Chinese New Year is a 15-day festival that has folkloric origins and is widely celebrated all around the world. Legend has it, years ago, a monster named Nian would attack villages at the beginning of each year. However, to defeat Nian, villagers needed to make him fearful with loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. Hence the use of big crowds, fireworks, and big color envelopes during the celebration.

When I was a kid, I would visit Chinatown in Chicago with my parents every Chinese New Year. It was presented like a multicultural festival, there were foods from different cultures, beautiful dances, and colorful lights. To this day, I love to celebrate Chinese New Year with my friends enjoying a reunion dinner with dumplings and Nian Gao (sticky rice cake).

This year, I want to crochet cute Lunar New Year patterns to give to my friends as a gift. I thought you might want to as well, so here are some designs I liked! I hope you’ll join me and make them.

Let's welcome the Year Of The Tiger with these 15 Lunar New Year Crochet Patterns!

01

Chinese Lantern

It is said that red lanterns bring vitality and good luck! Also, I don’t know if you’ve heard the new Taylor Swift album but this is easily giving RED TV vibes. Taylor, if you see this, I love you and I hope you make this design. Also, Taylor, thank you for making the perfect music to crochet to.

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Easy

Free Pattern

02

Miss Tiger

Here is Miss Tiger looking as cute as ever. This pattern is a part of a zodiac series, so you can get one for your zodiac! The Chinese zodiacs are composed of animals, who knows, maybe your favorite animal is your Chinese zodiac.

Size: Small

Difficulty: Easy

Paid Pattern

03

Fortune Cookies

I’m no fortune cookie but I can tell you your fortune: Somewhere in the near future, you will be making Lunar Year Crochet Patterns. Especially after seeing those cute cookie cutter faces (pun intended).

Size: Small

Difficulty: Easy

Paid Pattern

05

12 Zodiac Animals Pattern Combo

Remember how I was obsessing about the zodiac signs earlier? Now you can have all of them! This is a perfect gift giving idea, you can make all these and save them to give to friends. I will most certainly be doing that.

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Intermediate

Paid Pattern

06

Tiger Plush

OH MY TIGER! This is absolutely beautiful. I remember being a kid and seeing people sell these on the streets of ChinaTown, now I can make it! I hope you make it too, it is a little difficult but I have a feeling that you’re never one to back down from a challenge.

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Intermediate

Paid Pattern

07

Lucky Lunar Lantern

This one is super cute and easy! I love these because if you celebrate multiple cultures like me, these crochet patterns can easily turn into Christmas ornaments or Day of the Dead decorations. It’s an easy way to be sustainable and reuse your yarn!

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Easy

Free Pattern

08

Crochet Tiger Square

BRB. I’m making six of these for my dinner table. THESE ARE SO CUTE! You can use these as DIY coasters (cup pads) to keep your tea table clean and adorable! Also just imagine seeing a cute tiger everytime you drink tea, ugh I can’t get over this.

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Easy

Free Pattern

09

Auspicious Tiger

2022 is the Year of the Tiger; people born in this year are brave, competitive, confident and have great willpower. Are you brave, competitive, confident and do you possess enough willpower to try this pattern out? Even if it doesn’t come out perfect, it is good luck!

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Advanced

Paid Pattern

10

The Prosperity Tiger

Have you ever seen The Lion King? I love this pattern because that’s what it reminds me of: cute little Simba. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to have this Prosperity Tiger hanging out with me around my house. If Winnie the Pooh and Lion King had a baby, this would be it.

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Intermediate

Paid Pattern

11

Tiger Keychain

AHHHHH! The fact that you can carry this around in a keychain… I’m jealous. This tiger looks like Garfield the cat. I absolutely love it, I also love his little overalls. I imagine those are fun to make and even more fun to put on him! I will be making this ASAP.

Size: Small

Difficulty: Easy

Free Pattern

12

Chinese New Year Zodiac Amigurumi Bundle

PLEASE MAKE THESE! I’m on my knees begging you! My inner child is screaming right now! I think my life will finally be complete once I finish these patterns. WARNING: each one is cuter than the next, be careful not to spend two hours staring at them (like me).

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Easy

Paid Pattern

13

Amigurumi Tiger Doll

This is an interesting new look, and I love new things. I think it’s so cool that she is wearing the tiger as a costume. I think it’s even cooler that you can change the color of her hair! If you’re gifting it to a friend who has blonde hair, or black, or maybe even blue, you can always make it personalized for them!

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Easy

Paid Pattern

14

Tiger Amigurumi (Video)

I’m a sucker for videos, they make everything super easy to follow and it feels like you’re doing it with a friend. Yeah, the video might be an hour long but think of it like you’re spending an hour crocheting with an old friend (who happens to be an expert crocheter).

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Easy

Free Pattern

15

Reversible Tiger Amigurumi Pattern

In my three years of crocheting, I never thought reversible patterns existed. Have I been living in a bubble????? This is the most adorable thing ever! Tiger to Girl, Girl to Tiger, Tiger to Girl… I’m fascinated and obsessed at the same time. If you make these, please send me a picture!

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Intermediate

Paid Pattern

16

Lunar Year Tiger Couple

This is such a cute date night idea. Your significant other can make you and you can make them! Even more fun, make it a challenge! Whoever does it better doesn’t have to cook for a week. Or you can just give it to them as a gift or something. (Make it fun!)

Size: Medium

Difficulty: Intermediate

Paid Pattern