How to Crochet a Teddy Bear Keychain: Free Pattern

There is something undeniably charming about a tiny crocheted teddy bear dangling from a set of keys. It is the kind of handmade accessory that turns heads at coffee shops, sparks conversations on public transit, and makes the most practical object in your bag feel a little more personal. Whether you are a beginner looking for your first amigurumi-style project or an experienced crocheter wanting to whip up a quick gift, this free pattern will walk you through every stitch, shaping technique, and finishing detail you need to create an adorable teddy bear keychain from scratch.

This pattern uses basic crochet skills, a small amount of yarn, and a few inexpensive supplies you may already have on hand. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a fully dimensional, stuffed mini teddy bear that measures approximately 3 to 4 inches tall, the perfect size to clip onto a zipper pull, backpack, lanyard, or key ring. Let’s get started.

What You Will Need

Before you sit down to crochet, gather all of your supplies. Having everything within reach makes the process smoother and more enjoyable.

Yarn: You will need a small amount of worsted weight yarn (size 4) in your chosen bear color. Classic choices include tan, caramel, brown, cream, or grey. You will also want a tiny bit of contrasting yarn in black or dark brown for the nose embroidery, and optionally a scrap of a second color if you want to add a small bow or scarf. One standard skein of worsted weight yarn contains far more than you need for this project, so this is a wonderful pattern for using up yarn scraps.

Crochet Hook: A 3.5mm (E/4) or 4.0mm (G/6) hook works well with worsted weight yarn for amigurumi. The goal is to crochet tightly enough that the stuffing does not show through your stitches. If your tension tends to be loose, size down to the 3.5mm hook.

Safety Eyes: Two 6mm or 7.5mm black safety eyes give the bear an expressive, polished look. If you are making this keychain for a child under three, skip the safety eyes entirely and embroider the eyes instead using black yarn or thread, as safety eyes are a choking hazard for young children.

Polyfill Stuffing: A small pinch of polyester fiberfill stuffing is all you need. The bear is tiny, so you will be surprised by how little it takes.

Yarn Needle: Also called a tapestry needle or darning needle, this is essential for sewing the pieces together and weaving in your ends.

Scissors: A sharp pair keeps your cut ends clean and precise.

Stitch Markers: Optional but helpful, especially if you are new to crocheting in the round. A locking stitch marker placed at the beginning of each round prevents you from losing your place.

Keychain Ring and Lobster Clasp: You can find these at any craft store or order them online in bulk. A simple split ring or lobster clasp hardware set works perfectly.

Small Jump Ring or Ribbon: To attach the bear to the keychain hardware. A 6mm to 8mm jump ring threaded through the top of the bear’s head or through a small loop at the crown works well. Alternatively, you can crochet a small chain loop and reinforce it with a length of twine or ribbon.

Understanding the Stitches and Techniques

This pattern is worked in continuous rounds, which is the standard method for amigurumi. You will not join at the end of each round with a slip stitch; instead, you will simply continue crocheting in a spiral. This gives the finished bear a seamless, rounded appearance.

Here is a quick refresher on the stitches used in this pattern:

Magic Ring (MR): Also called a magic circle or adjustable ring, this technique allows you to start crocheting in the round with a tightly closed center. There are plenty of video tutorials online if you are unfamiliar with it, and it is worth learning because it eliminates the small hole that often appears when starting with a chain loop.

Single Crochet (sc): The most fundamental amigurumi stitch. Insert your hook into the stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through both loops.

Increase (inc): Two single crochets worked into the same stitch. This adds a stitch and expands your round.

Decrease (dec): Worked as an invisible decrease for amigurumi. Insert your hook through the front loop only of the next stitch, then through the front loop only of the stitch after that, yarn over, and pull through both loops, yarn over again, and pull through the remaining two loops. This creates a nearly invisible decrease that keeps your fabric looking smooth.

Slip Stitch (sl st): Used to join or finish pieces.

Chain (ch): A series of loops used to create starting chains or small decorative elements.

Throughout the pattern, numbers in parentheses at the end of a round indicate the total stitch count for that round.

Free Teddy Bear Keychain Crochet Pattern

HEAD

Start with your main bear color.

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18)

Round 4: Sc 2, inc repeat around. (24)

Round 5: Sc 3, inc repeat around. (30)

Rounds 6–9: Sc in each stitch around. (30) — work these four rounds even with no increases or decreases.

Before you continue, this is the time to place your safety eyes. Position them between rounds 6 and 7, with approximately 6 stitches between them. Once you are happy with their placement, press the washers firmly onto the backs of the posts to lock them in place. If you are embroidering the eyes instead, you will do so during the finishing stage.

Round 10: Sc 3, dec repeat around. (24)

Round 11: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (18)

Now stuff the head firmly with polyfill. Use a pencil eraser or the blunt end of a crochet hook to push stuffing into the rounded top of the head so it stays nicely shaped.

Round 12: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (12)

Round 13: Dec around. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a short tail. Thread the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close the hole. Weave in the end securely.

BODY

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 3: Sc 1, inc repeat around. (18)

Round 4: Sc 2, inc repeat around. (24)

Rounds 5–8: Sc in each stitch around. (24) — four even rounds.

Round 9: Sc 2, dec repeat around. (18)

Round 10: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (12)

Stuff the body firmly before closing.

Round 11: Dec around. (6)

Fasten off and close as you did the head. Leave a longer tail of about 12 inches for sewing the head to the body later.

EARS (Make Two)

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into the ring. Pull closed. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 3: Sc in each stitch around. (12)

Fasten off, leaving a 10-inch tail for sewing. The ears are flat circles that get folded slightly in half when attached to the head to give them a natural cupped shape.

ARMS (Make Two)

Round 1: MR, 5 sc into the ring. Pull closed. (5)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10)

Rounds 3–7: Sc in each stitch around. (10) — five even rounds.

Do not stuff the arms. Leave them flat and floppy, which makes them easier to sew on and gives the bear a soft, limp-armed look that is characteristic of classic teddy bears. Fasten off, leaving a 10-inch tail for sewing.

LEGS (Make Two)

Round 1: MR, 6 sc into the ring. Pull closed. (6)

Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. (12)

Rounds 3–4: Sc in each stitch around. (12)

Round 5: Sc 1, dec repeat around. (9) — this narrows the leg above the foot.

Rounds 6–8: Sc in each stitch around. (9) — three even rounds.

Lightly stuff the foot section of each leg. Fasten off, leaving a 10-inch sewing tail.

Assembling Your Teddy Bear

Assembly is where your bear truly comes to life, and taking your time here makes an enormous difference in the finished look. Work in good light and use straight pins to test placement before sewing anything permanently.

Step 1: Attach the head to the body. Pin the head centered on top of the body, with the face angled slightly forward rather than pointing straight up. This gives the bear a more natural, endearing tilt. Thread the long tail left on the body through your yarn needle and whipstitch all the way around the neck join, going through both the edge of the body and the bottom stitches of the head. Work around twice if needed for a secure join. Weave in the tail.

Step 2: Attach the ears. Pin the ears to the top sides of the head. Position them at roughly the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions when looking at the face straight on, centered around rounds 1 and 2 of the head. Pinch the base of each ear slightly as you pin it to create that natural cup shape. Sew each ear in place using the whipstitch, working around the flat bottom edge. Weave in all ends.

Step 3: Attach the arms. Position the arms on either side of the body, starting at roughly round 3 of the body counting from the top. The arms should angle slightly downward and outward. Sew through both the arm and the body several times to create a sturdy join. Weave in ends.

Step 4: Attach the legs. Pin the legs to the bottom of the body, one on either side. They should face forward and angle slightly outward at the feet so the bear can appear to sit. Sew firmly in place and weave in all ends.

Step 5: Embroider the nose. Thread a small length of black or dark brown yarn onto your yarn needle. Find the center of the face, directly below the safety eyes. Work a small triangle shape using satin stitch: bring the needle up at the top left corner of the triangle, down at the point, up again beside the first stitch, and so on until the triangle is filled in. You can make the nose as large or as small as you like, but for a bear this size, a triangle spanning about 3 stitches wide and 2 rows tall looks just right. Tie off on the inside of the head.

Step 6: Optional mouth. Thread your black yarn back up through the nose point and bring it down and slightly to the left to create a small curved mouth, then anchor the thread back inside the head. This tiny U-shaped or V-shaped mouth adds an enormous amount of personality to the finished bear.

Attaching the Keychain Hardware

Now for the finishing touch that transforms your tiny crocheted bear into a functional accessory.

Method 1: Jump Ring Through the Head. The simplest approach is to open a small jump ring, slide it through one of the stitches at the very crown of the bear’s head, then close the ring. Attach your lobster clasp or split ring to that jump ring, and the keychain is ready.

Method 2: Crocheted Loop. Before you fasten off the head completely, crochet a small chain of 6 to 8 stitches at the crown of the head and join it into a loop with a slip stitch. Reinforce this loop with a second pass of single crochets around it. Thread ribbon or twine through the loop and tie it to your keychain hardware.

Method 3: Sewn Ribbon. Cut a length of narrow satin ribbon, fold it into a loop, and stitch both ends securely to the top of the bear’s head using a yarn needle and a double strand of thread. Clip your keychain hardware to the ribbon loop.

All three methods work beautifully. The jump ring method is the most durable for everyday use, while the ribbon method adds a lovely decorative touch if the keychain is intended as a gift.

Customization Ideas

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this pattern is how easily it adapts to different looks and styles. Here are a few ideas to make your teddy bear keychain uniquely yours.

Color variations: A cream or white bear with a pink nose becomes a polar bear. A grey bear with darker grey accents resembles a koala. Use variegated yarn for a multicolored, whimsical effect.

Mini accessories: Crochet a tiny bow and stitch it between the ears or at the bear’s neck. Wrap a strand of contrasting yarn around the neck a few times and tie it in a small knot to suggest a scarf. A miniature hat crocheted from a single round of increases and a few even rounds looks adorable.

Seasonal themes: Use red and white yarn for a holiday bear, orange for a Halloween bear with a tiny black bow, or pastel colors for spring and Easter gifting.

Facial expressions: Change the angle of the mouth from a U-shape to a small straight line for a more stoic expression, or use slightly larger safety eyes and position them a little further apart for an anime-inspired wide-eyed look.

Texture: For an extra soft finish, try brushing the finished bear lightly with a pet slicker brush to fluff up the yarn fibers and give the bear a fuzzy, fluffy coat. This works especially well with acrylic and wool blend yarns.

Tips for Beginners

If this is your first amigurumi project, a few practical notes will help you avoid the most common frustrations.

Tension is everything in amigurumi. The whole point of crocheting tightly is to prevent the white stuffing from peeking through your stitches. If you can see gaps when you stretch your fabric slightly, go down a hook size.

The magic ring can feel awkward at first. If you genuinely cannot get it to work, you can substitute a chain-2, then work your first round of single crochets into the second chain from the hook. The center will have a slightly larger hole, but you can close it up when weaving in your tail.

Count your stitches at the end of every round, especially during the increase and decrease rounds. One missed increase or accidental extra stitch adds up quickly and can make your pieces look lopsided.

Stuff gradually and firmly. It is easier to add more stuffing than to remove it once your piece is closed. A well-stuffed bear holds its shape much better over time.

Making Multiple Bears as Gifts

Once you have made one bear keychain, you will likely find yourself making many more. This pattern is fast enough that an experienced crocheter can finish a complete bear in two to three hours. In an afternoon, you could realistically complete two or three bears.

Teddy bear keychains make wonderful additions to gift bags, birthday presents, holiday stockings, party favors, and handmade market stalls. They are a popular item at craft fairs and easy to price competitively because the material cost per bear is very low. A single skein of worsted weight yarn that costs a few dollars can yield six to eight complete bears, and a bulk bag of safety eyes and polyfill keeps costs minimal.

If you plan to sell or gift these bears, make sure to include a care label noting that the item contains small parts (if using safety eyes) and is not suitable for children under three. If your bears are intended for small children, use the embroidered eye option and double-check all sewn joints for security.

Storing and Caring for Your Teddy Bear Keychain

Crocheted keychains hold up surprisingly well to daily use, but a few care tips extend their lifespan. Most acrylic yarns are machine washable, but the keychain hardware may rust or discolor if submerged in water repeatedly. If your bear gets dirty, spot clean it gently with a damp cloth and mild soap, then allow it to air dry thoroughly before clipping it back onto your keys.

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