Miffy Plush Toy Free Knitting Pattern: How to Create the Iconic Bunny from Scratch

There’s something undeniably timeless about Miffy. Since Dutch artist Dick Bruna first drew that simple, round-faced little rabbit in 1955, she has captured the hearts of children and adults across the world. With her clean white form, crossed-mouth smile, and tiny ears, Miffy is one of the most recognizable characters in children’s culture — and one of the most satisfying knitting projects you can take on. Whether you’re an experienced knitter or someone who has recently picked up the needles and is looking for a meaningful project, making your own Miffy plush toy is a wonderful way to combine craft with nostalgia.

In this guide, you’ll find a complete free knitting pattern for a Miffy plush toy, along with tips for getting the shape and finish just right, yarn recommendations, and advice for personalizing your finished rabbit. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to create a soft, cuddly Miffy that looks wonderful on a nursery shelf or in a child’s arms.

Why Knit a Miffy?

Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate why a handmade Miffy is such a special thing to make and give. Miffy — or Nijntje, as she is known in Dutch — has appeared in over 85 picture books and has been translated into more than 50 languages. She has never gone out of style, and her simplicity is a large part of her charm. That same simplicity actually makes her a wonderful knitting project, because her form is geometric and clean. A round body, a round head, two small upright ears, little arms and legs, and a sweetly embroidered face — that’s Miffy in a nutshell.

A handmade Miffy plush toy is a meaningful gift for a new baby, a toddler, or even a nostalgic adult. It shows care and effort in a way no store-bought toy can replicate. It also gives you as a knitter the satisfaction of seeing a flat ball of yarn transform into something recognizable and beloved.

What You’ll Need

Before casting on, gather your materials. Having everything ready will make the process smoother and more enjoyable.

Yarn: Use a DK weight or light worsted yarn in white for the main body. You’ll need approximately 100–150 grams. If you want to make a colored Miffy (she sometimes appears in yellow, pink, or other pastel shades in Bruna’s illustrations), choose your preferred color. A small amount of black or very dark brown yarn is needed for the facial features, and you may want a small amount of a contrasting color if you’re adding a dress or overalls.

Needles: A set of 3.5mm to 4mm double-pointed needles or a short circular needle works best for knitting in the round. If you prefer to knit flat and seam, straight needles in the same size are fine.

Stuffing: Polyester toy stuffing (also called fiberfill) is ideal. Use a generous amount to create a plump, satisfying shape.

Additional tools: A tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, stitch markers, scissors, and embroidery thread or black yarn for the face details. Safety eyes can be used, but traditional embroidery is safer for toys intended for very young children.

Gauge: Approximately 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm in stocking stitch. Getting your gauge right here matters because it affects the final size of your toy. At this gauge, the finished Miffy will be approximately 25–30cm tall, which is a lovely, holdable size.

Understanding Miffy’s Shape

Miffy is made up of simple, separate pieces that are seamed together. The body is a rounded oval or egg shape, slightly wider at the bottom. The head is almost perfectly round. The ears are small and elongated, sitting upright on top of the head. The arms are short and cylindrical, and the legs are slightly sturdier little tubes.

All of these components are worked in stocking stitch (knit every round when working in the round, or knit the right side and purl the wrong side when working flat). Decreasing evenly creates the rounded top and bottom of each piece, and the stuffing fills out the form beautifully.

The Pattern

Body

Cast on 12 stitches and distribute evenly across your double-pointed needles or use magic loop. Place a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.

Round 1: Knit all stitches.
Round 2: (Kfb) repeat to end of round — 24 stitches.
Round 3: Knit all stitches.
Round 4: (K1, kfb) repeat to end — 36 stitches.
Round 5: Knit all stitches.
Round 6: (K2, kfb) repeat to end — 48 stitches.
Round 7: Knit all stitches.
Round 8: (K3, kfb) repeat to end — 60 stitches.

Continue knitting every round without increasing until the piece measures approximately 9cm from the cast-on end.

Begin decreasing:
Next round: (K3, k2tog) repeat to end — 48 stitches.
Knit 2 rounds plain.
Next round: (K2, k2tog) repeat to end — 36 stitches.
Knit 1 round plain.
Next round: (K1, k2tog) repeat to end — 24 stitches.

At this point, stuff the body firmly with fiberfill. Make sure to push stuffing into the cast-on end to create a nicely rounded bottom.

Next round: (K2tog) repeat to end — 12 stitches.
Next round: (K2tog) repeat to end — 6 stitches.

Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches, pulling tight to close. Weave in the end.

Head

Cast on 12 stitches and distribute across needles.

Round 1: Knit all stitches.
Round 2: (Kfb) repeat to end — 24 stitches.
Round 3: Knit all stitches.
Round 4: (K1, kfb) repeat to end — 36 stitches.
Round 5: Knit all stitches.
Round 6: (K2, kfb) repeat to end — 48 stitches.
Round 7: Knit all stitches.
Round 8: (K3, kfb) repeat to end — 60 stitches.

Continue knitting every round without increasing until the head measures approximately 7cm from the cast-on end.

Begin decreasing:
Next round: (K3, k2tog) repeat to end — 48 stitches.
Knit 2 rounds plain.
Next round: (K2, k2tog) repeat to end — 36 stitches.
Knit 1 round plain.
Next round: (K1, k2tog) repeat to end — 24 stitches.

Stuff the head firmly.

Next round: (K2tog) repeat to end — 12 stitches.
Next round: (K2tog) repeat to end — 6 stitches.

Break yarn, thread through stitches, pull tight, and secure. Weave in the end.

Ears (make two)

Cast on 10 stitches and work flat in stocking stitch, or distribute across DPNs for working in the round. For simplicity, these instructions are for working flat.

Row 1 (RS): Knit across.
Row 2 (WS): Purl across.

Repeat these two rows until the ear measures approximately 5cm.

Next row (RS): K2tog, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog — 8 stitches.
Next row (WS): Purl across.
Next row (RS): K2tog, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog — 6 stitches.
Next row (WS): Purl across.
Next row (RS): K2tog, k2, k2tog — 4 stitches.
Next row (WS): P2tog, p2tog — 2 stitches.

Cast off. Fold each ear in half lengthwise (so wrong sides are together) and seam the sides together, leaving the bottom open for attaching to the head. You can add a tiny amount of stuffing, though Miffy’s ears are typically worked quite flat and firm.

Arms (make two)

Cast on 16 stitches and distribute across DPNs.

Knit every round until the arm measures 5cm.

Next round: (K2, k2tog) repeat to end — 12 stitches.
Knit 2 rounds.
Next round: (K1, k2tog) repeat to end — 8 stitches.

Stuff lightly.

Next round: (K2tog) repeat to end — 4 stitches.

Break yarn, thread through stitches, and close. Weave in end.

Legs (make two)

Cast on 20 stitches and distribute across DPNs.

Knit every round until the leg measures 6cm.

Next round: (K3, k2tog) repeat to end — 16 stitches.
Knit 2 rounds.
Next round: (K2, k2tog) repeat to end — 12 stitches.
Knit 1 round.
Next round: (K1, k2tog) repeat to end — 8 stitches.

Stuff firmly.

Next round: (K2tog) repeat to end — 4 stitches.

Close and weave in end.

Assembling Your Miffy

Once all the pieces are complete, it’s time to put your bunny together, and this is arguably the most satisfying part of the process.

Start by attaching the head to the body. Position the head so it sits centered and slightly forward-facing on top of the body. Using your tapestry needle and matching yarn, sew the head firmly to the body, working around the entire bottom edge of the head. Make sure it’s secure, because this joint will receive a lot of gentle tugging from small hands.

Next, attach the ears. Miffy’s ears sit quite close together near the top of her head, pointing upward. Pin them in place before sewing to make sure you’re happy with the positioning. When sewing, work all the way around the base of each ear for a secure hold.

Attach the arms on either side of the body, at approximately the shoulder line — about one-third of the way down from the top of the body. They should point slightly forward and outward.

Finally, attach the legs at the base of the body on either side, pointing downward. Miffy is typically depicted sitting or standing with her legs together or very close, so don’t place them too far apart.

Embroidering Miffy’s Face

The face is what makes Miffy Miffy, and it’s worth taking your time here. Her face in Dick Bruna’s books is composed of two small oval eyes, a tiny nose, and that distinctive crossed or X-shaped mouth. The simplicity is what makes it so expressive and recognizable.

Use black embroidery thread (or a very dark yarn) and a tapestry needle for this step. Work with a length short enough to control easily.

For the eyes, create two small, vertically oriented ovals. They sit about a third of the way up from the center of the face, set roughly apart, but not near the edges. A small satin stitch or a few horizontal stitches layered together creates a solid oval shape.

For the nose, a tiny vertical stitch just below the center of the face works well.

For the mouth, Miffy’s iconic feature: work two small diagonal stitches that cross each other, forming an X shape just below the nose. This is far simpler than it looks in her illustrations, and even a slightly imperfect version carries remarkable charm. This crossed mouth is one of the most iconic and beloved cartoon features in children’s illustration history, and recreating it in embroidery is a lovely little moment in the making of this toy.

Some knitters also like to add a very faint blush to Miffy’s cheeks. A small amount of pink yarn or even a light touch of a cosmetic blusher brush on the finished toy can add a sweet warmth to her expression.

Personalizing Your Miffy

One of the great joys of knitting your own Miffy is that you can customize her in ways the store-bought version doesn’t allow. Here are some ideas.

Miffy is sometimes depicted in a simple dress or pinafore. You can knit a small rectangular piece in a contrast color, work a simple eyelet or seed stitch border, and attach it around the body before seaming head and body together. A tiny knitted collar is another lovely touch.

You can also change Miffy’s color entirely. In some of Bruna’s illustrations, she appears in yellow or other shades, and a pastel pink or lavender Miffy is genuinely beautiful. If you’re making a toy for a specific child, their favorite color could become the main yarn.

Some knitters add a tiny knitted scarf or a small bow, both of which look adorable and are very simple to make. A long rectangle knitted in a contrast yarn, perhaps with a stripe or two, makes a perfectly charming scarf.

Tips for a Beautiful Finish

A few small habits will make the difference between a Miffy that looks handmade in the best possible way and one that looks a little rough around the edges.

Use a yarn that has some body and bounce to it. Acrylic DK or a wool-acrylic blend will hold its shape well and is also washable, which matters a great deal for a toy. Pure wool can felt if washed at the wrong temperature, so a machine-washable blend is safer for a child’s toy.

Stuff firmly. Understuffed toys tend to look a little deflated and don’t hold their shape as well. Don’t be afraid to add more fiberfill than you think you need.

Weave in all ends very carefully. For a toy that will be handled regularly, a loosely woven end can work its way loose over time and create a hole.

Block the finished pieces lightly before assembly if you’re using a natural fiber or blend. Dampening and gently reshaping while damp helps the stocking stitch lie flat and gives a more finished look.

Take care with the seaming. Using a mattress stitch or a whip stitch with matching yarn creates nearly invisible seams, which gives the toy a more polished appearance. Working slowly and deliberately here is always worth the extra time.

Caring for Your Finished Miffy

If this toy is intended for a child, it will almost certainly need washing at some point. If you’ve used a machine-washable yarn, a gentle machine wash inside a pillowcase works well. If your yarn requires hand washing, use cool water and a small amount of gentle detergent, squeeze rather than wring, and reshape while damp before air drying.

Over time, the fiberfill may shift or compress. You can open a small seam, add more stuffing, and close it again if this happens.

Sharing Your Miffy

Once your Miffy is complete, do consider sharing her. Knitting communities on platforms like Ravelry, Instagram, and Pinterest are full of people who love to see handmade toy projects, and a well-finished Miffy always attracts admiration. If you’ve made adaptations to this pattern, jotting them down and sharing them is a wonderful contribution to the crafting community.

Handmade toys have a particular kind of value that’s hard to quantify. They carry the time, intention, and love of the person who made them. A Miffy knitted by a grandmother, a parent, a friend, or a relative becomes part of a child’s story in a way that a shop-bought toy simply cannot. She becomes, in the truest sense, one of a kind.

Whether this is your first knitted toy or one of many, we hope this pattern brings you a satisfying, enjoyable knit and a result you’re genuinely proud of. Happy knitting.