There’s something especially sweet about a handmade baby blanket, and this little Bear Blanket is no exception. With adorable bear faces tucked among simple solid squares, it has that cozy, playful look that works beautifully in a nursery or child’s bedroom.
This is also a fun pattern to work on because you’re not making the same square over and over again. The bear motifs give you something interesting to put together, while the solid squares break things up and keep the overall design balanced.
You can easily make the blanket your own by changing the colors. Soft creams, beige, brown, and pastel shades would give it a gentle nursery feel, while brighter colors would make the bears really stand out.
It would make a lovely baby shower gift, a special keepsake for a new arrival, or simply a cozy blanket for a little one to enjoy.
Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to make the blanket:
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- 4 mm crochet hook
- 3.5 mm crochet hook for the smaller pieces
- Baby-friendly yarn in three or more colors
- Color 10 – bear
- Color 1/B – background and border
- Color 2 – embroidery details
- Tapestry needle for sewing and weaving in ends
- Scissors
Choose a soft, washable yarn that feels comfortable against a baby’s skin. Acrylic baby yarn or another yarn specifically designed for baby projects works well.
Crochet Terms and Abbreviations
This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology.
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- dc2tog – double crochet two together
- sp – space
- rep – repeat
Bear Square Pattern
Each bear square is worked in sections. First, you’ll crochet the bear’s head, then add the ears, snout, and nose. Once all the pieces are ready, they’re sewn onto the square background.
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Take your time when placing the facial features. A small change in the position of the eyes or snout can give the bear a completely different expression.
Bear Head
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Using a 4 mm crochet hook and Color 10, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 11 dc into the ring. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
(12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 3, dc in the same stitch, then work 2 dc in each stitch around. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
(24 dc)
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Round 3: Ch 3, dc in the same stitch, *dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch; repeat from * around. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
(36 dc)
Round 4: Ch 3, dc in the same stitch, *dc in the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch; repeat from * around. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
(48 dc)
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in the next stitch, *sl st in the next stitch, sc in the next stitch; repeat from * around. Fasten off Color 10.
(48 sts)
Join Color 1 to any ch-2 space.
Round 6: Ch 3 (counts as dc), (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the same space, *dc in the next 12 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, sc in the next 10 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, dc in the next 12 stitches, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the ch-2 space; repeat from * twice. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
Round 7: Sl st into the next stitch, (sl st, ch 3, dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner space, *dc in the next 18 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, sc in the next 16 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, dc in the next 18 stitches, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner space; repeat from * twice. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
Round 8: Sl st into the next stitch, (sl st, ch 3, dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner space, *dc in the next 22 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, sc in the next 20 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, dc in the next 22 stitches, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the corner space; repeat from * twice. Sl st into the third ch of the beginning ch-3.
Fasten off.
Inner Ears – Make 2
Using a 3.5 mm crochet hook and Color 9, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Work 3 sc into the ring.
(3 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a small tail for sewing.
Set the ears aside until the bear face is assembled.
Snout
Using a 3.5 mm hook and Color 4, make a magic ring.
Round 1: 6 sc in the ring.
(6 sc)
Round 2: Work 2 sc in each stitch around.
(12 sc)
Round 3: *2 sc in the next stitch, sc in the next stitch; repeat from * around.
(18 sc)
Round 4: *Sc in the next 2 stitches, 2 sc in the next stitch; repeat from * around.
(24 sc)
Round 5: *Sc in the next 3 stitches, 2 sc in the next stitch; repeat from * around.
(30 sc)
Fasten off.
Nose
Using a 3.5 mm crochet hook and Color 2, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Work 6 sc into the ring.
(6 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Putting the Bear Face Together
Now comes the fun part—turning the individual pieces into a cute little bear.
First, sew the nose onto the center of the snout. Position the snout in the middle of the bear’s face and stitch it securely in place.
Next, sew the inner ears onto the head. Try to position them evenly on both sides so the bear has a balanced appearance.
Finally, use Color 2 to embroider the eyes and mouth. You can keep the face simple with small stitched eyes and a tiny curved mouth.
Don’t worry if your bears aren’t perfectly identical. Slight differences are part of what makes handmade blankets so charming.
Solid Squares
In addition to the bear motifs, you’ll need 12 solid squares to complete the blanket.
Use the solid square pattern from the original source/site to make these squares. Try to keep your tension consistent so the solid squares are approximately the same size as the bear squares.
