Pandas might be the easiest animal to make cute. Black ears, black eye patches and a round white face, and you are already halfway there. That simple color plan also makes a crochet panda a good project when you are still learning amigurumi, because you only work with two colors.
Below are 11 free panda patterns we opened and checked one by one. You will find tiny keychain pandas, a 20-minute no-sew panda, realistic pandas on all fours and a giant fleece panda for hugging. Each one lists the yarn, hook and skill level so you can pick fast.
Crochet Panda Free Patterns
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What You’ll Need
- Black and white sport weight cotton yarn
- Crochet hook set (2 mm to 6.5 mm)
- Safety eyes in mixed sizes
- Polyester fiberfill stuffing
- Locking stitch markers
- Blunt tapestry needles
- Keychain rings with jump rings
1. Pepe the Panda Bear
Photo: Mariska Vos-Bolman / DIY Fluffies
Pepe is a classic sitting panda made in rounds with single crochet, increases and decreases. The best part is that one pattern gives you three sizes: about 4 inches in sport cotton, 6 inches in chenille DK and 8 inches in super bulky chenille. The small one doubles as a keychain. There is a full video tutorial in several parts, so it is a good pick if you learn better by watching.
- Designer: Mariska Vos-Bolman / DIY Fluffies
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: Sport (#2) cotton, chenille DK or super bulky chenille
- Hook: 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm or 5 mm (to match the yarn)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
2. 20-Minute Panda Bear
Photo: Sweet Softies
This chubby little panda is only 2.5 inches tall and really does work up in about 20 minutes. It is made in super bulky chenille, so the stitches grow fast and hide small mistakes. It is a no-sew design except for closing the bottom. Add a keyring to the head and you have a quick keychain or craft fair item. Swap the colors and it becomes a brown teddy.
- Designer: Sweet Softies
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: Super bulky (#6) chenille
- Hook: 5 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
3. Little Panda
Photo: Little Crochet Farm
This tiny panda stands about 3 inches tall and is built from simple shapes: a head, a body, front and back paws, a nose and two ears. It is part of the designer’s Little Animals collection, and there is a two-part video to follow. You can use safety eyes or embroider them, which is safer for babies. The designer says you can sell what you make with credit.
- Designer: Little Crochet Farm
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: DK (#3) or sport (#2) cotton
- Hook: 2 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
4. Low-Sew Amigurumi Panda Bear
Photo: Petra Salisbury / Cuddly Stitches Craft
If you hate sewing pieces together, this one is for you. Only the head and the eye patches are sewn on. Everything else is worked in continuous rounds with invisible decreases. In sport weight yarn it is about 8 inches sitting and 11.5 inches standing. The designer made hers with a navy body, which looks soft and modern. Step-by-step photos and videos help along the way.
- Designer: Petra Salisbury / Cuddly Stitches Craft
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Yarn: Sport (#2) cotton blend (DK, worsted and bulky also work)
- Hook: 2.5 mm (B/1)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
5. Mini Noso Panda
Photo: Supergurumi
This is the smallest panda on the list at about 2 inches tall. The body, arms and legs are made in one piece, so there are no limbs to sew on. It even comes with a little bamboo shoot to hold. It uses cotton yarn and a 2.5 mm hook, which gives a neat, tight fabric. Make a few for a shelf or turn one into a bag charm.
- Designer: Supergurumi
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: Sport (#2) cotton
- Hook: 2.5 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
6. Ying the Panda
Photo: Kati Brown / Hooked by Kati
Ying stands on all fours with a tilted head, so it looks more like a real panda than a teddy bear. The front legs and shoulders are made as one piece, and the back legs use short rounds so they sit flat against the body. It is about 11.5 inches long and 7 inches tall in worsted acrylic. A fun step up once you have a few simple toys behind you.
- Designer: Kati Brown / Hooked by Kati
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Yarn: Worsted (#4) acrylic
- Hook: 4 mm (G)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
7. Pan-San the Panda
Photo: Lee Mei Li (AmiguruMEI) / Craft Passion
Pan-San has a fuzzy, slightly messy coat made with fluffy yarn, plus a little teal crossbody bag. The head is a flat oval you can shape with your hands, and the face is embroidered instead of using safety eyes. It is about 6 inches tall. The page includes tips for pairing fuzzy yarn with regular acrylic so the details still show.
- Designer: Lee Mei Li (AmiguruMEI) / Craft Passion
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Yarn: Fuzzy yarn plus acrylic yarn (see pattern)
- Hook: 4 mm and 2.5 mm
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
8. Panda Keychain / Bag Charm
Photo: Tatyana Matyushkova / Amigurum
This little panda is made to hang from your keys or backpack. The head and body are white with a black lower body, and the ears, hands and legs are black. Only the bottom of the hands, legs and body get stuffing, which keeps it light. A fun detail: the eye edges are tinted with soft black pastel for a gentle shaded look.
- Designer: Tatyana Matyushkova / Amigurum
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: see pattern
- Hook: see pattern
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
9. Panda Bear by Abbygurumi
Photo: Abby’s Amigurumi (Abbygurumi)
This is a simple, old-school panda pattern worked in the round. The head, nose, ears and arms are separate pieces, and the body is made from two foot circles joined together. Black oval patches go around the safety eyes. It is a short pattern, so it is nice for practice when you want something quick and do not need a long list of notes.
- Designer: Abby’s Amigurumi (Abbygurumi)
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: see pattern
- Hook: see pattern
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
10. Fleece Panda
Photo: Stephanie Lau / All About Ami
Want a big panda? This one is about 19 inches tall and made with jumbo sherpa fleece yarn in slate and cream, so it is very soft to hug. It has face shaping, shaped feet, separate eye patches and an optional tail. Fluffy yarn is hard to see stitches in, so the designer shares tips for working with it. A great gift for a kid who loves big plush toys.
- Designer: Stephanie Lau / All About Ami
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: Jumbo (#7) sherpa yarn
- Hook: 6.5 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
11. Sweet Crochet Panda
Photo: Viktoria Rusak (@yammi_art) / Amigurumi Space
This sweet panda has big black eye rims with white centers and bead eyes, which gives it a bright, wide-eyed look. It is made in baby cotton yarn in separate pieces: legs, arms, ears, eyes and body. The nose is embroidered at the end. A video tutorial is linked on the page if you get stuck on any part.
- Designer: Viktoria Rusak (@yammi_art) / Amigurumi Space
- Skill level: see pattern
- Yarn: Cotton-acrylic baby yarn (see pattern)
- Hook: 2.5 mm
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
Which One Should You Make?
- First amigurumi ever? Start with #1 Pepe the Panda. It is beginner friendly and has a full video.
- Need a gift in a hurry? Make #2, the 20-Minute Panda Bear. It is done before your tea gets cold.
- Want a keychain? Try #5 Mini Noso Panda or #8 Panda Keychain. Both are tiny and light.
- Hate sewing? Pick #4, the Low-Sew Panda. Only the head and eye patches get sewn on.
- Want a big, huggable panda? Go for #10, the Fleece Panda at about 19 inches tall.
FAQ
What yarn is best for a crochet panda?
Cotton or cotton blend in sport weight gives clean, crisp stitches and a neat face, which is why many small pandas use it. Chenille and fleece yarns make softer, fluffier pandas but hide your stitches, so they are a little harder to work with. For a first panda, plain acrylic or cotton is the easiest.
How do I keep black yarn from showing through the white parts?
Use a smaller hook than the yarn label suggests so your stitches are tight. Carry the black yarn only where you need it and cut it at color changes instead of carrying it across white rounds. Stuffing firmly also helps, because loose stuffing lets gaps open between stitches.
Are safety eyes okay for a baby’s panda?
Safety eyes can be a choking risk for children under 3. For babies, embroider the eyes with black yarn or thread instead. Several patterns above, like the Little Panda and Pan-San, already show embroidered eyes, so you can follow their lead on any panda you make.
Grab some black and white yarn and make a panda this week. They are hard to stop at one.
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