Video Game Controller Free Crochet Pattern
First published 9 June 2024
Welcome to my Video Game Controller Free Crochet Pattern
In this pattern:
Body
Thumbsticks
Shoulder buttons/Bumpers
Triggers
Assembly
Controller Grips
I grew up gaming with a keyboard and mouse, and when PC gaming (especially for first-person shooter games and most RPG’s) I still prefer the precision of a keyboard and mouse. My first experience of gaming with a controller was with a Sega Mega Drive, playing the likes of Streets of Rage and Sonic the Hedgehog. Later, when my brothers bought an Xbox 360 we’d play Gears of War together.
These days, I still prefer PC gaming, and have decent Steam Library, but have a lot of games that use a USB generic controller. We also have a PlayStation 5, mainly because the Sony exclusives are just so good (Last of Us, I’m looking at you!)
I hope you enjoy making my crochet Video Game Controller!
Please tag me in your finished creations @quicksavecrochet, share your creations on Ravelry, and email me if you have any questions or issues with the pattern.
Disclaimer: This design is my creation and intellectual property. You may do what you want with your finished creations, giving credit to me as the designer, but please do not recreate, distribute, or sell this pattern. I have endeavoured to test this pattern but cannot guarantee that it is entirely free of typos, errors or inaccuracies. The final product is not guaranteed, and no liability is accepted for variation between this pattern and your own finished project. Note that the product made from this pattern is not intended to be used as a toy, and small parts used in this pattern may present a choking risk. No liability is accepted for any injuries or damages that may occur.
Materials and Tools
Yarn: I used Hobbii’s Rainbow Cotton 8/8 (100% cotton DK weight yarn with 75m/50g skeins) in the following colours:
Green (84) - 26g (39m/43yd)
Black (09) - 3g (4.5m/5yd)
(You can use any colour to make the body of the controller, but try to make it a colour contrasting to black, because you will use safety eyes for some of the buttons, which are typically black)
Hook: 3mm/Size D crochet hook (or hook required for your stitches to be tight enough and not show any stuffing)
Tapestry needle (curved tip ideal)
8mm safety eyes (x4)
Stitch markers
Fibrefill stuffing
Final size
Approximately 12cm (5in) long, 9cm (3.5in) wide and 5cm (2in) thick.
Abbreviations
This pattern is written in US terms.
BLO – Back loop only
ch – chain
FLO - Front loop only
inc – increase (work two sc in one stitch)
inv dec – invisible decrease (see technical notes, below)
MR – magic ring
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st(s) – stitch(es)
(…) x – work the steps within the brackets x number of times
(x sts) – total of number of stitches you should have at the end of this round
Technical notes and tips
Beginner-friendly – I have tried to include as many process photos as possible so that you should be able to follow on as a confident beginner with knowledge of basic stitches (and willingness to watch some YouTube videos!). Feel free to email me if something is not working for you, and I’ll be happy to help!
Yarn-under vs yarn-over crochet – In this pattern I used the “yarn-under” method of crochet, which is often used in amigurumi and gives a tighter weave, reducing the spaces between your stitches. I encourage you to also use the yarn-under technique – there are plenty of great YouTube tutorials available.
Invisible decrease – I always prefer to use the invisible decrease method of decreasing when making amigurumi, as there are no visible holes or bumps when decreasing using this method. In this method, you insert your hook into the front loop of the stitch, and then into the front loop of the next stitch (requires a bit of maneuvering!) You will then yarn over (or under), draw the yarn through the first two loops on your hook (i.e. the front loops of the two stitches) – you then have two loops left on your hook. Yarn over and then draw the yarn through the two loops on your hook.
Gauge – Your gauge is not important when it comes to amigurumi, but it is important to keep your tension tight (or use a smaller hook) to make sure that stuffing does not show through your stitches.
Stitch markers – Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round to keep track of where you are in the pattern, and move it each round. Make sure to count your stitches at the end of each round so you can catch and correctr any errors early!
Body
In Green
Before you start, cut off a length of about 30cm/12in of your main colour and put it aside – you will need this later.
Chain 11 tightly
Mark last stitch you made (1st ch from hook)
Round 1: You are going to work in both sides of the chain to create a round. Sc in the 2nd ch from your hook (using the top loop only), and sc along until you have a single ch left (i.e. the 1st ch you made, which also has the slip knot). You should have 9 sc so far. In the ch with the slip knot, make 3 sc and mark the middle st. Rotate the piece, so that you can continue along the other side of the chain. Continue to sc in each ch until you reach the turning ch, which should have a marker in it. In this turning ch, make 3 sc [and move the marker into the centre st of the 3 sc] (24 sts) You should have markers in stitches 1, 11 and 23 - as you continue, mark the centre stitch of each 3sc increase.
Chain 11 tightly
Mark 1st stitch from your hook
Sc in the 2nd ch from your hook (using the top loop only)
Sc along until you have a single ch left
In the ch with the slip knot, make 3 sc and mark the middle st
Continue to sc in each ch along the other side of the chain until you reach the turning ch, which should have a marker in it. In this turning ch, make 3 sc, and move the marker into the centre st of the 3 sc
Round 2: (9sc, inc, 3sc in 1 st, inc) x2 (32 sts) You should have markers in stitches 1, 13 and 29
The next couple of rounds look confusing to read, but should make sense when you are actually doing them. You will be increasing in 6 places of the round, which will produce the shape we need for the controller, which is like a long hexagon. Two of the increases happen at the furthest points of the hexagon, which are made of 3 sc in one stitch, rather than the “usual” inc which is 2 sc in one stitch, which happen at the other “corners” of the hexagon. Always mark the centre of the 3sc increases.
Round 3: 10sc, inc, sc, 3sc in 1 st, sc, inc, 11sc, inc, sc, 3sc in 1 st, sc, inc, sc (40 sts) You should have markers in stitches 1, 15 and 35
End of round 2
End of round 3
Round 4: 11 sc, inc, 2sc, 3sc in 1 st, 2sc, inc, 13sc, inc, 2sc, 3sc in 1 st, 2sc, inc, 2sc (48 sts) You no longer need to mark the 3sc increase stitches for the following rounds
Round 5: sc around in BLO (48 sts)
Rounds 6 – 7: sc around (48 sts)
End of round 4
End of round 5
End of round 7
End of round 7 (from the side)
You will now start to gradually increase by 4 stitches every 3rd round, up to 60 sts.
Round 8: 12sc, inc (place marker in the 2nd st of this inc), 7sc, inc (place marker in the 1st st of this inc), 15sc, inc (place marker in the 2nd st of this inc), 7sc, inc (place marker in the 1st st of this inc), 3sc (52 sts) You should have markers in stitches 1, 14, 22, 40, and 48
Rounds 9 – 10: sc around (52 sts) – move your markers into each new stitch as you reach the markers of the previous round.
This is where your markers should be at the end of round 8 - we will need them for later rounds
End of round 10 - Your markers should still be in the same stitch numbers, but with 2 more rounds of sc completed
Round 11: (sc up to the next marker, inc in the marked st [move marker to the 2nd st of this inc], sc up to the next marker, inc in the marked st [move marker to the 1st st of this inc]) x2, sc to the end of the round (56 sts) You should have markers in stitches 1, 15, 23, 43 and 51
Rounds 12 – 13: sc around (56 sts)
Round 14: Repeat Round 11 (60 sts) You can remove your extra markers (except for stitch 1) after this round
Round 15 – 16: sc around (60 sts)
You are finished with increases now. You can remove your hook, but do not fasten off – you will be picking the loop up shortly and continuing.
You will now make and attach the various buttons of the controller.
End of round 14 - you technically don’t need the extra markers anymore, and they can be removed
End of round 16
Thumbsticks (make 2)
In Black
Round 1: 6sc in MR, leaving about 4 inches of starting tail
Round 2: inc in each st around (12 sts)
Round 3: 6 inv dec (6 sts)
Close in MR method - this means to thread your tapestry needle through every second front loop of the 6 stitches and then pull tight.
Thread your starting tail through the closing hole in what will be the base of the controller – you will use these ends to attach the thumbsticks onto the controller.
You should have 2 little spherical objects like this, with 2 tails coming out one end
Bumpers (make 2)
These are just a single row of sc which will be folded over and then attached.
In Black
Chain 7
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch, to the end of the row (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a tail.
Just chain 7 tightly, and fasten off, leaving a tail.
Triggers (make 2)
In Black
Chain 4
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, and sc to the end of the row (3 sts)
Row 2: ch1, turn. Sc in each st across (3 sts)
Rows 3 – 5: Repeat row 2
Fasten off, leaving a tail to attach this to the controller.
This is what you should have for your triggers (x2)
Assembly
You will now attach all your buttons and add some other details. Try to keep everything as symmetrical as you can! This is just a generic sort of controller layout, so if you want to make something more like an Xbox controller, you can of course move things around as you choose!
See the pictures below for the steps in attachment.
It looks like a lot, but I promise it’s not that bad!
Before you start, try to determine the centre, across which everything will be symmetrical i.e. the midline between the angles of the hexagon at the top of the controller, as shown here with my tapestry needle.
Step 1: Use tapestry needle and black yarn to embroider on start and back buttons. I made them 2 rows below the ridge and about 2-3 stitches either side of the midline.
Step 2: Attach thumbsticks under these embroidered buttons. I attached them about 4 stitches below the embroidered buttons.
Use both of the tails from the thumbsticks to attach them. I tied them here around a stitch, but then used one of the tails to also stitch through the base of the thumbstick and back around so that they were not too loose.
Make sure the thumbstick is firmly attached, and then repeat on the other side.
Step 3: Attach the bumpers you made earlier, by folding them in half and attaching them equally at the top edge of the controller.
Again, try to make them evenly placed
Position of bumpers
Step 4: Fold the rectangles you made for your triggers part of the way and attach them at the top of the controller, closer to the bottom edge.
Folding them makes more of a trigger-shape, shown here
Position of triggers
Step 5: Using surface crochet, make the directional pad. Make a slip stitch in line with your left thumbstick as shown…
…proceed to make 5 – 6 slip stitches (i.e. surface crochet) towards the top of the controller…
...and 5-6 slip stitches back down again.
Fasten off and thread this end through to the other side, pulling the knot close. You may tie a knot with the 2 tails if you wish.
Proceed to do the same for the other direction.
Your directional pad should look something like this.
Step 6: Attach 4 safety eyes (I like to do this last to avoid the yarn catching on the backs of the safety eyes.
It’s quite hard to make them look even from the front – they may spread out a bit when stuffed, so make sure they are evenly spaced by looking at the back and checking the number of holes between the eyes, before attaching the backs securely.
Controller Grips
We need to divide the controller into thirds so that we can make the hand grips. To do this, flatten the controller and place markers into what seems to be the outer-most stitches on either end. Count that you have 29 stitches between each of the marked stitches – if there is more or less on one side, move one of the markers so that they are evenly spaced.
From the rightmost marked stitch (red marker in the picture below*), starting from the next stitch, count 10 stitches towards the front aspect (or top) of the controller, and place another marker into the 10th stitch (green marker). Go back to the rightmost marked stitch (where you started counting - red marker) and in the other direction, towards the back of the controller, count 9 stitches, marking the 9th stitch (this was the same as the first stitch of the round for me, so has the white marker in the picture below). Now, from the leftmost marked stitch (purple marker), count 9 stitches towards the top, and mark the 9th stitch (orange marker), and do the same in the other direction but mark the 10th stitch towards the back of the controller (blue marker). Counting from one of these stitches to the corresponding one on the other side (e.g. orange to blue, or green to white) should add up to 20 stitches, including the marked stitches.
*Apologies to colour-blind crocheters - I hope the picture is still clear enough to guide you.
There are 29 stitches at the top between the purple and red markers (not including the marked stitches) and 29 stitches at the bottom between the purple and red markers.
Cookie!!
Using the piece of yarn you cut off earlier, thread your tapestry needle. You will now use this to close the centre of the controller, attaching the 10 centre stitches at the top to the 10 centre stitches at the bottom, using the whip stitch. Leave a fair bit of tail on each end, as you might find there are small holes left on either end that you want to close.
The stitches to the left of the markers: Use your tapestry needle to thread your spare length of yarn under both stitches, then under the next pair of stitches, and so on to the last unmarked pair of stitches, pulling tight as you go.
You should have this.
You should now have two equal-sized circles of 20 stitches each on each side of the controller. One of them should already have a loop (where you stopped crocheting earlier) – pick up this loop and we will begin.
First controller grip:
Round 1: sc around, marking the first stitch of the round as usual (20 sts)
Round 2: (3sc, inv dec) x 4 (16 sts)
Rounds 3 – 4: sc around (16 sts)
Round 5: (2sc, inv dec) x 4 (12 sts)
Rounds 6 – 7: sc around
Round 8: (sc, inv dec) x 4 (8 sts)
Fasten off and close in MR method (as described in the Thumbsticks section)
Stuff this grip firmly (through the remaining hole on the other side), and most of the controller before starting on the next side.
Join the opposite marked stitches to make a continuous circle.
Close at this point
Thread your needle through the FLO of every 2nd stitch.
Pull tight.
Thread your yarn through the hole into the other side and pull tight, this will make it less pointy.
It will be more rounded like this. You can weave this tail in slightly and then cut it.
Second controller grip:
Join into one of the stitches near your whip stitch seam with a slip stitch (this does not count as a stitch) - you will make the next sc into the same stitch that you joined into. Make rounds 1 to 8 as for the first controller grip, stuffing firmly as you go. Close in the same MR method. Weave in and cut any ends. That’s it, you’re done!
Join near the seam with a slip stitch, which won't count as a stitch (i.e. when you get around to it again, skip it and use the sc)
Use your tails from earlier to close any remaining holes, then weave in and cut any remaining tails.
I hope you’ve enjoyed making this Video Game Controller! Please tag me in your final creations @quicksavecrochet, add your questions and comments below, or contact me using the contact form or pop me an email at quicksavecrochet@gmail.com.