How to Crochet a Wedding Bear

Surprise the bride with her own handmade wedding bear.

When you are stumped about what to give to a bachelorette before her big day, a handmade gift such as a crocheted wedding bear will almost always be well received. The time and effort you put in making the amigurumi bear will be appreciated, and you can add details to the bear's dress to match the bride's dress or the wedding's theme. The wedding bear can also be made into a children's toy.

Things You'll Need

• White yarn
• Light brown yarn
• Crochet hook F
• 2 pieces of white tulle, 5-by-10 inch
• 2 plastic 1/4-inch eyes
• 1 plastic or felt animal nose
• Yarn needle
• Sewing needle
• White thread
• Fiberfill

Instructions

1. Create the bear's head. Use a magic circle to start with the light brown yarn -- form a loop and insert your hook, yarn over and pull through, chain one, and pull through the loop. In the circle, single crochet (sc) six times then pull the loose end to tighten. For row two, single crochet twice (inc) in each stitch. In the next six rows, steadily increase the number of stitches per row, starting with (1 sc, inc) around in row three followed by (2 sc, inc) around in row four. Sc around in rows seven through nine, then steadily decrease in the same pattern you increased by single crocheting two stitches together. Before completing the last three rows, add the eyes and ears then stuff with fiberfill. Finish off and leave a long tail.

2. Make the ears using the light brown yarn. Start with a magic circle, then 7 sc in the circle. Chain one then turn, and inc in each stitch. Finish off and leave a long tail. Make two.

3. Crochet two arms and two legs. For the arms, use the white yarn and begin with a magic circle and 6 sc in the circle. For row two, inc in each stitch. Sc around for row three, then switch to the light brown yarn. Repeat row three for five more rows, then stuff lightly. Decrease around and finish off, leaving a long tail. Using only light brown, make the legs in the same way but add three rows of sc before decreasing.

4. Start crocheting the body using the white yarn. Follow the instructions to make the head for the first eight rows. Complete two more rows of increasing, followed by six rows of just sc around. Switch to light brown, then begin to decrease as you did on the head. Stuff, finish off and leave a long tail.

5. Add the dress skirt to your bear. Insert your yarn needle with white yarn threaded into the last row of white on the body. Pull the thread through and begin working the first row of stitches off this row on the torso with your hook. Chain three, skip one then double crochet (dc) in next stitch. Repeat this for the remainder of the row: Skip four stitches then create a shell, which is (1 dc, 1 chain) three times followed by one dc. Two dc in the last stitch, then turn. For the next five rows, chain three, skip one, dc, then create a shell in each of the middle chains of the previous shells, ending each row with two dc in the last stitch. Finish off and weave in loose ends.

6. Sew it all together. Use a yarn needle and the loose ends to sew the limbs and head to the body, and the ears to the head. Gather the two pieces of tulle at the back of the head to fit around about half of the head and use the sewing needle and white yarn to sew it in place as the veil.

References

• Free Crochet; Bridal Bear; 1997
• Lion Brand Yarn; Stitchfinder: Crochet Stitch: Shell Pattern; 2007