Free Crochet Bear With Heart Amigurumi Pattern – Beginner Amigurumi Keychain

Materials & Tools

Yarn:

• Brown yarn — main color for the head, body, arms, legs, and ears
• Pink or red yarn — for the heart
• Small amount of white yarn — for the muzzle
• Small amount of black yarn — for the embroidered nose and mouth

Hook: 3.0 mm

Other supplies:

• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Stitch marker
• Polyester fiberfill stuffing
• 4 mm safety eyes
• Blank keyring (optional)

Abbreviations

• MR — Magic ring
• sc — Single crochet
• inc — Increase (2 sc into the same stitch)
• dec — Invisible decrease (through front loops only)
• st — Stitch
• sl st — Slip stitch

Customization Ideas

• Color: The classic brown bear in this pattern is just a starting point. Swap the main color for cream and you get a polar bear; go with grey and you have a koala reading. Black main color with a white muzzle produces a panda. The construction is identical regardless of color — only the yarn changes.
• The heart: Pink reads as romantic; red reads as bold; lilac or mint reads as a friendship gift. Embroider the recipient’s initial onto the heart in a contrasting strand for a personalized touch that takes only a few minutes. A small crocheted star or moon in place of the heart changes the whole character of the finished piece.
• Size: A 3.0 mm hook with DK or light worsted weight produces a compact keychain-scale bear. Moving up to a 4.0 mm hook and worsted weight approximately doubles the finished size with no changes to the pattern. Going larger means the pieces are easier to stuff and sew, which is useful if this is your first amigurumi.
• Keyring vs standalone: The keyring attachment is purely optional. Without it, the bear sits happily on a shelf, nestles in a pocket, or tucks into a card envelope as a three-dimensional gift. A loop of chain stitches threaded through the top of the head and tied off gives a hanging ornament version for any season.

The Pattern

Head

Start with brown yarn. Work in continuous rounds — do not slip stitch to join at the end of each round. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each new round and move it up as you go.

Rounds 1 through 7:

• Make a magic ring and work the first round of sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed tightly so no hole remains at the center
• Continue working in continuous rounds, spacing your increases evenly across each round to build a smoothly rounded ball shape
• Each increase round adds stitches to the total count — continue this standard amigurumi increase sequence until you reach 24 stitches at the end of Round 7

Reading crochet patterns can be tricky when you’re just starting out, feel free to follow the video tutorial below instead!

Insert the safety eyes — do this now, between Rounds 6 and 7, while the opening is still wide enough:

• Push the post of each 4 mm safety eye through the fabric from the right side, positioning them between Rounds 6 and 7
• Leave exactly 3 stitches of space between the two eyes
• Before locking the backings, check that both eyes sit level and symmetrical — view from the front and from slightly above
• Once you are satisfied with the placement, press the locking washer firmly all the way down each post from the inside until it clicks
• Safety eyes cannot be removed once the washer is secured, so take your time here

Rounds 8 and 9:

• Work 1 sc into every stitch around both rounds with no increases or decreases
• These two even rounds add height to the head and let the rounded shape settle before you begin closing

Rounds 10 through 12:

• Work invisible decreases evenly around each round to reduce the stitch count gradually
• For the invisible decrease: insert your hook through the front loop only of the next stitch, then through the front loop only of the stitch after it, yarn over and pull through both front loops, yarn over and pull through the remaining 2 loops — one decrease completed
• Continue decreasing across Rounds 10, 11, and 12 until 6 stitches remain
• Before the opening becomes too small to reach inside, stuff the head firmly with fiberfill — add it in small pinched pieces and distribute it evenly so the head holds a fully round shape with no flat spots
• Fasten off, leaving a tail of about 15 cm
• Thread the tail onto your yarn needle and pass it through the front loop only of each remaining stitch all the way around the 6-stitch opening
• Pull the tail steadily to draw the opening closed into a tight, seamless circle
• Knot the tail close to the surface and push the needle through the head to bury the end completely inside

Ears (Make 2)

Use brown yarn.

• Make a magic ring
• Work 5 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed tightly
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• Do not stuff the ears — they are attached flat to the head
• Make a second ear in exactly the same way

 

Muzzle

Use white yarn.

• Make a magic ring and work the first round of sc into the center
• Pull the ring closed
• Work Round 2 as an increase round, working 1 inc into every stitch to reach 12 stitches total
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• Before sewing the muzzle to the face, embroider the nose and mouth with black yarn:
• Thread a length of black yarn onto your needle
• Work a small filled oval or triangle shape at the top center of the muzzle disc for the nose, using short satin stitches packed closely together
• Bring the needle down from the center base of the nose to create the vertical mouth line
• Split the line at the bottom with two short diagonal stitches going outward in each direction to form the mouth curve
• Knot the black yarn securely at the back of the muzzle and weave the tail in before attaching

Body

Use brown yarn. Work in continuous rounds.

Rounds 1 through 5:

• Make a magic ring and work the first round into the center
• Pull the ring closed
• Continue in continuous rounds, spacing increases evenly across each round to build the round belly shape
• Work the standard amigurumi increase sequence until you reach 30 stitches at the end of Round 5

Round 6:

• Work 1 sc into every stitch around with no increases or decreases
• This even round adds height to the widest point of the body before you begin shaping back in

Rounds 7 through 11:

• Begin working invisible decreases evenly across each round, reducing the stitch count gradually with each round
• Continue decreasing across all 5 rounds until 12 stitches remain at the end of Round 11
• Before the opening becomes too small to reach inside comfortably, stuff the body firmly with fiberfill — pack the base of the body first, then fill upward, shaping with your hands as you go to keep the belly evenly round
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the body to the head

Arms (Make 2)

Use brown yarn.

• Make a magic ring
• Work 6 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed
• Work Rounds 2 through 9 even — 1 sc into every stitch around each round, with no increases or decreases, for 8 rounds total
• The arm stays at 6 stitches throughout all rounds
• Do not stuff the arms — leaving them unstuffed lets them rest flat and naturally against the body rather than sticking outward stiffly
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• Make a second arm in exactly the same way

Legs (Make 2)

Use brown yarn.

Round 1:

• Make a magic ring
• Work 6 sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed

Round 2:

• Work 1 inc into every stitch around to increase to 8 stitches total — one increase into each of the 6 stitches from Round 1, distributed evenly to widen the foot base slightly

Rounds 3 through 6:

• Work 1 sc into every stitch around across all 4 rounds with no increases or decreases
• The leg stays at 8 stitches throughout
• Before fastening off, add a small pinch of fiberfill into the very tip of the leg — just enough to give the foot a soft, rounded shape; the upper leg should remain mostly empty so the bear can sit balanced without tipping
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• Make a second leg in exactly the same way

Heart

Use pink or red yarn.

• Make a magic ring
• Work the first round of sc into the center of the ring
• Pull the ring closed
• Work increase rounds following the same standard amigurumi increase sequence you used for the head and body, building the heart to a small, compact disc shape
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
• If desired, embroider a small initial or decorative detail onto the heart surface before attaching it to the body

Assembly

Lay all completed pieces out in front of you before picking up the needle. Check that the two ears match, both arms are the same length, and both legs feel evenly stuffed. Pin every piece in place with straight pins and view the bear from the front, from the side, and from directly above before sewing anything permanently.

Muzzle:

• Center the muzzle directly beneath the safety eyes on the lower half of the face
• Sew all the way around the outer edge of the muzzle disc using your long yarn tail, catching the body stitches of the head on every pass
• A partial seam will cause the muzzle to gap with handling — work all the way around the perimeter

Ears:

• Position both ears symmetrically on Rounds 3 and 4 of the head, spaced equally from the center of the crown
• Pin both in place and check from the front and from above before sewing either one permanently
• Sew each ear all the way around its base for a secure, flat attachment

Head to body:

• Align the center of the head’s 12-stitch neck opening with the center of the body’s 12-stitch top opening
• Match the centers carefully — a misaligned join causes the head to tilt to one side
• If the neck area feels loose or unsupported, add a small amount of extra fiberfill to the neck cavity before sewing
• Sew all the way around the 12-stitch openings using a whip stitch, catching both loops on every stitch for a durable join
• Work slowly and check the head’s angle frequently as you go

Heart:

• Position the heart flat against the center front of the body
• Check that it sits straight and centered before sewing
• Sew all the way around the outer edge to attach it securely

Arms and legs:

• Sew both arms to the sides of the upper body, checking that they sit at exactly the same height before stitching either one permanently
• Sew both legs to the lower base of the body, positioning them evenly so the bear can sit upright without tipping
• Check overall symmetry from the front before tightening your final stitches

Optional keyring:

• Thread the remaining yarn tail from the top of the head through the keyring loop
• Work the tail back through several stitches of the head and knot it discreetly to anchor the ring securely

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Tips & Troubleshooting

1. Place the eyes before the head closes. Safety eye placement is the one step that cannot be undone, so give it real attention. Insert the eyes between Rounds 6 and 7, mark both positions with scrap yarn first, and check the spacing from the front and from above before pressing the washers on. Slightly wider spacing than you think you need usually looks better on the finished piece — eyes placed too close together give a pinched expression.
2. Stuff in layers, not all at once. Add fiberfill gradually as each piece closes rather than waiting until the final rounds. Pushing stuffing through a nearly closed opening causes lumps and stretches the stitches. For the head, aim to have it mostly stuffed before Round 11. For the body, fill it before the opening narrows past 20 stitches. The legs need only a small pinch at the tip — overstuffed legs make the bear tip forward and refuse to sit.
3. Pin everything before sewing. The assembly stage is where the bear’s personality is set, and placement matters more than stitch quality here. Pin the muzzle, ears, arms, and legs in place with straight pins, set the bear on a flat surface, and look at it from every angle. Adjust pin positions until it looks right, then sew. Starting with one loose stitch on each piece before committing fully makes it easy to correct anything that looks off.
4. Close the final rounds through front loops only. When gathering the last 6 stitches of the head and body to close, pass your needle through the front loops only of each remaining stitch before pulling the tail to draw them shut. This produces a cleaner, smoother closure than catching both loops — the gathered circle sits flat and nearly invisible on the finished piece.

FAQ

Q: Can I make this bear safe for a baby or very young child? Remove all hardware — no safety eyes, no keyring. Embroider the eyes instead using black yarn in a tight satin stitch, and embroider the nose rather than using a plastic piece. Use only yarn and fiberfill, ensure every tail is buried and knotted securely inside, and check that no loose pieces can pull free. For very young children, a light hand-wash to test seam security before gifting is always worth doing.

Q: My arms look uneven even though I followed the same instructions. What went wrong? Tension variation between sessions is the most common culprit. If you crocheted one arm on a different day or in a different posture from the other, your grip likely changed slightly. The easiest fix is to block both arms lightly — dampen them, stretch or compress them to the same length, and let them dry flat. For future matching pieces, crochet them both in the same session so your tension stays consistent throughout.

Q: The head feels wobbly after I attach it to the body. How do I fix this? Add a small amount of extra fiberfill to the neck cavity before closing the join — a firmly stuffed neck is what keeps the head sitting upright. Also check that you are sewing through both loops on every whip stitch around the 12-stitch opening rather than just surfacing through the yarn pile. A second round of stitching directly over the first, going in the opposite direction, reinforces the join significantly without adding visible bulk.

Q: Can I use buttons instead of safety eyes? Buttons work well visually and are easy to source in small sizes, but they are only suitable for display pieces or for older children. For any toy going to a child under eight, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead — satin stitch circles in black read clearly and are completely secure. Buttons sewn through a single layer of crocheted fabric can pull free with determined handling, even when the thread feels tight.