What is the easiest crochet teddy bear to make?

A round bear with a sphere head, a sphere body, two round ears and a contrast muzzle, worked in a spiral with no wire and no colourwork. About 20 to 25 grams of DK and roughly 90 minutes once you know the basic stitches.

How big is a crochet teddy bear?

It depends on yarn and hook. A round bear in DK cotton on a 2.5 mm hook is about 12 cm sitting. The same rounds in worsted on a 3.5 mm hook give about 15 cm and need around 45 grams.

Are crochet bears safe for babies?

Use cotton, embroider the face and avoid small parts or anything glued on. Safety eyes are not suitable for children under 3. Check regional guidance, for example from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

How do I give a crochet teddy a set of matching clothes?

Make the plain bear first, then add a scarf, bow tie or hat. The folder includes bears in scarves, bows, hoodies, sweaters and swimsuits, so you can learn the shaping from a pattern rather than invent it.

Crochet Teddy Bear Patterns: Classic, Panda and Dressed Bears

By Crafts editorial team · Updated October 26, 2026

A good first crochet teddy bear is a round bear: a sphere head, a sphere body, two round ears, a cream muzzle and little arms, worked in a spiral in one main colour. Once that works, there are classic teddies, pandas, polar bears and dressed bears to try. The Bears folder in 1,947 Amigurumi Patterns holds 83 patterns, and bear designs also appear among the keychains, Valentine's Day patterns and Christmas folders.

Bear styles at a glance

Style	What to expect	Good for
Round bear	Spheres, tiny arms, plain finish	A first toy
Classic teddy	Jointed look, longer limbs, muzzle	A traditional gift
Panda and polar bear	Two-colour shapes	Practising contrast
Dressed bear	Scarves, bows, hoodies, sweaters, swimsuits	Small finishing details
Pairs and trios	Matching bears in a set	A present
Tiny bears	8 cm and under	Charms, Christmas stockings
Long-legged and lying bears	Longer proportions or a lying pose	A second or third project

What is in the bear folder

Counted from the titles:

8 teddy-bear patterns, with classic, cream, velvet and lying versions, and a teddy in a suitcase.
8 pandas and 3 polar bears, two-colour designs that teach you to change colours at the end of a round.
About 20 bears wearing something: scarves, bows, hoodies, sweaters, shirts and overalls.
6 pairs, trios and friends sets, such as bear couples, bear friends and pastel pairs.
A few small and special designs: a tiny bear, a patchwork bear and a baby-bears cradle.

Crocheted bunny, bear and elephant sitting on a stack of PDF pages from the amigurumi pattern library

Bears also turn up beyond the folder. Across the library, 117 titles mention a bear, teddy or panda: 80 are in the Bears folder, 13 are keychains and minis, 10 are Valentine's Day designs and 4 are Christmas.

The round bear, at a glance

The First Weekend Shortlist in 1,947 Amigurumi Patterns includes a full Round Bear pattern written out round by round, which makes it a useful reference for how any teddy goes together:

Finished size: about 12 cm sitting in DK.
Time: about 90 minutes, once you know the basics.
Yarn: 20 to 25 grams of DK cotton for the main colour and 2 to 3 grams of cream for the muzzle.
Hook: 2.5 mm, with a stitch marker, a blunt needle and pins.
Pieces: head, body, two ears, a muzzle and two arms.
Worsted version: the same rounds in worsted on a 3.5 mm hook give about 15 cm, need around 45 grams and call for 10 mm eyes.

The rest of a bear follows the same logic: increase to the widest round, work plain rounds, then decrease while you stuff.

Choosing yarn for a bear

Cotton DK gives crisp stitches that are easy to count and a firm shape. It is the usual choice for a first bear.
Acrylic worsted is soft and washable but fuzzes with hugs.
Velvet or chenille looks lovely but hides stitches. Use it for a bear after you have made a few.
Colours: honey, oat and rust show the stitches well. A cream muzzle and inner ears give the face definition.

For the wider collection beyond bears, see crochet animal patterns by family.

Tips for a bear that sits up

Overstuff the top of the body. It domes the neck, so the head sits straight.
Sew the head on at the neck, going round twice. A wobbly neck is the most common beginner issue.
Place the ears at rounds 4 to 6. Lean them slightly forward.
Embroider the nose with five or six satin stitches in a small triangle.
Check the eye gap from the front before you lock the washers. Wider apart looks sleepy and calm; closer looks young and cheeky.

If you like bears, you may enjoy bunnies and cats next. A bear is also an easy gift to match to a person; see crochet gift ideas.

Go deeper

1,947 Amigurumi Patterns includes the 83-pattern Bears folder, the Round Bear written out in full in the First Weekend Shortlist, and a First Plush Handbook that covers the magic ring, increases and invisible decreases, stuffing, closing and sewing the head on, eyes and the common first-weekend problems.