Amigurumicrochet panda car charm

Crochet Panda Car Charm

October 7, 202614 min read

Free pattern · Step by stepJump to the crochet steps

Crochet panda car charm: a mini amigurumi panda with black ears, black eye patches, a black nose, pink cheeks and a black shoulder band, holding the ropes of a caramel crochet swing seat, two cream ropes meeting under a cream bow tied to a rear-view mirror, with green leafy vines and little blush pink and butter yellow flowers on the ropes and at the tips of the hanging vines, in front of a sunny windshield

This crochet panda car charm is a tiny panda on a swing for your rear-view mirror. The panda sits on a caramel seat between two cream ropes, wrapped in leafy vines and little flowers. The head and body are one piece, and the ropes are firm slip-stitch cords that don't sag. You'll need about 75 yards of DK cotton, a 2.5 mm hook and 4 to 5 hours.

Key Takeaways

The panda's head and body are one piece, with a black shoulder band worked right in.

The ropes are slip-stitch cords, so they don't stretch as the swing moves.

A cream tie with a bow hangs it from the mirror: there's no metal at all.

About 75 yd (69 m) of DK cotton in seven colors, perfect for scraps.

Why I love this panda swing

I wanted something cheerful to look at in traffic. This panda swings gently at every turn, and it never fails to make me smile at a red light. It's a sweet gift for a new driver, a panda lover or anyone who just got their first car.

It's really two small projects. First you make the panda, a one-piece amigurumi with little arms and legs. Then you make the swing: a doubled seat, two ropes and a tie to hang it.

The vines and flowers come last, and that's where it becomes a little garden. Isn't it nice to bring some green into the car?

Skill level. Easy-intermediate. You need a magic ring, sc, inc and dec in the round, color changes, rows of sc, slip stitches in the back bumps of a chain, and some sewing and embroidery.

What you'll need

Yarn: DK #3 cotton, such as Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK. Cotton keeps its shape, and the ropes stay firm.

Color	Used for	Amount
White	Panda head and body	about 28 yd
Black	Shoulder band, ears, eye patches, arms, legs, nose	about 13 yd
Caramel brown	Swing seat	about 10 yd
Cream	Ropes and hanging tie	about 10 yd
Sage green	Vines	about 9 yd
Blush pink and butter yellow	Flowers, cheeks	about 5 yd in all

I worked those amounts out from the stitch counts: the panda takes about 840 stitches and the seat about 180, at about 1.6 in of DK cotton per single crochet, plus the cords, vines and tails.

Hook and notions

2.5 mm (US B/1 or C/2) hook.
Polyester fiberfill.
Optional: a strip of stiff plastic, about 2 × ½ in (5 × 1.3 cm), cut from a food lid, to keep the seat flat. Skip it if you don't have one.
A tapestry needle, stitch markers, pins and scissors.

Gauge and finished size

Gauge: tight enough that the stuffing doesn't show between the stitches. With DK cotton on a 2.5 mm hook, that's about 7 sc per inch.

Finished charm: the panda is about 2½ in (6.5 cm) tall sitting down, and the seat is about 2¼ in (5.5 cm) wide. It hangs about 6½ in (16.5 cm) from the top loops to the seat, and the vines hang about 1½ in below. Measure your first one: a tighter or looser hand changes it a little.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

MR = magic ring
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
inc = 2 sc in the same st
dec = single crochet two together (I use the invisible decrease through the front loops)
BLO = back loop only
st(s) = stitch(es)
rnd(s) = round(s)

Work in continuous rounds, without joining, unless the pattern says otherwise. Move a stitch marker up at the start of every round.

The pattern — step by step

Part 1 — The panda's head and body

One piece, from the top down. The magic ring is the top of the head. The head closes to a neck, the body grows out of it, and the last round closes at the center of the flat base the panda sits on.

Head (white):

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc × 6. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
Rnds 6–11: Sc in each st around. (30)
Rnd 12: (3 sc, dec) × 6. (24)
Rnd 13: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)

Stuff the head firmly.

Rnd 14 (neck): (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)

Body. Change to black on the last yarn-over of Rnd 14. Keep the color changes at the back of the panda.

Rnd 15 (black): (Sc, inc) × 6. (18)
Rnd 16 (black): (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24) Change to white on the last yarn-over.
Rnd 17 (white): Sc in each st around. (24)
Rnd 18: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
Rnds 19–21: Sc in each st around. (30)
Rnd 22 (BLO): Sc in the back loop only of each st. (30) This turns the corner for a flat base, so the panda sits well on the seat.

Stuff the body firmly, and push a little extra into the neck so the head doesn't wobble.

Rnd 23: (3 sc, dec) × 6. (24)
Rnd 24: (2 sc, dec) × 6. (18)
Rnd 25: (Sc, dec) × 6. (12)

Top up the stuffing and press the base flat.

Rnd 26: Dec × 6. (6)

Fasten off, thread the tail through the front loops of the last 6 sts, pull it closed and weave it in.

Step 1 of the crochet panda car charm: a white magic ring of 6 single crochet on a 2.5 mm hook, the round white head growing to 30 stitches, the head stuffed and narrowed to a 12-stitch neck, two black rounds for the shoulder band, and the white body with a flat base closed at the bottom

Part 2 — Face, ears, arms and legs

Eye patches (black, make 2). Ch 3. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, 3 sc in the last ch. Turn to work along the other side of the chain: 2 sc in the last ch. (6) Sl st in the first sc and fasten off, leaving an 8-in tail.

Ears (black, make 2).

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) × 3. (9)
Rnd 3: Sc in each st around. (9)

Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 10-in tail. Don't stuff them: press them into little half-cups.

Arms (black, make 2). The magic ring is the paw. The open end is the shoulder.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnds 2–6: Sc in each st around. (6)

Push a tiny bit of stuffing into the paw only. Fasten off, leaving a 10-in tail.

Legs (black, make 2). The magic ring is the foot. The open end sews to the body.

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) × 3. (9)
Rnds 3–4: Sc in each st around. (9)

Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving a 10-in tail.

Sew the panda together:

Eye patches. Pin them between Rnds 7 and 9, with 3 sts between them, upright like two little vertical ovals. Sew them down all around with their tails.
Eyes (white). Make one tiny stitch near the top inner corner of each patch, as a little shine.
Nose (black). Centered under the patches, 1 round below them, make 3 or 4 short horizontal stitches over 2 sts, stacked into a small triangle. Add one short stitch down from its tip.
Cheeks (pink). Make 2 short stitches side by side under the outer end of each patch.
Ears. Sew them on top of the head, between Rnds 3 and 5, with about 6 sts between them, cupped side forward.
Arms. Sew one arm to each side of the black shoulder band, at Rnds 15–16, with its open end flattened. Leave them pointing down for now: you'll lift them onto the ropes later.
Legs. Sew both legs to the front of the body, along Rnds 21–22, about 3 sts apart, feet pointing forward. When the panda sits, the feet stick out over the edge of the seat.

Step 2 of the crochet panda car charm: two small black oval eye patches, two black half-cup ears, two black arms and two black legs, the eye patches sewn on with a tiny white shine, a black nose and pink cheeks, and the finished panda sitting with its legs forward

Part 3 — The seat and the ropes

Seat (caramel brown). Ch 17.

Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (16)
Rows 2–10: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (16)

Fasten off, leaving a 24-in tail. Fold the piece in half the long way, so Row 1 meets Row 10. Slide the plastic strip inside if you're using it. Whipstitch the long edge and both short ends closed. You have a firm little board about 2¼ in wide.

Ropes (cream, make 2). A plain chain stretches when it swings. A slip stitch worked into the back bumps of the chain makes a firm cord instead.

Leave an 8-in starting tail. Ch 45, or until the chain measures about 6½ in (16.5 cm).
Sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in the back bump of each ch across. (44 sl sts)
Fasten off, leaving another 8-in tail.

Top loop. On each rope, fold the top 1 in (2.5 cm) back down onto itself to make a loop about ½ in (1.3 cm) tall. Sew the doubled part together with one of the tails, through both layers, 10 stitches or more. Weave that tail into the rope.

Hanging tie (cream). Ch 80, or about 11 in (28 cm). Sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (79 sl sts) Fasten off and weave both ends into the cord.

Attach the ropes to the seat.

Lay the seat flat. Place the bottom ¾ in (2 cm) of one rope over one short end of the seat, so it runs down the end and onto the underside.
With the rope's bottom tail, sew it on through both layers of the seat, 10 stitches or more. Knot the tail under the seat and hide it inside.
Repeat at the other end with the second rope.
Hold both top loops together and let the seat hang. If it tilts, unpick one rope and move it until the seat hangs level.

Step 3 of the crochet panda car charm: a caramel brown rectangle of single crochet rows folded in half into a firm swing seat, a cream chain worked into a firm slip-stitch cord, the top folded into a small hanging loop sewn with many stitches, and both ropes sewn to the ends of the seat

Part 4 — Vines, flowers and hanging

Vines (sage green, make 2). Leave a 6-in tail. Ch 6.

Leaf: ch 4, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, sl st in the next ch. Ch 6. Repeat from * 8 more times. (9 leaves)

Fasten off, leaving a 6-in tail. Each vine is about 10 in long.

Flowers (make 6, in blush pink and butter yellow). MR. Ch 2, 2 dc in the ring, ch 2, sl st in the ring. Repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals) Pull the ring tight and fasten off, leaving a 6-in tail. With the other color, make one French knot in the center.

Put it all together:

Panda on the seat. Set the panda in the middle of the seat, facing forward, legs over the front edge. Sew all around its flat base to the seat, through both layers, 12 stitches or more.
Paws on the ropes. Lift each arm out to the side and tack the paw to the rope next to it with 3 or 4 stitches, so the panda holds on.
Vines. Tack the top of one vine just under the top loop of a rope. Wind it down around the rope in a loose spiral, about 4 turns, and tack it at 3 or 4 points. At the seat, tack it to the end of the seat and let the last 1½ in hang free below. Repeat on the other rope.
Flowers. Sew 2 flowers on each rope: a pink one near the top and a yellow one about halfway down. Sew the last 2 flowers to the tips of the hanging vines, a pink one on one side and a yellow one on the other.
Hang it. Thread the hanging tie through both top loops and slide the loops together, so the ropes meet at the top like a little V. Wrap the tie twice around the stem of your rear-view mirror and tie a tight double knot, then a bow.

Give the seat a gentle tug. The ropes and the panda shouldn't move at the seams.

Step 4 of the crochet panda car charm: two green chain vines with little leaves, six tiny five-petal flowers in blush pink and butter yellow, the panda sewn on the seat with its paws tacked to the ropes, the vines wound around the ropes with flowers, and the finished panda swing tied to a rear-view mirror

Safety and care

Clear view first. The charm should hang above your line of sight. If it swings into view, shorten the hanging tie or the ropes, or take it down while you drive. Some US states and other countries restrict objects hanging from the rear-view mirror, so check the rules where you drive.

Not a toy. There's no metal and no safety eyes, but it has lots of small sewn pieces. Hang it out of reach of little passengers.

Sun and care. Cotton fades in strong sun, especially pinks and greens. A sunshade helps when you park in full sun. Spot clean with a damp cloth. For a deeper clean, hand wash in cool water with a drop of mild soap, press it in a towel and let it dry flat.

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation	Change from base pattern
Teddy on a swing	Work the panda in caramel with a cream muzzle, and skip the eye patches.
Spring daisies	Make all six flowers white with yellow centers.
Window swing	Hang it from a curtain rod or a shelf instead of a mirror.
Shorter drop	Chain 35 for each rope instead of 45 for a smaller car.
Bag charm	Skip the vines, make 25-chain ropes and tie them to a bag handle.

Troubleshooting the three things that go wrong

The seat hangs crooked

The ropes aren't the same length, or one is sewn further in. Hold both loops together and look at the seat from the front. Unpick the higher side and move the rope until the seat is level.

The ropes stretch

They were worked as plain chains, or the slip stitches went through the top loops. Work every slip stitch in the back bump of the chain. The cord should feel firm and a little stiff.

The panda leans forward

The base isn't flat, or the legs pull it over. Check that Rnd 22 is in the back loops only, and sew the back of the base to the seat first. Tacking the paws to the ropes also holds it upright.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this panda car charm take? About 4 to 5 hours. The panda takes about 2½ hours with its face and limbs, the seat and ropes about an hour, and the vines, flowers and sewing about an hour more.

How much yarn do I need? About 75 yd (69 m) of DK cotton in all: about 28 yd of white, 13 yd of black, 10 yd each of caramel and cream, 9 yd of green and a few yards of pink and yellow.

Can I use worsted yarn? Yes. With worsted cotton and a 3.5 mm hook, the panda grows to about 3½ in tall and the seat to about 3 in. Make the ropes longer too, and check that it still hangs above your line of sight.

How do I hang it without a mirror arm I can reach? Tie it to the mirror's stem with the hanging tie, as in Part 4. If your mirror is glued to the windshield, tie it to a sun visor clip or keep it for a window or shelf instead.

Can I sell car charms made from this pattern? Yes, you're welcome to sell finished charms made from this free pattern at markets, on Etsy or as gifts. Please credit "Pattern by Wavode" in your listing and link back to this page. What you can't do is republish this write-up or my photos as your own pattern.