There is something undeniably charming about the Bambolina doll, a classic figure often associated with South American folklore. This adorable crochet Bambolina doll keychain pattern captures that timeless spirit in a miniature, wearable format. Whether you are looking for a quick project to fill a spare evening or a unique handmade gift for a child who loves to name their belongings, this pattern delivers a sweet result. With sleeping stitched eyes, long looped hair, and a variegated rainbow dress, these little dolls are perfect for clipping onto backpacks, pencil cases, or house keys. The design is forgiving and fun, making it a delightful entry point for amigurumi beginners while still offering enough detail to satisfy experienced makers.
Seasonal Styling Ideas
While the Bambolina doll is a year-round delight, its cheerful aesthetic makes it particularly perfect for seasonal transitions. The “sleeping” face gives the doll a calm, cozy vibe that fits beautifully with autumn back-to-school routines. Imagine a pair of matching Bambolina dolls clipped to the zippers of best friends’ backpacks on the first day of class, or attached to the handles of tote bags during a spring market run. The variegated yarn used for the dress can be swapped to match seasonal palettes—earthy tones for fall or bright pastels for spring. Because the doll is small and durable, it serves as a perfect travel companion for children, offering a soft, safe object to hold during long car rides or quiet moments in the nursery.
Project Overview
This amigurumi project creates a small, detailed keychain doll standing roughly 8 to 11 cm tall, depending on your yarn choice and chain lengths. The pattern is designed to be worked in continuous rounds, which helps maintain a spiral look without visible seams. The construction involves creating a hair cap, long hair strands, a flower decoration, arms, and legs, which are then assembled around a central body (or directly onto the cap, depending on your preference). The entire process, excluding assembly and embroidery, takes approximately 2 to 3 hours.
Materials
- Yarn in your preferred hair colour
- Yarn in your preferred body colour
- Yarn for the flower decoration
- Crochet hook suitable for your yarn weight
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Keychain ring
Yarn and Hook Recommendations: The pattern does not specify a strict yarn weight. For a small, detailed keychain, fingering or sport weight yarn with a 2 to 2.5 mm hook is recommended. If you prefer a chunkier, faster-to-work piece, DK weight yarn with a 3 mm hook works well. Keep in mind that going larger than DK may make the piece too bulky for a standard keychain, though it could work as a small bag charm.
Gauge and Finished Size
Finished height: roughly 8 to 11 cm estimated from the pattern, depending on yarn weight and the chain lengths used for the limbs.
Abbreviations
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- inc: increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
- dec: decrease (sc 2 together)
- sl st: slip stitch
- ch: chain
Pattern Notes
The Bambolina doll features closed eyes embroidered in a single dark curve across the face, giving the doll a sleeping appearance. The long looped strands of brown hair fall past the shoulders, topped with a small flower at the crown. The dress is worked in variegated yarn that shifts colour as it goes, and the legs end in two round ball feet striped in the same shifting shades. Arms hang loose at the sides in cream. The hair takes the longest to complete, as each strand is worked and attached separately.
Pieces List
- Hair base cap: 1
- Hair strands: 2
- Flower decoration: 1
- Arms: 2
- Legs: 2
Pattern Instructions
Hair Base Cap
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. [6]
Round 2: Work 1 inc in each stitch. [12]
Round 3: 1 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times. [18]
Round 4: 2 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times. [24]
Round 5: 3 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times. [30]
Round 6: 4 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times. [36]
Checkpoint: a flat, even disc at this point, no cupping or rippling. This is the crown of the hair cap.
Round 7: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [36]
Round 8: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [36]
Round 9: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [36]
Round 10: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [36]
Round 11: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [36]
Round 12: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [36]
Checkpoint: the cap now forms a deep dome, like a small bowl. The open rim is where it will sit on the head once a head piece is made. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Hair Strands (Make 2)
Make a slip knot and chain 42. Starting from the second chain from the hook, work 1 hdc in each stitch across. [41]
Checkpoint: a long flat strip that wants to curl slightly along its length. This is the hair strand; two of them are sewn along the top of the cap. Fasten off. Sew both strands to the top of the hair cap.
Flower Decoration
Make a magic ring. Chain 3, sl st into the ring repeat 5 times to create 5 petals.
Checkpoint: 5 small chain loops fan out from the centre. Secure and fasten off. Create a centre detail using French knot style wraps of contrasting yarn. Sew the flower onto the hair.
Arms (Make 2)
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. [6]
Round 2: Work 1 inc in each stitch. [12]
Checkpoint: a small flat disc.
Round 3: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [12]
Round 4: Work 6 dec. [6]
Lightly stuff.
Round 5: Work 3 dec. [3]
Chain 6. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Checkpoint: a small stuffed disc with a short chain extending from one end. The disc becomes the hand; the chain is the wrist and lower arm.
Legs (Make 2)
Round 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. [6]
Round 2: Work 1 inc in each stitch. [12]
Round 3: 1 sc, 1 inc repeat 6 times. [18]
Checkpoint: a flat disc, wider than the arm disc. This is the foot.
Round 4: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [18]
Round 5: Work 1 sc in each stitch. [18]
Checkpoint: the foot disc curls up slightly at the sides. Stuff lightly now while the opening is wide.
Round 6: Change colour. 1 sc, 1 dec repeat 6 times. [12]
Stuff with fiberfill.
Round 7: Work 6 dec. [6]
Round 8: Work 3 dec. [3]
Chain 10. Fasten off leaving a long tail.
Checkpoint: a stuffed foot shape with a chain leg above it. The chain 10 gives the leg its length and flexibility.
Assembly
If making a body and head piece, sew the head to the top of the body first. Two full circuits of stitching prevents tilting. Sew the hair cap onto the head, crown upward. Run the long tail all the way around the rim. The cap should sit snug without gaps. Sew the hair strands to the top centre of the cap. Lay them first without sewing to check the placement, then tack the centre of each strand to the cap before sewing the ends down. Sew the flower onto the hair near one side of the parting. Sew both arms to the sides of the body, chain end downward. Sew both legs to the base of the body, chain end downward. Embroider the face on the front of the head with a needle and yarn. Eyes first, then nose, then mouth. Attach the keychain ring to the top of the head through a loop of strong yarn sewn into the hair cap. Give it a firm tug to test the hold before use.
Tips
Troubleshooting:
- The hair cap domes up instead of lying flat: Your tension on the increase rounds is too tight, or you skipped a repeat. Count stitches at the end of round 6; you need exactly 36.
- The hair strands buckle and won’t lie flat: Hdc stitches in fingering weight chain can twist if worked at uneven tension. Block the strip flat before sewing by dampening it and pinning it to a foam mat to dry.
- The arm disc is too floppy after round 4: You need a tiny amount of stuffing before the round 5 decreases, even if it seems too small to bother with. Without any fill the decrease rounds pull the fabric into a pinch rather than a rounded tip.
- The leg chain curls upward: Chain tension is almost always tighter than sc tension. Work the chain 10 with a hook one size larger than the body, or simply stretch and smooth it once finished.
- The keychain ring pulls the cap to one side: The ring needs to attach to a structural loop, not a surface stitch. Before closing the cap, thread a doubled strand of strong yarn through the magic ring end (the crown) and sew both ends down firmly inside, leaving a loop at the top for the ring.
- The body piece is missing and I don’t know what size to make: A cylinder of 12 sc worked for 6 to 8 rounds in your body colour, with both ends sewn closed and lightly stuffed, gives a small torso proportional to the limbs.
Stuffing Guide: The arms stuff lightly, just enough to give the disc end a little roundness before the decreases close it. The legs stuff from round 6 downward through the foot, filling the foot disc firmly so it holds its round shape. Neither piece should feel stiff. The hair cap is not stuffed. The chain portions of the arms and legs get no stuffing at all.
FAQs
Can I use the hair cap as the head without making a separate piece?
It depends on how you want the face to look. The cap is a dome of about 36 stitches at the widest, which gives enough surface area to embroider a face on. Sewing the embroidery through the cap fabric directly and skipping a separate head is a viable shortcut for a small keychain.
How do I attach the keychain ring securely?
Don’t rely on a surface stitch. Thread a short loop of strong yarn through the crown of the cap before closing, sew both ends of that loop down on the inside, and clip the ring to the loop. The loop spreads the pull load and holds far better under the weight of keys.
Can I make this in cotton instead of wool?
Yes, and it may actually hold the cap shape better since cotton has less stretch. Use the same hook size and adjust if the fabric feels too stiff or too open.
The pattern has no body. Do I really need one?
For a flat keychain doll where the hair cap is the whole visible part, you could sew the limbs directly to the underside of the cap rim and skip the body. It gives an abstract doll silhouette rather than a full figure, but at keychain scale that reads fine.
Where exactly does the face go?
On the front of the dome, roughly from round 8 downward toward the rim. The eyes sit at about round 9 to 10, the nose at round 11, and the mouth at round 12. Keep everything close together so the face reads as a unit rather than scattered features.
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