Christmas and the Winter holidays are just around the corner, making it the perfect time to crochet some adorable winter-themed amigurumi! This free polar bear amigurumi pattern is the perfect size for a stocking stuffer or holiday gift basket. Make a bunch with personalized scarves for all your friends and family this year!
Meet Paddy the Baby Polar Bear! Paddy loves the cold weather. His favorite thing about Winter is playing in the snow, building snow forts, and having snowball fights. He also loves wearing his favorite comfy scarf to help fight off the chill, so don’t forget to make one for him!
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MATERIALS YOU NEED to Make This Free Polar Bear Amigurumi Pattern
- Worsted-weight yarn (4-ply) in white and one other color for the scarf. (The U.K. equivalent is Aran, and AUS/NZ is 8 ply.) For my polar bear, I used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn in the color “White” and “Rosy Cheeks” for the scarf.
- F (3.75 mm) crochet hook
- 9 mm black safety eyes
- Fiberfill (or your stuffing of choice)
- Bent tip tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch marker
- Straight pins
- Black embroidery thread
ABBREVIATION KEY for This Free Polar Bear Amigurumi Pattern
Abbreviations are in U.S. terms.
- sc – single crochet
- st/sts – stitch(es)
- sl st – slip stitch
- dec – decrease (join the next 2 stitches together)
- inc – increase (2 single crochet in the next stitch)
- R1 – round 1
- rep – repeat
- ** – repeat the group of instructions between the asterisks the number of times indicated.
Note: All rounds are worked continuously (that is, vs. joined rounds.)
The finished size is approximately 4.5 in. (11.5 cm.) tall. (Please be aware that your personal gauge, tension, hook size, and the brand of yarn you decide to use will all impact the finished size.)
The pattern and images in this document are the sole property of Storyland Amis. This written pattern is for personal use only. Please do not share, sell, or redistribute it in whole or part.
You MAY sell the finished product, but please credit Storyland Amis as the designer. If you sell your finished items online, I would appreciate it if you could link them to my blog! You may not mass-produce items made from this pattern. Thank you for your understanding and respect.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFO to Make This Free Polar Bear Amigurumi Pattern
Starting round: When starting my crochet pieces in the round, I always use the “ch 2 method.” That is perfectly fine if you prefer to start your pieces using the magic circle/ring instead. These two methods are interchangeable, and the end result will be the same regardless of your choice. If you would like to learn how to do the “ch 2 method,” then see this video HERE.
Right vs. wrong side: When working in the round, I always crochet with the “right” side of the stitches facing out. If you’d like to see the difference between the “right” and “wrong” side of crochet stitches, see this video HERE.
Yarn under vs. yarn over: I always yarn under (YU) instead of yarn over (YO) for all my amigurumi. Doing YO might make your amigurumi slightly larger than mine, so keep that in mind if you prefer YO. If you want more info on this, check out this short video HERE.
Sewing pieces together: I sew all my pieces together using the whipstitch unless otherwise specified.
Stuffing: If you need help stuffing your pieces properly, check out this short video HERE.
Free Polar Bear Amigurumi Pattern
Head (Using White Yarn)
R1: ch 2, starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc 6 (6 sts) (you can use the magic circle if you prefer as it won’t make a difference in the end. In that case you will make a magic circle and make 6 sc in the magic circle. Watch how I make the “ch 2 method”. )
R2: *inc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc 1, inc* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R4: *sc 2, inc* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R5: *sc 3, inc* rep 6 times (30 sts)
R6: *sc 4, inc* rep 6 times (36 sts)
R7-12: sc in all 36 sts (6 rounds total at 36 sts each)
R13: *inc* rep 6 times, sc 12, *inc* rep 6 times, sc 12 (48 sts)
R14: *sc 2, inc* rep 4 times, sc 12, *sc 2, inc* rep 4 times, sc 12 (56 sts)
R15: sc in all 56 sts around (56 sts)
R16: *sc 2, dec* rep 4 times, sc 12, *sc 2, dec* rep 4 times, sc 12 (48 sts)
R17: *dec* rep 6 times, sc 12, *dec* rep 6 times, sc 12 (36 sts)
R18: *sc 4, dec* rep 6 times (30 sts)
R19: *sc 3, dec* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R20: *sc 2, dec* rep 6 times (18 sts)
Finish off leaving a short tail.
Eyes and Stuffing
Insert your 9 mm safety eyes between R13 & 14 of the head spaced 9 sts apart (Hint: Insert the 1st eye. Count 9 sts from the hole where you inserted the 1st eye and insert the 2nd eye. There should be 7 visible sts between the two eyes). Make sure that the eyes are evenly centered between the cheeks.
Stuff the head firmly, paying extra attention to the shape of the cheeks. See my video on how to stuff amigurumi heads to reduce large or gaping holes. Do not sew up the opening of the head and leave the tail until we sew the body on. Set the head aside until we make the muzzle.
Muzzle (Using White Yarn)
R1: ch 5, starting in 2nd ch from hook, make 1 sc in each of the 4 chs, now rotate your work 180 degrees and work in the front loops of the ch, starting in the first front loop, inc 1, sc 2, inc 1 (10 sts)
This is called starting your work with a foundation chain and is a great way to start a piece you want to be more oval than round. After crocheting through the top loops of the chain, you turn your work upside down so that the sts you just crocheted are at the bottom and the front or bottom loops of the chain are now at the top. These are the sts you will now work into. Once you’re at the end of the row, the first round is complete! Now you just continue as you normally would working in the round.
Watch my video on how to crochet into both sides of a foundation chain.
R2: *sc 1, inc* rep 5 times (15 sts)
R3-4: sc in all 15 sts (2 rounds total at 15 sts each)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Embroidering the Nose
We will now embroider the nose. Take a long piece of black embroidery thread and thread a sharp sewing needle.
To embroider the nose, we will first make the outline and then fill it in with horizontal stitches. First, make the top stitch. It will be between R1 & 2 of the muzzle, 3-4 stitches wide. Make sure this first stitch is centered and straight. Now, embroider the two side stitches so that you have a triangle.
Now, we will fill the nose in with horizontal stitches.
When you reach the end, some white yarn might be showing through on the sides (see first image in the collage photo below). In this case, just make one or two more vertical stitches on the sides to cover up any white showing through. Finally, make a small straight stitch right below the bottom of the nose, about one stitch long. Make a knot on the back of the muzzle to secure the embroidery and then cut the thread.
Position the muzzle over the front of the head, between the eyes. Pin it into place using straight pins to keep it in place.
Using the long tail we left and your tapestry needle, sew the muzzle to the front of the head using the whipstitch. Make sure to stop and check frequently as you are sewing to make sure that the muzzle is still straight and the nose is centered.
When you are almost finished sewing the muzzle on, add a little stuffing. When you are finished, make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the remaining tail into the head.
Ears (Make 2 Using White Yarn)
R1: ch 2, starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc 6 (6 sts)
R2: *sc 1, inc* rep 3 times (9 sts)
R3: *sc 2, inc* rep 3 times (12 sts)
R4: sc in all 12 sts (12 sts)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.
We will not stuff the ears. Instead, flatten them, and then, for each ear, sew the open ends closed using the whipstitch to create a flat edge for sewing. Watch how I sew the open ends closed to create a flat edge.
We will now sew the ears to the sides of the head. Position the ears on either side of the head, evenly centered, and pin them in place using straight pins.
You will position the ears to be over R6-12 of the head. Sew the ear to the head using the whipstitch. Sew all the way around each ear. When you are finished, make a knot to secure the sewing and weave the remaining ends into the head.
Body (Using White Yarn)
R1: ch 2, starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc 6 (6 sts)
R2: *inc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R3: *sc 1, inc* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R4: *sc 2, inc* rep 6 times (24 sts)
R5-9: sc in all 24 sts (5 rounds total at 24 sts each)
R10: *sc 2, dec* rep 6 times (18 sts)
R11: sc in all 18 sts (18 sts)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Stuff the body firmly. Since both the last round of the head and the last round of the body have 18 sts, the two pieces will line up perfectly.
Using the whipstitch, sew the two pieces together. When you are about three-fourths of the way around, you might want to add a little more stuffing to the neck to make it sturdier.
When finished, knot the finishing tail from the head that we left to the remaining sewing tail of the body to secure the sewing and weave the tails into the body to finish.
Legs (Make 2 Using White Yarn)
R1: ch 2, starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc 6 (6 sts)
R2: *sc 1, inc* rep 3 times (9 sts)
R3: sc in all 9 sts (9 sts)
R4: *sc 1, dec* rep 3 times (6 sts)
R5: sc in all 6 sts (6 sts)
R6: *inc* rep 6 times (12 sts)
R7-8: sc in all 12 sts (2 rounds total at 12 sts each)
R9: *sc 2, dec* rep 3 times (9 sts)
R10: *sc 1, dec* rep 3 times (6 sts)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing. Add a little bit of stuffing to the feet, but leave the rest of the leg unstuffed. Like we did for the ears, flatten the open ends closed on each leg and sew the opening closed so that there is a flat edge for sewing.
Sewing the Legs on
Position the legs to the sides of the body so that your bear can sit up on his own when you set him on a flat surface. I sewed the back of the legs to R6-8 of my bear’s body, but yours might be different, so make sure to set your bear on a flat surface to ensure he can sit on his own.
When you have the legs positioned where you want them, pin them into place using straight pins to keep them in place while you sew them on. Starting where your finishing tail is on the bottom of the leg, sew the flat back edge of the leg to the body. Then, sew down three to four stitches from the top of the thigh to the body. When you have done that, weave the sewing tail down to the bottom of the leg and sew down three to four stitches of the bottom side to secure. Repeat for the second leg.
When you finish sewing the legs on, weave the remaining tails from both legs through to the back of the body and knot the two tails together to secure the sewing. Weave the remaining tails into the body to finish.
Arms (Make 2 Using White Yarn)
R1: ch 2, starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc 6 (6 sts)
R2-5: sc in all 6 sts (4 rounds total at 6 sts each)
R6: *sc 1, inc* rep 3 times (9 sts)
R7-8: sc in all 9 sts (2 rounds total at 9 sts each)
R9: *sc 1, dec* rep 3 times (6 sts)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing. There’s no need to stuff the arms. Like we did for the legs, flatten the open ends closed on each leg and sew the opening closed so that there is a flat edge for sewing.
Position the arms to either side of the body with the back edge of the arms lined up evenly with the back edge of the legs. You’ll sew the flat edge of the arm to R11-13 of the body.
When you have sewn the back of the arm to the body, weave the sewing tail through the body to underneath the arm, as seen in the collage image below. Grab a few stitches from the underside of the arm and sew it to the body. Repeat for the second arm.
Just like we did for the legs, when you are finished, weave the remaining tails from both arms through to the back of the body and knot the two tails together to secure the sewing. Weave the remaining tails into the body to finish.
Tail (Using White Yarn)
Ch 2, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, make 5 sc sts (5 sts)
Finish off leaving a tail for sewing.
Sew the tail to the back of the body over R5 of the body. Weave the starting tail down to the sewing tail and knot the two ends together (as seen in the last two pictures in the collage below). Weave the remaining tails into the body to finish.
Scarf (Using Any Color)
You can make your scarf as long or short as you like. I’ve written out how I made mine here, but be sure to periodically wrap the scarf around your bear’s neck to ensure it’s the length you want. You can also make the scarf thinner by starting with 3 ch sts instead of 4.
Start with a long tail to use for sewing later. The scarf is worked in rows instead of rounds, so we will ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.
R1: ch 4, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, make 1 sc in each of the 3 chs (3 sts), ch 1, turn
R2-54: make 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn (53 rows total at 3 sts each)
Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing. I wrapped the scarf around my bear’s neck so that it was more like a cowl. Use the collage photos below as a guide to see how I wrapped mine.
I then sewed down both scarf edges using the tails we left. When finished, make a knot to secure your sewing and weave the tail neatly into the scarf to hide it.
Congratulations—you’re done! I hope you enjoyed making this free polar bear amigurumi pattern. I would love to see pictures of your finished project!
If you make this free polar bear amigurumi pattern, share your creations with me via social media or email me directly! You can find me on Instagram (@storyland_amis) and Facebook (Storyland Amis).
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Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, then – stay crafty!
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