Bumble Bee Amigurumi Crochet Pattern (Free + Easy)

ByMuntaseer Rahman
Group of seven yellow and black crocheted bumble bee amigurumi with white wings on a marble surface, top-down view

I wanted a small amigurumi project that finished in one sitting, looked cute lined up on a shelf, and could double as a charm or keychain. A bumble bee with chunky stripes ticks all three boxes.

This is a free pattern. The bee is about 6 to 8 cm finished, uses three colors of milk cotton yarn, and only needs four moves: magic ring, sc, increase, decrease.

It is not a pure beginner pattern because of the color changes, but it is easy. If you can already work in the round and you are willing to switch yarn cleanly four times, you can finish a bee in about 90 minutes.

The crocheter I commissioned worked the originals in 3-ply milk cotton: bright yellow body, glossy black stripes, white wings. The photos in this post show a small split ring at the top of each bee because she finishes them as keychains, but the ring is optional. Skip it and you have a charm, a plant pick, or a fridge magnet.

Single crocheted bumble bee amigurumi with yellow body, black stripes, white wings and embroidered smiling face held in a hand

Quick Info

  • Skill level: Easy (one step past pure beginner because of the color changes)
  • Finished size: 6 to 8 cm
  • Time: About 90 minutes per bee
  • Stitches used: sc, inc, dec, magic ring, basic embroidery
  • Best for: Charms, keychains, mini plush gifts, garlands, plant pot picks

Materials

Materials flat lay for the bumble bee crochet pattern: yellow, black and white milk cotton yarn, a 3.5 mm crochet hook, scissors, tapestry needle and stitch marker
  • 3-ply milk cotton yarn in yellow (main body), black (stripes and face), and white (wings). Any DK-weight cotton works.
  • 3.5 mm crochet hook
  • Fiberfill stuffing
  • Tapestry needle
  • Scissors
  • Optional: fabric glue, a stitch marker, a small split ring if you want a keychain finish

Milk cotton has a tight twist that makes the stripes pop. Acrylic works for color too but tends to fuzz against the black, so the stripe edges blur. Cotton is the safer pick.

Abbreviations

  • MR = magic ring
  • sc = single crochet
  • inc = increase (2 sc in one stitch)
  • dec = decrease (sc 2 stitches together)
  • R = round
  • st = stitch

Body

Start with the yellow yarn. The body is one continuous piece worked from the top down with two black stripes in the middle.

Three-panel photo guide showing the body rounds of the bumble bee crochet pattern: the yellow magic-ring base after rounds 1 to 5, the striped body after rounds 6 to 11 with two black stripes worked, and the closed body after rounds 12 to 15
  1. Round 1: 6 sc in MR. [6]
  2. Round 2: inc in each st. [12]
  3. Round 3: (1 sc, 1 inc) repeated 6 times. [18]
  4. Round 4: (2 sc, 1 inc) repeated 6 times. [24]
  5. Round 5: sc around. [24]
  6. Switch to black yarn.
  7. Rounds 6 to 7: sc around. [24]
  8. Switch to yellow yarn.
  9. Rounds 8 to 9: sc around. [24]
  10. Switch to black yarn.
  11. Rounds 10 to 11: sc around. [24]
  12. Stuff the body firmly now, before the opening starts to close.
  13. Switch to yellow yarn.
  14. Round 12: sc around. [24]
  15. Round 13: (2 sc, 1 dec) repeated 6 times. [18]
  16. Round 14: (1 sc, 1 dec) repeated 6 times. [12]
  17. Round 15: dec around. [6]
  18. Cut a long tail, fasten off, and close the bottom hole. Hide the tail through the body.

Tip: Magic ring tightening on a 6-stitch start. The body and each wing both begin with 6 sc in a magic ring. With only 6 stitches, the loop must be pulled completely closed before joining round 2 or you will see the stuffing through a hole at the bottom.

Tip: Counting at every join. The body should land at 6, 12, 18, 24 in the first 4 rounds. If your stitch count drifts before round 5, the stripes will not line up cleanly when you start the color changes. Fix it before you switch yarns.

Tip: Color changing without a step. When the pattern says “switch to black,” do the change on the LAST yarn-over of the previous stitch. Pull the new color through the final loop. That keeps the stripes flat and avoids the stair-step bump that gives away an amateur amigurumi.

Tip: Carrying yarn vs cutting. For 2-row stripes this short, you can cut and re-attach each color, or carry the unused color up the inside of the body. Carrying is faster, but only if the float is hidden by stuffing. Cut if your tension is loose enough to show the carry through the stitches.

Tip: Stuffing window. The pattern says start stuffing at round 11. Do it before round 12 closes. Once you start the decreases, the opening shrinks fast and you cannot reach in without disturbing the round.

Tip: Stuff firmly, not floppy. A bumble bee should hold its round shape. Stuff until the body resists a thumb press but does not stretch the stitches apart. Soft stuffing makes the bee read like a deflated cloud.

Tip: Closing the bottom hole. After round 15 you have 6 stitches left. Cut a long tail, thread a tapestry needle, and weave through the front loop of each remaining stitch. Pull tight to close. Bury the tail through the body, not around the outside.

Wings (Make 2)

The wings are tiny. Two rounds each, white yarn, then attached to the top of the body.

Two-panel photo of the bumble bee wings: two small white crocheted circles with long tails ready to attach, and the same wings sewn onto the top of the striped yellow and black body
  1. Round 1: 6 sc in MR. [6]
  2. Round 2: inc in each st. [12]
  3. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing, and weave the short tail in.

Tip: Wings are tiny, watch your tension. Each wing is only 12 stitches total. Loose tension on something this small makes the wing flop. Go a half-hook size smaller (a 3 mm hook) if your wings curl at the edge.

Assembly

Sit the bee upright with the round closed end at the bottom. The top yellow round (R12 to R15) becomes the top of the head where the wings sit.

Pin both wings symmetrically to the top center. Use the long white tail to sew each wing down with small whip stitches around the back edge of the wing. Bury the tail through the body when finished. If you prefer, fabric glue works in place of sewing for a faster but less durable finish.

Tip: Wing placement matters more than wing size. Sit the bee upright and pin both wings to the top center before you sew. Wings too far back read like beetle wings, too far forward read like ears. The sweet spot is the seam between rounds 9 and 10.

Face

Close-up of the finished bumble bee amigurumi face with two black embroidered eyes and a curved smiling mouth on the yellow front of the body

Embroider the face on the front yellow stripe (the one between the two black stripes). Use black yarn and a tapestry needle.

  1. Two small closed eyes, side by side, about 5 mm apart. Each eye is a single curved stitch shaped like a soft “v” or backslash.
  2. One curved smiling mouth, slightly below and centered between the eyes. A single chain-stitch curve is enough.
  3. Bury both starting and ending tails inside the body.

Tip: Embroider the face on a stuffed body. Do the eyes and mouth AFTER the body is stuffed and the wings are on. The yellow front shifts shape as you stuff, so embroidering before stuffing puts the face in the wrong place.

Optional Finishing

The bee is done. From here you can leave it as a plain charm, or finish it as something more functional.

How to Make a Bumble Bee Keychain

Crochet bumble bee keychain on a silver keyring with house keys

Turning the finished bee into a keychain takes about two extra minutes and one 8 mm split ring.

Before you sew the second wing down, slide the split ring into the seam between the two wing positions. Sewing the wings over the ring locks it in place, so it never works loose on your keys.

For keys, the split ring on its own is enough. For a bag or backpack zipper, add a swivel lobster clasp to the ring so the bee hangs low and spins freely.

If you want the full clasp-and-chain version with its own step photos, follow the bumble bee bag charm pattern.

How to Make a Bumble Bee Plant Pot Pick

Crochet bumble bee plant pot pick standing in a small succulent pot

The same bee becomes a plant pick that tucks a bit of life into a succulent or a herb pot.

Before you fasten off the last round, dab craft glue on the tip of a wooden skewer or floral pick and push it up into the bottom hole. Hold it for a minute while the glue grabs the stuffing.

Once the glue cures, stand the bee in the soil of a small pot. Keep it to indoor pots, since the yarn is not weatherproof.

More Ways to Finish It

  • Magnet. Glue a flat fridge magnet to the back of the body. Skip the keychain ring.
  • Garland. Make 5 to 7 bees and link them with 15-chain runs of cream yarn between each body.

Tips for Success

  • Practice the magic ring on a scrap first. If the magic ring is new to you, work one or two rings on cheap yarn before you start the body. The body, both wings, and the optional keychain ring all start with one.
  • Buy a stitch marker for round 1. Drop a marker into the first sc of round 2. Move it up at the start of every round. With 24 stitches and color changes coming, losing the start of the round costs you 10 minutes of recounting.
  • Go down a hook size for tighter stitches. The pattern uses 3.5 mm with milk cotton. If your stitches look gappy and you can see stuffing through them, drop to a 3 mm hook. Tight stitches hide stuffing and make the stripes pop.
  • Color combos worth trying. Yellow + black is the classic bumble bee. Cream + chocolate brown reads more like a honey bee. Pastel yellow + soft grey looks like a baby version for a nursery mobile.
  • Make a swarm. Three bees in a stack with twine and a kraft tag becomes a finished gift in five extra minutes. Spring birthdays, Mother’s Day, plant lover gifts.

If amigurumi is a new direction for you and the magic-ring start tripped you up, the Tiny Pocket Turtle uses the same starting move and is even simpler in body shape. It is a low-stakes way to get the magic ring + decrease finish under your hook before you take on the bee’s color changes.

FAQ

Is this pattern actually beginner friendly?

It is one step past pure beginner. The stitches are basic (sc, inc, dec, magic ring), but the pattern asks you to switch colors four times in the middle of the body. If you have never changed yarn mid-piece, expect to redo round 6 once or twice while you find the rhythm.

Can I skip the stripes and make a plain yellow bee?

Yes. Skip every “switch to black” instruction and work the entire body in yellow. You lose the bumble bee look but you get a small round chick or sun charm with the same finishing steps.

What yarn weight should I use?

The original sample uses 3-ply milk cotton, which is roughly DK weight. Any DK or light worsted cotton works. If you go heavier (worsted or aran), bump up to a 4 mm hook and expect a bee closer to 9 to 10 cm finished.

My wings will not stay flat. What am I doing wrong?

Loose tension on a 12-stitch round is the usual cause. Drop a hook size (try 3 mm) for the wings and keep the body at 3.5 mm. A quick steam press also flattens curling wings before you sew them on.

Can I sell bees made from this pattern?

Yes, you can sell finished bees made from this pattern. Don’t redistribute or republish the written pattern itself. Credit Crochee with a link if you mention the pattern source online.

How much yarn does one bee use?

Less than 10 g of yellow, under 5 g of black, and barely a meter of white. A 50 g ball of each color makes 5 to 6 bees. This is a great scrap-buster project once you have leftover small balls.

Make One. Tag Crochee.

If you make this bee, I’d love to see it. Tag @crochee on Instagram or Pinterest with your finished bumble bee and I’ll add it to the pattern feedback file.

Looking for more small-plush projects? Browse the rest of the Plushies patterns, all free and original.

The bee is also the easiest starting point in my roundup of ten free amigurumi patterns, if you want to line up your next few projects.

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