There is something about a handmade crochet teddy bear that no shop-bought plush can quite match. Maybe it is the slightly wonky ear, maybe it is knowing exactly whose hands made every stitch — but a crocheted bear becomes a keepsake, the thing a child drags from cot to classroom and a grown-up keeps on the shelf long after. I make them for baby showers, for hospital visits, for friends who need cheering up, and sometimes just for the joy of watching a round brown head take shape on my hook.
So here are twenty of my favourite teddy bears for you, every one free and every one a proper bear: a giant blanket-yarn cuddler, plush and faux-fur bears, fine-cotton keepsakes, tiny pocket bears, a granny square lovey and two ornaments for the tree. I have noted the finished size, the yarn, the eyes and the honest little details for each one as we go. Pick your favourite, gather your softest yarn, and let us make some bears.
1. The Giant Blanket-Yarn Bear for Serious Cuddles
We are starting big — really big. Michele Wilcox designed this Big Teddy Bear for Marly Bird in Bernat Blanket, a super bulky chenille-style yarn worked on an 8 mm hook, and the finished bear stands about 19 inches tall and 10 inches wide: a genuine armful of a teddy. Every piece is plain single crochet in continuous spiral rounds, seamed together at the end, so adventurous beginners can absolutely manage it, and the chunky stitches mean you can actually see what you are doing. My favourite detail is that the whole face is embroidered, with no safety eyes at all, which makes him an extra-safe choice for babies and toddlers. In the taupe sample colour he is a classic storybook bear, but imagine him in dusty rose or cream for a nursery.
Pattern: Big Teddy Bear by Michele Wilcox at Marly Bird — Get the free pattern
2. The Classic Sitting Teddy in Worsted
If you want one timeless teddy in your repertoire, make it this one from The Friendly Red Fox. He sits about 9 inches tall, worked in ordinary worsted yarn — her sample uses I Love This Yarn in brown with a little ivory for the snout — on a 3.75 mm hook, and the head and body are crocheted as one continuous piece. The 12 mm safety eyes and embroidered eyebrows give him the sweetest expressive face, the kind that makes people say "oh, he looks alive." She rates it for advanced beginners: if you can single crochet in the round and do an invisible decrease, you can make this bear. He is made to sit pretty or be loved as a toy — in my house he would last about five minutes before being adopted.
Pattern: Crochet Teddy Bear by The Friendly Red Fox — Get the free pattern
3. Cuddle Me: The Little Bear With the Buttoned Scarf
The Cuddle Me Bear from Amigurumi Today is as huggable as his name promises, and he comes with his own crocheted scarf that fastens with a button — the detail that makes everyone smile. Worked in Alize Cotton Gold, a sport-weight cotton blend, on a tiny 2.0 mm hook, he finishes at about 15 cm (just under 6 inches) tall, so he is a proper handful for small hands and pram rides. The pattern calls for 6 mm safety eyes, but the site notes they can be swapped for embroidery if the bear is destined for a baby. It is rated intermediate, mostly because of the small hook and fine yarn, and the rounds are all simple single crochet. One honest note: the online version is free once you sign in with a free Amigurumi Today account.
Pattern: Cuddle Me Bear by Amigurumi Today — Get the free pattern
4. Plush Yarn, Big Squish, Fewer Stitches
Plush yarn changes everything about amigurumi: bigger stitches, faster progress, and a finished bear so squishy it feels shop-bought. This Plush Yarn Teddy Bear from The Friendly Red Fox uses about two skeins of Premier Chunky — in the shade actually called Teddy Bear, which delights me — with a 4 mm hook, and the 18 mm safety eyes are sized to match the chunkier fabric. The nose is embroidered with a little brown worsted yarn, which keeps the face soft and simple, and the head and body are worked in one piece from the bottom up. She describes it as very beginner friendly once you are used to the feel of plush yarn, and because there are far fewer stitches than a worsted bear, he genuinely flies off the hook.
Pattern: Plush Yarn Teddy Bear by The Friendly Red Fox — Get the free pattern
5. The Solid-Brown Snuggler With White Paws
The Snuggle Bear from Amigurumi Corner skips the dressed-up look and goes solid brown from ears to toes, like a real little bear cub — except for the crisp white paw tips and an embroidered grey nose that keep him looking gentle. He finishes at a very huggable 13 inches, in worsted yarn on a 5 mm hook, with 14 mm safety eyes (the pattern's notes explain you can embroider them instead, and which choice suits which age). My favourite technique here is the needle-sculpted muzzle: a few pulled stitches shape the snout so beautifully that he looks professionally finished. The arms are only stuffed partway, on purpose, so they stay floppy and poseable rather than stiff. It is an intermediate pattern in single and half double crochet, and every round goes straight into the shape.
Pattern: Snuggle Bear by Amigurumi Corner — Get the free pattern
6. The Dressed-Up Bear in Blue Trousers
Some bears are born wearing clothes, and this handsome fellow from Amigurumi Today arrives in blue trousers and matching shoes, finished with a satin ribbon bow at his neck. The outfit is not separate clothing — the legs begin in blue and change to white, so the trousers and shoes are simply part of his body, which means nothing gets lost in the wash or under the sofa. He stands about 22 cm (8.7 inches) in YarnArt Jeans fine cotton on a 2.0 mm hook, with 8 mm safety eyes, and the pattern is rated intermediate. The full pattern is on the page — the site simply asks you to sign in with a free account to view the online version. That crisp cotton fabric gives him a neat, almost porcelain finish.
Pattern: Teddy Bear by Amigurumi Today — Get the free pattern
7. Fluffle, the Faux-Fur Bear From a Single Skein
Fluffle, from Little World of Whimsy, might be the most realistic crocheted bear here, because she is made from faux fur yarn — WeCrochet Fable Fur — and the finished fabric barely looks crocheted at all. The entire bear takes ONE skein, worked on a 6.0 mm hook in the simplest shapes: a sphere head, a little cylinder body, chubby separate legs so she sits up like a gummy bear. The muzzle is plain white worsted so the embroidered brown nose shows clearly, and the 10 mm safety eyes peek out of the fluff. Her honest advice is in the pattern itself: feel for your stitches instead of looking for them, use plenty of stitch markers, and if you miscount, nobody can tell — nobody can see the stitches anyway. Her sample is cotton-candy pink; the natural fur shades look astonishingly real.
Pattern: Fluffle the Bear by Little World of Whimsy — Get the free pattern
8. A Bear in a Sweater, Beginner Approved
This little charmer from The Friendly Red Fox wears his sweater as part of his body — the colour changes as you crochet, decorative edging is added at the hem and sleeves afterwards, and he is dressed without a separate garment to sew. He stands about 8 inches tall in worsted yarn on a 3.75 mm hook, the construction is mostly one flowing piece with minimal sewing, and he comes from her beginner's guide to amigurumi, so the instructions hold your hand kindly. The pattern uses 12 mm safety eyes, but the designer herself points out you can embroider the eyes instead to make him safe for a baby or toddler — a thoughtful note I wish more patterns included. Change the sweater colour and he is a whole new bear: forest green for autumn, red for Christmas, mustard for every day — I want a whole row of them on my mantel.
Pattern: Bear in a Sweater by The Friendly Red Fox — Get the free pattern
9. A Tall Plush Bear With a Felt Heart Belly
Designed by Kseniya Pilipejko and shared through Amiguroom Toys, this plush teddy is made in Himalaya Dolphin Baby — that velvety chenille yarn — and finishes at a generous 29 cm (about 11.4 inches). The details are pure storybook: pink paw soles, a crocheted pink nose, embroidered lashes and brows, and a little pink felt patch sewn onto his belly like a badge of love. The 12 mm safety eyes sit in a head that flows straight on from the body in one piece, with the legs joined in as you go, so assembly stays mercifully short. A 4.0 mm hook does the main work, with a finer 2.5 mm hook for the nose. Plush yarn plus a tall, huggable shape makes this the bear children actually sleep with, cheek pressed into the softness.
Pattern: Plush Teddy Bear by Kseniya Pilipejko at Amiguroom Toys — Get the free pattern
10. The Bear Who Holds a Heart
Knit Paint Sew designed this sweetheart for exactly the moments when you want to say something without words: a teddy holding a soft crocheted heart. He sits about 9 inches tall, worked in bulky Lion Brand Homespun — a textured boucle yarn that hides your stitches and gives him a fur-like finish — with his paws and facial features embroidered in dark brown yarn, so there are no plastic parts at all. The heart is removable, which makes it even more giftable: tuck a note behind it, or swap it for a tiny flower on other occasions. The designer suggests him for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays and brand-new babies, and I would add get-well-soon to that list. Because the yarn is bulky, he grows quickly, and the gentle shaping is all beginner-friendly single crochet.
Pattern: Love You Teddy Bear by Knit Paint Sew — Get the free pattern
11. Hug Buddy: One Piece, Colour-Blocked, Baby-Safe Face
DROPS Design created the Hug Buddy for their baby collection: the head and body are worked in one unbroken piece — no neck seam, ever — and the body changes colours as you go, soft brown giving way to off-white, grey-blue and grey-green bands like a tiny knitted jumper. The eyes and mouth are simply embroidered with black yarn, so there are no small parts at all, which makes this one of the most baby-appropriate bears in the whole collection. Afterwards you crochet little hearts and sew one to his front and one to his back — that heart on the back gets me every time. It is worked with a 4 mm hook in soft baby yarn, and, as always with DROPS, the complete pattern sits free on the Garnstudio page.
Pattern: Hug Buddy (DROPS Baby 20-26) by DROPS Design — Get the free pattern
12. Fine Cotton, Big Expression
Kristina Zavadskaya's bear, translated and shared by Amiguroom Toys, is the one for makers who love a face with real character. Worked in YarnArt Jeans — the fine cotton blend so many amigurumi artists swear by — on a 2.0 mm hook, he gets 6 to 8 mm safety eyes, but then the magic happens with thread: embroidered eye whites, neat brows, and a carefully stitched nose and mouth that give him a gentle, thoughtful expression instead of a blank stare. The proportions are classic teddy — round head, plump body, arms and legs sewn on separately — and that smooth cotton fabric shows every stitch like a tiny sculpture. He is a keepsake-sized bear, made for a desk or bookshelf rather than the toy box. Allow yourself unhurried time for the face; it is the whole personality of this bear.
Pattern: Amigurumi Bear by Kristina Zavadskaya at Amiguroom Toys — Get the free pattern
13. Little Bears, Pocket-Sized and Quick
Designed by Bi'kutu Oyuncak and shared by Amiguroom Toys, these Little Bears finish at just 9 to 11 cm tall — pocket-sized — in Kartopu Baby Cotton on a 2.5 mm hook, with tiny 6 mm safety eyes. The clever bit is a colour change partway down the body, so your little bear appears to be wearing a sweet top without any separate clothing at all. Legs and body are worked as one piece, which keeps the sewing to just the arms, ears and muzzle, and he comes together in an evening or two. Small bears like this are perfect for so many things: a comfort toy that fits in a school bag, a keyring for an older child, a whole family of bears in different colours lined up on a windowsill. Warning: nobody makes just one of these — I have tested this.
Pattern: Little Bears by Bi’kutu Oyuncak at Amiguroom Toys — Get the free pattern
14. Tiny Teddy: Three Inches, One Evening
The Tiny Teddy from Sweet Softies is the smallest bear its designer has ever made — just 3 inches tall in medium weight yarn — and he sits right in the palm of your hand like a secret. The written pattern is free on her page, and the whole bear is quick, simple single crochet shaping — a genuine one-evening project. She suggests chenille or blanket yarn if you want a bigger, squishier version, and thinner yarn if you want him smaller still, which frankly breaks my brain a little. Dress him up with a tiny bow tie, a hair bow or a few embroidered flowers, and embroider the eyes instead of using plastic ones if he is heading to an under-three. For older children and teens he makes the cutest bag charm or keychain.
Pattern: Tiny Teddy by Sweet Softies — Get the free pattern
15. The Two-Hour Tiny Teddy
Nicki Eltz at Nicki's Homemade Crafts designed her Tiny Teddy Bear specifically to solve amigurumi's scariest problem — the face. Instead of embroidery, he uses plastic safety eyes and a plastic nose, which slot in and look instantly adorable, no stitching skill required. He is worked in Lion Brand Skein Tones worsted yarn and finishes about 3.5 inches tall and wide, taking two hours or less from first stitch to final cuddle. She rates it advanced beginner, and it was designed with Valentine's Day and Mother's Day in mind — at this size and speed, you can make one for every mother, teacher and friend on your list. The smooth worsted fabric shows the neat shaping beautifully, and the skin-tone yarn shades give him a warm, modern look. Pop him on a keyring, tie him to a gift parcel, or line up a whole row on your desk.
Pattern: Tiny Teddy Bear by Nicki Eltz at Nicki’s Homemade Crafts — Get the free pattern
16. Enzo, the Bear With the Little Jacket
Enzo is a dapper gentleman designed by Ilaria Caliri for Paintbox Yarns, and his party trick is a separate jacket you crochet and pop on him. He measures about 6 inches tall when seated, and the construction is kind, beginner-friendly stuff: head and body worked as one piece from the top down, with the ears, muzzle, arms and legs made separately and sewn on. The pattern is a free PDF download from yarn.com, the LoveCrafts shop — one honest note: the instructions live in that downloadable file rather than on a blog page, but it costs nothing and takes seconds to save. Paintbox cotton gives him a smooth, crisp, polished finish, and at six inches seated he is made for desks, nursery shelves and coat pockets. A bear with wardrobe options is a bear after my own heart.
Pattern: Enzo the Teddy Bear by Ilaria Caliri for Paintbox Yarns — Get the free pattern
17. The Small Teddy You Can Join As You Go
Lisa Auch's Small Teddy Bear, over at Crochet Patterns Free, is full of thoughtful beginner kindness. If the magic ring has ever defeated you, breathe easy: she writes the pattern so you can start with a simple chain two instead, no magic circle required. You can also make the arms and legs first and join them as you go, which spreads the sewing out and makes the project wonderfully manageable in short sessions. The finished bear is a small, classic, sit-up teddy with a sweet round head and separately stitched ears you can gather slightly for shape — a tiny detail that makes a real difference. Everything is plain single crochet, so confident beginners can take him on as a first amigurumi. He is the kind of bear that gets made in batches for charity drives, school fairs and hospital comfort packs.
Pattern: Small Teddy Bear by Lisa Auch at Crochet Patterns Free — Get the free pattern
18. Bjorn: A Teddy Lovey on a Granny Square Blanket
Bjorn is not a plush in the usual sense: he is a little teddy who lives in the centre of a granny square lovey, so a baby gets a soft blanket and a bear to grip in one handmade package. Green Fox Farms Designs builds him from four granny squares joined together — the blanket measures about 12 inches square with the little 4-inch bear sitting in the middle — in roughly 160 to 180 yards of worsted or aran yarn, cotton or a soft cotton blend being ideal for washing. It is an advanced-beginner pattern: if you can make a basic granny square and are ready for a touch of amigurumi and sewing, you can make Bjorn. The designer's own safety advice is worth following — for babies, skip the safety eyes and embroider them instead.
Pattern: Bjorn Granny Square Teddy Bear Lovey by Green Fox Farms Designs — Get the free pattern
19. A Four-and-a-Half-Inch Bear Ornament
Grace and Yarn shrank the teddy bear down to tree size: this little Bear Ornament measures about 4.5 inches tall, just right for hanging on the Christmas tree, tying onto a wrapped present, or stringing into the sweetest nursery garland. He is worked in WeCrochet Comfy Worsted — a soft cotton blend — in thicket brown with a white snout and a sea-foam accent, and the body flows straight up into the head in one piece, so the rounds tick along satisfyingly. The safety eyes go in partway through the head, with optional embroidered lashes or brows, and a stitched nose finishes the face. Because he is small and mostly one piece, he is a quick make — an evening each, easily. I picture a set of six in different scarf colours marching along a mantel garland.
Pattern: Bear Ornament by Grace and Yarn — Get the free pattern
20. The Red Heart Bear Ornament With the Bright Scarf
We are finishing with a bear who is dressed for winter: Sahrit Freud-Weinstein designed this Bear Ornament for Red Heart, and he stands 6 inches tall with his own bright crocheted scarf wrapped round his neck. He is worked in Red Heart Soft yarn on a 4 mm hook, with 6 mm safety eyes, and the pattern — number LW3702, republished in full at Best Free Crochet — even writes out the adjustable-ring method step by step. Only small amounts of the accent colours are needed, so this is a genuine stash-busting bear: a ball of wheat for the body, scraps of cream, toast, black, red and green for the details. Six inches makes him a touch bigger than the other ornament on this list, so he holds his own on a wreath or a mantel as happily as on the tree.
Pattern: Bear Ornament (LW3702) by Sahrit Freud-Weinstein for Red Heart — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty teddy bears, my friend — giants and miniatures, plush clouds and fine-cotton keepsakes, bears in sweaters, bears holding hearts, bears sitting in the middle of blankets and bears ready to hang on the tree, every single one free. If you are new to amigurumi, start with the Sweater Bear, the little Enzo or Lisa Auch's join-as-you-go teddy; if you want a bear that will be hugged within an inch of its life, the giant Marly Bird bear or one of the plush bears is calling your name. Whichever you choose, embroider the eyes whenever a bear is heading to a baby, and always sew the head on twice as securely as you think it needs.
Now tell me — are you team giant cuddle bear or team tiny pocket bear, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your bears!
