How to crochet a cute Elephant Tissue Box Cover – Free Pattern
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This free crochet pattern will teach you to crochet a cute Elephant Tissue Box Cover where the tissues comes out of its trunk.
Creating this Elephant Tissue Box, a free crochet pattern, was absolutely fun and I was so amazed at how fast one can crochet this tissue box. The most amazing feature is that the tissues are pulled out of the trunk.
This tissue box is for anyone who loves elephants or has kids. What kid does not like elephants?
There is one stitch pattern some of you may have never tried or already know how to do which is the I-Cord stitch. In case you have never tried it, you are in luck. It is very easy and I even added a crochet stitch tutorial, as well as a video tutorial, can be found HERE.
Luckily there is not much that is needed for this pattern, so let’s get right to it.
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Get the PDF Pattern of the Elephant Tissue Box Cover
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How to Crochet an Elephant Tissue Box Cover
You will need:
- Caron simply soft in the color grey heather
- 5.0mm hook
- scissors
- tapestry needle
- 2x12mm plastic eyes with closures
- tissue box that has these dimensions: 5 x 4.5 x4.5 inches
Gauge:
4 sc x 5 rows = 1 square inch
Stitches used:
Instructions:
As the tissue box is added from the bottom of the elephant by having the tissues come out in front by lying on the side instead of the top, you will need to make 3 side panels and one front panel where the face is and one back panel where the tail is.
Side panels (make 3):
Row 1: Crochet a chainless foundation chain for 17 single crochets (find a tutorial for it HERE) or crochet a chain of 18 and start from the 2nd chain and crochet 1 sc in each chain across (17 sts), turn
Row 2: Ch 1, 1 sc in each st, turn
Row 3 – 22: repeat row 2, fasten off
Back panel:
Row 1: Crochet a chainless foundation chain for 17 single crochets (find a tutorial for it HERE) or crochet a chain of 18 and start from the 2nd chain and crochet 1 sc in each chain across (17 sts), turn
Row 2: Ch 1, 1 sc in each st, turn
Row 3 – 17: repeat row 2, fasten off
Front panel:
Row 1: Crochet a chainless foundation chain for 17 single crochets (find a tutorial for it HERE) or crochet a chain of 18 and start from the 2nd chain and crochet 1 sc in each chain across (17 sts), turn
Row 2 – 3: Ch 1, 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
You are now working on one side of the face first and then you repeat the same on the other side.
Row 4: 7 sc (which means 1 sc in the next 7 sts), ch 1, turn
Row 5: 1 sc tog, 5 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 6: 6 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 7: 1 sc tog, 4 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 8: 5 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 9: 1 sc tog, 3 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 10: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 11: 2 sc in the same st, 3 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 12: 5 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 13: 2 sc in the same st, 4 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 14: 6 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 15: 2 sc in the same st, 5 sc
Now fasten off for this side (it looks similar to an L now), and add the yarn to the outside edge of the row 4 for the side that was not worked on (looking at the picture below it would be the right side where the arrow points; you worked the left side already), repeat rows 4 to 15 on that side as well.
But after row 15 of the second side, do NOT fasten off as you’ll continue for 2 more rows.
Row 16: ch 1, 7 sc, ch 3, 7 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 17: 7 sc (1 sc in each st), 3 sc (1 sc in each ch from previous row) and 7 sc (1 sc in each st), fasten off
Adding the trunk:
Now you will add the trunk to the “hole” that was created for the front panel. Hold the panel such that Row 1 is facing you looking at the 3 sts that were skipped in row 4. You will add the yarn to the stitch all the way to the right (of the 3 skipped sts). As you will now go in continues rows (no sl st till the end) be sure to use a stitch marker so you will know when a round starts and ends.
Going towards the left for right handed crocheters (for left handed crocheters work the below sequence backwards when crocheting towards the right):
Round 1: Crochet 32 sc all around by going into the edges of the circle aiming for each row one single crochet. This step might be tricky for some people. Try to add single crochets equally all-round to reach 32 stitches.
Round 2 – 3: 1 sc in each st all around
Round 4: *1 sc dec, 1 sc in the next 2 sts, repeat from * all around, 1 sc dec
Round 5: 1 sc in each st all around
Round 6 – 8: 10 sc, 8 dc, 6 sc
Round 9: *1 sc dec, 1 sc in the next 2 sts, repeat from * all around
Round 10: *1 sc dec, 1 sc in the next st, repeat from * all around, 1 sc dec
Round 11 – 18: 1 sc in each st all around, sl st and fasten off after round 18
Add the eyes now where you would like them making sure they are even and the same distance from the trunk.
Tail:
For the tail you will do the I-cord stitch pattern. Follow the picture and the instructions on how to do it, or watch the video which you can find HERE.
Make the cord 5 inches long and then add in the last final loop 6 yarn strings to resemble the hair of the tail. Then use 1 yarn string and wrap it around to hold the strings downwards (should be 12 hanging down now as the yarn strings are folded).
Ears:
Make 2 ears for the elephant.
Row 1: Chain 3, place 4 dc in the 3rd chain from the hook, ch 1, turn
Row 2: 3 dc in each st, ch 1, turn
Row 3: 2 dc in each st, ch 1, turn
Row 4: 2 dc in each st, fasten off
The ears will be wobbly, but that is how elephant ears look like.
Crocheting all the panels together:
First, using single crochet’s, crochet all the side panels together on the LONG side. You will use single crochet to add all the sides together.
The single crochets will be shown on the outside and give the tissue boxes nice edges. Feel free to sew them instead, but I like the look of the single crochet edge more. Fasten off at the end.
Next, you will add the back panel to the side panels. Start from the right working towards the left if you are right handed or reverse this order of you are left handed. Fasten off at the end.
Now add the front panel again working from right to left for right handed crocheters and left to right for left handed crocheters. Make sure the face is in the correct orientation. Do not fasten off at the end yet.
Turn the tissue box cover upside down such that you are looking inside the cover, now crochet one row of single crochet all around the bottom of the cover. Fasten off.
Add one ear to either side of the elephants face by sewing them on to the 2nd row from the edge.
Now, only the tail needs to be added on the back panel. Sew it onto the back panel towards the top but centered.
Finally, weave in all the ends. And add an actual tissue box inside the cover and pull the tissues thru the trunk. You are done and ready to use it.
How do you insert the tissue box? Looks like all sides are crocheted together.
No actually one side is open. The bottom that it sits on is completely open. There are 3 sides, 1 back and 1 front panel.
What tissue box fits this? I’ve tried the standard sizes with no success.
I mentioned right above the pattern which tissue box I used. Please be aware that tissue boxes have different sizes when it comes to different countries. The one mentioned in this pattern fits the small Kleenex boxes in the U.S.. I hope that helps.
The free pattern for the elephant tissue box is not printing out right. Thanks You
I have a pdf version available in case you want it. It is available for a small fee as it is ad-free. The reason usually it does not print properly from the web browser is because of the ads. But I need to use ads as that is what helps me provide you all with more free patterns and tutorials. Thanks for understanding 🙂
Could you please show me how you do row 15 on the front panel I just got lost on add the yarn to outside of row 4 for the row that was not worked
Thank you.
I will make take a picture of it and publish it here. I will let you know when it is done. Thank you for contacting me
The count seems to be off on front panel too:
Row 11: 2 sc in the same st, 4 sc, ch 1, turn
(That’s 6 SC & doesn’t equal the 5 for row 12?)
Row 12: 5 sc, ch 1, turn
Also-
Row 13: 2 sc in the same st, 5 sc, ch 1, turn
(That’s 7 SC & doesn’t equal the 6 for row 14?)
Row 14: 6 sc, ch 1, turn
I’m so confused right now & all the other panels & pieces are done so kinda disappointed I can’t finish him up ?
You are right, I had a small typo. Sorry about that. I fixed it. 🙂 Thanks for pointing it out.
Thank you for this awesome design of a crochet elephant. It’s way too cute. I’ve made one for my mom in the nursing home and my daughter who loves everything elephant. Now I’m making one for myself.
You are so very welcome:-) I am glad you like it!
this is so adorable. My sister loves elephants. I may attempt to make this. Thank you for this adorable pattern.
How many yards of Caron is needed? I have a non Caron yarn that’s same thickness and has sparkles in the yarn that I’d love to use to make this but not sure If I have enough and it’s no longer available in the stores. I don’t want to use it if I run out before project is finiahed
I think I used about 150-200 yards. So not an entire skein. I hope that helps. 🙂
It does. Thank you!!