Tips on making amigurumi safe for children

Today I want to share some of my tips and tricks on how to make amigurumi safe for children. Crocheted toys and plushies make popular gifts to babies and children. We want to make sure that they are as safe as possible before we give them to the little ones.

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I recently made these unicorns for baby twins! You can get the pattern by clicking on the link if you want to make them too! Since I was making them for very small children, my biggest goal was to make them as childproof as possible.

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There are a few, easy things that you can do to make your amigurumi safe for children and we are gonna look at some steps that you can follow to improve the safety.

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Making amigurumi safe for children

Sewing

There are a few things to consider when making toys for children, especially when they are under 3 years old. The unicorns that I made have many parts. Therefore it is important to make sure that they are absolutely secure and that the parts won't fall off so easily.

After sewing them on, I test how secure they are by pulling on the parts multiple times. If they don't meet my standards, I simply keep on sewing until they are really secure. Then I keep on sewing and tucking until they don't come off. Then I sew some more, just to be sure.

Most parents/caretakers knows this, but children under 3 should never play alone with things and it is important to check the toys every now and then to see if everything is secure. Still, I mention this if I make a toy for a child.

Safety eyes

If you are making toys for small children, I recommend sewing on the eyes instead of using safety eyes. Even though they are properly secure, these can fall off. I used some black yarn and sewed them on. I used some black yarn for this In some videos on my YouTube channel, you can see how I sew on eyes.

Choosing stuffing

When choosing a fiber-fill, look for one that can be washed, has 100% polyester, and is free of toxic chemicals. You can use poly-pellets on the bottom to make the amigurumi more stabile and then stuff the rest with stuffing. The pellets will help the toy sit up or stand on its own. I like to fill the pellets in a small bag and just put it in there.

The yarn and its standards

For the unicorns, I went with this cotton yarn from Drops Paris. They have a Class 1 Oeko-Tex® certification, this means that the yarn has been tested and found completely free from harmful chemicals and that it is safe for human use. Further, they write that the class I is the highest level, and it means the yarn is suitable for baby articles (ages 0-3).

I try to stay away from mohair and I prefer to work with cotton. Mohair feels wonderful, but the hairs can irritate and come off if they bite in the toy.

Cotton is very durable and is also a natural fiber and today you can find many nice cotton yarn if you look for it.

Choosing a smaller hook

As we know, crochet has some structure, and to ensure that the gaps are as small as possible, you can choose a smaller hook than the yarn label recommends.

I like to go down a whole size if I can. But, this depends on the yarn and how you crochet. Some crochet tight, and some crochet loose. I am a loose crocheter, so I have to think about this when choosing a suitable hook.

Free patterns for children toys

This lamb is a popular pattern for children and I have seen many making this little cute lamb for their little ones. You can find the free pattern here.

Also, these jellyfishes are popular! I used safety eyes for these, but you can also sew on the eyes.

I hope that you found some helpful tips and tricks on how to make amigurumi safe for children. If. you have some tips as well, feel free to share them in the comments below.