How to Crochet a No-Sew Bunny Pillow for Beginners (Miffy Pillow)
If you’ve ever scrolled through craft social media and spotted those adorable flat bunny pillows with the simple, sweet face and thought “I could never make that,” this tutorial is about to change your mind. This no-sew crochet bunny pillow — inspired by the iconic Miffy character — is one of the most beginner-friendly projects you can try, and the finished result is so charming that people will assume it took you months to master.
The best part? There’s no sewing involved. All the pieces are joined through crochet, and the face details are added with just a few simple stitches. Whether you’re a complete beginner who just learned how to hold a hook or someone who’s been crocheting for a while and wants a quick, satisfying project, this guide walks you through every step in plain language.
Let’s get into it.
What Is a Miffy-Style Bunny Pillow?
Miffy is a small white rabbit created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna in 1955. She’s distinguished by her simple round face, two upright ears, and a tiny X-shaped mouth made of two curved lines crossing in the center. Her design is minimalist, which is exactly what makes her so perfect for crochet — you don’t need complex shaping or detailed embroidery to capture her likeness. A round head, two oval ears, two French knot eyes, and a small X stitch, and you’ve got her.
The pillow version of this character has become incredibly popular in the craft community because it’s both decorative and functional. It looks stunning displayed on a bed, a nursery shelf, or a reading nook, and it’s soft enough to actually use as a pillow. Once you finish your first one, you’ll almost certainly want to make more in different colors.
Materials You’ll Need
Before you start, gather everything on this list so you’re not hunting for supplies mid-project.
Yarn: You’ll need a bulky or super bulky weight yarn (typically labeled as weight 5 or 6) in white or off-white. Approximately 200–300 yards should be enough for one pillow. If you want a colored bunny, any solid pastel works beautifully — blush pink, sage green, lavender, and butter yellow are all popular choices. You’ll also need a very small amount of black or dark brown yarn (or embroidery floss) for the face.
Crochet Hook: A size 5.0 mm to 6.5 mm hook pairs well with bulky yarn. If you’re using super bulky, go up to a 7.0 mm or 8.0 mm. Always check your yarn label for the recommended hook size, and remember that your tension matters more than following a number exactly — your swatch should feel firm but not stiff.
Polyfill Stuffing: You’ll need enough to fill the pillow to your preferred level of squishiness. A standard 12-ounce bag is usually plenty for one pillow this size.
Yarn Needle: For weaving in ends and adding the face details.
Stitch Markers: These are helpful for marking the beginning of each round so you don’t lose count.
Scissors: A sharp pair for cutting yarn cleanly.
Optional but nice to have: a pompom maker if you want to add a little tail to the back, though that’s entirely decorative.
Understanding the Stitches
This pattern uses only a handful of basic crochet stitches. If you already know these, you can skip ahead. If some of them are new to you, take a few minutes to practice them on a scrap piece of yarn before diving into the project.
Chain (ch): The foundation of most crochet projects, made by pulling yarn through a loop on your hook. This is usually the very first thing you learn.
Slip Stitch (sl st): A joining stitch used to connect rounds or move yarn to a new position without adding height.
Single Crochet (sc): The most fundamental stitch. Insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops. That’s one single crochet.
Increase (inc): Two single crochets worked into the same stitch. This adds stitches to your round and is how you make a flat circle grow.
Decrease (dec) or Invisible Decrease: Two stitches worked together to reduce your stitch count. The invisible decrease (inserting your hook through the front loops only of two consecutive stitches before completing the stitch) creates a neater finish and is highly recommended for amigurumi-style projects like this one.
Magic Ring (MR): An adjustable loop used to start crocheting in the round. It closes tightly so you don’t have a hole in the center of your circle. If magic rings feel tricky, you can chain 2 and work your first round into the second chain from the hook — it works just as well for a project this size.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
inc = increase (2 sc in same stitch)
dec = decrease (invisible decrease recommended)
MR = magic ring
st = stitch
rnd = round
BLO = back loop only
Gauge and Sizing
Using bulky yarn (weight 5) and a 5.5 mm hook, the finished pillow should measure approximately 10–12 inches across the body and 14–16 inches tall including the ears. If you want a larger pillow, simply go up in yarn weight and hook size. A super bulky yarn with a 9 mm hook can give you a pillow closer to 18–20 inches tall, which looks incredible on a full-size bed.
Since this is a pillow and not a garment, exact gauge isn’t critical — what matters more is that your fabric is dense enough that the stuffing doesn’t show through the stitches.
Pattern Instructions
Part One: The Body (Make Two)
You’ll crochet two identical flat circles that form the front and back of the pillow. The face details go on one circle (the front), and the two pieces are joined together with stuffing in between.
Rnd 1: Start with a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring, pull closed. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Sc 2, inc repeat around. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Sc 3, inc repeat around. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Sc 4, inc repeat around. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Sc 5, inc repeat around. (42 sts)
Rnd 8: Sc 6, inc repeat around. (48 sts)
Rnd 9: Sc 7, inc repeat around. (54 sts)
Rnd 10: Sc 8, inc repeat around. (60 sts)
Rnd 11: Sc 9, inc repeat around. (66 sts)
Rnd 12: Sc 10, inc repeat around. (72 sts)
Work 2–3 more rounds of sc in each stitch around without any increases, so that the circle lies flat and has a bit of stable edge. Fasten off on the first circle. On the second circle, do not fasten off — you’ll use this working yarn to join the two pieces together.
If you find your circle is curling instead of lying flat, you may be crocheting too tightly. Try going up one hook size, or loosen your tension slightly. Conversely, if the edges are ruffling, you have too many increases — try pulling back and recounting your stitches.
Part Two: The Ears (Make Two)
The ears are long ovals that give the bunny her signature Miffy silhouette.
Rnd 1: MR, work 4 sc into the ring, pull closed. (4 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each stitch around. (8 sts)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (12 sts)
Rnd 4–10: Sc in each stitch around (7 rounds of even sc). (12 sts)
Rnd 11: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (8 sts)
Lightly stuff the ear — just enough to give it a little structure, not so much that it becomes stiff. You want the ears to have a gentle, slightly floppy look. Flatten the ear and sc across the opening to close it. Do not fasten off yet. Leave a long tail for attaching to the body, but since this is a no-sew project, you’ll be crocheting them in during the joining round.
Part Three: Joining the Ears and Body
This is the step that makes the whole project no-sew. Before you join the front and back body panels together, you’ll position the ears at the top of the front panel.
Hold the front body panel with the magic ring center facing you (the right side facing up). Position the two ears at roughly the 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock positions — they should be spaced about 3–4 inches apart, pointing upward. The flattened base of each ear will overlap the edge of the body circle by about an inch.
Now, place the back body panel behind the front panel with wrong sides facing each other. You’ll join everything together by single crocheting through both layers around the entire edge, encasing the ear bases as you go over them.
Begin sc through both layers. When you reach an ear, sc through both body layers AND through the flattened base of the ear at the same time — this anchors the ear in place without a single needle or sewing stitch. Continue around until you have about 4–5 inches of the edge remaining open.
Before closing the gap, stuff the body generously with polyfill. Push the stuffing toward the edges as well as the center to get an even, pillow-like shape rather than a lumpy ball. Once you’re happy with the fullness, continue sc to close the gap completely. Sl st to join and fasten off. Weave in your ends.
Part Four: The Face
The face is what transforms your crocheted circle into Miffy, and it’s simpler than it looks.
Eyes: Thread a yarn needle with a small length of black yarn or embroidery floss. Decide where you want the eyes — on Miffy, they sit in the lower half of the face, closer together than you might expect, roughly at the center of the circle. Use a French knot for each eye, or simply stitch a tight, small oval shape by going in and out of the same spot two or three times. The eyes are intentionally tiny — two small dots are all you need.
The Miffy Mouth: This is her most iconic feature. Using the same black yarn or embroidery floss, stitch a small X in the center of the face, slightly below the eyes. To do this, stitch one diagonal line going from upper-left to lower-right, then stitch another going from upper-right to lower-left, crossing the first in the center. The whole X should be no wider than about half an inch. If you look at images of Miffy for reference, you’ll see it’s almost like a tiny cross or plus sign tilted 45 degrees — deceptively simple, instantly recognizable.
Secure all thread ends on the inside of the pillow by running the yarn needle through several stitches before trimming.
Tips for a Beautiful Finish
Tension consistency matters more in this project than nearly anything else. Because you’re making two large flat circles, any variation in tension between your first and second panel will make them difficult to join evenly. If you crochet your first panel, set it aside overnight, and crochet the second one fresh, you might find your hands have warmed up and your tension has changed. Try to crochet both panels in the same session if possible, or at least consciously match your tension when you pick the project back up.
For the ears, the amount of stuffing changes the final look significantly. A lightly stuffed ear will have a soft, floppy, vintage toy quality. A more firmly stuffed ear will stand upright for a crisper silhouette. Neither is wrong — it comes down to which aesthetic you prefer. If you want the upright look, you can also insert a thin piece of wire inside the ear for structure, though this obviously isn’t suitable for pillows intended for young children.
If you’re making this pillow for a baby’s nursery, choose a yarn labeled as soft and machine washable. Merino wool blends are luxuriously soft but can felt if washed incorrectly. An acrylic or acrylic blend labeled “baby soft” is usually the most practical choice for anything going into a nursery.
Color is where you can really personalize this project. While white is the classic Miffy choice, a blush pink bunny pillow has become enormously popular for nurseries and boho-style bedrooms. A sage green version feels right at home in a nature-themed room. You could even make a set of three in different sizes and colors — a large white one flanked by a medium pink and a small lavender — displayed on a shelf or bed.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
One of the most frequent issues beginners face with this project is a circle that won’t lie flat. This almost always comes down to either miscounting your increases or crocheting with tension that’s too tight. Count your stitches at the end of every round, especially in the first several rounds where you’re establishing the structure.
Another common issue is ears that look uneven. Because you’re making two identical pieces, even a small stitch count difference between them will be obvious. Use a stitch marker on the first stitch of each round, and count at the end of each round before moving on.
If your face stitches feel shaky or uneven, try using an embroidery hoop — hold it against the flat pillow front to keep the surface taut while you stitch. This gives you much more control than trying to stitch a floppy fabric circle freehand.
How to Care for Your Bunny Pillow
For most acrylic or acrylic blend yarns, you can machine wash on a gentle or delicate cycle in cold water and lay flat to dry. Avoid putting it in a hot dryer, as this can cause the yarn to pill or slightly shrink. If you used a natural fiber like cotton or wool, follow the specific care instructions for that fiber.
The polyfill stuffing is generally machine washable, but over time and with repeated washing, it can clump. If this happens, pop the pillow in the dryer on a no-heat or very low heat setting with a couple of clean tennis balls — they help fluff the stuffing back up.
Variations to Try Once You’ve Mastered the Basic Version
Once you’ve completed your first bunny pillow, the design opens up to all kinds of creative variations. You can embroider rosy pink cheeks using a single strand of pink yarn or blush embroidery floss for a more playful look. You can add a small pompom tail to the back using leftover yarn. You can make a larger version using chunky T-shirt yarn, which crochets up quickly and gives a lovely textured look.
Some crafters have adapted this same basic structure to make other characters — a bear pillow works with the same round body and two small rounded ears, and a cat pillow just requires pointed ears instead of oval ones. Once you understand the construction logic of the no-sew joining method, you’ll find it works for all kinds of flat plush pillow designs.
Final Thoughts
There’s something genuinely wonderful about finishing a project like this. You start with a ball of yarn and end with an object that’s soft, beautiful, and just a little bit whimsical — something that brings a small amount of joy to whatever room it lives in. The Miffy pillow has remained beloved for nearly seven decades because of its simplicity, and that same simplicity is what makes crocheting her so satisfying. Every stitch is straightforward, and yet the result feels like something special.
If this is your first crochet project, congratulations — you’ve chosen a great one. If you’re an experienced crafter looking for a quick and rewarding make, you probably already know you’re going to start another one as soon as you finish this one.
Share your finished bunny pillow wherever you post your makes, and don’t forget to tag it so other crafters can find the pattern. Happy crocheting!
