Aubrieta Garden Bunny – Crochet

This sweet spring set features a long-eared bunny doll dressed for the garden in soft cream and lilac, with a flower-trimmed dress, little jacket, matching hat, and tiny Mary Jane shoes. It has the charm of a handmade bunny doll, an amigurumi rabbit gift, and boutique nursery decor all in one design.

The full set also includes a mini lamb friend, a small backpack, and a bouquet of aubrieta-style flowers, making it perfect for collectors who love heirloom crochet animals, seasonal shelf decor, and artisan stuffed toys. The finished look feels polished enough for display, gifting, or even for shoppers searching for a premium crochet bunny pattern.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Design Overview

This pattern is written to match the image as closely as possible, with special attention to the rounded head, straight narrow body, long soft ears, fitted bodice, gently flared skirt, cropped cardigan, flowered cloche hat, and the coordinated mini accessories.

The bunny is not oversized and squat. It is tall, slim, and softly structured. The head is large but not exaggerated, the neck is short, the arms hang low, and the legs are straight with very light shaping. The silhouette should look elegant and calm rather than chubby.

The dress is a key visual feature. It sits high on the chest, has a smooth fitted top, and opens into a rounded skirt that spreads slightly over the hips. The skirt edge is decorated with small flowers in white and purple tones, and another flower band trims the waistline.

The cardigan is short and open at the front, with soft rounded fronts that hang almost to the waist band. The hat is a soft cloche shape with a downward brim and one five-petal flower placed high on one side. The shoes are simple Mary Janes with a neat strap.

The mini lamb companion repeats the styling of the large bunny set, so the finished display looks coordinated. The lamb is smaller, simpler, and rounder, with little ears instead of long bunny ears. Its clothing echoes the same cream and lilac palette.

Materials

• Main bunny and cardigan color: light cream or warm ivory cotton yarn, DK or light worsted.
• Dress and shoes color: soft lilac cotton yarn in the same weight.
• Flower shades: deep purple, medium purple, pale lilac, and white.
• Flower centers: pale yellow or cream.
• Stems for bouquet: muted green.
• Backpack: tan, sand, or light camel.
• Mini lamb body: white or very soft cream.
• Hooks: one smaller hook for tight amigurumi stitches and one matching hook for garments if needed.
• Safety eyes or embroidered eyes: small glossy black eyes for both figures.
• Fiberfill: firm but soft stuffing.
• Tapestry needle, stitch markers, pins, scissors.
• Optional: thin plastic canvas or extra felt for backpack base stability.

Abbreviations

• MR = magic ring
• ch = chain
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet
• inc = 2 sc in same stitch
• dec = invisible decrease
• hdc = half double crochet
• dc = double crochet
• BLO = back loop only
• FLO = front loop only
• st = stitch
• rep = repeat

Finished Size and Gauge Notes

The proportions in the image suggest a medium display doll. When worked in DK cotton with a tight hook, the large bunny should stand about 11 to 13 inches tall from feet to top of head, not including the hat. The mini lamb should be about 4 to 5 inches tall.

Gauge is less important than proportion, but stitch tension matters a lot. Keep all body pieces tightly crocheted so the stuffing does not show. Garments should be just slightly softer in hand so they drape naturally without looking floppy.

If your bunny looks too wide, go down a hook size. If the dress flares too hard, reduce increase frequency in the skirt. If the hat sits too high, add one more plain round before the brim. Small proportional changes will preserve the same visual style.

Large Bunny Body

Legs Make 2

1. Round 1: 6 sc in MR.
2. Round 2: inc around. 12 sts.
3. Round 3: sc, inc around. 18 sts.
4. Rounds 4 to 7: sc around.
5. Round 8: 7 sc, dec, 7 sc, dec. 16 sts.
6. Rounds 9 to 18: sc around.

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Stuff the feet firmly and the upper leg lightly. The legs in the image are long, straight, and narrow. Avoid bulky calves. Flatten the top opening of each leg and leave the first leg off with a fasten off. Make the second leg but do not cut the yarn.

Joining the Legs and Lower Body

1. Ch 3 from the second leg and join to the first leg.
2. Round 19: sc around first leg, sc across the chain, sc around second leg, sc across opposite side of chain. You should have a slim oval lower body.
3. Rounds 20 to 24: sc around.
4. Round 25: dec at each side seam area, 2 total decreases.
5. Rounds 26 to 30: sc around.

This section creates the gentle hip and lower torso line. The body in the image is not pear-shaped. It has only a small amount of width at the hips because the dress provides most of the visible fullness.

Upper Body

1. Round 31: dec evenly around to narrow the waist slightly.
2. Rounds 32 to 36: sc around.
3. Round 37: inc evenly around to create a gentle chest.
4. Rounds 38 to 42: sc around.
5. Round 43: work one plain round, checking shoulder width.

Stuff the body firmly, especially the neck base. The torso should be upright and neat. Do not overstuff the chest or the dress bodice will pull upward. The image shows a calm, straight posture with no hunching.

Neck and Head

1. Round 44: dec evenly to form the neck.
2. Rounds 45 to 46: sc around for a short neck.
3. Round 47: inc evenly around.
4. Round 48: sc around.
5. Rounds 49 to 54: continue increasing gradually until the head is round and larger than the body width.
6. Rounds 55 to 63: sc around.
7. Insert eyes between the middle face rounds, leaving a wide, gentle spacing.
8. Rounds 64 to 70: dec gradually until closed.

The head should look smooth and softly cylindrical with a rounded crown, not strongly spherical. Keep the cheeks mild. The lower face is simple and calm. The ears and hat add much of the character, so the head itself should stay clean and minimal.

Facial Embroidery

Use a slightly darker neutral thread or fine yarn to embroider a tiny centered nose and a short Y-shaped mouth. The nose is very small and placed low between the eyes. The mouth lines are straight and delicate, not smiling widely.

Arms Make 2

1. Round 1: 6 sc in MR.
2. Round 2: inc around. 12 sts.
3. Rounds 3 to 5: sc around.
4. Round 6: dec twice to narrow the wrist area.
5. Rounds 7 to 18: sc around.
6. Lightly stuff only the lower half.
7. Flatten and close with a few sc through both sides.

The arms are simple tubes with only slight shaping. They should hang straight down and end near the skirt side line. Sew them slightly below the neck, angled gently downward. Add one small flower accent at the outer sleeve area of each cardigan sleeve later.

Bunny Ears Make 2

1. Round 1: 6 sc in MR.
2. Round 2: inc around. 12 sts.
3. Round 3: sc, inc around. 18 sts.
4. Round 4: 2 sc, inc around. 24 sts.
5. Rounds 5 to 8: sc around.
6. Round 9: dec twice across the side areas.
7. Rounds 10 to 20: sc around, keeping the ear long and soft.
8. Flatten the open edge without stuffing.

The ears in the image are long, flat, and drape downward from under the hat. They are not thickly stuffed. Keep them flexible so they fall naturally alongside the face and shoulders. Sew them high on the head, a little behind the eye line.

Lilac Dress

Bodice

The dress is worked from the top down. It sits smoothly across the chest and then widens into a rounded skirt. The straps are broad enough to create a sleeveless pinafore look, but the neckline remains open and simple.

1. Start with a foundation chain or joined round that fits the upper chest snugly.
2. Work even rounds of sc or hdc for the bodice, trying it on the body as you go.
3. Shape the front with a shallow scoop so the cardigan can frame it.
4. Continue until the bodice reaches the natural waist.

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The bodice in the image looks smooth and fitted, without ribbing or heavy texture. Hdc works well because it gives coverage and a polished line while still keeping the dress soft.

Skirt

1. At the waist round, increase evenly all around.
2. Work 2 to 3 plain rounds.
3. Increase lightly every few rounds to form a gentle bell shape.
4. Stop when the skirt reaches just above the ankles, leaving the shoes fully visible.

The skirt is not ruffled. It is evenly flared and rounded. This part must look smooth and structured, with a clean hem that holds a slight outward sweep. If needed, work the final round a little tighter so the edge stays neat.

Waist Flower Band

Make 5 small flowers, alternating deep purple and white with one pale center flower. Sew them evenly across the waist front. Keep them close together so they read like one decorative band rather than scattered motifs.

Hem Flowers

Make 8 to 10 small five-petal flowers in mixed shades of purple, lilac, and white. Sew them around the lower front hem and slightly toward both sides, leaving the back mostly plain. This matches the front-facing arrangement seen in the image.

Small Flower Motif

1. With center color, 5 sc in MR and join.
2. Change to petal color.
3. In each stitch work: ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st.
4. Repeat five times.
5. Fasten off with a long tail for sewing.

Shape each petal by hand so it opens neatly. The visible flowers in the image are soft and rounded, not pointed. Use a slightly firmer petal tension so they keep definition when stitched onto the dress and hat.

Cardigan

The cardigan is cream, cropped, open-front, and collarless. It has slim sleeves and rounded front panels that fall like soft petals on each side of the bodice.

Back and Fronts

1. Work from the neckline downward in rows.
2. Begin with the back neck width, then add fronts by increasing around the shoulder area.
3. Separate for sleeves and continue the body in rows.
4. Shape each front edge with decreases or shorter rows so the lower front becomes rounded.
5. Stop at waist length.

The cardigan should not close at the front. It must remain open and light. Keep it fitted through the shoulders and upper chest. The fronts should frame the flower band and upper skirt without hiding them.

Sleeves

1. Join yarn at the armhole.
2. Work narrow rounds downward to wrist length.
3. Keep the sleeve slim and straight.
4. Finish with one plain edge round.

Sew one tiny flower near the outer lower sleeve on each side. These flowers are small accents, not large decorations. They should echo the dress flowers without competing with them.

Cloche Hat

The hat is one of the strongest design features. It is soft, rounded, and sits low on the forehead. The brim tips down gently and frames the face while allowing the long ears to hang from underneath.

1. Round 1: 6 sc in MR.
2. Increase evenly until the crown circle matches the head top.
3. Work several plain rounds for the side wall of the hat.
4. Increase lightly through one or two brim rounds to create a downward flare.
5. Finish with a relaxed edge so the brim curves softly.

Do not make the brim too wide. In the image it is modest and neat, just enough to shade the eyes slightly. Sew one five-petal purple flower with a pale center on the upper left front area of the hat.

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Mary Jane Shoes Make 2

1. Begin with a small oval sole in lilac.
2. Work one round in BLO to turn up the shoe sides.
3. Continue even rounds around the foot.
4. Decrease across the toe to create a rounded front.
5. Leave an opening over the instep.
6. Add a slim strap across the top and sew at the sides.

The shoes should hug the feet closely and sit flat. They are not boots. The strap is delicate and centered, giving the classic Mary Jane look. Make sure the shoe opening shows a little of the cream leg above the toe line.

Mini Lamb Companion

The small companion is a lamb rather than a bunny. Its head is rounder, the muzzle is soft, the ears are short and side-placed, and the overall shape is simple and sweet. The body is tiny and lightly pear-shaped under the dress.

Head and Body

1. Make a small round white head with mild cheek fullness.
2. Insert small black eyes with close, gentle spacing.
3. Embroider a tiny nose and short mouth in dark thread.
4. Work a small body beneath the head, narrower than the bunny body and slightly shorter.

Lamb Ears Make 2

1. Work a short oval ear.
2. Do not stuff.
3. Sew at the side of the head, slightly low, so they peek from under the hat.

Lamb Arms and Legs

Keep them very small and rounded. The arms are tiny stubs. The legs are short and only lightly shaped. The lamb should stand as a display companion, so stability matters more than deep sculpting.

Lamb Clothing

• Dress: make a tiny lilac dress using the same bodice-and-flare concept as the big bunny.
• Cardigan: add a miniature cream open-front cardigan.
• Hat: make a very small cream cloche hat to match the main bunny.

Keep the lamb outfit simplified, but match the color balance closely. The image shows the same soft garden styling, so the mini piece should feel like a companion set rather than a separate character.

Backpack

The backpack is tan, narrow, and softly boxy with a front flap and shoulder straps. It stands upright beside the bunny and should be crocheted firmly so it keeps shape even when empty.

1. Make an oval or rectangular base.
2. Work straight-sided rounds upward in tight sc.
3. Create a separate flap piece with rounded corners.
4. Sew the flap to the back upper edge.
5. Add two shoulder straps and a small top handle.
6. Optional: add a short front tie or decorative closure stitch.

The backpack in the image is simple and practical, not heavily ornamented. A slightly stiff base helps it stand better. If you want a cleaner finish, line it lightly or insert a hidden support panel.

Aubrieta Bouquet

The bouquet is a cluster of small purple and lilac flowers with short green stems tied together. It should look soft and abundant, with several blooms packed closely rather than spaced out like individual stems.

1. Make 9 to 12 small flowers in mixed purple, pale lilac, and white shades.
2. Make short green stem cords for each flower.
3. Sew stems to the flower backs.
4. Gather into one bunch.
5. Wrap with a tan or natural tie.

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Let some flowers sit slightly higher than others so the bouquet looks hand gathered. Keep the stems short. The bouquet in the image is compact and meant to rest on the table rather than stand tall in a vase.

Order of Work

1. Crochet the large bunny body, head, arms, and ears.
2. Crochet and attach the dress.
3. Make the cardigan and shoes.
4. Make the hat and hat flower.
5. Crochet the mini lamb and its outfit.
6. Make the backpack.
7. Make all flowers for the dress, sleeves, hat, and bouquet.
8. Assemble and style everything.

Color Placement Notes

• Main bunny: cream body, ears, cardigan, and hat.
• Main dress: lilac body with mixed purple and white floral trim.
• Main shoes: lilac.
• Mini lamb: white body with cream hat and cardigan, lilac dress.
• Backpack: tan.
• Bouquet: mostly purple blooms with a few pale accents.

This balance matters. The image works because cream remains the base color, lilac anchors the clothing, and the deeper purple appears in small decorative areas. Keep those darker shades concentrated in the flowers rather than the garments themselves.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

Sew the arms first, then attach the ears high on the head so they fall straight down. Dress the bunny, then position the cardigan so the fronts curve neatly along the bodice. Add the shoes and place the hat low on the forehead.

Embroider the nose and mouth only after the eyes are secured and the hat position is decided. The face should stay minimal, centered, and calm. Sew all flowers firmly with several passes so the trims stay flat and tidy during handling.

Care Notes

Display the set away from direct sunlight and heavy humidity. If the hat brim or bouquet petals soften over time, reshape them gently with clean fingers. Store the pieces flat or upright in a dust-free space to preserve the smooth stitch definition.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• Head is larger than torso, but still elegant.
• Ears hang softly and evenly.
• Dress bodice fits close to the chest.
• Skirt flares gently, not heavily.
• Waist flowers form a centered band.
• Hem flowers sit mostly across the front.
• Cardigan fronts are rounded and open.
• Hat brim curves downward.
• Mini lamb matches the main color story.
• Backpack stands upright.
• Bouquet looks full and tied together.

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

For routine care, use a soft dry brush or a gentle lint-free cloth to remove dust. Spot clean only when possible, using cool water and a tiny amount of mild soap. Press with a towel and let the pieces air dry completely away from heat.

Do not twist, wring, or machine wash heavily stuffed parts. Support the head, ears, and flower trims while drying so they keep their shape. For long-term storage, wrap each piece in clean tissue and avoid airtight plastic if the climate is humid.

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