A crochet polar bear ornament can combine the firm outline of a small round face with an open, flower-like body. This version uses ivory yarn for the bear and a narrow red scarf to cover the neck seam and bring the separate pieces together.
The head and paws are flat circles, while the body is a four-round lace medallion. Two little ears sit behind the head, and a separate chain hanger is sewn at the top. There is no stuffing or second body layer.
Make the pieces first, then arrange the face and paws before sewing. For another character decoration built from flat components, the flat crochet gingerbread man offers a different silhouette for the same tree or gift display.
How the crochet polar bear ornament is constructed
This is an original interpretation inspired by the reference ornament, rather than the exact recipe behind the photograph. The written body has twelve closed clusters, followed by twelve granny groups and a single-crochet edge. The photographs illustrate the intended styling; use the written rounds and chart for stitch placement.
The stitch arithmetic has been checked, but the design has not been physically tested. No measured gauge, finished size or yarn consumption is supplied. Yarn thickness and tension affect the relationship between the solid head and the taller lace stitches. Make the head and body in the same yarn before committing to a set.
Materials for a crochet polar bear ornament
- Smooth ivory or cream yarn, red yarn of the same weight for the scarf and hanger, and a small amount of black embroidery yarn.
- A suitable crochet hook; a 3 mm hook is a starting suggestion for light cotton yarn, adjusted to the yarn label and the fabric you obtain.
- A blunt yarn needle, scissors and removable stitch markers.
- A blocking surface and rustproof pins, used according to the yarn’s care instructions.
A plied yarn makes the cluster tops and unused back loops easier to see. Keep the red yarn close to the ivory yarn’s thickness so the scarf bends around the neck without becoming a heavy knot. The face here uses embroidered eyes and nose.
US abbreviations and stitch notes
ch = chain; sc = single crochet; hdc = half double crochet; dc = double crochet; inc = 2 sc in one stitch; sl st = slip stitch; MR = magic ring; BLO = back loop only; st/sts = stitch/stitches; sp = space; 3dc-cl = three-double-crochet cluster closed together. See the Craft Yarn Council abbreviation guide for standard US terms.
For 3dc-cl, yarn over, insert into the indicated stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through two loops. Leave that partial dc unfinished. Repeat twice more in the same stitch; four loops remain on the hook. Yarn over and draw through all four. The three partial dc share one top and count as one cluster. The ch 2 that follows is worked separately.
A 3-dc group means three complete dc in one space, each with its own top. For hdc, yarn over, insert, pull up a loop, then yarn over and draw through all three loops. For BLO, work under the strand farther from you at the stitch’s top V after turning.
All circular pieces use joined rounds without turning. Beginning ch 1 or ch 2 never counts as a stitch, and the joining sl st is excluded from the count. Work the first stitch into the same stitch or space where the round begins, not into the beginning chain.
Head: five joined rounds
With ivory, make an MR.
| Round | Instruction | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1, 6 sc in MR; join to first sc | 6 sc |
| 2 | Ch 1, inc in each st; join to first sc | 12 sc |
| 3 | Ch 1, (sc, inc) 6 times; join | 18 sc |
| 4 | Ch 1, (sc 2, inc) 6 times; join | 24 sc |
| 5 | Ch 1, (sc 3, inc) 6 times; join | 30 sc |
Fasten off with a sewing tail. Tighten and secure the ring tail on the back. Keep the head flat; there are no plain rounds, decreases or filling steps. The five round counts add to 90 sc.
Ears: make two
With ivory, make an MR, ch 1 and work 8 hdc into the ring. Join with a sl st to the first hdc, tighten the ring and fasten off with a sewing tail. Make the second ear the same way. These are single-round disks; do not add another round to enlarge them.
Arms and feet: four small paw circles
Round 1: With ivory, MR, ch 1, 6 sc in the ring. Join to the first sc. 6 sc.
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each of the 6 stitches. Join to the first sc and fasten off with a sewing tail. 12 sc.
Make four circles altogether. Two will be arms and two will be feet, determined by where you sew them. Each paw contains 18 sc across its two rounds, excluding the starting chains and joins.
Lace body for the crochet polar bear ornament
Use ivory for all four rounds. Fasten off after each body round and attach yarn at the stated position for the next one. This keeps the written sequence and complete chart free of extra traveling slip stitches. Weave the tails into the backs of firm stitch groups rather than across the open spaces.
Round 1: twelve-stitch center
Make an MR, ch 2 and work 12 dc into the ring. Join to the first dc, tighten the ring and fasten off. 12 dc.
Round 2: closed petals and chain spaces
Attach ivory in any dc and ch 2. Beginning in that same dc, work (3dc-cl in next st, ch 2) twelve times around. Join to the top of the first cluster and fasten off. 12 clusters and 12 ch-2 spaces.
