Present Bear Free Crochet Pattern

My Jumbo Waffle pattern is my newest food-themed free crochet pattern!

Read on to learn more about my design process and inspiration, or scroll to the end to get the free pattern. If you’re in a hurry and need to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here.

A festive crochet teddy bear for the holidays!

Teddy bears are my absolute favorite type of amigurumi to make, and for a fun holiday twist I made this present bear! I think it’s so cute how the bear is stuck in the present!

If you’ve seen my pumpkin bear in the past, this is a similar concept and I feel like it’s an awesome way to get you in the mood for the holidays.

This pattern is relatively straight forward and not that much more difficult than making a regular teddy bear, since you just swap the body out for the present.

You’ll learn how to make right angle corners for the present box in this pattern, as well as learn a clever back loop only technique to make the edges of the box more defined.

It’s really fun exploring new techniques in amigurumi and this is a great pattern to pick up new techniques from!

Tips for success with this pattern!

This is a confident beginner pattern because it uses several techniques like working into a foundation chain for the legs, working back and forth for the bow, and BLO techniques for the box.

If you’ve already made a few amigurumi, you should be fully equipped to tackle this pattern, since most of the new techniques just build off the ones you know already.

For this pattern, there are a lot of small pieces, so it’s important to pay attention to where each of the pieces go. I always note the exact positioning of each piece, but you can also pin them down to the other pieces to help you visualize what the final product will look like.

Don’t be afraid to move things around if there’s a specific look that you like better!

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

The Pattern

  • If you want to take this pattern offline, grab the beautifully formatted, ad-free, PDF pattern from Etsy here!

Description

This Present Bear is an adorable amigurumi of a teddy bear sitting with her head and limbs sticking out of a gift box, complete with a ribbon. Although this pattern might look complicated, it’s actually very straightforward—if you can make a ball, then you can make this pattern! She is perfect decor for the gift giving season or Valentine’s Day!

Yarn

Confused about materials? For all my personal recommendations of my most-used tools, yarns, and supplies, check out my favorites in this complete guide!

  • WeCrochet Brava Sport (sport)
    • (<1 skein) Blush (light pink)
    • (<1 skein) Coral (red)
    • (<1 skein) White

Notions

  • Size D 3.25mm Clover Amour hook
  • 4.0mm safety eyes
  • brown embroidery thread
  • fiberfill stuffing
  • tapestry needle
  • stitch markers

Abbreviations

  • BLO: back loop only
  • ch: chain
  • CC: contrast color
  • dec: decrease
  • inc: increase (work two single crochets in one stitch)
  • MC: main color
  • MR: magic ring
  • rnd: round
  • RS: right side
  • sc: single crochet
  • x sc: work x number of single crochets
  • sl st: slip stitch
  • st(s): stitch(es)
  • WS: wrong side
  • (x sts): total number of stitches for the round
  • (…) x: work all steps within parentheses x number of times

Technical Notes

  1. Crochet in continuous spiral rounds, unless specified otherwise. Use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to keep track of the last stitch in each round.
  1. When filling with polyester stuffing, pull apart each large chunk into many smaller chunks. This ensures an even distribution of firmness within the amigurumi.
  2. To avoid large holes in the crochet fabric, increase tension until the holes cannot be seen, or choose a crochet hook a size down.
  3. Stuff the head and the body firmly at the openings so that the neck is stable upon completion.
  1. Use sewing pins to secure parts of the amigurumi before you sew them.

Color Coding

For this pattern, the MC is camo green, CC1 is light brown, CC2 is gold, and CC3 is red.

Special Stitches

  • How to embroider a nose: see this tutorial
  • Invisible finish off: Click here for a video tutorial!

Final Size

2.5″ (6cm) x 3.5″ (9cm)

BOX (in CC1, see Color Coding section. For … notation, see Abbreviations section.)

  • Round 1: 4 sc in MR (4 sts)
  • Round 2: 3 sc x4 (12 sts)
  • Round 3: sc, (3 sc, 2 sc) x3, 3 sc, 1 sc (20 sts)
  • Round 4: 2 sc, (3 sc, 4 sc) x3, 3 sc, 2 sc (28 sts)
  • Round 5: 3 sc, (3 sc, 6 sc) x3, 3 sc, 3 sc (36 sts)
  • Round 6: 4 sc, (3 sc, 8 sc) x3, 3 sc, 4 sc (44 sts)
  • Round 7: 5 sc, (3 sc, 10 sc) x3, 3 sc, 5 sc. Sl st to first stitch. (52 sts)
  • Begin working in joined rounds.
  • Round 8: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), and working in BLO, sc around. Sl st to first stitch (52 sts)
  • Round 9-15 (7 rnds): ch, sc around, sl st to first stitch (52 sts)
  • At this point, make sure that the beginning of your round is approximately in the middle of the side of the square. If it’s a little off, adjust for it before continuing.
  • Round 16: in BLO, 5 sc, (sc3tog, 10 sc) x3, sc3tog, 5 sc (44 sts)
  • Work in continuous rounds.
  • Round 17: 4 sc, (sc3tog, 8 sc) x3, sc3tog, 4 sc (36 sts)
  • Round 18: 3 sc, (sc3tog, 6 sc) x3, sc3tog, 3 sc (28 sts)
  • Round 19: 2 sc, (sc3tog, 4 sc) x3, sc3tog, 2 sc (20 sts)
  • Stuff.
  • Round 20: sc, (sc3tog, 2 sc) x3, sc3tog, sc (12 sts)

Finish off, leaving a long end for sewing.

Using a tapestry needle, thread the needle through the front loop only of each of the 12 stitches in the last round.

Pull tight to cinch the opening closed, and bury the tail. You have just completed the bottom of the box.

See figure 1 and 2 for what your work should look like.

RIBBONS (in CC2, make two. See Abbreviations for FSC.)

  • Round 1: FSC 32, slst to first stitch (32 sts)
  • Leave a tail for sewing and make another identically.

You should now have two loops made of chains. Place them on the box as shown in figure 3 and sew them down.

Fig. 3: Box with ribbons sewn down.

HEAD (in MC)

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
  • Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
  • Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
  • Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24 sts)
  • Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30 sts)
  • Round 6: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36 sts)
  • Round 7: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42 sts)
  • Round 8-9 (2 rnds): sc around (42 sts)
  • Round 10: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48 sts)
  • Round 11-12 (2 rnds): sc around (48 sts)
  • Insert 4.0mm safety eyes between rounds 11 and 12 (counting from top), 6 sts apart.
  • Round 13: (7 sc, inc) x6 (54 sts)
  • Round 14: (7 sc, dec) x6 (48 sts)
  • Round 15: (6 sc, dec) x6 (42 sts)
  • Round 16: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36 sts)
  • Round 17: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30 sts)
  • Round 18: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24 sts)
  • Round 19: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18 sts) Stuff.
  • Round 20: (sc, dec) x6 (12 sts)
  • Round 21: dec x6 (6 sts)
  • Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. See figure 4.
Fig. 4: Finished head. Yours will have eyes, though not pictured here.

MUZZLE (in CC2)

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
  • Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
  • Round 3: (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)

Invisible finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Using brown embroidery thread, embroider a nose.

See Special Stitches for tutorial. See figure 5 for finished muzzle

Sew to the head between rounds 10-15 (counting from the top). The top of the muzzle should be at the level of the eyes.

Fig. 5: Finished muzzle. The vertical line extends to the first round above and below the center, and the top is one stitch wide on round one.

EARS (in MC, make two)

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
  • Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
  • Round 3: sc around (12 sts)

Flatten the ear in half so that you have two layered semi circle shape.

Insert hook through both loops of both sides and sc 6 across to close the opening (6 sts).

See figure 6.

Make another identically. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing, and sew to the head between rounds 4-7 (counting from the top).

Curve the ear slightly when sewing.

The ears should be placed 6-8 stitches to the left and right of the eyes, and 4 rows up. See fig. 10 for reference.

Fig. 6: Flatten the ear and crochet 6 stitches across the opening.


LEGS (in MC, make two)

  • Begin: Chain 4. Beginning in the 2nd chain from hook, work 6 single crochets around the foundation chain. For a tutorial on this, click here. See figure 7 for visual representation. (6 sts)
  • Round 1: inc x6 (12 sts)
  • Round 2-4 (3 rnds): sc around (12 sts)
  • Stuff lightly.
  • Round 5: (sc, dec) x4 (8 sts)

Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Make another identically (fig. 8).

Sew between rounds 9-12 of the box (counting from the bottom), starting 3 stitches to the left and right of one corner.

See fig. 10 for reference.

ARM (in MC)

  • Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6 sts)
  • Round 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
  • Round 3-4 (2 rnds): sc around (12 sts)
  • Round 5: (2 sc, dec) x3 (9 sts)
  • Round 6-7 (2 rnds): sc around (9 sts)

Insert hook through both loops of both sides and sc 4 across to close the opening (4 sts).

See fig. 9 and 10 for step by step photos.

Make another identically. Do not stuff or stuff very lightly.

Finish off, and sew on top of the present, overlapping with the ribbon (fig. 13). Sew the head on top.

BOW (in CC2. See Abbreviations for FSC.)

  • Row 1: FSC 3, chain and turn
  • Row 2-7 (6 rows): 3 sc, chain and turn
  • You have now made a rectangle.

To crochet a border around it, turn your work (see fig. 11 for starting point) and work 7 stitches down the left side of the rectangle.

Work 3 stitches on the bottom, and then 7 stitches up the right side, 3 stitches on top, and slip stitch to the first stitch.

Finish off, leaving a tail.

Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise, and then use the tail to sew across the middle (see fig. 12 for visual), leaving a tail for sewing.

Sew in front of the right ear of the head. (fig. 13)

Fig. 13: Finished present bear.

Your starfish amigurumi is all done! I hope you enjoyed crocheting it and found the pattern helpful. I would love to see your finished amigurumi, so share a picture on Instagram with me by using the #littleworldofwhimsy and tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy.