Teddy Bear Toy or Ornament
These adorable teddy bears would make a great gift. They are done in the amigurumi style. They are approximately 3″ X 3″. Their size makes them versatile. You could make them as a stocking stuffer or as a holiday ornament.
Materials
Lion Brand Yarns Vanna’s Choice medium (worsted) weight acrylic yarn (31/2 oz/170 yds/100g per ball):
- Toffee (860-126)—1 skein
- Beige (860-123)—1 skein
- Choose your favorite color (I used the following)
- Colonial Blue (860-109) for the boy—1 skein
- Eggplant (860-145) for the girl—1 skein
Poly-Fil® Crafter’s Choice® Dry Packing Fiber
Embellishments
- DMC embroidery floss: black (#310)
- Eye Options
- Two 12 mm Darice® Solid Eyes with Plastic Washers – Black (aka safety eyes)
- Two 1/4″ circles from black felt (plus glue for this option)
- Needle Felting—black roving and white roving, and needle felting needle
Tools
- Size G/6/4mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
- Lion Brand Split Ring Stitch Markers
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
NOTES
- Rounds are worked in continuous spirals; do not join. Do not turn work at the end of each round. Apply this note unless stated otherwise.
- sc2tog (sc dec) (Insert hook into next st and draw up a loop) twice, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook – 1 sc decreased
Teddy Bear Instructions
Note: Plastic Safety Eyes Option—you might want to make the muzzle first. This way you can test how many stitches you want between the eyes.
Head
Rnd 1: With toffee ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Place marker. (6 sc)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: [Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] around. (18 sc)
Rnds 4-7: Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 8: [Sc in each of next sc, sc dec in next 2 sts] around. (12 sc)
Rnd 9: Sc in each sc around.
Plastic Safety Eye Option—insert into round five with three stitches between them.
Stuff.
Rnd 10: Sc dec in next 2 sts] around. (6 sc)
Rnd 11: Join with slp st to first sc. Ch 1, sc into each sc; join with slp st to first sc.
Note: The last round will function as a neck.
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Muzzle
Rnd 1: With beige, ch 4, 3 sc in the second ch from the hook, sc in next chain, 3 sc into the last ch, working along opposite side of foundation chain, sc in next ch. Join with slip st to first sc. (8 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Join with slip st to first sc
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
Add Detail (use photo for reference)
The longer dimension of the muzzle should be oriented in a North/South direction. Sew a triangle shaped nose using all 6 strands of black embroidery floss. Embroider mouth using all six strands of black embroidery floss.
Ear (make 2)
With toffee, ch 3. Sc in the second and third ch from hook.
Ch 1, turn. Sc in sc, (hdc, dc, hdc, sc) in sc.
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
Sweater/Body
Construction Notes:
- Tail—Leave a tail long enough to sew the ends of the collar together.
- Working yarn—Do not cut at the end of the collar. After you finish sewing the collar, just pivot the hook and follow the directions for the sweater body.
Collar
Row 1: With the color you chose (your favorite) ch 3. Sc in the second and third ch from hook. (2 sc)
Rows 2-9: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc—only into back loop
Transform strip into collar by sewing ends together using the tail
Sweater
Construction/Design Note:
- Round four is not worked in the round—traditional amigurumi style. The variance in the instructions is to create an even/straight edge.
- Round five (for the boy bear) is worked into the back loop. This approach creates a slight lip (overhang) to the sweater. This way it looks like the bear is wearing a sweater.
Rnd 1: Start the sweater along the bottom edge of the collar. Ch 1, work 10sc evenly space sts . Place a stitch marker. (10 sc)
Rnd 2: [Sc in each of next sc, 2 sc in next sc] around. (15 sc)
Rnd 3: [Sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] around. (20 sc)
Rnd 4: Join with slip st to first sc, ch 1, sc in each sc around; join with slp st to first sc. fasten off.
Body
Rnd 5: Join toffee to a inside loop. (Work this round into the inside loop.) Work sc in each sc.
Note: If creating the girl bear wearing a dress, then join the toffee and work normally.
Rnd 6: Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 7: [Sc in each of next 2 sc, sc dec in next 2 sts] around. (15 sc)
Rnd 8: [Sc in each of next sc, sc dec in next 2 sts] around. (10 sc)
Stuff.
Rnd 9: [Sc dec in next 2 sts] around. (5 sc)
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing closed. Sew bottom edge closed and weave in the working yarn end.
Girl Bear Dress
Join the yarn you chose (your favorite color) over the row where the two colors meet and ch 1. Work a total of 20 sc around the teddy bear’s middle where the two colors meet. Join with slip st to first sc.
Ch 3, sc in to the same st, and slp st into the next sc. Repeat all the way around. Fasten off and weave in yarn ends.
Sleeve (make 2)
Row 1: With your favorite color yarn, ch 5, sc in the second ch from the hook and the remaining ch sts. (4 sc)
Rows 2-4: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc.
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
Arm/Paw (make 2)
The arm for is based on a tutorial I did titled Amigurumi Hand and Arm Tutorial. Click here for more detail.
Arm
With toffee, ch 4, sc in the second ch from the hook and the remaining ch sts (3 sc)
Paw
The bobble stitch is worked into the end of the arm. First, ch 3 and then make a 4 dc bobble.
Make bobble (work 4 open double in the same spot leaving 5 loops on hook, draw yarn through all 5 loops at once. Fasten off and leave a (working) tail for sewing. Place a needle on the working tail. Secure the paw by passing the needle through the 5 loops again. Bring the sides of the stitch together by passing the needle back and forth along the sides of the stitch. Sew the sides of the original chain and the sc row together. Weave the yarn that was below the original chain to meet with the working tail.
Note: You can use the yarn ends of the arm to make it easier to sew the arms/sleeves into place.
Wrap the sleeve around the arm and sew it into a tube.
Leg (make 2)
Rnd 1: With toffee, ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, place stitch marker. (6 sc)
Rnds 2-6: Sc in each sc around.
Stuff. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
Teddy Bear Assemble & Finish
Add Face Detail & Assemble Head
Eyes— add eyes if you haven’t done so already.
Felt fabric option—create and glue. Cut two 1/4″ circles from black felt. Glue eyes onto round five with three stitches between them.
Needle felting option—If you are unfamiliar with needle felting, then click here to learn more. Create 1/4″ circle eyes using roving. Place small amount of black roving in the desired spot. (I place the eyes on round five with three stitches between them.) Affix roving using needle felting needle. To give the effect of light on the eye, place a pin head’s worth of white roving and affix with needle felting needle.
Muzzle—attach by sewing into place. Use photo for reference. The top end of muzzle should be between the eyes. Stuff and sew muzzle into place. Weave in a trim ends.
Ears—attach by sewing into place. Use photo for reference. The placement of the ears is that you sew the top edge 
round two and that they are opposite each other.
Assemble Bear
Arms—attach arms by sewing into place. The placement is just below the collar and on opposite sides of the body.
Legs—stuff and attach legs to the body. Sew the bottom edge of the legs to round six of the body.
- Tip: Use toothpick or pins to determine the optimal placement of legs. This is particularly helpful if you wish your bear to be seated.
- Note: If you would like your bear to be a standing bear, then please feel free to adjust the placement of the legs.
Head—sew head to top of body. Weave in yarn ends
P.S. If you are making this as a gift, or are thinking about your holiday gift list, then I hope that you will consider my book Casual Bead Elegance, Stitch by Stitch. To learn more about the book and read reviews, please Click Here.