Learn to crochet an adorable amigurumi teddy bear with this free beginner-friendly pattern. Includes exact stitch counts, magic ring, decreases, and full assembly steps.
There is something about a tiny crocheted teddy bear that never gets old. This amigurumi teddy bear pattern makes a soft, huggable little friend that stands just under 4 inches tall when made with DK cotton yarn, or a bit taller and extra cuddly when made with fuzzy baby yarn. He has got a round little muzzle, floppy ears, chubby arms, and a shape that is instantly recognizable as teddy bear the moment you set him down.
This pattern is worked entirely in continuous rounds (no joining, no turning), using basic single crochet along with increases and decreases to build the shape. The trickiest parts, joining the legs to the body and closing up the arms, are broken down step by step below, so even if you have never made an amigurumi before, you will be able to follow along.
Why You Will Love This Pattern
It is genuinely small and fast. With such a small stitch count, you can realistically finish a whole bear in one or two sittings.
It teaches real amigurumi skills. Magic ring, invisible decrease, joining pieces in the round, and sewing techniques you will reuse in every future amigurumi project.
Two totally different looks from one pattern. Cotton yarn gives you a smooth, classic teddy bear finish. Fuzzy polyester yarn gives you a soft, almost furry look that feels like a miniature plush toy.
Beginner-safe stuffing and shaping steps. Nothing about this bear requires special tools beyond a hook, yarn needle, and some fiberfill.
It is a lovely gift. Small enough for a keychain, bag charm, or nursery shelf, and quick enough to make several as gifts.
Skill Level and Finished Size
This is rated intermediate rather than absolute-beginner, mainly because of two techniques: joining the legs onto the body using a small connecting chain, and the invisible decrease. Neither is hard once you have seen it done, and both are explained in full detail in the steps below, so if you have made even one amigurumi ball or sphere before, you will be fine.
Finished size: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 inches) tall using DK weight cotton yarn and a 2.5 mm hook, or 11.5 cm (4 1/2 inches) tall using fuzzy baby yarn and a 2.75 mm hook.
Materials You Will Need
For the cotton version:
DK weight cotton yarn, about 17 g of brown or pink for the body, and 2 g of white or cream for the muzzle. A 2.50 to 3.00 mm crochet hook (US size 2/C to 3/D). Polyester fiberfill or wool stuffing. 6 mm safety eyes (or buttons, beads, or felt circles as a no-choking-hazard alternative). Dark brown embroidery floss for the nose. Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.
For the fuzzy version:
Fuzzy baby yarn (100 percent polyester), about 20 g brown or beige for the body, and 5 g white for the muzzle. A 2.75 to 3.50 mm crochet hook (US size 2/C to 4/E). Polyester fiberfill or wool stuffing. 8 mm safety eyes. Dark brown embroidery floss. Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.
If you would like to shop for supplies, crochet hooks, safety eyes, and polyester fiberfill are all easy to find in the sizes listed above.
Yarn and Hook Recommendations
For the classic look, a smooth DK weight cotton yarn (like Cascade Ultra Pima or a similar 100 percent cotton DK) gives crisp, well-defined stitches that make the bear shape really pop, this is the easier yarn to work with as a beginner because you can actually see your stitches clearly.
For the softer, plush look, a fuzzy baby yarn (like Alize Softy) hides small stitch irregularities beautifully, which is forgiving if your tension is not perfectly even yet. The trade-off is that the fuzziness makes it harder to see exactly where to insert your hook, so it is worth practicing the stitch count on a swatch first if it is your first time using this type of yarn.
Whichever yarn you pick, always use a hook one size smaller than what the yarn label recommends. Amigurumi needs a tight, dense fabric so the stuffing does not peek through between stitches, a size 2.5 mm hook is typical for DK cotton.
Crochet Abbreviations
st(s) = stitch(es). mr, sc 6 = magic ring, then crochet 6 single crochet stitches into it. ch = chain stitch. sl st = slip stitch. sc = single crochet. inc = increase (2 single crochet stitches worked into the same stitch). dec = decrease (2 stitches crocheted together using the invisible decrease method). (sc 4, inc) x 6 = repeat the instructions inside the parentheses 6 times. (36) = the total stitch count at the end of that round.
Stitches and Techniques
This pattern uses only single crochet, worked in a continuous spiral (no slip-stitch joins, no turning), plus magic ring (adjustable loop) for starting round pieces, increase (inc) worked as 2 sc into one stitch for gradual shaping, invisible decrease (dec) worked through the front loops only of two stitches for a nearly invisible surface, joining pieces with a connecting chain used to attach the two legs and start the body, flattening and closing an opening with sc used to close the arm tops, and whip stitch and mattress stitch used to sew the finished pieces together.
If any of these are new to you, the Wikipedia entry on amigurumi has good background on the style, and the technique breakdowns in the step-by-step section below will walk you through each one in detail the first time it comes up.
Important Pattern Notes
Work in a continuous spiral, do not join rounds with a slip stitch and do not turn your work, unless a step specifically tells you to. Use a stitch marker to track the start of each round, and move it up every time you begin a new round. Work into both loops of each stitch unless a step says otherwise. This pattern uses US crochet terms (sc = single crochet). If you normally crochet in UK terms, remember UK double crochet is the same stitch as US single crochet. Stuff as you go, a little at a time, rather than trying to stuff the whole piece at the very end through a small opening. You may sell finished items made from this pattern, a credit to the original pattern designer is always appreciated but the finished toys are yours to sell.
How to Crochet the Teddy Bear Step by Step
Step 1 - Magic Ring and Head Base
Start with brown yarn. Make a magic ring and work 6 single crochet stitches into it, then pull the tail to close the ring tight.
Round 1: mr, sc 6 (6 sts)
Do not join, just keep spiraling. Place your stitch marker in the last stitch of the round so you know where round 2 begins.
Step 2 - Shaping the Head (Rounds 2-9)
Now build the rounded shape of the head with a series of increase rounds.
Round 2: inc in every stitch around (12 sts)
Round 3: (sc 1, inc) repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: (inc, sc 2) repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 5: (sc 3, inc) repeat 6 times (30 sts)
Round 6: sc 6, inc, sc 14, inc, sc 8 (32 sts)
Rounds 7-8: sc in each stitch around (32 sts)
Round 9: (sc 7, inc) repeat 4 times (36 sts)
Notice round 6 is not a repeating pattern like the others, it is shaped this way on purpose to keep the increases evenly distributed as the circle gets bigger. Follow the stitch counts exactly as written and you will get a smooth, symmetrical curve.
At the start of round 10, place a stitch marker around the 17th stitch of the round. This marks the center of the face and will guide where you place the eyes in the next step.
Step 3 - Placing the Safety Eyes and Finishing the Head Shape
Rounds 10-12: sc in each stitch around (36 sts)
After round 12, insert your safety eyes between rounds 10 and 11, positioning them on either side of your center stitch marker, with 7 stitches (6 holes) of space between the two eyes. Push the washer backing onto each eye post firmly from the inside once you are happy with the placement, this is permanent, so double check the spacing looks even before locking them in.
Now begin decreasing to close the head.
Round 13: sc 1, dec, (sc 4, dec) repeat 5 times, sc 3 (30 sts)
Start stuffing the head now, firmly, adding a bit more fiberfill every couple of rounds as you continue.
Round 14: (sc 3, dec) repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 15: (dec, sc 2) repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 16: (dec x 3, sc 1) repeat 2 times, dec x 2 (10 sts)
Slip stitch into the next stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail for sewing, and fasten off. Finish stuffing the head firmly through the small remaining gap before it closes up completely, a chopstick or knitting needle end is helpful for pushing stuffing right into the edges.
Step 4 - Crocheting the Muzzle
Switch to white (or cream) yarn.
Round 1: mr, sc 6 (6 sts)
Round 2: inc in every stitch around (12 sts)
Round 3: sc in each stitch around (12 sts)
Slip stitch in the next stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail for sewing, and fasten off. Stuff the muzzle firmly, it is small, so a pinch of fiberfill pushed in with your fingertip is enough.
Step 5 - Crocheting the Ears (Make 2)
With brown yarn.
Round 1: mr, sc 8 (8 sts)
Rounds 2-3: sc in each stitch around (8 sts)
Slip stitch in the next stitch, cut the yarn leaving a long tail, and fasten off. Do not stuff the ears, they should stay flat.
Make a second ear exactly the same way.
Step 6 - Crocheting the Legs
Legs and body are worked as one continuous piece, so start with the legs first. With brown yarn.
Round 1: mr, sc 6 (6 sts)
Round 2: (inc, sc 1) repeat 3 times (9 sts)
From here, the right and left legs are worked slightly differently.
Right leg:
Round 3: sc 3, dec, sc 4 (8 sts)
Round 4: sc in each stitch around (8 sts)
Slip stitch into the next stitch, cut the yarn, and fasten off. Stuff the leg firmly.
Left leg:
Round 3: sc 4, dec, sc 3 (8 sts)
Round 4: sc in each stitch around (8 sts)
Do not fasten off this one, leave the working yarn attached, since you will continue directly into the body with this strand. Stuff the leg firmly.
Step 7 - Joining the Legs to Start the Body
This is the step that trips up most beginners the first time, so go slowly here.
Take the left leg (the one still attached to your yarn) and chain 2. Then pick up the right leg and, starting in the next stitch after its slip stitch, work sc into each of the 8 stitches around the right leg, then 1 more sc into the very first stitch you worked on that leg (this gives you 2 sc total in that one stitch).
Next, work 2 sc into the 2-chain you made, one sc into each chain stitch. Then work 1 more sc into the last stitch of the right leg, the same stitch where you finished before starting the chain (again, 2 sc total in that stitch).
Finally, continue around the left leg, working sc into each of its 8 stitches.
Round 1 of body: sc 8 (around right leg), sc 2 into shared stitch, sc 2 (into chain), sc 2 into shared stitch, sc 8 (around left leg) = 22 sts
That gives you 9 sc on each leg, plus 2 sc worked twice into shared stitches on either side of the chain, plus the 2 chain stitches themselves, 22 stitches total, with both legs now joined side by side with a small gap between them.
Step 8 - Shaping the Body
Round 2: sc 1, inc, sc 4, dec, sc 4, inc, sc 4, dec, sc 3 (22 sts)
Rounds 3-6: sc in each stitch around (22 sts)
After round 6, sc into the next 12 stitches, and count that last stitch as the new end-of-round marker point going forward, this shifts where your rounds begin slightly so the next decrease round lines up correctly.
Round 7: (dec, sc 4, dec, sc 3) repeat 2 times (18 sts)
Begin stuffing the body now, adding fiberfill gradually every few rounds as you keep working.
Round 8: sc in each stitch around (18 sts)
Round 9: (sc 2, dec, sc 3, dec) repeat 2 times (14 sts)
Round 10: sc in each stitch around (14 sts)
Round 11: (dec, sc 2, dec, sc 1) repeat 2 times (10 sts)
Slip stitch into the next stitch, cut the yarn, and fasten off. Finish stuffing the body firmly, making sure the area right around the legs is packed well so the bear can sit or stand without collapsing.
Step 9 - Crocheting the Arms (Make 2)
With brown yarn.
Round 1: mr, sc 6 (6 sts)
Rounds 2-3: sc in each stitch around (6 sts)
Stuff the hand end firmly now, this small tip is easiest to stuff early, before the tube gets any longer.
Rounds 4-7: sc in each stitch around (6 sts)
As you work these rounds, keep adding small amounts of stuffing every round or two, but only stuff the arm lightly up to about the halfway point, a floppy little bit of unstuffed fabric near the top makes the arm easier to sew flat against the body later.
Round 8: sc 3, then flatten the top of the tube so the remaining 3 stitches on the front line up directly against the 3 stitches on the back. Work sc through both layers together across these 3 matched pairs, closing the opening as you go.
Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing, and fasten off. Make a second arm exactly the same way.
Step 10 - Attaching the Eyes, Nose, and Muzzle
By now your head should already have its safety eyes installed from Step 3. Before attaching the head to the body, finish these facial details while the head is still easy to hold and turn.
Attach the muzzle: Pin the white muzzle piece to the front of the head, positioning it just below round 9, roughly centered under the eyes. Using the long yarn tail left on the muzzle, sew it to the head with whip stitch, inserting your needle through both layers all the way around. Add a small pinch more stuffing into the muzzle through the gap before you close the last stitches, so it stays nicely rounded rather than flat.
Shape the eye area: Thread a length of yarn onto your needle. Insert it from the bottom of the head, bringing it up right beside one eye, then back down through the head and up beside the other eye. Pull both yarn tails gently to draw the eyes in slightly, giving the face a softer, more set-in look, then knot the tails together underneath the head and trim.
Embroider the nose: With dark brown embroidery floss, bring your needle up just above muzzle round 2. Make one long straight stitch downward, then build up the nose shape with small horizontal stitches side by side, always inserting and bringing the needle up through the same two points until the nose is a solid little triangle or oval shape. Knot the floss underneath the head when you are happy with the size.
Step 11 - Sewing the Ears to the Head
Flatten each ear piece and pin it to the head just below round 4, spacing the two ears evenly on either side, tilted slightly forward. Using the yarn tail left on each ear, sew it in place with whip stitch, inserting the needle through both the ear and the head fabric together all the way around.
Step 12 - Assembling the Bear
Sew the finished head onto the top of the body using mattress stitch or whip stitch, working all the way around the opening. Add a bit more stuffing into the neck area just before you close the last few stitches, so there is no soft or hollow spot at the seam.
Finally, sew the arms to the sides of the body, positioning them one row below the head seam, one on each side. Keep the flattened tops facing the body so they sit neatly flush against it.
Beginner Tips
Count your stitches at the end of every round. The number in parentheses is your checkpoint, if it does not match, you have likely missed a stitch or worked an extra one, and it is much easier to fix one round back than five rounds later.
Use a stitch marker religiously. In a spiral, there is no natural end to a round, so losing track of where you started is the single most common source of miscounts.
Stuff a little, often. Rather than cramming stuffing in at the very end, add small amounts every few rounds so it distributes evenly and the shape stays smooth rather than lumpy.
Do not rush the eye placement. Since safety eyes are permanent once the washer is pushed on, dry-fit both eyes first, sit the head at arm length, and check they look level and evenly spaced before locking them in.
Practice the invisible decrease separately first if it is new to you, working into just the front loops of two stitches feels different from a regular decrease, and a quick 6-stitch practice swatch will save you frustration on the real piece.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Stitch count drifts off partway through a round. This almost always means a stitch marker slipped or was not moved. Fix: count stitches at the end of every single round while you are still learning, and re-place the marker each time.
The head looks lumpy instead of smooth. Usually caused by stuffing all at once at the end, which leaves air pockets. Fix: unstuff and re-stuff gradually in small pinches as you work each new round, pushing fiberfill right into the corners.
Safety eyes end up crooked or too far apart. Fix: before pushing the washer on, lay the head flat, place both eye posts loosely, and step back to check symmetry from a normal viewing distance, not while holding the piece close to your face, which distorts perspective.
Visible gap or hole where the legs join the body. This happens when the chain-2 join in Step 7 is not drawn snug. Fix: after finishing round 1 of the body, gently tug the working yarn to tighten any loose stitches around the chain before continuing.
Arms flop or twist instead of sitting flush. Usually means the flattened closure in Step 9 was not lined up evenly, or the arm was sewn on with the closure seam facing outward. Fix: always position the flattened closure seam against the body before sewing.
Decrease rounds look bumpy on the surface. This means the regular decrease was used instead of the invisible decrease, or only one loop was picked up instead of the front loop of each stitch. Fix: for the invisible decrease, always insert your hook under the front loop only of each of the two stitches before pulling through.
Customization Ideas
Change the palette. Try a pink or gray body with a contrasting cream muzzle, or go for a two-tone bear with a different color for the ears and paws using small color-change amigurumi techniques.
Swap the eyes. Small black beads, French knot embroidered eyes, or felt circles are safer choices for anything intended for a baby crib or a very young child, since safety eyes should never be used where a child could pull them loose.
Add texture. A tiny crocheted bow tie, a scrap of ribbon around the neck, or a few embroidered stitches for a belly patch personalizes the bear easily.
Scale it up. Working the same pattern with a worsted weight yarn and a 4 mm hook produces a noticeably larger bear, just expect the proportions to loosen slightly, so test a swatch first if exact sizing matters to you.
Turn it into an accessory. Skip stuffing the legs and sew a keyring or bag clip finding to the back of the head instead, for a wearable mini version.
Care Instructions
Because this bear is stuffed with polyester fiberfill and made from cotton or polyester yarn, hand washing is the safest option. Submerge briefly in cool water with a mild detergent, gently squeeze (never wring) out excess water, reshape by hand, and lay flat to dry away from direct heat. Avoid machine washing or drying, since agitation can felt the yarn and cause the stuffing to clump unevenly. If the bear is intended for a young child, check the safety eyes periodically to make sure they remain firmly attached, and replace them with sewn felt or embroidered eyes entirely if there is any looseness.
Download the Free Teddy Bear Crochet Pattern PDF
Want to save this pattern for later or print it out for your crochet basket? A printable PDF version, with the same rounds, stitch counts, and shaping notes covered above, makes it easy to follow along without scrolling on your phone mid-round. Keep a copy alongside your other favorite amigurumi patterns for easy reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this pattern suitable for beginners?
It is best suited to someone who has crocheted at least one simple amigurumi piece before, since it uses the invisible decrease and a leg-to-body join that are a step up from a basic ball or sphere. If you are brand new to crochet, practicing magic ring, increases, and decreases on a simple ball shape first will make this teddy bear pattern much smoother to follow.
How long does it take to make?
Most crocheters finish this teddy bear in around 4 to 6 hours of active crocheting, spread across a couple of sittings, plus extra time for sewing the pieces together and embroidering the face. Because the piece count is small (head, muzzle, two ears, body with legs, and two arms), it is a realistic weekend project.
What yarn works best?
A smooth DK weight cotton yarn gives the crispest stitch definition and is the easiest to see your stitches in while learning, which makes it the better choice for a first attempt. A fuzzy polyester baby yarn produces a softer, plush finish but hides your stitches more, which can make counting trickier for a beginner.
Can I use a different hook size?
Yes, within a small range. Sizing down slightly (for example, to a 2.25 mm hook with DK cotton) creates a denser fabric and a slightly smaller, firmer bear, while sizing up loosens the fabric and enlarges the finished piece. Just avoid going too far up in hook size, since a looser fabric can let stuffing show through between stitches.
Can I sell finished items made from this pattern?
Yes. Finished toys made from this pattern can be sold, a credit to the original pattern designer is appreciated but not required. The written pattern text and photos themselves, however, are protected and should not be copied, reproduced, or redistributed.
More Free Crochet Patterns
If you enjoyed making this little bear, you might also like exploring other small amigurumi animals that use the same core techniques, magic ring, increases, decreases, and simple sewn assembly, since once you have got the hang of this teddy bear, most other amigurumi shapes will feel familiar.
Final Thoughts
This amigurumi teddy bear is proof that a small project can still teach you real, transferable crochet skills. By the time you sew on that last arm, you will have practiced shaping a sphere, joining pieces mid-pattern, working an invisible decrease, and assembling a multi-piece toy, skills you will use again and again in future amigurumi projects. Take your time on the eye placement and the leg join, since those are the two spots where a little extra care pays off the most, and you will end up with a teddy bear that looks every bit as polished as it feels to make.
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