A teddy bear is the amigurumi project people are most afraid of and least need to be. It is five simple shapes — head, body, two ears, four limbs — and every one of them is made with the same three moves: increase to widen, work even to go straight, decrease to close. Once you understand that rhythm, you are not really following a pattern any more. You are shaping.
This bear finishes about 6 inches tall. It sits up on its own, it survives being carried around, and it takes an afternoon.
From the shop · New pattern
A sweet cat-ear coaster in just 5 rounds. Beginner friendly, printable 7-page PDF for $4.99.
See the pattern →What you will need
| Item | What I recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn | Worsted weight (#4) in brown or cream, about 100 yards | Standard amigurumi weight, easy to find |
| Hook | 3.5 mm | Deliberately small for the yarn, so stuffing does not show |
| Stuffing | Polyester fibrefill | Washable and holds its shape |
| Stitch marker | Or scrap yarn | Absolutely essential for spiral rounds |
| Yarn needle | Blunt tapestry needle | Sewing pieces together |
| Black yarn | Small amount | Embroidering eyes and nose |
That hook size is not a typo. Amigurumi is worked deliberately tight — a hook one or two sizes smaller than your yarn label suggests. A 5.0 mm hook with worsted yarn makes a lovely blanket and a terrible bear, because the fabric is loose enough for stuffing to poke through. If your finished pieces look fluffy and white where the stuffing is, your hook is too big.
From the shop · New pattern
A sweet cat-ear coaster in just 5 rounds. Beginner friendly, printable 7-page PDF for $4.99.
See the pattern →Cathrinee’s Supply Kit
Everything you need for this project
Stitches you need to know
- Magic ring — an adjustable loop you work the first round into, so there is no hole at the top of the head
- Single crochet (sc) — the entire bear, see how to crochet a single crochet stitch
- Increase (inc) — two single crochet into the same stitch
- Invisible decrease (dec) — insert your hook into the front loop only of the next two stitches, then yarn over and pull through both. Neater than a standard decrease and worth learning now.
How the shaping works
Everything in this bear follows one of three instructions:
- Increase rounds make the piece wider. To grow a sphere evenly you space the increases further apart each round.
- Even rounds keep the width the same. These build height.
- Decrease rounds narrow the piece to close it.
A head is increase, even, decrease. A body is the same, slightly smaller. A limb is a tiny version. That is genuinely the whole of amigurumi.
How to crochet a teddy bear step by step
The head
- Magic ring, 6 sc. Pull the ring closed. Place your marker in the first stitch.
- Round 2: Increase in every stitch. 12 stitches.
- Round 3: (sc 1, inc) repeated around. 18 stitches.
- Round 4: (sc 2, inc) around. 24 stitches.
- Rounds 5 to 9: Single crochet in every stitch, no increases. 24 stitches each round. This is the depth of the head.
- Round 10: (sc 2, dec) around. 18 stitches.
- Round 11: (sc 1, dec) around. 12 stitches.
- Stuff the head firmly now, before the hole gets too small to work through. Firmly matters — an understuffed head goes lumpy and sad within a week.
- Round 12: Decrease around. 6 stitches. Fasten off leaving a tail, thread it through the remaining loops and pull tight to close.
The body
- Magic ring, 6 sc. Marker in.
- Round 2: Increase around. 12 stitches.
- Round 3: (sc 1, inc) around. 18 stitches.
- Rounds 4 to 9: Single crochet around. 18 stitches.
- Round 10: (sc 1, dec) around. 12 stitches.
- Stuff firmly. Then work one round of decreases to 6 stitches. Leave the tail long — you need it to attach the head.
The ears (make 2)
- Magic ring, 6 sc. Increase around to 12 stitches. Work one even round. Fasten off leaving a tail. Do not stuff — ears look better flat.
The arms (make 2)
- Magic ring, 6 sc. Work 8 even rounds. Stuff very lightly with a small pinch of fibrefill. Flatten the opening and single crochet across to close. Leave a tail.
The legs (make 2)
- Magic ring, 6 sc. Increase around to 12 stitches. Work 6 even rounds. Stuff lightly. Flatten and single crochet across to close. Leave a tail. The legs are wider than the arms so the bear can sit.
Assembly
- Attach the head to the body. Line up the closed end of the body with the closed end of the head. Use the body’s long tail and a yarn needle to stitch around the join twice. Pull each stitch snug. A wobbly neck is the most common flaw in a first bear, and it comes from stitching only once around.
- Sew on the ears. Position them wide apart and slightly back from the front of the head, then stitch around the flat edge of each.
- Sew on the arms high on the body, just under the neck join, angled slightly downward.
- Sew on the legs at the bottom of the body, pointing forward so the bear sits.
- Embroider the face. With black yarn, make two small straight stitches for eyes, spaced about 4 stitches apart and level with the top of the even rounds. For the nose, work three or four short horizontal stitches side by side in the centre, then one small vertical stitch below for the mouth. Go slowly and look at it from a distance — eye placement is what gives a bear its expression, and moving an eye one stitch changes the whole face.
- Weave in every end on the inside and trim close.
Troubleshooting
Stuffing shows through the fabric. Your hook is too large. Drop to 3.0 mm and accept that your hand will work harder.
There is a hole at the top of the head. The magic ring was not pulled fully closed. Thread the starting tail, run it around the ring and cinch it shut.
The head is lumpy. Either understuffed, or stuffed in one big lump. Pull the stuffing out and add it in small pinches, pressing each one into place, working outward from the centre.
My rounds are spiralling and I have lost my place. Every unjoined round needs the marker moved into its first stitch. This is not optional. How to count crochet stitches helps you read where you are.
The bear will not sit up. Legs sewn too far back or pointing down. Unpick and reposition them further forward.
The face looks wrong and I cannot say why. Almost always the eyes are too close together or too high. Try them one stitch further apart and one round lower. There is more on this in why is my amigurumi lopsided, saggy, or showing stuffing.
Variations to try
- Different animals from the same shapes. Round ears and a longer muzzle make a dog. Tall ears make a bunny. Pointed ears and a striped body make a cat.
- Add a scarf. Chain 30 and work two rows of single crochet for a tiny scarf. It also hides a neck join you are not proud of.
- Tiny keychain bear. Use the same pattern with sport weight yarn and a 2.5 mm hook for a bear about 3 inches tall.
- Jointed arms. Instead of sewing the arms flat, thread a long needle right through the body and both arms, pull snug and knot inside. The arms then swing.
- Embroidered belly patch. A contrasting oval sewn onto the tummy.
Safety note for baby gifts
If this bear is for a child under three, do not use safety eyes or buttons, even the ones sold as safety eyes. Embroider the face in yarn as described above and stitch every piece on twice. Use machine washable yarn and washable fibrefill.
Once you have made a bear, most other amigurumi will feel familiar — the shapes change but the increase, even, decrease logic does not. Easy amigurumi patterns for beginners collects the rest of the animals on the site.
If your yarn does not have a clear weight label, the Craft Yarn Council yarn weight system will tell you what hook to pair it with — then go one or two sizes smaller for amigurumi.
What hook size should I use for a crochet teddy bear?
Use a 3.5 mm hook with worsted weight yarn, which is one to two sizes smaller than the label suggests. Amigurumi is worked deliberately tight so the stuffing cannot show through the fabric. If you can see white fibrefill between stitches, go down to 3.0 mm.
How do I stop my amigurumi bear head from being lumpy?
Stuff firmly and add the fibrefill in small pinches rather than one large lump, pressing each piece into place and working outward from the centre. Stuff the head before the closing decreases make the opening too small to reach through.
Why does my teddy bear head wobble?
You stitched the head to the body only once around. Use the long tail from the body and go around the join twice, pulling each stitch snug. A single pass never holds the weight of a stuffed head.
Are crochet teddy bears safe for babies?
Only if you embroider the face in yarn rather than using safety eyes or buttons, stitch every piece on twice, and use machine washable yarn and stuffing. For children under three, avoid all attached hard parts regardless of how they are marketed.
How long does it take to crochet a teddy bear?
About an afternoon, or three to four hours, for a 6 inch bear on a first attempt. The five pieces themselves work up quickly — most of the time goes on assembly and getting the face placement right.
