Crochet Bee Amigurumi: Free One-Hour Beginner Pattern

This bee is the project we hand to anyone who has just learned to single crochet. There's no separate head to sew on and no fiddly limbs — the body is one piece, the stripes come from changing colour, and the wings take five minutes each.

It's also the perfect size for a keyring, a plant pot or a pile of party favours.

Changing colour cleanly

Change on the last pull-through of the stitch before the new colour starts: work the stitch until two loops remain, then finish it with the new colour. The join disappears. Carry the unused colour loosely inside the body rather than cutting it each stripe.

The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.

The pattern

Body (one piece)

Start in yellow. Worked in a continuous spiral.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in a MR. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) 6 times. (18)
Rnd 4: (Sc 2, inc) 6 times. (24)
Rnds 5–7: Sc in each st around. (24)

Fit the safety eyes between Rnds 5 and 6, 7 stitches apart.

Rnds 8–9: Change to black. Sc in each st around. (24)
Rnds 10–11: Change to yellow. Sc in each st around. (24)
Rnds 12–13: Change to black. Sc in each st around. (24)
Rnd 14: Change to yellow. (Sc 2, dec) 6 times. (18)
Rnd 15: (Sc 1, dec) 6 times. (12)

Stuff firmly — a bee should be plump.

Rnd 16: Dec 6 times. (6)

Fasten off, thread the tail through the front loops of the last 6 stitches and pull closed.

Wings (make 2, white)

Rnd 1: 6 sc in a MR. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc 3, inc) 3 times. (15)
Rnd 4: Sl st in each st around.

Flatten each wing and fasten off with a long tail. They stay unstuffed.

Assembly

Step 1: Pin both wings to the back of the bee around Rnd 8, angled outward and slightly up.
Step 2: Sew each wing down along its flattened edge only, so the rest lifts away from the body.
Step 3: Embroider a small smile between the eyes with black yarn.
Step 4: Optional antennae: two short chains of black sewn to the top of the head, with a French knot at each tip.

Make it your own

Bee keyring: add a keyring loop to the top before closing the final round.
Bumblebee: swap golden yellow for a warm honey shade and add a third black stripe.
Garland: make five and thread them onto twine with our ghost garland method.
Plant friend: sew the bee onto a loop of wire and push it into a pot.

Common questions

Can I make stripes without changing colour?

Yes — crochet the whole body in yellow and embroider the black stripes afterwards with long surface stitches. It's slower but avoids colour changes entirely.

Why do my colour changes look messy?

The change happened at the start of the new stitch instead of the final pull-through of the previous one. Finish the last stitch of the old colour with the new colour and the step disappears.

How do I stop the carried yarn showing through?

Carry it loosely up the inside and keep the fabric dense with a 3.5 mm hook. With only two stripes' distance to travel it won't show.

Is this safe for a toddler?

Use embroidered eyes rather than safety eyes, skip the wire antennae, and sew the wings down very securely.

Make a swarm — they look wonderful in a bowl. 🐝

Crochet Bee: A Free Beginner Amigurumi in One Hour

Pattern at a glance

You'll need

Changing colour cleanly