Adorable Crochet Bear in Pajamas: A Step-by-Step Amigurumi Tutorial

There is nothing quite as heartwarming as a tiny, handmade teddy bear, especially when he is dressed up in his favorite cozy pajamas! If you are looking for your next amigurumi project, this Crochet Bear in Pajamas is the perfect choice. This little guy is designed to be incredibly soft and cuddly, making him an ideal gift for baby showers, nursery decor, or simply a sweet treat for a fellow crochet lover.

In this detailed tutorial, we will walk through the process of creating this bear from the ground up. We will work on his tiny slippers, his comfy pajama set, and his adorable head. This pattern is designed with a beginner-to-intermediate skill level in mind. If you are comfortable with basic stitches like the single crochet and know how to work in a magic ring, you are well on your way to completing this project!

Materials & Abbreviations

Before we pick up our hooks, let’s make sure you have everything you need. Since amigurumi is worked in tight stitches to prevent stuffing from showing through, I recommend using a slightly smaller hook than what is suggested on your yarn label.

What You Will Need:

• Yarn: Medium weight (worsted) cotton or acrylic yarn. You will need three colors: a color for the body, a color for the pajamas, and a color for the slippers.
• Crochet Hook: A hook size suitable for your yarn (typically 3.25mm to 4.0mm).
• Stuffing: High-quality polyester fiberfill.
• Safety Eyes: Small black safety eyes or black embroidery thread for the eyes.
• Embroidery Thread: Dark brown cotton thread for the nose.
• Tapestry Needle: For sewing the pieces together and weaving in ends.
• Stitch Markers: Very important for keeping track of your rounds!

Abbreviations (US Terms):

• MR: Magic Ring
• ch: Chain
• sc: Single crochet
• inc: Increase (2 sc in one stitch)
• dec: Decrease (sc 2 stitches together)
• hdc: Half double crochet
• dc: Double crochet
• sl st: Slip stitch
• st(s): Stitch(es)

Step-by-Step Instructions

The Legs and Body (Worked as One Piece)

This bear features a clever design where the legs and the body are worked as one continuous piece. We will start by making the slippers, then transition into the body and the pajama details.

Part 1: The Slippers

Start with the color chosen for the slippers.

Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 5. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: inc, 2 sc, 4 sc in the very last ch, 2 sc on the opposite side of the chain, inc (12 sts).

Round 2: 2 inc, 2 sc, 4 inc, 2 sc, 2 inc (20 sts).

Round 3: 2 inc, 7 sc, 3 inc, 7 sc, 1 inc (26 sts).

Round 4: 26 sc.

Round 5: 1 sc, 12 hdc, 7 sc (26 sts).

Round 6: 7 sc, 6 decreases (working the decrease into the hdc stitches), 7 sc (20 sts).

Part 2: The Body and Pajamas

Change to the body color.

Round 7: Working in the back loops only: 6 sc, 5 dec, 4 sc (15 sts).

Round 8: (3 sc, inc) x 3 (12 sts).

Rounds 9-11: 12 sc for each round (3 rounds total).

Change to the pajama color.

Round 12: (3 sc, inc) x 3 (15 sts).

Rounds 13-15: 15 sc for each round (3 rounds total).

Stop here. Do not cut the yarn for the first leg. We will now make the second leg and join them.

Part 3: Joining the Legs and Completing the Body

Repeat the “Slippers” and “Pajamas” steps exactly for the second leg, but do not cut your yarn at the end of the pajama section. Instead, we will join the two legs together.

Round 16 (Joining): Ch 5 between the two legs. Work 15 sc around the first leg, 5 sc along the foundation chain, 15 sc around the second leg, and 5 sc along the remaining foundation chain (40 sts total).

Rounds 17-26: 40 sc for each round (10 rounds total).

Round 27: (6 sc, dec) x 5 (35 sts).

Rounds 28-30: 35 sc for each round (3 rounds total).

Round 31: (5 sc, dec) x 5 (30 sts).

Rounds 32-33: 30 sc for each round (2 rounds total).

Round 34: (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24 sts).

Rounds 35-36: 24 sc for each round (2 rounds total).

Round 37: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18 sts).

Change back to the body color.

Round 38: Working in the back loops only: 18 sc.

The Arms (Make 2)

Start with the body color.

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6 sts).

Round 2: 6 inc (12 sts).

Round 3: (3 sc, inc) x 3 (15 sts).

Rounds 4-6: 15 sc for each round (3 rounds total).

Round 7: (dec, 3 sc) x 3 (12 sts).

Change to the pajama color.

Rounds 8-11: 12 sc for each round (4 rounds total).

Round 12: (4 sc, dec) x 2 (10 sts).

Rounds 13-15: 10 sc for each round (3 rounds total).

Round 16: (3 sc, dec) x 2 (8 sts).

Rounds 17-18: 8 sc for each round (2 rounds total).

The Head

Start with the body color.

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6 sts).

Round 2: 6 inc (12 sts).

Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18 sts).

Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24 sts).

Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30 sts).

Round 6: (4 sc, inc) x 6 (36 sts).

Round 7: 36 sc.

Round 8: (11 sc, inc) x 3 (39 sts).

Round 9: (5 sc, inc) x 6 (42 sts).

Round 10: (6 sc, inc) x 6 (48 sts).

Rounds 11-14: 48 sc for each round (4 rounds total).

Round 15: (7 sc, inc) x 6 (54 sts).

Rounds 16-17: 54 sc for each round (2 rounds total).

Round 18: (7 sc, dec) x 6 (48 sts).

Round 19: (6 sc, dec) x 6 (42 sts).

Round 20: (5 sc, dec) x 6 (36 sts).

Round 21: (2 sc, dec) x 9 (27 sts).

Round 22: (1 sc, dec) x 9 (18 sts).

The Ears (Make 2)

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6 sts).

Round 2: 6 inc (12 sts).

Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18 sts).

Round 4: (5 sc, inc) x 3 (21 sts).

Round 5: 21 sc.

Round 6: (5 sc, dec) x 3 (18 sts).

The Muzzle

Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6 sts).

Round 2: 6 inc (12 sts).

Round 3: (1 sc, inc) x 6 (18 sts).

Round 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24 sts).

Round 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30 sts).

Round 6: 30 sc.

Finishing

Now comes the fun part—bringing your bear to life! Assembly is key to making him look professional.

Assembly Steps:

1. The Head: Stuff the head firmly but leave enough room to sew it to the body. Using your tapestry needle, sew the head onto the body, centering it.
2. The Ears: Sew the ears to the top of the head. Position them slightly to the sides to give him a cute, wide-eyed look.
3. The Muzzle: Sew the muzzle to the lower half of the face. Once attached, use your dark brown embroidery thread to stitch a small nose onto the center of the muzzle.
4. The Eyes: Place your safety eyes between rounds 15 and 17 of the head (approximate, adjust based on your tension). If using thread, embroider two small eyes.
5. The Arms: Sew the arms to the sides of the body where the pajama color meets the body color.
6. Accessories:
   • The Collar: To make the collar, ch 21. Starting in the 3rd ch from the hook, work 18 dc. Ch 2, then sl st into the first ch to complete the loop. Sew this around the neck area at the top of the pajama section.
   • The Fastener: Ch 15. Starting in the 2nd ch from hook: inc, 12 sc, 4 sc in the last ch, 12 sc on the other side, inc in the first ch, sl st (32 sts). This can be used as a decorative element or a button flap.

Pro Tip for Slippers: For an extra adorable touch, use a contrasting color to add a small border around the edge of the slippers. You can even leave small yarn tails and tie them into tiny bows on the front of the shoes!

Tips for Success

Amigurumi can be tricky at first, but don’t get discouraged! Here are a few tips to help you achieve the best results:

• Stitch Markers are your best friend: Always place a marker in the first stitch of every round. It is very easy to lose count in amigurumi.
• Maintain Tight Tension: You want your stitches to be tight so that the stuffing doesn’t peek through the gaps. If you see holes, try using a smaller hook.
• Consistent Increases and Decreases: Try to keep your increases and decreases in the same spot each round to avoid a “lumpy” appearance.
• Stuffing evenly: When stuffing the head and body, push the fiberfill into the corners and crevices to ensure there are no hard lumps.

Happy crocheting! We can’t wait to see your finished little bear!