In need of your first crochet teddy bear pattern? We have a perfect, no fuss pattern for a crochet teddy bear for beginners!
Looking for a spectacular way of creating a pocket-sized crochet teddy bear on a budget that you know is handmade with love and care? A crochet bear is a perfect, safe gift for young children (age 3+) or for adults who want a travel-sized companion to accompany them on stressful journeys! And if you’re not keen on sharing your gorgeous crochet teddy bear creation, just remember all the advantages and benefits of having a teddy bear all your own!
Better yet, crocheting a teddy bear pattern with eco-friendly materials can be a way to Gift a Teddy Bear to your loved ones without negatively impacting the environment!
Whether you crochet or buy your teddies, we want them to be your fluffy friends to cherish for life!
Crocheting your first stuffed bear pattern can feel like an overwhelming task!
We advise practising a little with single stitches just until you feel you’ve gotten the hang of it. Proceed carefully on your first crochet teddy bear tutorial! Don’t rush and if you think you’ve made a mistake, carefully untangle and trace back to the last step you completed before trying again!
Looking for an emotional support bear to give you pep talks and inspire your crochet teddy bear creations? Our Lifesize Bear Sculptures are perfect buddies while you embark on this teddy bear pattern! Time to get cosy in a comfy chair, find yourself a favourite relaxing playlist, podcast or TV show to put on in the background and start crocheting!
Remember, if you get stuck along the way, don’t panic and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Looking for a specific part of this teddy bear pattern?
Preparation For Your Crochet Teddy Bear
What things will you need handy before you start this crochet teddy bear tutorial?
1.Yarn - You’ll need yarn!
Amount - For this 12 inch teddy bear pattern, one ball of yarn should be sufficient for making between 1 - 3 small crochet bears!
Type and Material - For your first time working with this bear pattern, you may prefer yarn that is wool or acrylic (or a mix of both) as these materials are smooth, easy to handle and less slippery than other types. Beginners may also prefer using a bulky, heavyweight yarn, as it is easier to see your stitches clearly with a thicker yarn. Remember, you’ll want to pick yarn for your crochet teddy bear that is soft and huggable!
Colour - What is incredible about creating your own crochet bear is that it can be perfectly customised to your vision! Remember, you will need to pick a yarn for the main body and head, but you may also want a different yarn colour to add details such as a nose or eyes or embroidering decorations onto your bear. Get creative when picking the colour of your yarn - and even when picking out your crochet teddy bear accessories, including ribbons for bows or sourcing teddy bear clothes.
2.Crochet Hooks
Material - crochet hooks can be made of metal, plastic, rubber or various materials, and you may prefer a certain kind! Often, beginners are recommended to use rubber hooks as they have softer handles which are more comfortable when crocheting for long periods of time.
Size - you will want to check the hook you select works well with the yarn you’ve chosen! A bigger hook (4, 5 or 6mm) is generally easier for beginners as it will help you create more defined stitches and correct mistakes.
3.Yarn Needles
Your yarn needle will be used to help sew together and secure parts of your crochet bear, so make sure the eye of your needle is big enough to allow your yarn to be threaded through easily.
4.Stuffing
One popular choice of stuffing for crochet teddy bears is ‘polyfill’. However, we recommend looking for greener, eco-friendly stuffing alternatives, such as wool, kapok or shredded fabric scraps.
5.A pair of scissors (ideally small)
For cutting lengths and neatening tails.
6.Stitch markers (or bobby pins)
To secure stitches while you crochet so nothing is lost or comes loose.
Ready to Begin?
To start this teddy bear pattern, you’ll need to form a magic ring (or circle). In this case, it will form the top of your crochet teddy bear’s head! We recommend watching a video tutorial while reading these written instructions for this teddy bear pattern, as visual aids will help you make sure that your crochet teddy bear is looking just as it should!
Step 1 - The Head
Starting the Magic Circle
To make a magic circle, wind your yarn ball twice around two of your fingers, leaving a generous tail on the other end of 5-6 inches. You now need to secure it with a slip stitch, by doing the following:
Hold onto the two loops that you formed around your fingers and take your crochet hook and insert it through the centre of both loops.
Hook your loose yarn (not the tail) on the end of your hook and pull it back through the two loops and up, keeping the loose yarn wrapped around your hook..
Then yarn over and pull through the only other loop on your hook.
Now the start of the magic ring is secured, you should have two large loops and one smaller secured loop still attached to your hook, ready to start Round 1. We recommend using markers or bobby pins to help you tell where each round in this bear pattern starts and ends, to avoid confusion while crocheting.
Round 1
Create a single stitch and start your first round by doing the following:
Work using the smaller loop still attached on your hook. Insert your crochet hook into the centre of the magic circle (aka two large loops).
Then yarn over and pull through the two large loops and also through the small loop on your hook. Now you should have two small loops on your hook.
Yarn over again and pull through these two small loops on your hook. You have now completed one single stitch, the first stitch in this round.
To continue this round, proceed by repeating five single stitches all worked through the centre of the magic ring as you did with the first single stitch. Once completed, you should have six single stitches in a row, thereby forming your first round in this teddy bear pattern.
Next, we need to pull on the tail to tighten the magic circle and close the two large loops entirely (as shown in these two images). Now secure this round with a single crochet that connects the first stitch and the last stitch. This will stop your work coming undone and prevent gaps. To do this, simply put your crochet hook through the first stitch and the last stitch, so that both are looped around your hook, then yarn over and pull through. At this point, you should now have one loop on your hook, ready for the next Round.
Round 2
Take your hook and push it through the next stitch along. Then yarn over and pull through.
Now, you will have to put in two single crochets into each stitch.
This means that you will push your crochet hook into the first stitch from the previous round, then yarnover and pull through (first single crochet). Then push your hook back into the same stitch and repeat by forming a yarn over and pulling through again (second single crochet).
You will do this to each stitch from the previous round, working round in a circle until you reach the end. By the end of round 2, you will have 12 stitches.
Increases
As you continue this bear pattern, you will be creating increases. This means that as you crochet, you will see your teddy bear’s head become bigger and wider with each round.
Round 3
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next stitch. This means you are alternating back and forth between single crocheting twice and then once in the next stitch, then back to twice in the next stitch and so on. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 4
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 5
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next three stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 6
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next four stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 7
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next five stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 8
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next six stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Centre
The next few rounds are the centre of your crochet teddy bear head. These following rounds will not increase or decrease, but merely continue your stitches at a consistent size.
Round 9 - 14
Single crochet once into every stitch of the previous round. Repeat this procedure until you reach round 14.
Decrease
The next few rounds are the decrease of your crochet bear head, meaning you will see your head begin to close. You will finally be able to see the roundness of your crochet teddy bear head after completing these rounds.
Round 15
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next six stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 16
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next five stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 17
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next four stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 18
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next three stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 19
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Stuffing Your Teddy Bear Head
Your crochet teddy bear head should now look like a sphere with a small circular hole on one side. Gently ease your stuffing piece by piece into the centre of the sphere, moulding and reshaping as you go until it looks and feels right.
You will want to fill the head until it is squishy but still able to hold its shape. You are about to crochet the body directly onto the head, so make sure you are happy with the fullness of your stuffing before you continue, as you won’t have an opportunity to re-stuff later on in this bear pattern.
Step 2 - The Body
Building on your teddy bear head, you are going to begin to crochet your teddy bear’s body.
Round 20
Single crochet once into each stitch of the previous round. This will create a neck.
Increase
Round 21
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches. This means you are alternating back and forth between single crocheting twice and then once in the next stitch, then back to twice in the next stitch and so on. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 22
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next three stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 23
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next four stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Centre
Round 24 - 26
Single Crochet once into the first stitch of the previous round. Repeat with each stitch in this Round. Do this for each Round from Round 24 - 26.
Increase
Round 27
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next eight stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Centre
Round 28 - 29
Single crochet once into the first stitch of the previous round. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Increase
Round 30
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next nine stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Centre
Round 31 - 32
Single crochet once into the first stitch of the previous round. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Decrease
Round 33
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next twenty stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 34
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next five stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 35
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next four stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 36
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next three stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 37
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 38
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next stitch. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Now your crochet teddy bear body should be almost fully formed, again with a small hole at the bottom for the stuffing. Stuff your teddy bear body again, shaping as you go until it is full and feeling squishy and soft when squeezed but still maintaining its shape.
Round 39
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Repeat with each stitch in this round. This will close the body of your crochet teddy bear.
Tie off your final stitch. Thread the yarn through a yarn needle and sew the yarn through the stitches at the base of your bear and keep going until the hole is almost closed entirely.
Then tie a secure knot. Avoid cutting the excess yarn at the knot as the knot may come loose and undo your work. Instead, bury the yarn tail by poking your needle through the base of your teddy bear body and pulling the needle out through the middle of your bear’s tummy. Your tail should now be hanging out of your crochet bear’s tummy, where you can cut it off without your work coming undone.
Your teddy bear body and head is complete! Now time to create ears, muzzle and legs which will all be attached to the head and body later!
Step 3 - The Ears
Just like before, make a magic circle once again to begin one teddy bear ear, exactly as you did earlier in this bear pattern when forming the head. Round 1 ends once you have tugged on the tail and brought the magic circle tight together.
Round 2
Single crochet twice into each stitch in this round.
Increase
Round 3
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next stitch. This means you are alternating back and forth between single crocheting twice and then once in the next stitch, then back to twice in the next stitch and so on. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 4 & 5
Single crochet once in each stitch in this round.
Now fasten off your last stitch, leaving a 12 inch tail, ready for your ear to be sewn onto the crochet teddy bear head.
Unless your crochet teddy bear is a little unconventional, you’ll need to crochet a second ear by making another magic circle and following the above steps once more, to create a total of two ears.
Once you have two ears, place the Ears where you would like them on your bear’s head (use bobby pins or markers if needed). Remember, your ears can be flat and do not need to be stuffed, unlike your other teddy bear body parts. Fold your ears so that they are flat and sew them onto the head of your crochet bear using your yarn needle. Tie off the excess yarn and bury it with your needle into the head, then cut off the excess.
Now your crochet teddy bear has perfect little ears to hear everything you’d like to tell them!
Step 4 - The Muzzle
Next step in this teddy bear pattern will be very familiar! Make a magic circle once again, exactly as you did when forming the head. Once you have tugged on the tail and brought the magic circle tight together, this will conclude round 1.
Round 2
Single crochet twice into each stitch in this round.
Increase
Round 3
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next stitch. This means you are alternating back and forth between single crocheting twice and then once in the next stitch, then back to twice in the next stitch and so on. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 4
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 5
Single crochet into every stitch of the previous round.
Round 6
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next eleven stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Fasten off your last stitch to complete your muzzle, leaving roughly 12 inches of yarn to help you sew the muzzle onto your crochet bear’s face.
Pick a separate yarn or thread in a colour that pleases you, as this will make up the nose of the bear. Thread onto your yarn needle and then push your needle through the centre or the tip of the muzzle. Then push your needle through the adjacent row and repeat until you have sewn on a nose (if you prefer a less triangular nose shape, feel free to experiment and adjust to your liking). Once happy with your crochet bear’s nose (and mouth if you choose to sew one) tie off the thread on the inside of the muzzle and cut the excess thread short.
Now to attach the muzzle! Remember those 12 inches of yarn leftover on your bear’s muzzle? Thread those 12 inches onto your yarn needle and position the muzzle where you would like it to sit on your bear’s face. Begin sewing the edge of the muzzle onto the face and work around seamlessly until the muzzle is attached but there is still a gap for you to push stuffing inside. After stuffing the muzzle, you can continue sewing until the muzzle is completely attached. Tie off the yarn and bury the needle into the muzzle to hide the knot, then cut off the excess tail.
Step 5 - Arms and Legs
You know the drill! As always, make a magic circle, exactly as you did when forming the head. Once you have tugged on the tail and brought the magic circle tight together, this will conclude round 1.
Round 2
Single crochet twice into each stitch in this round.
Increase
Round 3
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next stitch. This means you are alternating back and forth between single crocheting twice and then once in the next stitch, then back to twice in the next stitch and so on. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 4
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches.
Round 5 & 6
Single crochet into every stitch of the previous round.
Decrease
Round 7
Single crochet twice into the first stitch of the previous round. Then single crochet once into the next two stitches. Repeat with each stitch in this round.
Round 8 - 13
Single crochet once into each stitch of the previous round. This will create a long leg shape. Depending how long or short you want your bear’s arms and legs to be, you can add or take away rounds here to adjust the length.
Fasten off the last stitch, leaving 12 inches of tail to sew your arm to the crochet bear’s body. Stuff the limb of your bear to your liking (be careful not to overstuff or your bear’s arms and legs will be too stiff to move!) Repeat these steps an additional three times to create all four of your crochet bear’s limbs!
Now position your bear’s arms and legs onto the bear’s body and secure them with your bobby pins or markers! Then you can thread your yarn onto your yarn needle and sew on each limb to the Body. Finally, tie off each limb and bury the needle to hide the knot. Then cut off the excess tail.
Step 6 - Decorations and Accessories
Your first crochet teddy bear should now be assembled! But wait - does your crochet bear look a little naked without some extra decorations, clothes or embroidery? This is your chance to make your crochet teddy bear completely unique.
A bear’s eyes can be the defining feature of a crochet bear’s personality - is your bear kind, mischievous, serious, innocent, sleepy? You can buy and sew on pre-made safety eyes if you fancy a classic look, or you can embroider your own eye design!
Some believe a proper, sensible bear is always fully dressed. Source pre-made toy clothes from charity or toy shops that fit your crochet bear, or take a look at how to crochet scarves, sweaters, dresses and hats to create a stylish wardrobe for your crochet teddy bear!
If you know your crochet teddy bear’s name (or if you know the name of the person you plan to gift your bear to) you could embroider their name onto your bear! Alternatively, you could embroider a special quote or message, or even pick a special pattern to add stars, flowers or hearts to your crochet bear!
If you’ve completed this crochet teddy bear tutorial, you might find that creating a crochet bear is perfect for long journeys, chilled evenings at home or a great way to destress in bed before it’s time to sleep. Learning to crochet all types of things can be incredibly satisfying, especially when the end result is as rewarding as your own crochet teddy bear!
Now that you have all the tools and bear pattern to make a pocket-sized crochet teddy bear, your tiny crochet bear might be looking for a furry best friend!
For the ambitious among you, you may already have your eyes on crocheting a giant teddy bear or a range of stuffed animals! But this may take you a great deal of time and yarn - so we would recommend our Giant Bear Sculptures when you feel like giving your crochet hook time to recover! Just like your own crochet teddy bear our Giant Bear Sculptures come in a range of colours!
Glossary of Crochet Terms
Learning technical crochet terms while you complete a teddy bear pattern is hard - so here’s our quick glossary for this crochet teddy bear tutorial in case you need to brush up your crochet knowledge!
A Magic Ring or Circle
A magic circle is a crochet technique that acts as a starting point when creating a rounded product (like a crochet teddy bear!)
Slipknot
Often when beginning a crochet project, you must attach the yarn to the base of your hook with a slipknot (a knot resembling a noose). However, in this tutorial, we start each new crochet by creating magic circles that do not require a slipknot.
Yarn Over
This is simply the act of wrapping your yarn around your crochet hook once, starting from the back of the hook and wrapping forwards. Double check you have it right and watch a yarn over tutorial to see how it should look!
A Single Crochet Stitch
One of the essential stitches to learn, the single crochet (AKA slip stitch in American crochet terms) is when you have two loops on your hook (or a slipknot and a new loop) which you pull yarn through.
To create a single crochet, start with your hook with a slipknot or loop at the base. Then push your hook through the stitch or loop of yarn you would like to work with, so that you have two loops on your hook. Wrap the loose yarn around the end of your hook and pull it through the first loop only on your hook. Then yarn over and pull that yarn through both the first loop and the lower second loop all at once. This counts as one single crochet.
Rounds
When crocheting, there will often be several of the same kind of stitches in a row, which is called a “round”. It’s important to “close a round” or secure previous stitches before starting the next round to avoid stitches coming loose
Increase
To add an increase means to add extra stitches to a crochet, which will often increase the size or width or a crochet project.
Decrease
To add a decrease means to reduce the stitches in a crochet, which will often shorten the size or width or a crochet project.
