This little panda ornament and amigurumi is a fun little project for the holidays! It is the perfect size to hang on your tree or makes a great gift topper too!
This Panda Ornament is the fourth and final pattern in our Christmas in July 2023 event! Stephanie of Grace and Yarn and I have joined together again this year to bring you four new, holiday-inspired crochet patterns this month!
One new pattern has been released on our blogs every Thursday in July. Be sure to head to our Christmas in July 2023 post for all the details and links to the other patterns released this month! This year’s patterns feature an adorable Gingerbread House Plushie, a fun Santa Bag, the cutest Mini Moose, and lastly this Panda Ornament! You can find links to all four patterns here!
Remember to like Loops and Love Crochet on Facebook and join the Loops and Love Crochet Group for sharing your finished projects! I’d also LOVE it if you followed @loopsandlovecrochet on Instagram! If you like crochet video tutorials, check out (and subscribe to) my Loops and Love Crochet YouTube Channel!
PIN the Panda Ornament crochet pattern to your favorite Pinterest board to save it for later!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. This is done at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!
The Panda Ornament crochet pattern is available for FREE on this website. If you’d like an ad-free, printable PDF version, you may purchase it for a small fee from my Etsy or Ravelry shops. Thank you so much for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!
Materials:
- Worsted Weight (#4) Yarn – Cotton or acrylic yarn will work for this project. This pattern was made with WeCrochet/Knit Picks Brava Worsted yarn in the colorways: White, Black, Red, and Grass (green). You’ll need about 100 yds of yarn in total (approximately 65 yards of white, 20 yards of black, 10 yards of red, and just couple yards of green).
- 3.5 mm crochet hook
- Safety eyes – 8 mm size
- Stuffing (any fiber-based stuffing like Poly-fil or Fiber Fill)
- Yarn needle to sew on pieces and weave in ends (bent yarn needles are the best for amigurumi projects)
- Scissors for cutting yarn (these are my favorite!)
Stitches Used:
- Ch – chain
- Sl St – slip stitch
- SC – single crochet
- HDC – half double crochet
- DC – double crochet
- BLO SC – single crochet in the back loops only
- INV DEC – invisible single crochet decrease – insert hook into front loop of next stitch, then insert your hook into the front loop of the following stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 remaining loops on hook. Here’s a video tutorial for the INV DEC.
Finished Size:
- When finished, this panda ornament measures approximately 4” tall from bottom to top.
Gauge:
- Gauge is not critical for this pattern to turn out, however, for reference, 2 inches square is approximately 9 rows of 11 SC stitches.
Important Notes:
- Continuous Rounds – This pattern is worked in continuous rounds of SC stitches. This means that at the end of each round, you will proceed right to the stitches of the next round without joining. It is handy to use a stitch marker or piece of yarn to mark the start/end of the round so help you keep track of your stitches.
- Color Changes – There are a couple color changes on the panda body. You’ll change from white to black for the upper body and then back to white again for the head. To change colors, complete the last single crochet in the first color up until the last yarn over. Yarn over with the new color and pull through the last step of the single crochet stitch. So, your SC will go like this: insert hook into last stitch in the first color, pull up a loop, yarn over with the new color, pull through all loops on hook. Now you will be working in the new color until you change colors again. The color change from black to white for the head will be hidden by the scarf, however, the color change from white to black for the panda’s upper body will be more noticeable. To help hide the color change, the first stitch of the next round can be made a slip stitch instead of a SC stitch. To hide that color change even more, you can make that spot the side of the panda where an arm will be sewn on later. Keep this in mind as you add the eyes and the nose so that the color change will line up where an arm will be.
The Pattern
Eye Patches (make 2)
In black yarn, chain 3, make 2 SC in 2nd chain from hook and 4 SC in the last stitch. Now turn your work so you are working on the other side of the chain. Make 2 SC into the last stitch (this is the same stitch as you placed the first 2 SC of the round). Join with a sl st to the top of the first SC of the round.
Repeat instructions to make second eye patch. Weave in one of the yarn tails, leaving the other one for sewing onto your panda ornament. Set the eye patches aside for now.
Body and Head
Round 1: In white yarn, magic circle, ch 1, 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: SC INC in each stitch around (12)
Round 3: *SC INC, SC in next, repeat * around (18)
Round 4: *SC INC, SC in next 2, repeat * around (24)
Round 5: *SC INC, SC in next 3, repeat * around (30)
Round 6: *SC INC, SC in next 4, repeat * around (36)
Rounds 7-12: SC in each stitch around (36)
Change to black yarn
Round 13: SC in each stitch around (36)
Round 14: INV DEC, SC in next 4 sts, repeat around (30)
Round 15: INV DEC, SC in next 3 sts, repeat around (24)
Round 16: INV DEC, SC in next 2 sts, repeat around (18)
Change to white yarn
Add some stuffing to the panda’s body. Next, we’ll start increasing again to form the head.
Round 17: *SC INC, SC in next 2, repeat * around (24)
Round 18: *SC INC, SC in next 3, repeat * around (30)
Round 19: *SC INC, SC in next 4, repeat from * around (36)
Rounds 20-24: SC in each stitch around (30)
Change to red yarn
Round 25: BLO SC in each stitch around (36)
Rounds 26-27: SC in each stitch around (36)
Sew on the eye patches and insert safety eyes and nose. First, place the safety eyes through the eye patches in the hole created by the stitches at one of the ends. Then line the patches up on the face, pushing the safety eye post through your project. When you are happy with the placement of the eyes and patches, secure the backs of the safety eyes. Place the safety nose and secure the back when happy with placement. For the panda pictured, the eye patches are lined up below the BLO stitches, and sewn on at a bit of a downward angle approx. 3 stiches apart at the top. The top of the nose is lined up with the bottom of the eye patches.
Round 28: INV DEC, SC in next 4 sts, repeat around (30)
Round 29: INV DEC, SC in next 3 sts, repeat around (24)
Round 30: INV DEC, SC in next 2 sts, repeat around (18)
Make sure you’ve added enough stuffing to the body and head before the opening gets too small. Continue stuffing as the next rounds are worked.
Round 31: INV DEC, SC in next st, repeat around (12)
Round 32: INV DEC around (6)
Fasten off, weave in ends, cut yarn tails. Next, the ears, arms, and legs will be worked up and sewn onto the panda’s body.
Crochet the Hat Brim
Make a slip knot with the green color. Join the slip knot through the front loop of the first back loop stitch of round 25 of the body/head. You will be able to see the white front loops because they are where you made the round of back loop stitches in red. Chain 1, SC in same stitch and in each stitch around. Join to top of first SC with a Sl St. (36) Cut yarn, fasten off, and weave in ends.
Ears (make 2)
Round 1: In black yarn, magic circle, ch 1, 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: *SC INC, SC in next 2, repeat * around (8)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around (8)
Fasten off. Pinch the ear flat and use your yarn needle and yarn tail to sew through the top of the loops closing the ear. Weave in one yarn tail and keep the other for sewing the ear to the head.
Repeat instructions above for the second ear. Set ears aside for panda ornament assembly later.
Arms (make 2)
Round 1: In black yarn, magic circle, ch 1, 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: *SC INC, SC in next 2, repeat * around (8)
Rounds 3 -4: SC in each stitch around (8)
Fasten off. Pinch the arm flat and use your yarn needle and yarn tail to sew through the top of the loops closing the arm. Weave in one yarn tail and keep the other for sewing the arm to the body.
Repeat instructions above for the second arm. Set arms aside for panda ornament assembly later.
Legs (make 2)
Round 1: In black yarn, magic circle, ch 1, 6 SC into ring (6)
Round 2: 2 SC in first, SC in next stitch, repeat around (9)
Rounds 3 -4: SC in each stitch around (9)
Fasten off. Weave in one of the yarn tails, leaving the other for sewing onto the body. Repeat instructions for second leg. Add stuffing to both legs. Set aside for panda ornament assembly.
Scarf
In red yarn (or a color of your choice), make a chain long enough to go around the panda’s neck with some extra length to tie at the front. For the panda pictured, a chain of 41 was used. Starting in the 2nd chain from your hook, SC in each stitch across. Fasten off, weave in ends.
Continue to assembly instructions below.
Assembly Instructions
1. Sew the ears onto the head/hat lining up across from each other. For the panda pictured, the ears are placed at the 3rd to 6th round from the top of the head.
2. Sew the arms onto the body, one on each side. The arms will line up in the rounds of the body that are black.
3. Sew the legs to the front of the body at the bottom so your panda can sit. For the panda pictured, the legs are approximately 5 stitches apart. Sew through each stitch around the leg, passing in and out of the panda’s body. Weave in all yarn tails.
4. Tie the scarf around the panda’s neck. You’re all done!
**Want to be kept in the loop? Be sure to like Loops and Love Crochet on Facebook and join the Loops and Love Crochet Group! Don’t forget to follow @loopsandlovecrochet on Instagram! Remember to tag Loops and Love Crochet when you post your finished projects on social media! I’d love to see them! **
*You may make and sell any items made from my patterns, but please link back to my blog or Loops & Love Crochet as the designer. Please do not copy this pattern or photos and share as your own, in part or in whole. Instead, link back to the Loops and Love Crochet blog (especially when selling items you make from my patterns). Thank you!
TeresaL
Thursday 27th of July 2023
Thank you. Bookmarked for later.
Loops and Love Crochet
Thursday 27th of July 2023
Great! I'm happy you like it! :)