If you thought pompoms were only ever spherical - think again! You can make all sorts of shapes with pompoms, and this cute pattern by Becky Skuse combines a little bit of crochet with some pompom magic! If you're new to shaping pompoms, you can find all the info you'll need to know in our how to make a pompom guide.
You will need
- Any DK yarn in brown
- A 4mm (US G/6) hook
- Clover pompom makers, 6.5cm and 4.5cm
- 4 safety eyes, 10mm
- Black felt, 10x10cm
- Fabric glue
- Nail brush
- Key ring (optional)
Tension
Tension is not critical for this project, but it may affect yarn quantities required
Measurements
Daddy Bear measures 6.5cm (21⁄2in) in diameter Baby Bear measures 4.5cm (13⁄4in) in diameter)
Abbreviations
You can find a full list of all abbreviations we use in our abbreviations and conversions guide. This pattern is written in UK terminology but you can easily convert it to US terms using the guide.
Notes
Daddy Bear uses approx 15g of yarn. Baby Bear uses approx 7g of yarn.
You will need to use this diagram as a reference for shaping and constructing the Bears.
When you are ready to make up the Bears make sure the central tie is running as shown in the Diagrams, around the sides/base/top of head, rather than front to back.
Don’t worry about making your trimming or placement perfect – a little bit of asymmetry helps to create a more natural look.
Pompom bear pattern
Daddy bear
Make a spherical pompom measuring 6.5cm in diameter, leaving long tails on the tie (approx 25cm). Trim lightly to form a sphere.
Ears (make 2)
Using a 4mm hook and brown yarn, ch6, leaving a long starting tail.
Row 1 Tr in fourth ch from hook (skipped 3ch counts as tr), (3dtr, tr, ch3, ss) in same ch, ch3, leaving rem 2 ch unworked.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
Baby bear
Make a spherical pompom measuring 4.5cm in diameter, leaving long tails on the tie (approx 25cm). Trim lightly to form a sphere.
Ears (make 2)
Using 4mm hook and brown yarn, ch6, leaving a long starting tail.
Row 1 Tr in fourth ch from hook (skipped 3ch counts as tr), (2dtr, tr, ch3, ss) in same ch, ch3, leaving rem 2 ch unworked.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
To make up
Ears and crown
Use the nail brush to brush the Ears lightly and fluff them up. Use the long tails on the Ears to attach them to the central tie of the pompom. Now you can start trimming, making sure you don’t snip into the ears or the tie. Start by slightly flattening out the top of the Bear’s head and trimming in front of the ears to create a slightly flatter shape here.
Muzzle and eyes
Shape the muzzle at the front of the Bear, starting at the top and trimming downwards. Then curve out to the edge of the pompom. Repeat from the left front and right front, trimming inwards, then out. Take your time – it’s the key part of the Bear. Once the shape is vaguely right, insert the safety eyes – this can help with perfecting the muzzle shape.
Once you’re happy with the muzzle and the position of the eyes, glue the eyes in place: to do this, take one eye out, cover the end with glue and carefully insert it back in place. Repeat with the other eye.
Here's some more fab free crochet patterns for you to try!
Nose and chin
Cut the nose out of black felt – it should be a rounded upside-down triangle shape (approx 1.5cm across for the Daddy Bear and 1cm across for the Baby Bear). Apply glue to the piece and position on the muzzle.
Trim the base of the Bear slightly to flatten out his chin.
Mouth
To create the mouth shape, carefully trim a small triangle shape into the muzzle, underneath the nose. Cut a mouth shape out of black felt – it should be a rounded triangle shape, similar to the nose, slightly larger than the shape cut into the muzzle.
Lift some of the yarn out of the way, apply glue to the felt piece and press into the mouth area. Place the yarn back down over the top of the upper part of the mouth piece, for a natural look.
To finish
Take the long tails of the pompom’s central tie and use both tails to work a chain to your desired length. Fasten off, leaving long tails.
Loop each tail around the key ring 3 times, then knot together. Weave the tails back down the chain length.
