During the transition from spring to summer, I feel as if I’m racing from one holiday to another (including both of my daughters’ birthdays that fall in the same season). Despite of my exhaustion, I want to share my crochet pattern for an especially festive and springish bunny with you. This crochet festive bunny spruces up with spring colors and is ready for the holiday with a flower crown and a basket in her hand. Happy Holidays, Everyone!
Festive Bunny – Crochet Pattern
For making the bunny, you’ll need:
Yarn in three colors and an appropriate hook (I’m using 100% cotton Drops Paris (cream, light green and pink) and a 3.5 hook)
Filling material (I’m using polyfill)
A darning (not-sharp) needle for sewing the parts together
12 mm safety eyes or black beads
Pink embroidery thread for embroidering the nose
A small pompom for a tail – (optional)
Abbreviations:
SC – Single Crochet
DC – Double Crochet
CH – Chain
SS – Slip Stitch
inc – Increase (two SC in one loop)
dec – Decrease (two sc crocheted together – it’s recommended to use “invisible decrease” instead to avoid unsightly holes)
The doll is crocheted, as usual, in a continuous spiral: at the end of each row you continue to the next row. The beginning of the row should be marked with a stitch marker or a piece of contrast-colored yarn to avoid confusion and mistakes.
The doll is crocheted from the head down, while the head, body and legs are crocheted as one part, to which ears, tail and arms are attached. I prefer to start with arms, ears and tail and afterward attach them to the head and body while crocheting. In this way, the required amount of sewing (one of my least favorite parts) is minimized.
Ears
Make two, using 3.5 mm crochet hook body-color yarn (cream)
Row 1: 6 SC in a magic ring (6)
Row 2: (1 SC, inc)*3 (9)
Row 3: (2 SC, inc)*3 (12)
Row 4: SC in each SC (12)
Row 5: (3 SC, inc)*3 (15)
Row 6-7: 2 rounds SC in each SC (15)
Row 8: (4 SC, inc)*3 (18)
Row 9-11: 3 rounds SC in each SC (18)
Row 12: (4 SC, dec)*3 (15)
Row 13-14: 2 rounds SC in each SC (15)
Row 15: (3 SC, dec)*3 (12)
Row 16-17: 2 rounds SC in each SC (12)
Row 18: (2 SC, dec)*3 (9)
Row 19: 2 SC in each SC (9)
SS to the next stitch. Leave the ears unfilled. Finish off and knot. Leave a long tail (approx. 20 cm) for the sewing of the ears to the head.
Arms
Make two, using 3.5 mm crochet hook and body-colored yarn (cream)
Note that you should start filling up the hand from the third row onward.
Row 1: 6 SC in a magic ring (6)
Row 2: (1 SC, inc)*3 (9)
A thumb
Row 3: 8 SC, 2 dc in one stitch crocheted together (9)
Row 4: 7SC, dec (8)
Row 5-7: 3 rounds SC in each SC (8)
Row 8: dec, 6 SC (7)
Row 9-10: 2 rounds SC in each SC (7)
Fill the hand firmly with filling material. Leave the arm unfilled or slightly filled. Flatten the edge of the arm and crochet 3 SC through two layers. Finish off and knot. If you intend to sew the arms, leave a long tail (approx. 20 cm) for the sewing. If you attach the arms while crocheting, a short tail would suffice.
Tail
You may use a small pompom (2-2.5 cm) with the same color as the body.
Otherwise, crochet (body colored yarn):
Row 1: 6 SC in a magic ring (6)
Row 2: 6 inc (12)
Row 3-4: 2 rounds SC in each SC (12)
Fill the tail with filling material.
Row 5: 6 dec (6)
Finish off and leave a long tail for sewing the tail.
Head and body
Start with body colored yarn (cream) and using 3.5 mm crochet hook.
Row 1: 6 SC in a magic ring (6)
Row 2: 6 inc (12)
Row 3: (1 SC, inc)*6 (18)
Row 4: (2 SC, inc)*6 (24)
Row 5: (3 SC, inc)*6 (30)
Row 6: (4 SC, inc)*6 (36)
Row 7: (5 SC, inc)*6 (42)
Row 8: (6 SC, inc)*6 (48)
Row 9-16: 8 rounds SC in each SC (48)
Row 17: (6 SC, dec)*6 (42)
Row 18: (5 SC, dec)*6 (36)
Row 19: (4 SC, dec)*6 (30)
Row 20: (1 SC, dec)*10 (20)
If you’re using safety eyes, it’s best to connect them now, between row 13 and row 14, with 9 SCs visible between the eyes. Fill the head with filling material. It’s important that you fill well so that the head would be hard and keep its shape. Keep filling the doll throughout the crocheting.
Row 21: (10 dec) (10)
Row 22: (4 SC, inc)*2 (12) stuff your head firmly
Slip stitch to the next stitch and finish off.
Find the center back and switch to light green yarn.
If you want to attach arms while crocheting do it in row 24. Arms can also be sewn to the body later on (sewing is usually easier for beginners).
To attach the arms by crocheting:
Row 23: Starting left from center back (sc, 3sc through both layers (body and arm) , 3sc, 3sc through both layers (body and the second arm), 2sc) (12)
Proceed to row 24
If you’re sewing the arms:
Row 23: SC in each SC (12)
Row 24: (2 SC, 2 inc, 4 SC, 2 inc, 2 SC) (16)
Row 25: SC in each SC (16)
Row 26: (3 SC, 2 inc, 6 SC, 2 inc, 3 SC) (20)
Row 27: SC in each SC (20)
Row 28: (4 SC, inc)*4 (24)
Row 29: SC in each SC (24)
Row 30: (5 SC, inc)*4 (28)
Row 31: SC in each SC (28)
Row 32: (6 SC, inc)*4 (32)
Row 33: SC in each SC back loop only (32)
This row would be used for the attachment of the skirt.
Row 34-36: 3 rows SC in each SC (32)
Start stuffing the body. Keep filling until the doll is fully closed.
Now we divide for legs: Find the center back (3 SC), mark. 2ch ss to 16th loop to divide legs 18 ch each.
Continue with the first leg.
Legs
Row 1: SC in each SC (18)
Row 2: (4 SC, dec)*3 (15)
Row 3: SC in each SC (15)
Change color to cream
Row 4: SC in each SC (15)
Row 5: (3 SC, dec)*3 (12)
Row 6-8: 3 rows SC in each SC (12)
Stuff the leg firmly.
Row 9: 6 dec (6)
Bind off with invisible ending. Attach the light green yarn to the second chain between the legs and crochet the second leg in the same way, starting at Row 1.
invisible ending: Slip Stitch to the next stitch and finish off. Leave a yarn tail. This tail should be threaded with a needle or a hook through the next 6 stitches. Add filling material, pull the yarn and knot. The hole would be close by itself. Thread the tail to the needle and hide the tail inside the doll.
Skirt
Start with pink yarn (cream) and using 3.5 mm crochet hook. Use the free front loops we left at the Row 33. Attach the yarn with a slip stitch at the center back.
Crochet (SC and DC in the same stitch, 2 DC in the next stitch)*16.
Slipstitch to the first stitch and finish off. Hide the tail inside the skirt.
Assembly
If you didn’t attach the arms via crochet, sew them to the two sides of the body in rows 24-25.
Embroider the nose aligning its top with the bottom of the eyes.
Sew the ears on symmetrically. The ears should be positioned at the top of the head, so that the sewing of each ear starts at the third row and ends at the sixth row on its respective side of the head. Pin the ears to find the optimal position, and then sew. Hide the thread inside the doll.
Position the tail below the skirt at the centerback (if you skipped the skirt, below Row 33). Sew it to the body and leave the tail inside the doll.
Your festive bunny is ready. All she needs now are accessories:
Fruit (Pompoms) Basket
Start with green color yarn:
Row 1: 6 SC in a magic ring (6)
Row 2: 6 inc (12)
Row 3: (1 SC, inc)*6 (18)
Row 4: SC in each SC back loop only(18)
Row 5: 2 rows SC in each SC (18)
Row 6: (5 SC, inc)*3 (21)
Row 5: 2 rows SC in each SC (21)
Row 4: (6 SC, inc)*3 (24)
Ch 16 and ss to the 13th stitch (The handle of the fruit basket)
Finish off and knot, hide the tail using a needle.
I filled it with little colorful pompoms.
And the flower crown? Wait for the next post…
