27+ Crochet Animal Potholders – Free Patterns

Bring the animal world into your kitchen decor with this collection of 27+ crochet animal potholders!

Free Crochet Animal Potholder Patterns - Raffamusa Designs

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Potholders are some of my favorite things to crochet, and I’m always looking for fun and cute ideas to decorate my kitchen.

Here, I gathered 28 of my favorite animal potholders. You’ll find anything from vintage farmhouse animals, exotic and colorful creatures, or scary sharks and fish.

Besides being very practical and useful, crochet animal potholders can also be a fun and playful way to teach children about handling a hot bowl of their favorite soup or grabbing a cold cartoon from the fridge.

For some of these free patterns, you’ll be using tapestry crochet to create some beautiful animal charts and square potholders.

The other patterns are either for round hot pads or for different animal shapes.

Whatever their shape or the crochet technique, all the patterns that I selected are for potholders that you can safely use in the kitchen because they do not have holes, are solid, and in many cases are double thick!

What’s the Best Yarn for Potholders?

Before diving into these free animal potholder patterns, a quick note about the best yarn to use for making hot pads.

In one word, cotton yarn! You can find a few of my favorite cotton yarn HERE.

Also remember that when crocheting hot pads, it’s best to avoid acrylic or plastic eyes because they will melt in contact with hot pots and plates.

Free Crochet Animal Potholder Patterns

Here are my favorite crochet animal potholder patterns.

1. Chicken Potholder

When you’re looking for a quick and easy Chicken Potholder, this pattern by Crochet for You is just the cutest. And you can crochet an entire set of round animal potholders! Just keep scrolling to see a few more…

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Aran (4, Medium), such as Garnstudio DROPS Paris
  • Crochet Hook 5.0 mm (H/8 US, 6 UK)
Crochet for You - Chicken Potholder

2. Rooster Potholder

Another kind of chicken potholder is my tapestry crochet Rooster Potholder. This pattern is part of the Farmhouse collection, and you’ll see a few more animals from the same collection below. But for now, enjoy the rooster!

Tapestry Crochet Rooster Potholder - Free Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

3. Chickadee Potholder

Our chicken coop wouldn’t be complete without this Chickadee Potholder by Lion Brand Yarn. This hen and her little chick are the cutest and would be perfect for a little Easter decor as well!

Lion Brand Yarn - Chickadee Potholder

4. Rabbit Potholder

Another great potholder to crochet for Easter is this Bunny Potholder from the A Year of Potholders collection. Choose your favorite pastel colors and make this fluffy tapestry crochet bunny!

Easter Bunny Potholder - Free Tapestry Crochet Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

5. Bear Potholder

This adorable Bear Potholder by Lion Brand Yarn is a fun way to decorate your kitchen, especially when you match it with the Beehive Potholder that you see pictured below!

Lion Brand Yarn - Bear Potholder

6. Tapestry Crochet Bear Potholder

Another pattern for a crochet bear potholder is this tapestry crochet gingham bear. The bear silhouette over a gingham background makes this potholder particularly festive and ideal for winter and Christmas.

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Sport (2, Fine), such as Schachenmayr Catania
  • Crochet Hook 2.75-mm (C/2 USA, 12 UK)
Crochet Bear Potholder with Cotton Fabric Lining - Raffamusa Designs

7. Moose Potholder

The perfect match for your bear potholder above is this tapestry crochet moose potholder. This hot pad pattern has the same style with a moose silhouette over a very festive gingham background.

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Sport (2, Fine), such as Schachenmayr Catania
  • Crochet Hook 2.75-mm (C/2 USA, 12 UK)
Tapestry Crochet Moose Potholder - Raffamusa Designs

8. Bee Potholder

If you love honey and bees, you’ve got to try this tapestry crochet Bee Potholder. This pattern from the Farmhouse collection makes the perfect gift for your beekeeper friends!

Tapestry Crochet Bee Potholder - Raffamusa Designs

9. Squirrel Potholder

The little squirrel of this Squirrel Potholder is hard at work looking for nuts to store for the winter. And he’s super cute with his long fluffy tail!

Tapestry Crochet Squirrel Potholder - Free Crochet Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

10. Dog Potholder

Dogs are our best friends, and they can be a great help in the kitchen too with this round Dog Potholder by Kerri Brown’s Crochet.

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn DK (3, Light)
  • Crochet Hook 2.5 mm (12 UK)
Kerri Brown's Crochet - Dog Potholder

11. Cat Potholder

If you’re not much of a dog person and you prefer cats, here’s a beautiful Cat Potholder for you! This pattern is by Crochet 365 Knit Too.

Crochet 365 Knit Too - Cat Potholder

12. Mouse Potholder

Real mice might not be welcome in the kitchen, but this Mouse Potholder is just too cute to pass! The pattern is a free video tutorial by DIY-1000 Ideas.

  • Get the free video tutorial HERE;
  • Yarn Chunky
  • Crochet Hook 9.0 mm (M/N/13 US, 0 UK)
DIY-1000 Ideas - Mouse Potholder

13. Tapestry Crochet Cow Potholder

If you love farmhouse animals, you’ll definitely love this tapestry crochet Cow Potholder!

Tapestry Crochet Cow Potholder - Free Crochet Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

14. Cow Potholder

If you’d like to add a cow to your kitchen decor but you’re not into tapestry crochet, try this Cow Potholder by Crochet for You.

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Aran (4, Medium), such as Garnstudio DROPS Paris
  • Crochet Hook 5.0 mm (H/8 US, 6 UK)
Crochet for You - Cow Potholder

15. Horse Potholder

Whether you’re a horse lover or you’re looking for a gift for a horse-loving friend, this Horse Potholder is the right pattern for you.

Tapestry Crochet Horse Potholder - Free Crochet Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

16. Goose Potholder

To go back to the coop, how about a Goose Potholder? This goose is super chic and elegant and would look great in any farmhouse color.

Tapestry Crochet Goose Potholder - Free Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

17. Duck Pot holder

Vintage patterns can still be a great resource of inspiration for crocheters, and this Duck Pot Holder pattern from 1952 perfectly exemplifies it!

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Thread
  • Crochet Hook 2.0 mm (14 UK)
The Spool Cotton Company - Duck Pot Holder

18. Turkey Potholder

For Thanksgiving, it’s nice to bring all the Fall colors into your kitchen with this crochet this Turkey Potholder by Craft Passion.

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn DK (3, Light)
  • Crochet Hook 3.0 mm (C/2 US, 11 UK)
Craft Passion - Turkey Coasters

19. Love Birds Potholder

To stay on the topic of flying animals and festivities, here’s a perfect potholder for St. Valentine’s Day, the Love Birds Potholder!

Love Birds Potholder - Free Tapestry Crochet Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

20. Tapestry Crochet Pig Potholder

This tapestry crochet Pig Potholder is another nice addition to your collection of farmhouse animals. The little heart on the belly of the pork gives this hot pad a vintage and rustic look.

Tapestry Crochet Pig Potholder - Free Pattern - Raffamusa Designs

21. Pig Potholder

Another kind of pig hot pad is the round Pig Potholder by Crochet for You. Get your pink yarn out for this fun piglet!

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Aran (4, Medium), such as Garnstudio DROPS Paris
  • Crochet Hook 5.0 mm (H/8 US, 6 UK)
Crochet for You - Pig Potholder

22. Dancing Sheep Potholder

It’s not a real farm without a sheep, is it? So, let’s make a Dancing Sheep Potholder with the help of this free pattern by Divine Debris.

Divine Debris - Dancing Sheep Potholder

23. Sheep Potholder

Or make this round Sheep Potholder by Crochet for You for a perfect set of farm animals!

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Aran (4, Medium), such as Garnstudio DROPS Paris
  • Crochet Hook 5.0 mm (H/8 US, 6 UK)
Crochet for You - Sheep Potholder

24. Koala Potholder

This fun Koala Potholder by Jess McCaughey is a quick and easy kitschy pattern for all lovers of Australia and animals.

  • Get the free crochet pattern on Ravelry HERE;
  • Yarn DK (3, Light)
  • Crochet Hook 3.25 mm (D/3 US, 10 UK)
Jess McCaughey - Koala Potholder

25. Platypus Potholder

The platypus is one of the iconic symbols of Australia. This egg-laying mammal is a very unique animal and a great subject for evolutionary studies. Crochet one for your kitchen with this Platypus Potholder pattern by Patalappumania.

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Worsted (4, Medium), such as Schachenmayr SMC Cotton Time or Schachenmayr Cotton Time
  • Crochet Hook 4.0 mm (G/6 US, 8 UK)
Patalappumania - Crochet Platypus Potholder

26. Butterfly Potholder

This Butterfly Potholder by Artemis Sophia pictures a Blue Mountain Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses) from Australia. The same author has 2 more butterflies in her Ravelry store. Make sure to check those as well. They’re all stunning!

  • Get the free crochet pattern HERE;
  • Yarn Aran (4, Medium)
  • Crochet Hook 3.5 mm (E/4 US, 9 UK)
Artemis Sophia - Butterfly Potholder

27. Shark Kitchen Mitten

Let’s go on a little underwater adventure with the last two potholders of this list. The first pattern is this Jaws for Your Paws Kitchen Mitten by Yarnspirations. Protecting your hands from hot pots and dishes has never been more fun!

Yarnspirations - Shark Kitchen Mitten

28. Fish Potholder

This Fish Potholder by Chronicles of Yarnia is the cutest little clownfish for your kitchen!

Chronicles of Yarnia - Fish Potholder

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS COLLECTION OF FREE CROCHET Animal PotholderS!

Find more crochet home decor ideas here on the blog…

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