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.
Make the last ch 2 before joining. Each old dc receives exactly one cluster. Do not add another closing chain inside the cluster; its shared top is followed by the two stated chains.
Round 3: open granny groups
Attach ivory in any ch-2 space and ch 2. Work (3 dc in the space, ch 1) in each of the twelve ch-2 spaces around. Join to the first actual dc and fasten off. 36 dc in 12 groups, with 12 ch-1 spaces.
The dc groups sit between the previous round’s petals. Keep the chain spaces open; these gaps are part of the medallion, rather than missed stitches.
Round 4: single-crochet outline
Attach ivory in the first dc of any group and ch 1. Repeat (sc in each of the next 3 dc, 1 sc in the next ch-1 space) twelve times. Join to the first sc and fasten off. 48 sc.
The edge uses 36 dc tops plus twelve chain spaces: 36 + 12 = 48 sc. The sc in a chain space goes under the whole chain, rather than into a cluster top from an earlier round. There are no increases in this edging round.
Red scarf: two narrow rows
With red, ch 41.
Row 1: Hdc in the second chain from the hook and in each remaining chain. 40 hdc. Skip only the one chain nearest the hook.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, hdc BLO in each of the 40 stitches. 40 hdc. Fasten off and weave in the ends. The low turning ch 1 does not count as a stitch.
For optional fringe, fold a few short, equal strands of red yarn in half. Pull the folded loops through an end stitch, then pass the loose ends through those loops and snug gently. Repeat at the other scarf end and trim evenly. Fringe is added after crocheting and has no stitch count.
Embroider the face and arrange the pieces
Place the head right side up. Use black yarn to embroider two small eyes on opposite sides of the center, around the area between Rounds 3 and 4. Make several short passes in the same place for each eye, checking their alignment before securing the tails.
Below the eyes, outline a small downward-pointing triangle and fill it with short satin stitches for the nose. Add one short vertical stitch below its tip. Keep the stitches loose enough that the face disk stays flat, and secure all embroidery tails on the back.
- Block the body and head gently according to the yarn label. Pin the body at evenly spaced points without stretching one gap farther than the others.
- Place the two ears behind the head’s upper left and upper right edges. Overlap their lower sections with the head and sew across those overlaps, leaving the rounded tops visible.
- Overlap the bottom of the head with the top of the body. Sew through several adjacent stitches from both pieces to make a stable neck. Keep the head centered over the body ring.
- Sew two paw circles onto the upper left and upper right body edges for arms. Attach the other two to the lower left and lower right edges for feet. Catch solid edging stitches; do not span an open chain space with a long sewing strand.
Secure the scarf and hanger
Wrap the red strip around the narrow neck junction and tie it gently once toward one side, allowing both ends to fall over that side of the body. Adjust the tails so they reveal most of the lace. Tack the scarf to the neck and secure the knot with a few matching sewing stitches. The scarf should cover the join without pulling the head forward.
For the hanger, ch 16 with red and fasten off, leaving a tail at each end. Fold it into a loop and sew both ends to the back of the head at the top center, between the ears. Spread the attachment over several stitches rather than relying on one outer loop.
Lift the crochet polar bear ornament by its hanger and check that the head, body and paws hang without twisting. Adjust an uneven attachment before hiding the last tails. The scarf is a decoration; the sewn head-to-body connection carries the body.
Counts to check before assembly
| Part | Quantity | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 1 | 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 sc |
| Ear | 2 | 8 hdc each |
| Paw circle | 4 | 6 sc, then 12 sc each |
| Body | 1 | 12 dc; 12 clusters; 36 dc; 48 sc |
| Scarf | 1 | Ch 41; 40 hdc; 40 hdc BLO |
| Hanger | 1 | Ch 16, sewn on |
Troubleshooting the lace and flat circles
The head cups: check that every increasing round has six increases and that the beginning chain was not counted. Do not add plain rounds. If the counts are right, assess tension and hook choice before making the other pieces.
The body has an uneven outer edge: count one sc in each of the 36 dc tops and one in each of the twelve ch-1 spaces. Adding two sc into the gaps gives extra fabric; missing those gap stitches tightens the circle.
A petal has several tops: it may be a group of complete dc rather than a closed cluster. The three partial dc of Round 2 must remain unfinished until you close all four hook loops together. Round 3 uses complete, separate dc.
The scarf is too stiff to tie: check that you made only two rows and worked Row 2 in the back loops. A softer red yarn of the same thickness may bend more easily. Test the knot before tacking it to the ornament.
Display ideas and chart gallery
Use the crochet polar bear ornament on a branch, a wrapped parcel or a winter garland. For another open motif, the Christmas flower granny square uses clusters inside a square frame. The Christmas gift pockets give you a different way to combine small character pieces.
The complete chart below shows every crochet stitch and chain for the body, head, both ears, all four paws, scarf and hanger. The two detail guides explain the lace edge and assembly. Chart colors help separate rounds; use ivory and red as specified in the text. The charts follow the written counts and do not claim physical testing. Sewing, embroidery and fringe are finishing details.
