inside.
• Use cotton yarn and avoid fuzzy yarn that sheds.
• Check seams often and retire the toy if one opens.

A toy with an unconfirmed pattern, such as the mushroom, needs extra checking. The designer says it is probably untested.

Where Should the Toy Go When Baby Sleeps?

Not in the crib. The AAP says to use only a fitted sheet, with nothing else in the crib. It names toys, bumper pads, pillows, blankets and stuffed toys as things to keep out.

The AAP says soft objects and loose bedding raise a baby’s risk of entrapment, suffocation or strangulation. A crochet rattle is a soft object. Keep it for supervised play.

What Will It Cost, and How Long Will It Take?

Prices and times vary a lot by pattern, so use these tiers.

Tier	What it covers	Typical time
Quick	Small toys like the dragon, mushroom and teddy	An evening or two
Medium	Fish, owl, mermaid, bunny with ball	A weekend
Bigger	Pumpkin and larger toys	A few evenings

Yarn is cheap, and cotton is easy to wash. A rattle insert costs a little more. Buy a few in the same size so you can make several.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the lining. The teddy designer lines the head with cotton so stuffing can’t escape. Do it for every rattle.

Using loose beads or bells. Always put them in a sealed egg or box.

Gluing small parts. The owl uses glued half beads. For a young baby, embroidery is safer.

Putting the rattle in too late. The microphone designer says you can’t add the rattle after you decrease. Insert it before.

Leaving the toy in the crib. The AAP says to keep toys out of the crib.

FAQ

Are crochet baby rattles safe? They can be if you seal the rattle, sew every part on firmly and avoid small loose pieces. Keep them out of the crib and supervise play.

What yarn is best for a crochet baby rattle? Cotton is a common choice in these patterns. Fingering, sport and DK cotton are used, and the hook is usually 1.75 to 4 mm.

How do you put a rattle in a crochet toy? Stuff the bottom, place a sealed insert or an egg pod with beads, add stuffing around it and close the seam tightly.

What is the easiest rattle pattern for a beginner? The baby dragon is rated 2 out of 5 for difficulty, and the bipedal bunny is described as suitable for beginners.

Can I sell toys made from these patterns? Check each designer’s terms first. The bunny and ball pattern says you need the designer’s permission. CPSC rules may apply to children’s products too.

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