Quick Answer: This sunflower bear crochet pattern makes a small amigurumi bear seated inside a crocheted flower pot, with a sunflower made from yellow petals and a brown center stitched beside or above its head. It works up in worsted weight yarn with a 4mm hook using continuous rounds, and finishes at roughly 4 to 5 inches tall including the pot.
| Difficulty | Intermediate (small parts, some assembly) |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 to 4 hours |
| Finished Size | Approx. 4 to 5 in tall (assuming worsted weight yarn and 4mm hook, unconfirmed by user) |
| Hook | 4mm / US G-6 |
| Yarn Weight | Worsted / #4 (assumption, adjust if yours differs) |
A Bear Who Grew His Own Sunflower Instead of Picking One
Flower pot amigurumi works best when the animal looks like it belongs in the pot rather than just balanced on top of it, and a round, low-set bear does that naturally. He sits low in the rim, paws barely visible over the edge, with a single sunflower rising up beside his head like it planted itself there on purpose.
The sunflower is what carries this piece. A cluster of pointed yellow petals around a small brown center gives you two colors and two textures against the bear's plain, rounded body, so the piece doesn't read as one flat shape once it's finished.
Because yarn weight and hook size weren't specified for this project, everything below assumes worsted weight #4 yarn and a 4mm hook, the standard pairing for amigurumi this size. Swatch first if you're using something different, since the pot needs to hold its shape without sagging under the bear's weight.
Materials Used
- Yarn: Worsted weight / #4, approx. 35 to 40g in brown or tan (bear body), 15 to 20g in terracotta (pot), small amounts of yellow and brown (sunflower petals and center), a little green (stem and leaf) — yardage approximate, not user-confirmed
- Hook: 4mm / US G-6
- Notions: yarn needle, stitch marker, polyester fiberfill, small amount of black yarn or 6mm safety eyes, scissors
Abbreviations Used
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ch | chain |
| sc | single crochet |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| inc | increase (2 sc in same stitch) |
| dec | invisible decrease |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
🌻 Start your sunflower bear crochet project today
How It's Made (Construction Overview)
The bear's body and the pot are each worked separately in continuous rounds, spiral-style with no joining, which is standard for amigurumi and keeps the surface seamless. The bear is stuffed and closed before being seated into the open top of the pot, and the sunflower is built last as its own small piece, a ring of petals worked around a flat brown center, then tacked onto the pot rim or the bear's paw once everything else is assembled.
Steps
- Body: ch 2, work 6 sc into second ch from hook. Do not join, place marker at start of round.
- Rnd 2: inc in each st around (12 sts).
- Rnd 3: (sc, inc) around (18 sts).
- Rnds 4 to 6: sc even around (18 sts each round).
- Rnd 7: (sc4, dec) around (15 sts). Begin adding fiberfill loosely.
- Rnds 8 to 9: sc even around (15 sts).
- Rnd 10: (sc3, dec) around (12 sts). Add safety eyes between rounds 9 and 10.
- Rnd 11: (sc2, dec) around (9 sts). Finish stuffing firmly.
- Rnd 12: dec around until opening closes (3 to 4 sts). Fasten off, weave tail through remaining sts to close.
- Ears: ch 2, 5 sc into second ch, fasten off leaving a tail. Make 2, flatten slightly, stitch to top of head.
- Pot: in terracotta, ch 2, 6 sc into second ch, inc each round until pot reaches desired width (usually 3 to 4 rounds), then sc even for 3 to 4 rounds to build height. Fasten off, leaving pot top open.
- Sunflower center: in brown, ch 2, 6 sc into second ch, inc once around (12 sts), fasten off leaving a tail.
- Sunflower petals: in yellow, join at the outer edge of the brown center and work (ch 3, sl st into next st) around the entire outer round to form pointed petals, fasten off.
- Assembly: seat the finished bear into the open top of the pot and tack in place with a few stitches through both pieces. Attach the sunflower to the pot rim beside the bear, or into one of the bear's paws, using the leftover tail.
Tips
- Work the sunflower petals a touch looser than your body tension, tight petal stitches tend to curl inward instead of lying flat.
- Stuff the bear's body in small pinches as you go rather than all at once at the end, or the closing round will be hard to cinch shut.
- If attaching the sunflower to a paw, sew through the paw at an angle so the flower tilts slightly outward instead of sitting flat against the arm.
Common Mistakes
- Pot walls flaring outward instead of staying straight, usually from an extra increase round that wasn't needed. Stick to sc even once the base width is reached.
- Sunflower petals bunching unevenly around the center. Count stitches on the brown center round before starting petals so the spacing comes out even.
- Losing the round marker on the bear's smaller decrease rounds, which throws the head shape off. Check stitch count at the end of every round from round 7 onward.
Variations
- Swap the sunflower for a daisy by using shorter, rounder petals instead of the pointed chain-3 shape.
- Use a fuzzy or brushed yarn for the bear's body for a softer, more textured coat look.
- Size up with bulky yarn and a 5.5mm hook for a desk-sized version.
FAQ
Can I attach the sunflower before seating the bear in the pot?
It's easier to seat the bear first, since you'll have a clearer view of where the flower looks best, either beside the bear or in a paw.
What if my pot comes out too small for the bear's body?
Add one more increase round before switching to even rounds, this widens the base without changing the height.
Do the sunflower petals need to be crocheted, or can I embroider them?
Crocheted petals hold their shape better and add visible texture, but embroidered straight stitches in yellow are a faster alternative if you're short on time.
Why does my bear's head look pointed instead of round?
That usually means a decrease round was skipped near the top. Recount stitches at rounds 10 through 12 to make sure the shaping matches.
Want more flower pot amigurumi like this one? Explore more tutorials on CrochetDreamFiles.
