Koala Bottle Buddy + Eucalyptus Glass Charms

A handmade gift can be practical and full of personality. This sweet blue koala perches against a bottle, while four colorful leaf loops help guests tell their glasses apart. The round body, oversized fluffy ears and tiny paws are the details that give this project its charm.

Your project at a glance

• Finished dimensions: approximately 4½ in / 11.4 cm tall and 6 in / 15.2 cm wide.
• Construction: a stuffed, one-piece body; two flattened ears; embroidered inner-ear fluff; a crocheted oval nose and belly; four tubular paws; four small leaf charms.
• Crochet language: US stitch terms. Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise noted, and move your stitch marker to the first stitch of each new round.

Stitch key

Short form	What it means
ch	Chain
sc	Single crochet
hdc	Half double crochet
dc	Double crochet
inc	Two single crochets in the same stitch
dec	Single-crochet decrease
sl st	Slip stitch
blo	Back loop only
[ … ] × n	Repeat the bracketed sequence n times

The number in parentheses at the end of each round is your stitch count.

Part 1 — Crochet the koala’s round body

Start with blue yarn, making a magic ring. The first section widens the top of the head, the middle creates the soft oval shape, and the last rounds close the bottom.

Round	Instructions	Stitches
1	Work 6 sc into a magic ring.	6
2	Increase in each stitch around.	12
3	Repeat [1 sc, inc] six times.	18
4	Repeat [inc, 2 sc] six times.	24
5	Sc around.	24
6	Repeat [5 sc, inc] four times.	28
7–9	Work one sc in each stitch for three rounds.	28 each
10	Repeat [6 sc, inc] four times.	32
11–13	Sc around for three rounds.	32 each
14	Repeat [2 sc, dec] eight times.	24
15	Sc around.	24
16	Repeat [sc, dec] eight times.	16
17	Sc around.	16
18	Work eight decreases.	8

Before closing the body: position safety eyes between rounds 7 and 8, with six stitches between them. Add stuffing, gently shaping the body into a rounded egg. After round 18, cut a generous yarn tail. Thread it through the front loops of the remaining eight stitches and pull to close. Secure the yarn end inside.

Safety note: Hard plastic safety eyes are not safe for toys intended for babies or pets. Use embroidered eyes instead; small decorative parts also require care.

Part 2 — Add two plush ears

Use blue yarn and make two ears.

Round	Instructions	Stitches
1	Make a magic ring with 6 sc.	6
2	Increase in every stitch.	12
3	Repeat [sc, inc] six times.	18
4	Sc in each stitch.	18
5	Repeat [sc, dec] six times.	12

Fasten off neatly, keeping a long sewing tail. Flatten each ear rather than stuffing it. Attach the ears to either side of the head, spanning approximately rounds 4–7.

Embroider the soft inner ears

With white yarn, work five long stitches in a fan shape inside each ear. Begin near the base, spread the ends toward the outer curve, and keep the top of each stitch roughly one round away from the ear’s edge. Pass the yarn neatly across to the second ear through the body, then knot and hide the yarn ends inside.

Part 3 — Shape the little nose and tummy

Black oval nose

The nose is crocheted around both sides of a foundation chain.

1. Round 1: Chain 4.
2. Round 2: Starting in the second chain from your hook, make 2 sc; work 3 sc into the last chain. Turn the work so you can crochet along the other side of the starting chain; make 1 sc, then 1 inc. Slip stitch into the first sc to join (8 stitches total).
3. Fasten off with a long tail and sew the nose vertically between the eyes, spanning rounds 7–10.

White circular belly

1. Round 1: Magic ring, 6 sc (6).
2. Round 2: Increase in every stitch (12).
3. Round 3: Repeat [sc, inc] six times (18).

Fasten off and sew the belly beneath the nose, centered over rounds 12–16.

Part 4 — Make the four hugging paws

Make four matching tubes using blue yarn. These become two arms and two legs.

Round	Instructions	Stitches
1	Magic ring, 4 sc.	4
2	Repeat [sc, inc] twice.	6
3–8	Work 6 sc in every round.	6 each

Fasten off each tube, leaving a long tail. Sew all four on the same side of the koala, where they can wrap around the neck of a bottle. Place the arms at approximately rounds 9–10 and the legs at rounds 15–16; leave about four stitches between each pair.

To make each pair clasp together, join the facing inner sides of the paws with small, discreet stitches. Secure the arms to each other first, then repeat for the legs. Try the koala against your bottle before tightening the last joins; the paws should hug securely without pulling the body out of shape.

Part 5 — Crochet four eucalyptus-inspired glass charms

Make one leaf each in green, pink, orange and yellow. Work around both sides of the foundation chain, which gives the leaf its pointed oval silhouette.

1. Round 1: Chain 7.
2. Round 2: From the second chain, work: sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, inc. Turn to the other side of the chain and work hdc, 2 dc, hdc, sc. Slip stitch to the first sc to join. You should have 12 stitches.
3. Round 3: Chain 18. Slip stitch into the back loop of the eighth chain from the hook, forming a hanging loop.
4. Fasten off and weave the loose yarn tail into the chain.

Loop the chain around a glass stem, then pass the leaf through the loop to keep the marker in place. Repeat with the other colors.

Finishing & display ideas

Fluff the inner ears gently, check every sewn join, and tuck any visible tails into the stuffing. Your finished koala is designed as a decorative bottle accessory, not a children’s toy. Pair it with the leaf charms for a cheerful handmade host gift.

Maker’s reminder: If the bottle is unusually wide or narrow, test the paws around it before stitching them firmly together.

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Keep the creativity going

Enjoyed this cuddly make? Try the Little Octopus Scent Keeper for another playful, giftable amigurumi project.