Free Bruno The Bear Amigurumi Pattern: Your Complete Step-by-Step Guide
If you’ve been searching for a free amigurumi bear pattern that is both beginner-friendly and absolutely adorable, you’ve landed in exactly the right place. Bruno the Bear is a chunky, huggable little crochet bear with a classic round belly, floppy ears, and the kind of sweet expression that makes him impossible to put down once you’ve finished. Whether you’re brand new to amigurumi or you’ve been crocheting stuffed animals for years, Bruno is the perfect project. He works up quickly, uses basic stitches throughout, and the finished result looks polished enough to gift, sell, or display with pride.
In this post, you’ll find the complete free pattern for Bruno the Bear, including a full materials list, gauge information, stitch key, and detailed row-by-row instructions for every single piece. Grab your hook and your favorite yarn, and let’s get started.
What Is Amigurumi?
Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth taking a moment to talk about amigurumi for anyone who might be new to the craft. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small, stuffed yarn creatures. The word itself combines the Japanese words “ami,” meaning crocheted or knitted, and “nuigurumi,” meaning stuffed doll. The style originated in Japan in the mid-twentieth century and has since become a beloved worldwide craft with an enormous community of makers sharing patterns, tips, and finished projects online.
Amigurumi pieces are typically worked in continuous rounds rather than joined rounds, which creates a seamless, smooth fabric perfect for stuffed animals. The magic ring (also called a magic circle) is almost always used to start, and the pieces are stuffed with polyfill as you go or at the end before seaming. Most patterns, including this one, use single crochet almost exclusively, making amigurumi an excellent entry point for newer crocheters who want to make something truly impressive without having to master complicated stitch patterns.
Meet Bruno the Bear
Bruno is a medium-sized amigurumi bear standing approximately 7 to 8 inches tall when finished, depending on your yarn weight and tension. He features a rounded head with a slight snout, a round body with a contrasting belly panel, two chunky arms, two little legs, and two floppy rounded ears. His face is assembled using safety eyes and embroidered details, giving him that irresistible wide-eyed look that makes amigurumi bears so universally charming.
Bruno is made using worsted weight yarn in two colors — one main color for the body and a lighter or contrasting color for the belly panel and snout. You can make him in classic teddy bear brown, go for something playful like cream or dusty rose, or even make a whole collection in rainbow shades. The pattern is the same no matter what colors you choose.
Materials You Will Need
To make Bruno the Bear, gather the following supplies before you start:
Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (Category 4) in two colors. You’ll need approximately 150 yards of your main color (MC) and about 40 yards of your contrast color (CC). Any brand works well — Lion Brand Pound of Love, Red Heart Soft, and Paintbox Simply DK (held double) are all popular choices for amigurumi.
Crochet hook: Size 3.5mm (E) or 4.0mm (G). A slightly smaller hook than recommended for your yarn creates a tighter fabric that holds stuffing in and keeps the polyfill from showing through.
Polyfill stuffing: One standard bag of polyester fiberfill is more than enough for Bruno and several other amigurumi projects.
Safety eyes: Two 12mm black safety eyes. If you are making Bruno for a baby or young child under three, skip safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes using black yarn instead.
Yarn needle: A blunt tapestry or yarn needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.
Stitch marker: A locking stitch marker to keep track of the beginning of each round. A piece of scrap yarn works just as well.
Scissors: A small pair of sharp scissors for cutting yarn.
Optional: Black embroidery floss or black yarn for the nose and mouth. Pink yarn or blush felt for cheek accents.
Abbreviations and Stitch Key
This pattern uses US crochet terminology throughout.
MR — Magic ring (magic circle)
ch — Chain
sl st — Slip stitch
sc — Single crochet
inc — Increase: 2 single crochets in the same stitch
dec — Invisible decrease: insert hook through front loops only of next two stitches, yarn over and pull through both loops, yarn over and pull through remaining two loops on hook
BLO — Back loop only
FO — Fasten off
MC — Main color
CC — Contrast color
All pieces are worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise noted. Do not join or turn at the end of each round. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.
Gauge
Gauge is not critical for amigurumi, but your finished size will vary depending on your tension. A looser tension means a larger bear; a tighter tension means a smaller one. If you want Bruno to measure approximately 7 to 8 inches tall, aim for about 4 stitches and 4 rows per inch in single crochet with your chosen yarn and hook.
Bruno The Bear — Free Amigurumi Pattern
Head
Begin with MC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. (24 sts)
Round 5: (Sc 3, inc) repeat around. (30 sts)
Round 6: (Sc 4, inc) repeat around. (36 sts)
Round 7: (Sc 5, inc) repeat around. (42 sts)
Round 8: (Sc 6, inc) repeat around. (48 sts)
Rounds 9–15: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) — 7 rounds even
Round 16: (Sc 6, dec) repeat around. (42 sts)
Round 17: (Sc 5, dec) repeat around. (36 sts)
At this point, attach your safety eyes between rounds 12 and 13, approximately 10 to 12 stitches apart. This placement gives Bruno his sweet, wide-set expression. If you are embroidering eyes instead, mark the placement with pins and come back to embroider once the head is assembled.
Round 18: (Sc 4, dec) repeat around. (30 sts)
Round 19: (Sc 3, dec) repeat around. (24 sts)
Begin stuffing the head firmly now. Continue stuffing as you work the final rounds.
Round 20: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 21: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. (12 sts)
Round 22: Dec around. (6 sts)
FO, leaving a long tail. Use your yarn needle to weave the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end.
Snout
Begin with CC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. (24 sts)
Rounds 5–6: Sc in each st around. (24 sts)
FO, leaving a long tail for sewing. Do not stuff. Before sewing the snout to the head, embroider a nose and mouth using black embroidery floss or a length of dark yarn. For the nose, make several straight stitches close together to form an oval shape at the center top of the snout. For the mouth, bring your needle down from the base of the nose and create a small “Y” or “V” shape below it.
Pin the snout to the center front of the head, centered just below the eyes. Sew it in place around the outer edge, stuffing lightly before you close the seam completely.
Ears (Make 2)
Begin with MC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
FO, leaving a long tail for sewing. Flatten the ear — do not stuff. Fold the base slightly to give the ear a natural cup shape. Pin each ear to the top of the head, roughly 6 to 8 stitches from the center top, positioned slightly toward the back. Sew in place securely.
Body
Begin with MC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. (24 sts)
Round 5: (Sc 3, inc) repeat around. (30 sts)
Round 6: (Sc 4, inc) repeat around. (36 sts)
Round 7: (Sc 5, inc) repeat around. (42 sts)
Rounds 8–16: Sc in each st around. (42 sts) — 9 rounds even
Round 17: (Sc 5, dec) repeat around. (36 sts)
Round 18: Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
Round 19: (Sc 4, dec) repeat around. (30 sts)
Round 20: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)
Begin stuffing the body firmly now.
Round 21: (Sc 3, dec) repeat around. (24 sts)
Round 22: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 23: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. (12 sts)
Continue stuffing. FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Belly Panel
Begin with CC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. (24 sts)
Round 5: (Sc 3, inc) repeat around. (30 sts)
Rounds 6–7: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)
FO, leaving a long tail for sewing. Do not stuff. Pin the belly panel to the front of the body, centered on the lower portion. Sew in place all the way around the outer edge.
Arms (Make 2)
Begin with MC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Rounds 4–5: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Round 6: (Sc 1, dec) repeat around. (12 sts)
Rounds 7–14: Sc in each st around. (12 sts) — 8 rounds even
Stuff the arm lightly. The base of the arm (where it will be sewn to the body) should be slightly flattened rather than fully round so it lies nicely against the body.
FO, leaving a long tail for sewing. Flatten the opening and whipstitch it closed. Pin the arms to the upper sides of the body, just below where the head will sit. Sew in place securely, making sure both arms are symmetrical.
Legs (Make 2)
Begin with MC.
Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: (Sc 1, inc) repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: (Sc 2, inc) repeat around. (24 sts)
Rounds 5–6: Sc in each st around. (24 sts)
Round 7: (Sc 2, dec) repeat around. (18 sts)
Rounds 8–14: Sc in each st around. (18 sts) — 7 rounds even
Stuff the legs firmly. FO, leaving a long tail for sewing. Flatten the opening of each leg. Pin the legs to the bottom front of the body, pointing forward. Sew in place so Bruno sits in a natural upright position.
Assembly
Once all pieces are crocheted, stuffed, and any facial embroidery is complete, it’s time to bring Bruno together.
Start by attaching the head to the body. Position the head so it sits slightly forward — amigurumi bears look most natural when the head tilts just a touch downward. Use the long tail left on the body and additional yarn if needed to sew through multiple stitches on both pieces, working all the way around the neck opening until the join is firm. Pull tight and check that the head feels secure before weaving in your ends.
Next, if you haven’t already, sew on the ears. Fold the base of each ear slightly and pin to the top of the head. Bruno’s ears look cutest when they’re just slightly angled outward rather than perfectly vertical. Sew all the way around the base of each ear with small, close stitches.
Attach the snout to the face, stuffing lightly as you close the final stitches so it has a slightly puffy look. The snout should sit centered between the eyes and the bottom of the head, roughly at round 15 or 16 of the head.
Sew the arms to the upper body at about round 19 or 20 of the body, one on each side. Position them so they hang naturally at Bruno’s sides — not too high (which looks stiff) and not too low (which looks droopy).
Finally, sew the legs to the bottom of the body, checking that Bruno can sit upright on his own. If he tips backward, try repositioning the legs slightly further forward, or add a tiny bit of extra stuffing to the front of the body before fully closing the seam.
Finishing Touches
Once Bruno is fully assembled, take a few minutes to fluff and shape him. Gently squeeze and adjust the stuffing through the fabric until you’re happy with his proportions. If his head or body looks lumpy, use a blunt needle or a pencil eraser to redistribute the polyfill from the outside without opening the seam.
For rosy cheeks, cut two small circles from pink felt and glue them below and slightly outside each eye, or use a pink yarn and embroider a few small stitches in a circular pattern. This optional detail adds a lot of warmth and personality to the finished bear.
Weave in all remaining yarn tails carefully. Thread each tail onto your yarn needle, run it through several stitches in different directions inside the body of the piece to lock it in place, then trim close to the fabric.
Tips For Making Bruno Even Better
Using a hook one or two sizes smaller than the yarn label recommends is the most important tip for clean amigurumi results. A tighter stitch means the stuffing won’t show through and the finished piece will hold its shape over time.
Invisible decreases make a huge difference in the smoothness of your fabric compared to standard decreases, especially on the head where the fabric is most visible. If you haven’t tried the invisible decrease yet, look up a quick video tutorial — it’s easy once you see it done, and you’ll never go back.
