This seaside bunny doll is designed as a polished collectible with the look of a handmade nursery keepsake, gift-shop heirloom, and display-ready stuffed rabbit. The soft beige palette, sunny hat, floral cardigan, textured skirt, tiny camera pieces, bouquet, ticket, and cheerful crab create a charming boardwalk story. Every section is written to help you build a finished toy that looks refined enough for a handmade toy shop, baby gift basket, spring decor display, or artisan market collection.
Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.
Materials
- DK weight yarn in warm bunny beige for head, body, ears, arms, legs, shoes, and cardigan.
- DK weight yarn in creamy white for the blouse insert, camera bag detail, and crab shirt stripes.
- DK weight yarn in mustard yellow for the hat, skirt accents, and flower petals.
- Small amount of orange yarn for cardigan flower centers or small blossoms.
- Small amount of olive green yarn for flower stems and leaves.
- Small amount of sky blue yarn for the pier ticket and tiny bag detail.
- Small amount of cocoa brown yarn for the camera and flower centers.
- Small amount of bright red yarn for the crab.
- Small amount of black yarn for facial embroidery, camera lens, and bag lens.
- 2.25 mm double-pointed needles for small parts.
- 2.5 mm double-pointed needles for main body and clothing.
- 2.25 mm straight or circular needles for flat accessory knitting.
- Tapestry needle, stitch markers, stuffing, pins, scissors, and matching sewing thread.
- Two 6 mm black safety eyes or embroidered French-knot style eyes.
- One tiny beige or wood-look button for the cardigan neck.
Finished Size
The bunny shown in the image is best matched at about 10 to 11 inches tall from the top of the head to the bottoms of the sandals, not including the ear tips. The head is intentionally large and rounded, the torso is compact, and the skirt widens softly over the lower body.
The accessories are scaled very small. The bouquet should sit roughly from the bunny’s elbow to mid-thigh. The ticket should be shorter than one ear. The cream bag should be smaller than the bunny’s head, and the crab should fit comfortably beside one shoe.
Gauge
Gauge is less important than firmness, but the fabric must be dense so stuffing does not show through. Aim for approximately 30 stitches and 40 rounds over 4 inches in stockinette on 2.5 mm needles.
Important: if your knitting is loose, go down a needle size. This design depends on crisp shaping and a smooth, compact surface.
Construction Notes
This bunny is made from several small knitted parts and then assembled. The head and torso are worked separately for better shaping. Arms, legs, ears, clothing, and accessories are all separate pieces.
The face is not flat. The muzzle is softly sculpted after stuffing so the nose area pushes forward slightly. The mouth is embroidered in a neat split “Y” shape, and the cheeks are gently drawn inward to give the same sweet expression seen in the image.
- Work the head and body firmly.
- Stuff in small amounts and smooth as you go.
- Use mattress stitch for flat seams.
- Use duplicate stitch and small embroidered details after knitting.
- Pin every piece before sewing permanently.
Abbreviations
- CO = cast on
- K = knit
- P = purl
- Kfb = knit into front and back of stitch
- K2tog = knit 2 stitches together
- Ssk = slip, slip, knit
- St st = stockinette stitch
- Garter = knit every row
- Rnd = round
- RS = right side
- WS = wrong side
- Rep = repeat
- Rem = remaining
- BO = bind off
- PM = place marker
- M1 = make 1 increase
- Bb = bobble made by knitting into the front, back, and front of one stitch, turning, purling 3, turning, knitting 3, then passing 2 stitches over 1
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Bunny Head
With beige and 2.5 mm double-pointed needles, CO 12 stitches. Divide evenly and join carefully for knitting in the round.
- Rnd 1: Knit.
- Rnd 2: Kfb in every stitch. 24 stitches.
- Rnd 3: Knit.
- Rnd 4: Repeat K1, M1 around. 36 stitches.
- Rnd 5: Knit.
- Rnd 6: Repeat K2, M1 around. 48 stitches.
- Rnd 7: Knit.
- Rnd 8: Repeat K3, M1 around. 60 stitches.
- Rnds 9 through 20: Knit.
The head in the photo is softly rounded rather than tall. Keep the sphere broad. If your knitting naturally makes a tall oval, add one extra increase round and one extra straight round before decreasing.
- Rnd 21: Repeat K8, K2tog around. 54 stitches.
- Rnd 22: Knit.
- Rnd 23: Repeat K7, K2tog around. 48 stitches.
- Rnd 24: Knit.
- Rnd 25: Repeat K6, K2tog around. 42 stitches.
- Rnd 26: Repeat K5, K2tog around. 36 stitches.
- Rnd 27: Knit.
Insert the eyes now between Rnds 15 and 16, spaced about 8 stitches apart. If you are embroidering the eyes instead of using safety eyes, wait until after the head is fully stuffed and attached.
Begin stuffing firmly, but do not overpack the lower front area. That front lower section needs a little softness so the muzzle sculpting can pull into shape later.
- Rnd 28: Repeat K4, K2tog around. 30 stitches.
- Rnd 29: Knit.
- Rnd 30: Repeat K3, K2tog around. 24 stitches.
Break yarn, thread through the stitches, and draw closed. Leave a long tail for shaping. Do not flatten the head. Roll it gently between your palms so it keeps a smooth round silhouette.
Muzzle Shaping and Face Placement
Thread a long strand of beige yarn through the lower center of the head. Enter at the neck opening area, bring the needle out just below the eye line, go across the muzzle area, and back again to create a gentle inward draw on both sides.
This sculpting creates the plump cheeks and the centered muzzle triangle. Do not pull hard. The face in the image looks soft and calm, with only a light indentation.
Embroider the nose with brown or slightly darker beige yarn. Make a small upside-down triangle or narrow satin-stitched wedge. Extend the thread down into a short center line, then add two tiny diagonal mouth stitches for the neat rabbit expression.
Bunny Body
With beige and 2.5 mm needles, CO 18 stitches. Join for knitting in the round.
- Rnd 1: Knit.
- Rnd 2: Repeat K2, M1 around. 24 stitches.
- Rnd 3: Knit.
- Rnd 4: Repeat K3, M1 around. 30 stitches.
- Rnd 5: Knit.
- Rnd 6: Repeat K4, M1 around. 36 stitches.
- Rnds 7 through 16: Knit.
The body should remain compact because the skirt supplies most of the width. Think of this inner body as a small pear shape hidden beneath the clothing.
- Rnd 17: Repeat K5, M1 around. 42 stitches.
- Rnds 18 through 22: Knit.
- Rnd 23: Repeat K5, K2tog around. 36 stitches.
- Rnd 24: Knit.
- Rnd 25: Repeat K4, K2tog around. 30 stitches.
- Rnd 26: Knit.
- Rnd 27: Repeat K3, K2tog around. 24 stitches.
Stuff firmly. Close by threading the yarn through the remaining stitches. Leave a long sewing tail. Sew the head to the top center of the body with strong stitches. The neck should be short and almost hidden by the cardigan and hat fringe.
Legs
Make 2. The legs are slim cylinders with softly flattened feet. They should extend from under the skirt and end in small sandal-ready feet.
With beige and 2.25 mm needles, CO 10 stitches and join.
- Rnd 1: Knit.
- Rnd 2: Kfb in every stitch. 20 stitches.
- Rnds 3 through 6: Knit.
- Rnd 7: Repeat K8, K2tog twice. 18 stitches.
- Rnds 8 through 24: Knit.
- Rnd 25: Repeat K7, K2tog twice. 16 stitches.
- Rnds 26 through 30: Knit.
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Stuff the foot area lightly and the leg more firmly. Flatten the lower 5 rounds slightly with your fingers so the shoe sits well. Draw closed and leave a long tail.
Sew the legs to the underside of the body, spaced evenly so they hang straight. In the image, the legs are close together and centered under the skirt rather than wide apart.
Arms
Make 2. The arms are rounded tubes with a slight taper at the wrist. They sit low on the shoulders and angle slightly downward.
With beige and 2.25 mm needles, CO 8 stitches and join.
- Rnd 1: Knit.
- Rnd 2: Kfb in every stitch. 16 stitches.
- Rnds 3 through 8: Knit.
- Rnd 9: Repeat K6, K2tog twice. 14 stitches.
- Rnds 10 through 24: Knit.
Stuff lightly. Close and leave a tail for sewing. Stitch the arms to the body just under the head so they emerge beneath the cardigan shoulders. Keep them slightly curved inward for the same gentle pose shown.
Ears
Make 2 flat pieces. The ears in the image are soft beige, upright, narrow at the base, and rounded at the tip. They are not lined in a second color.
With beige and 2.25 mm needles, CO 6 stitches.
- Row 1 RS: Knit.
- Row 2 WS: Purl.
- Row 3: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1. 8 stitches.
- Row 4: Purl.
- Row 5: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1. 10 stitches.
- Row 6: Purl.
- Row 7: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1. 12 stitches.
- Rows 8 through 18: Work in St st.
- Row 19: K1, Ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
- Row 20: Purl.
- Repeat Rows 19 and 20 until 4 stitches remain.
- Next Row: Ssk, K2tog. 2 stitches.
- Next Row: P2tog. Fasten off.
Make a second ear. Sew the side edges lightly together only at the lower third to create a gentle cupped shape. Attach to the top sides of the head, allowing them to rise above the hat brim exactly as in the image.
Blouse Insert
This small piece creates the white center panel peeking beneath the cardigan. Knit it separately so the front opening looks layered rather than painted on.
With cream yarn and 2.25 mm needles, CO 12 stitches.
- Rows 1 through 18: Work K2, P8, K2 to create a narrow ribbed center panel.
- BO knitwise.
Sew this insert vertically to the upper front body. The top should sit just below the chin, and the bottom should reach the waistline under the cardigan opening.
Skirt
The skirt is one of the key details of the design. It is beige with mustard diagonal bands and scattered bobbles. The shape is a soft A-line, not a full circle.
With beige yarn and 2.5 mm needles, CO 72 stitches. Join in the round carefully.
- Rnds 1 through 4: K1, P1 rib.
- Rnd 5: Knit.
- Rnd 6: Repeat K8, M1 around. 80 stitches.
- Rnds 7 through 10: Knit.
- Rnd 11: Work 8 evenly spaced bobbles around the round.
- Rnds 12 through 15: Knit.
- Rnd 16: Repeat K9, M1 around. 88 stitches.
- Rnds 17 through 22: Knit.
- Rnd 23: Work 10 evenly spaced bobbles around the round.
- Rnds 24 through 27: Knit.
- Rnd 28: Repeat K10, M1 around. 96 stitches.
- Rnds 29 through 34: Knit.
- Rnd 35: Work 12 evenly spaced bobbles around the round.
- Rnds 36 through 42: Knit.
- Rnd 43: Knit one round loosely.
- BO knitwise, not tight.
Lightly steam or pat into shape. The skirt should flare softly. If it stands too stiffly, add a little more ease while blocking.
Now add the mustard diagonals. Using duplicate stitch, work 6 wide slanted bands beginning near the waist and drifting slightly to the right as they travel toward the hem. Each band should be 3 to 4 stitches wide.
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The stripes in the photo are not perfectly even. They have a hand-drawn, sunbeam look. Let some stripes begin higher and some lower for a more natural result.
Sew the skirt around the lower torso just below the blouse insert. Add two tiny waist knots or embroidered ties at the front center to echo the small details visible above the skirt.
Cardigan
The cardigan is short, beige, slightly boxy, and decorated with tiny orange flowers and green stems. It closes only at the neck with one small button.
With beige yarn and 2.25 mm needles, CO 46 stitches.
- Row 1 RS: K5, knit to last 5 stitches, K5.
- Row 2 WS: K5, purl to last 5 stitches, K5.
- Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 10 rows total.
The outer 5 stitches on each side form the neat bands. Continue keeping those band stitches in garter throughout.
- Next Row RS: K5, K8, BO 4, K12, BO 4, K8, K5.
On the next WS row, work across and cast on 4 stitches over each bound-off section. This creates the underarm openings while keeping the cardigan in one piece for simple finishing.
- Work 10 more rows in the established pattern.
- Shape neckline by working 11 stitches, BO 24 center stitches, work 11 stitches.
- Finish each front separately for 4 rows.
- BO all stitches.
Sew side seams and underarm seams. Test the fit on the bunny before weaving in all tails. The cardigan should sit above the waist and open gently over the white insert.
Embroider small floral sprays on each front. Place 3 flowers on the left front and 3 on the right front. Use tiny lazy-daisy style petals or satin stitch knots in orange, with green stem stitches and two short leaf stitches below each flower.
Add the small neck button on one front band and a loop on the other. The cardigan should close at the throat only, leaving the rest open.
Sun Hat
The hat is mustard yellow with a ribbed crown, a soft outward brim, and short fringe under the brim so it looks like a straw summer hat. This detail is essential for matching the image.
With mustard yarn and 2.25 mm needles, CO 48 stitches and join.
- Rnds 1 through 10: K1, P1 rib.
- Rnd 11: Repeat K7, M1 around. 54 stitches.
- Rnds 12 through 16: Knit.
- Rnd 17: Repeat K8, M1 around. 60 stitches.
- Rnds 18 through 22: Knit.
- Rnd 23: Repeat K9, M1 around. 66 stitches.
- Rnds 24 through 30: Knit.
- BO very loosely.
Weave short mustard strands around the lower edge on the inside of the brim to create the fuzzy fringe hanging around the face. Trim evenly, but keep the texture soft and slightly tousled.
Position the hat low on the forehead, with the ears emerging through the top opening area behind the brim. Tack the hat lightly to the head so it does not shift.
Sandals
Make 2. The sandals are beige with thick soles and broad front straps. They should cover only the front of the foot and leave the knitted toes visible.
With beige yarn and 2.25 mm needles, CO 8 stitches.
- Row 1: Knit.
- Row 2: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1. 10 stitches.
- Rows 3 through 8: Garter stitch.
- BO.
Make a second sole for each shoe and stitch wrong sides together lightly to create a thicker sole. For the front strap, make a narrow band 6 stitches wide and 8 rows long in garter stitch.
For the ankle strap, make an i-cord or narrow garter strip long enough to wrap from each side of the sandal around the back of the ankle. Sew in place. Attach sandals securely to the feet.
Camera Bag
The cream camera bag at the lower left is small, square, and hangs from a long cream strap. It has a bold black lens circle and a small pale blue patch at the upper corner.
With cream yarn and 2.25 mm needles, CO 12 stitches.
- Rows 1 through 14: Work in St st, slipping first stitch of each row for neat edges.
- BO.
Fold into a small rectangle and seam sides. Embroider a large black circle on the front for the lens. Add a tiny blue stitched tab at one upper corner. Make a long cream i-cord strap and sew to both upper corners.
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Mini Camera
The small camera near the head is brown on the lower half with a pale gray top band. It has a large black lens with a light outline.
With brown yarn, CO 10 stitches.
- Rows 1 through 6: St st.
- Change to gray.
- Rows 7 through 8: St st.
- BO.
Fold, seam, and stuff lightly. Embroider or appliqué a black lens circle at center front and add a lighter ring around it. Sew tiny side tabs if desired for more shape.
Pier Ticket
The ticket is a small blue rectangle with darker stitched letters. Keep it flat, neat, and slightly wider than tall.
With sky blue yarn, CO 14 stitches.
- Rows 1 through 8: Garter stitch.
- BO.
Embroider a darker blue border and the words PIER TICKET in simple block stitches. If you prefer, abbreviate the letters to fit the scale while keeping the same visual effect.
Coreopsis Bouquet
This bouquet is made of several mustard flowers with brown centers on green stems. The flowers are small, bright, and loosely gathered with a beige tie.
- Make 5 green i-cord stems, each about 3 inches long.
- For each flower, knit a tiny center strip in brown, 4 stitches by 4 rows, and roll into a nub.
- For petals, make 6 tiny mustard loops or narrow petal strips around each center.
Attach one flower to each stem top. Add a couple of small green leaf stitches under selected flowers. Gather the stems together and wrap with beige yarn near the lower third.
Striped Crab
The crab is bright red with a smiling face and a blue-and-white striped middle section. It is one of the most playful details in the composition, so keep it cheerful and compact.
With red yarn, CO 12 stitches and join.
- Rnd 1: Knit.
- Rnd 2: Kfb in every stitch. 24 stitches.
- Rnds 3 through 5: Knit.
- Rnd 6: Change to blue and white stripes for the front center 10 stitches only if working intarsia in the round, or add the striped panel later with duplicate stitch.
- Rnds 7 through 8: Knit.
- Rnd 9: Repeat K2tog around. 12 stitches.
Stuff lightly and close. Add 6 tiny legs using short red cords or embroidered twisted stitches. Add 2 claws at the top sides. Embroider black eyes and a curved smile on the front above the striped panel.
Final Assembly and Facial Detailing
Sew the ears first, then attach the head to the body if you have not already done so. Add arms, then legs, checking the front view often so the posture remains centered and balanced.
Dress the bunny in the blouse insert, skirt, cardigan, hat, and sandals. Tack clothing lightly in hidden places so it stays arranged like the image. Place the cardigan opening neatly over the white center panel.
Refine the face last. Add the nose, mouth, and any tiny brow shaping. If desired, lightly tint the cheeks with a soft fabric-safe blush or pastel applied very sparingly.
Care Notes
Display this bunny away from direct sunlight and high humidity. Store the accessories together in a small box or cloth bag so the tiny pieces are not lost.
If the hat fringe becomes messy, smooth it with clean fingers. If the skirt loses shape, lightly pat it back into place rather than stretching the fabric.
Quick Checklist Before You Finish
- Head firmly stuffed and smoothly shaped.
- Muzzle softly sculpted, not over-tight.
- Eyes even and symmetrically placed.
- Ears matched in height and angle.
- Skirt flare balanced, bobbles facing outward.
- Mustard skirt bands slanting in a natural way.
- Cardigan flowers spaced evenly on both fronts.
- Hat brim soft, fringe visible around the face.
- Sandals attached evenly.
- All accessories finished in the same scale.
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Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines
Spot clean only with a barely damp cloth and mild soap. Do not soak the bunny, because the stuffing and sculpted face may lose their shape.
For dust, use a clean dry makeup brush or a soft lint brush. Work gently around the embroidered flowers, hat fringe, and crab legs.
If storing long term, wrap the bunny in acid-free tissue and keep it flat in a breathable box. Avoid plastic bags, which can trap moisture and flatten textured details.
