There is something about black-and-white yarn that makes my hook hand itch, and nothing proves it faster than a crochet panda. Those round ears, the dramatic eye patches, the plump little belly — a panda turns two plain balls of yarn into a character with a personality, and I never get tired of watching it happen. Big huggable plushies, pocket-sized minis, a lovey for the pram or a hat for a newborn photo shoot: pandas genuinely work for every age and every occasion.
So I have gathered twenty of my favourite panda patterns for you here, and every single one is free. There are cuddly amigurumi plushies, three honestly-labelled red pandas (the russet cousins, just as adorable), baby hats, booties and a hoodie, two snuggly loveys, and a graphic panda square for your next blanket. I have noted yarn, sizing and the honest details — including optional paid PDFs — as we go. Pick your panda, my friend, and let's stitch.
1. A Cuddly Plush Panda in Soft Bulky Yarn
We are starting with pure cuddle: the Cuddly Panda Amigurumi from Loops and Love Crochet, a plush little bear she calls Pip. He is worked in a bulky number-five plush yarn — her sample uses Lion Brand Feels Like Bliss, around 150 yards in total — and here is the detail I love most: instead of stark black, she uses a soft slate grey against the white, which makes the finished panda look gentle and huggable rather than cartoonish. Fuzzy yarn hides your stitches a little, so the pattern kindly reminds you to work by feel and use a yarn stitch marker; the result is worth it. The pattern is completely free on her website, and if you prefer stitching from paper there is an optional ad-free printable PDF in her Etsy and Ravelry shops. This is the panda for nursery shelves and big-sister gifts.
Pattern: Cuddly Panda Amigurumi by Loops and Love Crochet — Get the free pattern
2. The Flat-Panel Plushie That Doubles as a Pillow
If you love the idea of a panda you can squish flat against the sofa cushions, meet the Pudgy Panda Plushie from Spin a Yarn Crochet. This clever design is built ragdoll-style: you crochet simple flat panels for the front and back, sew them together around the edges and add just enough stuffing to keep him pudgy, so he flops softly instead of standing stiff. That construction makes him part plushie, part throw pillow — perfect for a reading chair, a child's bed or a cosy window seat. Because the shaping is so simple, he is a friendly make for amigurumi beginners who are ready for their first sewn-together project. The pattern is free on her blog, and she happily allows finished pandas to be sold as long as you link back to her.
Pattern: Pudgy Panda Plushie by Spin a Yarn Crochet — Get the free pattern
3. A Panda on All Fours, Straight From the Wild
Most crochet pandas sit up like teddy bears, but Ying the Panda from Hooked by Kati proudly does not. Kati designed him standing on all fours with his head tilted, because she wanted a panda that looks like he wandered straight out of the bamboo forest — and the finished piece, about eleven and a half inches long and seven inches tall, is wonderfully lifelike. The construction is clever: the front legs and shoulders are crocheted as one piece, while the hind legs use short rows so they curve flush against the body and form real hips. It is an intermediate pattern in plain worsted yarn, and the full instructions are free on her site, with an optional premium PDF if you want the formatted, ad-free version. Finished pandas may be sold with credit to the designer. If you collect realistic animal amigurumi, Ying is the panda your shelf has been waiting for.
Pattern: Ying the Panda by Hooked by Kati — Get the free pattern
4. The Fuzzy Panda Carrying Its Own Little Bag
Pan-San, the panda from Craft Passion, might be the most characterful bear on this whole list. He is crocheted in fuzzy yarn held together with a plain acrylic strand — a smart trick that keeps the stitches findable while giving him that soft, brushed fur look — and his head is moulded into a flatter, oblong shape that gives him a permanently daydreamy expression. Then come the details that steal my heart: a little fuzzy yellow top and a miniature teal crossbody bag, because this is a panda who carries his snacks with him in style. The complete pattern, with its materials list and round-by-round instructions, is free on the Craft Passion site. He makes a charming desk companion or a gift for the friend who is never without her own crossbody bag. Some pandas sit; Pan-San has plans.
Pattern: Pan-San the Panda by Craft Passion — Get the free pattern
5. A Sweet Small Panda, Made With Love
Kamila Bańcerowska of the Polish blog WyTenTeguj designed this little panda for the best possible reason: her daughter asked for one, nearly every day, until her fourth birthday. Worked in YarnArt Jeans cotton with a small 2.5 mm hook, the finished bear is perfectly sized for small hands to carry everywhere — hers went to kindergarten naps, which is about the highest honour a toy can earn. The design has a soft round head, a separate muzzle, and raindrop-shaped eye patches that give the face its sweet, sleepy look. The full pattern is published free on her blog, and do not let the Polish name put you off: the page above is her English version, clear and complete. Handmade toys with a story are always the most loved ones.
Pattern: Crochet Panda by Kamila Bańcerowska at WyTenTeguj — Get the free pattern
6. A Baby Panda in Chunky Chenille, Done in Under an Hour
Short on time but big on cute? The Baby Panda Amigurumi from Little Crochet Farm is worked in chunky chenille-style plush yarn, so the rounds fly by and this round little fellow can be finished in under an hour. The shaping is simple and forgiving — a chubby head-and-body silhouette with black ears, eye patches and limbs — and the velvety yarn does all the softness work for you. The written pattern is free on her site, and she films a step-by-step video tutorial to stitch along with, which makes this a brilliant choice for your very first plushie. One honesty note: the neat printable PDF version is a perk for her Patreon members, while the pattern itself on the page costs nothing at all. Make a pair in an evening and you have instant baby-shower gifts. Chenille pandas multiply quickly; consider yourself warned.
Pattern: Baby Panda Amigurumi by Little Crochet Farm — Get the free pattern
7. One Panda Pattern, Every Size From Keychain to Cuddle
Pepe the Panda, designed by Mariska Vos-Bolman of DIY Fluffies, is the most flexible pattern in this collection. The design is written so that your yarn choice sets the size: work it in sport-weight cotton with a small hook and you get a delicate four-inch panda, just right for a keychain or bag charm; switch to chenille yarn and he grows into a six-to-eight-inch plush cuddle buddy. That means one learned pattern can fill a whole craft-fair table with a panda family. The full written pattern is free on the designer's own site, she has filmed a complete video walkthrough of every stage, and an ad-free PDF is available to buy if you want one — entirely optional. Start with the keychain size and see if you can stop at one.
Pattern: Pepe the Panda by DIY Fluffies (Mariska Vos-Bolman) — Get the free pattern
8. The 20-Minute Mini Panda
Yes, twenty minutes is genuinely all this little one asks of you. The 20-Minute Panda Bear from Sweet Softies is a tiny two-and-a-half-inch plush worked in super bulky yarn, and its cleverness is in the construction: the ears, arms and legs are crocheted straight into the body as you go, so there is almost no sewing at the end. Add a keyring loop and it becomes a bag charm; leave it plain and it is a pocket pet, a desk mascot or the fastest handmade stocking filler I know. Designer Jade Wang includes the full pattern free on the page, plus a video tutorial if you like to watch before you stitch. She also allows finished minis to be sold, as long as you credit Sweet Softies as the designer. When a panda takes twenty minutes, a whole bamboo forest is a weekend project.
Pattern: 20-Minute Panda Bear by Sweet Softies — Get the free pattern
9. The No-Sew Mini Panda
If sewing on tiny limbs is your least favourite part of amigurumi, the Mini Noso Panda from Supergurumi was designed with you in mind. The "Noso" series is built around one idea: the whole body is crocheted in a single piece, arms and legs included, so there is nothing to sew on at all. In Schachenmayr Catania sport yarn with a 2.5 mm hook, this panda stands just five and a half centimetres tall — properly mini — and the pattern even includes the yarn for a tiny green bamboo sprig detail. The complete pattern is free on the Supergurumi site, written for basic stitches in spiral rounds and short rows. At this size you can make one for every keyring, pencil case and party bag you own.
Pattern: Mini Noso Panda by Supergurumi — Get the free pattern
10. A Red Panda With a Beautifully Ringed Tail
A quick note in the name of panda honesty: the next three makes are red pandas — the smaller, russet-coloured cousins of the giant panda, and every bit as lovable. This Red Panda Amigurumi from StringyDingDing captures the species beautifully, with a cream-marked face, dark legs and ears, and that glorious long tail ringed in lighter bands. It is an easy-level pattern that finishes at about six and a half inches tall, a lovely shelf size, and the full instructions are free on her site. If you prefer a printed copy, she offers an optional PDF for $2.49, but the pattern on the page is complete without it. Red pandas climb, so pose yours on a bookshelf edge with that striped tail draped over the side. Rust, cream and brown yarn never looked so good together.
Pattern: Red Panda Amigurumi by StringyDingDing — Get the free pattern
11. The Chubbiest Little Red Panda
Adzuki the Chubby Red Panda, from Little World of Whimsy, takes the red panda's roundness and turns it all the way up — in the best way. The body is one gloriously plump sphere, with a wide cream face mask, little dark ears and paws, and a ringed tail that curls behind him. If you have made any of this designer's chubby amigurumi before, you know the formula: simple shapes, careful placement, maximum squash. The pattern is free on her blog, and the colour palette — rust, ginger, cream and chocolate brown — makes a refreshing change from the black-and-white end of this list. He is the kind of make that visitors pick up and squeeze before they say hello. For red panda fans counting stitches, Adzuki is the cuddle champion of the three.
Pattern: Adzuki the Chubby Red Panda by Little World of Whimsy — Get the free pattern
12. A Big Plush Red Panda in Velvet Yarn
Our third red panda is the biggest of the trio: a ten-inch plush from Amigurumi Corner, worked in soft plush velvet yarn across five colours — rust, white, brown, dark brown and sand for those tail rings. The construction is satisfyingly clever, because the legs, arms and tail are crocheted directly into the body rounds rather than sewn on afterwards, which gives the finished panda a sturdy, seamless feel. The face details are embroidered, with the option of a whisper of pastel chalk to tint the ears, and the whole pattern — head to tail — is printed free on the page. The site also sells an optional PDF download for $4.50 if you want it offline, but nothing is hidden from the page version. It is rated for confident beginners and intermediates who are happy with colour changes.
Pattern: Red Panda Amigurumi by Amigurumi Corner — Get the free pattern
13. A Flat Panda Lovey for Tiny Hands
Loveys are the unsung heroes of the nursery — part comfort blanket, part first friend — and Nadia's Panda Lovey from Snappy Tots has a construction I really like. Instead of a stuffed head on a star blanket, this one is worked as a soft flat panel panda, roughly fifteen and a half inches long and eight and a half wide, so the whole lovey lies flat, folds small and travels easily in a changing bag. Designer Heidi Yates writes the full pattern free on her site, and there is an optional ad-free PDF on Ravelry for $2 if you want the tidy printable. Worked in worsted yarn, it is sturdy enough for daily cuddles and washes. Every new baby deserves a panda to hold onto.
Pattern: Nadia’s Panda Lovey by Snappy Tots (Heidi Yates) — Get the free pattern
14. Petunia, the Lovey With a Shell-Edged Blanket
Petunia the Panda Lovey, from A Purpose and A Stitch, pairs a round stuffed panda head and little arms with a circular blanket body finished in the prettiest white shell edging — the designer's sample works the blanket in teal, and against the black and white head it looks fresh and modern. Her secret for the face is worth stealing: she uses small ovals of black felt behind the safety eyes, so the eye patches stay crisp and graphic against the crochet texture. Now, one honest note about format: the blog post itself is a complete, free step-by-step photo tutorial that walks you through every part, and the neatly formatted written pattern lives on the designer's pattern page, which she links from the post. If you enjoy photo-guided making, the free tutorial has everything you need. Petunia is a baby-shower gift with real heirloom energy.
Pattern: Petunia the Panda Lovey by A Purpose and A Stitch — Get the free pattern
15. The Panda Baby Hat With Three Sizes Free
Maisie and Ruth are famous for their coordinated baby sets, and their Panda Crochet Baby Hat is the piece that starts this one: a soft beanie wearing a full panda face, with round ears, neat eye patches and a tiny nose, plus a step-by-step video tutorial to crochet along with. Here is the sizing, stated plainly as the designer states it: the free pattern on the page covers 0–3 months, 6–12 months and 3–5 years, while the remaining in-between sizes are included in her paid PDF on Etsy. For most gift-making, the free sizes are exactly the ones you will reach for. The hat is part of a matching panda set with booties, a hoodie and a blanket, so you can stop at the hat or go delightfully overboard. In classic black and white it suits every baby; in the designer's pink and blue samples it is pure photo-shoot sweetness.
Pattern: Panda Crochet Baby Hat by Maisie and Ruth — Get the free pattern
16. Panda Booties With a Sweet Appliqué Face
Tiny feet, tinier pandas. The Panda Crochet Baby Booties from Maisie and Ruth dress a classic, well-shaped bootie with a little appliqué panda face on each toe — a white circle head, two black ears, eye patches and a knot nose — and the effect is almost unbearably cute. The clever part is the sizing system: one set of instructions runs from newborn right up to 4–5 years, and you simply change your yarn weight and hook size as the child grows, so this single free pattern can serve a family for years. The full pattern is free on the page with a video tutorial, and an ad-free printable PDF is available in her Etsy shop if you want it for your pattern folder. Her samples pair pink and Dolphin Blue booties with white panda faces. Make them as part of the set, or as a standalone gift in a little box.
Pattern: Panda Crochet Baby Booties by Maisie and Ruth — Get the free pattern
17. A Baby Hoodie With Pandas on the Front
The third piece of the Maisie and Ruth panda set is the showpiece: a proper little hooded cardigan, worked in one piece from the yoke down with the buttonholes built in as you go, then finished with sleeves, a cosy hood, and two panda appliqués — one on the body and the ears waiting on the hood itself. It uses only basic stitches, and the designer includes a full video tutorial, so even a fairly new crocheter can manage it with confidence. The honest sizing note: the free pattern on the page covers 0–3 months and 6–12 months, and the other six sizes, up to 4–5 years, are in the paid PDF. Those two free sizes do cover the classic gift-giving window beautifully. Imagine the photos: hood up, panda ears up, baby unimpressed. Perfection.
Pattern: Crochet Panda Baby Hoodie by Maisie and Ruth — Get the free pattern
18. A Cosy Earflap Hat for Baby's First Winter
Jenny and Teddy's Panda Crochet Hat is one of those long-loved blog classics, and it is easy to see why. The base hat works up in simple rounds with shaped earflaps and long ties, and then the panda arrives: two plump, lightly stuffed ears sewn on top and button eyes that give the face a storybook look. Sizes run from newborn through 3–6 months and up to one year, and the complete pattern is free on the page, worked in a soft cotton-blend yarn that is kind to baby skin. It was designed with newborn photo shoots in mind, and it shows — this is the hat that makes grandparents reach for the camera. One practical tip from me: if the hat will be worn for naps rather than photos, swap the button eyes for embroidered ones. Cute and cautious can absolutely coexist.
Pattern: Panda Crochet Hat by Jenny and Teddy — Get the free pattern
19. Panda Earflap Hats for the Whole Family
Why should babies have all the pandas? Tonya Bush at Nana's Crafty Home built her Panda Ear Flap Hat on a simple double-crochet base and wrote it in six sizes — newborn, two baby sizes, toddler, child and teen-to-adult-small — so matching family hats are absolutely on the table. The face is all appliqué: eye patches, ears and a nose sewn onto the finished hat, with rosy cheeks and pom-pom ties that keep everything snug on windy days. The full pattern is free on her blog, there are video tutorials for both the base beanie and the earflaps, and an ad-free printable PDF is sold on Ravelry and Etsy if you prefer one — optional, as always. She notes it is a craft-fair favourite: quick to work up, and everyone recognises a panda. Your winter market table just found its mascot.
Pattern: Panda Ear Flap Hat by Nana’s Crafty Home (Tonya Bush) — Get the free pattern
20. A Panda Face Square for Blankets and Cushions
We are finishing with a make that is not a toy at all: the Panda Bear Emoji C2C Square from Lovable Loops. Corner-to-corner crochet turns this cheerful panda face into a neat pixel-style square, worked from a graph — black ears and eye patches, a round white face, and the sweetest simple expression. Melissa Hassler publishes the chart free on the page, and a printable PDF version is available in her Etsy shop if you like working from paper. One square makes a cushion front or a wall hanging for the nursery; a grid of them, perhaps alternating with her other animal squares, becomes a baby blanket that looks far more complicated than it is. C2C is wonderfully rhythmic once you find the diagonal groove, and watching a panda face appear row by row is its own reward.
Pattern: Panda Bear Emoji C2C Square by Lovable Loops (Melissa Hassler) — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty pandas, my friend — plush and pudgy, mini and no-sew, russet red pandas with ringed tails, loveys for tiny hands, a full baby set, hats for the whole family and one very stitchable square. If you are brand new to amigurumi, start with the 20-minute mini or the chenille baby panda and let the quick win carry you; if babies are on your gift list, the Maisie and Ruth set will keep you happily hooking for weeks. Every pattern above is free at the link, and every designer earned their place on this list.
Now tell me — which panda is going on your hook first: a cuddly plush for the nursery, a red panda for your shelf, or a panda hat for the next baby shower? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
