The One to Start With

If you have never crocheted a shell before, this flat applique is the gentlest way in.

Flat crochet scallop shell applique in terracotta with a cream fan of stitches at the base
Pora Pora Crochet

Scallop Shell Applique

Beginner Friendly Half double crochet Treble crochet Color changes

This is the seashell to make when you want something finished in an afternoon. A cream fan of stitches sits at the base of a deeply textured body, and the taller stitches fanning out from it do all the work of suggesting a real scallop without a single row of shaping.

It is worked flat in rows using stitches you already know, so there is nothing to stuff, seam, or assemble. The designer suggests it for a baby blanket, a beach blanket, or a bag, and it uses so little yarn that odds and ends from your scrap bin will cover it.

  • Yarn Any medium size 4 yarn. The designer used acrylic. This is a true scrap project, so use whatever you have to hand.
  • Hook 3.75 mm. Smaller than worsted usually calls for, which keeps the fabric firm enough to lie flat when you stitch it onto something.
  • Tutorial A 21 minute video. The pattern is taught on screen step by step rather than written out, so follow along as you go.
Watch on YouTube

The One With a Face

A little stuffed clam with a quiet smile, built in a way most amigurumi are not.

Stuffed crochet amigurumi seashell in lilac cotton with black safety eyes and a small embroidered smile
One Dog Woof

Amigurumi Seashell

Intermediate Half double crochet hdc4tog Mattress stitch

ChiWei built this one differently from almost every other amigurumi. Rather than spiralling in rounds, it is worked flat in rows like a little book, then folded in half and scrunched together, and that fold is exactly what gives the shell its fanned ribs.

The ribbing itself comes from alternating half double crochet rows with slip stitch rows, and a row of chain stitch scallops finishes the top edge. Seaming is the part that takes patience, so it is a good pick if you have been meaning to get comfortable with the mattress stitch.

  • Yarn Paintbox Cotton Aran. A smooth cotton keeps the ribbed rows crisp and stops the stitches looking fuzzy.
  • Hook F, 3.75 mm. Tight enough that the stuffing stays hidden between the half double crochet stitches.
  • Extras 6 mm safety eyes and fiberfill. Plus black embroidery thread or a fine yarn for the mouth. Place the eyes about an inch apart.
Get the free pattern

The One You Can Clip On

The most sculptural of the three, and the only one that comes with hardware.

Spiral crochet nautilus shell keychain worked in dusty blue raffia yarn with a silver keyring
Stylish Knitting

Nautilus Seashell Keychain

Intermediate Magic ring Back loop only Joining pieces

Kristina Virka's nautilus starts as two flat circles. A long strip of rows is then worked back and forth between them, anchored into each circle as you go, and that is what pulls two flat discs into a proper three dimensional spiral.

Every row is worked in the back loop only, which is where all that ridged texture comes from. Raffia or paper yarn gives it the dry, natural finish in the photo, though a worsted cotton works just as well if you want something softer.

  • Yarn Raffia or worsted cotton, 20 to 30 yards. Raffia holds the ridges sharply, which is what makes the spiral read as a shell.
  • Hook 4 mm, US G-6. You will also want a yarn needle and a set of keychain hardware to finish it off.
  • Sizing About 9 to 10 cm, or 3.5 to 4 inches. Small enough to clip onto a bag without weighing it down.
Get the free pattern

Before You Cast On

A few things worth knowing that apply to all three of these shells.

1

Cotton and raffia hold a shell shape, acrylic softens it

Every one of these relies on ridges and ribs to read as a shell. A smooth cotton or a crisp raffia keeps those edges sharp. Acrylic will work and it is fine for the applique, but the texture goes noticeably rounder and softer.

2

Go down a hook size before you go up

Two of these call for a 3.75 mm hook with worsted or aran yarn, which is smaller than the ball band suggests. That is deliberate. A tight fabric keeps stuffing hidden and stops an applique curling at the edges, so resist sizing up for speed.

3

Count rows, not stitches

The amigurumi shell and the nautilus are both built from long runs of repeated rows, and the ribbing makes them genuinely hard to count back later. Drop a stitch marker every ten rows as you go and you will save yourself recounting the whole piece.

4

Block the flat one before you attach it

The applique will want to cup slightly straight off the hook, especially where the taller stitches fan out. A quick steam or a wet block with pins holds it flat, and it is far easier to sew a flat piece onto a blanket than a curled one.

5

Make a few in one sitting

All three of these are small, and each one uses only scraps. Once you have the rhythm of a pattern it is quicker to make three than to come back and relearn it later. A cluster of shells also looks far better on a bag or a blanket than one on its own.