8 Ways to Create Amigurumi Eyes

Hello!

Today we are going to be talking about amigurumi eyes and the various ways that you can do them. I think that most amigurumi crocheters come to a point where they investigate and experiment the best ways to do eyes for their dolls. Just to note that there is not a definitively right or wrong way, it’s just what suits you and your needs best.

The method that you decide to use is likely going to depend on the type of doll and its intended use. For example, if you are doing a basic doll then I doubt that you would want very realistic eyes so safety eyes would suffice. However, if you were doing a contoured and more realistic doll you may prefer embroidery, needle felting or T-shirt transfer paper eyes.

The same would apply if you were making a doll for display purposes only, meaning that is not intended for play, then you may prefer needle felting or polymer clay eyes. Whereas, if it was intended for play especially with those who are at risk of choking then you may prefer safety eyes, sewing on felt or embroidering.

To make your selection process easier, today I have rounded up 8 different ways that you can do eyes for your amigurumi. For each method I will discuss the price, ease, durability and if it is suitable for children under 3. I will also discuss any other pros and cons that I can think of. This is not a complete list – I am sure there are other ways to create eyes that I haven’t listed below. However, I have chosen to stick to the methods that I have personally tried and tested.

1. CROCHET EYES

With this method you will already have everything that you need: a crochet hook, yarn and a yarn needle. It allows the ability to create both flat and 3D eyes.

Cost: No additional costs, you can use the same supplies that you used to crochet your doll.
Additional tools required: No additional tools required.
Ease: Very easy as you already know how to crochet.
Skill required: None, as you already know how to crochet, the same amount of skill required as it takes to crochet your amigurumi.
Time: Minimal. Some time is required to crochet the eyes and some time to sew it on.
Appearance: Can achieve a variety of looks with varying levels of detail.
Secure: Yes. Secured via sewing.
Suitable for children under three: Yes. Due to the eyes being sewed on, if you do it securely, this method does not pose a high risk of choking. However, it would still be advisable to regularly check that no parts are coming loose.

2. SAFETY EYES

A very commonly used method when it comes to doing amigurumi eyes. You can even further secure the eyes after attaching by burning/melting the eye pin at the back and flattening it, the ensures the back does not come off the safety eyes.

Cost: Low cost (£). You can buy a pack of 100 with 5 different sizes for £3.99 on Amazon.
Additional tools required: No additional tools required. Unless you decide to further secure your safety eyes by melting and flattening the backs – then a lighter and a tile or burn resistant surface would be useful.
Ease: Very easy.
Skill required: No skill required.
Time: Quick. The eyes just need to be inserted and the back placed on to secure.
Appearance: Basic. The eyes are just black circles. Perfect for simple eyes or kawaii characters. There are also various different types available nowadays such as flat, oval and even pre-coloured ones that have the white reflections in the eyes.
Secure: Yes. Specifically designed to be secured and difficult to remove if you have good quality ones.
Suitable for children under three: Yes. Though no method is 100% secure, so it would still be advised to keep an eye on your child and frequently assess the security of the eyes before small children play with the doll.

3. SAFETY EYES WITH FELT

This method is a step up from the previous method of just using safety eyes. It allows you to achieve a slightly more detailed and realistic looking eye with increased options such as varying shapes and colours of eyes.

Cost: Low-Medium cost (££). Slightly higher priced than using just safety eyes (£3.99). You can buy a 42-piece assorted colour pack of 15cm squared sheets of felt for £6.99 on Amazon. Felt glue (Beacon 3-in-1 advance craft glue which is my favourite and has excellent adhesion and costs £10.50). A sewing kit with 20 colours of thread for £6.99. All together (based on if you didn’t have any of the supplies needed already) you are looking at a total of:

£17.97 if you want to sew the eyes on
£21.48 if you want to glue the eyes on
£28.47 if you want you buy both the glue and sewing supplies

However, once you have your supplies they last for a very long time.

Additional tools required: Felt in assorted colours, scissors strong enough to cut felt, felt glue if you plan to glue the felt on, or a sewing needle and thread in the correct colours if you want to sew it on.
Ease: Easy if gluing, slightly increased difficulty if sewing on. I have found that using a curved needle makes this process a lot easier.
Skill required: No skill required if gluing on. If you decide to sew the felt on, then some sewing skill is required. Especially if you want it to look as neat and seamless as possible.
Time: If sewing it is more time consuming. If gluing it doesn’t add a lot of extra time
Appearance: More detailed appearance than just using safety eyes and can achieve a more realistic eye shape. Realism is more cartoon-like in appearance.
Secure: Whether gluing or sewing is it quite secure, but sewing is more secure than gluing. Especially because some glues are better quality and have better adhesion than others.
Suitable for children under three: Yes, if sewing the felt on it is suitable for children under three. This is because the edges are stitched down, so it is not as easy to get traction and pull the eyes off. For added security, you could glue and sew the eyes on. But as I have mentioned in the other methods, it is always advisable to frequently check the security of the eyes before any small children play with the doll.

4. FELT EYES

This method has similar stats as the previous method. The primary difference is the appearance of the centre of the eye. The eye will be flatter and flusher with the doll.

Cost: Low-Medium cost (££). As mentioned previously, you can buy a 42-piece assorted colour pack of 15cm squared sheets for £6.99 on Amazon, felt glue for £10.50 and a needle and thread kit for £6.99.
- £13.98 if you want to sew the eyes on
- £17.49 if you want to glue the eyes on
- £24.48 if you want you buy both the glue and sewing supplies

As I said for the previous method, the supplies do last a long time.

Additional tools required: Scissors to cut the felt.Felt glue if you plan to glue the felt on, or a sewing needle and thread in the correct colours if you want to sew it on.
Ease: Easy if gluing, slightly increased difficulty if sewing on. I have found that using a curved needle makes this process a lot easier.
Skill required: No skill required if gluing on. If you decide to sew the felt on, then some sewing skill is required. Especially if you want it to look as neat and seamless as possible.
Time: If sewing it is more time consuming. If gluing it doesn’t add a lot of extra time
Appearance: Cartoon like eye appearance.
Secure: Whether gluing or sewing it is quite secure, but sewing is more secure than gluing. Especially because some glues are better quality and have better adhesion than others. Be sure to use a good quality of felt glue.
Suitable for children under three: Yes, as with the previous method, if sewing on it is a secure method that doesn’t pose a high risk of choking. For added security, you could glue and sew the eyes on. Just regularly check the security of the eyes as previously mentioned.

5. EMBROIDERED EYES

Probably the most secure of all the method and poses the smallest percentage of risk when it comes to choking. Also, the supplies are inexpensive. However, it can be a very time-consuming method depending on the level of detail you are planning on achieving. NOTE: In the picture above, I embroidered the eyes and mouth separately onto a different piece of fabric then cut it out and glued it onto my doll. This is an option to bypass the difficulty of embroidering onto a crocheted surface but lowers the security of the eyes if done this way.

Cost: Low cost (£) You can buy a kit of 50 different coloured skeins of embroidery yarn along with needles and other embroidery tools for £5.99 on Amazon.
Additional tools required: Needle and embroidery threads.
Ease: Intermediate-Advanced depending on the level of detail. It takes a bit of practice to embroider, especially onto a crocheted project because it has gaps and an uneven surface. Your sewing must be precise and methodical otherwise your stitch work will have gaps and look messy. There are suggested ways to embroider onto crocheted projects in order to get the best results which is why some research and practice is recommended.
Skill required: Some skill and practice is required. Not a case of just jumping in and mastering this method. Would be best to do a bit of research and watch a few tutorials first.
Time: Can be time consuming, especially if the eyes have a lot of details.
Appearance: Can have varying levels of details with a seamless and flush finish.
Secure: Very secure as it is stitched on. Be sure to use good quality thread and to tie off and weave in the ends securely.
Suitable for children under three: Yes, if stitched directly onto the doll it is a very secure method that is suitable for children under 3. As always, do regularly check to ensure the security of the eyes before small children play with the doll.

6. NEEDLE FELTED EYES

Slightly more versatile method that gives the ability to add a 3D appearance to your eyes. Can also accomplish finer details compared to using felt sheets.

Cost: Medium cost (££).You can buy a starter needle felting kit with everything you need to get started for £19.54 on Amazon. However, you can also use your yarn and brush it with a wire brush (£4.10) to create your own roving. This means that you don’t have to try and colour match to your project and can save you money. You would just need the needle felting needle tool and spare needles (£5.89). Some additional extras that are good for safety are a foam pad and leather finger guards. Some needle felting starter packs have these included.
Additional tools required: Needle felting tool and needles, wool roving and/or wire brush (foam pad and finger guards optional).
Ease: Easy but requires some research and practice.
Skill required: No specific skill required. It is straight forward once you know what to do.
Time: Can be time consuming depending of the size of the area that you intend to needle felt. Also, time consuming if you’re brushing out the yarn to create your own roving.
Appearance: Seamless and versatile, it can be very flush, or you can build up the eyes for a more 3D appearance.
Secure: Yes, if done properly it is very secure and not easy to pull off once on. The chocking risk is low.
Suitable for children under three: Yes, suitable if the eyes are flat as it poses a low risk of being pulled off. However, NOT if your eyes are more three dimensional as it allows for more traction and can be pulled off (though not with ease). As always, check the integrity of the eyes regularly if the doll is being played with by small children.

7. T-SHIRT TRANSFER PAPER EYES

A pricier method with quite a bit of equipment required and various steps involved. However, it is a relatively easy/straightforward method, and you can achieve very realistic eyes without it being too time consuming.

Cost: High cost (£££). There are many components to this method and bulkier equipment such as a computer, a printer with ink and an iron. The primary consumable resources needed are T-shirt transfer paper (you can get 10 A4 sheets for £7), felt glue £10.50, thin white felt £4.55 /m². However, if just using for your doll eyes, then these resources will last a very long time.
Additional tools required: T-shirt transfer paper, white fabric, computer with design software such as Inkscape, inkjet printer and an iron.
Ease: Intermediate-Advanced. Due to the need for computer skills and the ability to design your own eyes in a design software. Also, it is more advance the more complex your design is.
Skill required: Some computer and design software skills required.
Time: Can take time due to the various steps that are required. Such as the time required if designing your eyes. If you are just printing an image that you already have, then it doesn’t take much time at all. But you also need to cut out the eyes, iron them on to felt and cut them out again before you can glue them on to your doll.
Appearance: Very detailed and realistic. The possibilities are endless.
Secure: Yes, with felt glue. When using this method, it is not best to sew the eyes on because it would impact the overall finish and look of realism for the eyes.
Suitable for children under three: No. Though secure if using a good quality glue, it is not a recommended method if for children under 3 as it could be pulled off and swallowed.

UPDATE:

Since writing this post I have updated my T-shirt transfer paper eyes. Recently, I have been doing sublimation printed eyes which allows you to print directly onto fabric. This makes the eyes more durable and the colours more vibrant. Also, with the t-shirt transfer paper it transfers a thin film onto the fabric which has a shine to it, so this method it eliminates that shine as it is printed directly onto the fabric.

However, the cost of the equipment for this method is high. Though it is not a very accessible method for everyone I did want to mention and show it in this post. Later, I plan to do a comparative post comparing T-shirt transfer paper printed and sublimation printed eyes.

8. POLYMER CLAY EYES

Allows for a nice change in texture if you are a fan of mixed media. Not as time consuming as crocheting, needle felting or embroidery and like with needle felting and crochet you can get a 3D appearance for your eyes. A downside is that it is a pricier method and is not as secure.

Cost: High (£££).The quality of clay makes a huge difference. I have tried the cheaper non-branded ones and they can crumble and leave residue as well as not fully harden. I prefer Fimo or Sculpey clay. You can get a Fimo starter pack with 12 clay colours for £23 on Amazon. Polymer clay glue (from £9.50), sculpting tools (from £10 on Amazon for decent quality set) and a ceramic tile to bake the eyes on (you can get a sample tile from your local hardware shop for as little as £1).
Additional tools required: Polymer clay, polymer clay glue, sculpting/cutting tools, tile, oven, felt/craft glue.
Ease: Intermediate-Advanced. It is not a case of just jumping in. researching best methods and techniques is advisable if you want a neater and flawless finish.
Skill required: Not necessarily skill required but research and practice is.
Time: Can take time due to the various steps that are required (such as time to sculpt, bake and cool).
Appearance: Can be flat or three dimensional (3D). Also, can be smooth or textured.
Secure: Secure enough for display only dolls. NOT for dolls that are intended for play.
Suitable for children under three: No, not suitable due to small parts that can be pulled off or break off and become a choking hazard.

Polymer clay eyes is a newer method that I have been experimenting with recently. I have also used it for other details on my amigurumi such a teeth, buttons and other finishing touches. This method would be perfect for eyes that require more of a 3D look, such as Bullseyes eyes that I showed you before but without the necessary time that needle felting requires.

So, there you have it. Eight different ways for you to do amigurumi eyes. I recommend that you explore and experiment with all of these methods so that you can form your own opinions on them and how useful they would be for you, your needs and skillset.

I will not summarise this overview by stating the best method because as I said earlier it depends on your needs. If you look at the dolls that I have made and their eyes, you will see that I have used a combination of the methods discussed above.

However, the three methods that I tend to use most frequently for my eyes are felt, T-shirt transfer paper, and more recently polymer clay. I much prefer these methods because all my dolls are displayed on my shelf, so I don’t have to worry about the suitability for children under 3 years old. Also, these methods save me time which is limited as I have to squeeze time to crochet in between the twins – so every minute saved is precious!

I use the t-shirt transfer paper because it saves me time but allows for a lot of detail and realism. I like to use felt and felt glue because it is easy and quick and gives a look that I am happy with. I use polymer clay to achieve three dimensional looks to my eyes and it allows me to do finer details that is hard to achieve or I cannot achieve with the felt sheets, due to it being too small and the felt begins to fall apart.

I tend to avoid embroidery because it takes too long for the level of detail that I like to achieve, and I am not good at it. As for crocheted eyes, I avoid it because I prefer a bit of mixed media and do not like my entire project to be solely crocheted.

These are the reasons and factors that helped me to decide which methods were best suited to me and my needs. Primarily it boils down to time, appearance, and the fact that my dolls are for display only. So, assess and figure out what it is that you require – this may differ from project to project. I advise you to investigate these methods in more detail, but I hope that this guide has helped you and made making that decision as to which method you need easier in some way.

If you would like to see some of my other informative posts that are part of my Mastering Amigurumi Bitesize series, please check out my page HERE.

Until the next post, HAPPY EXPLORING AND CROCHETING!!!

Chantelle X

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