A round charcoal body, a small folded cap, and a red heart give this crochet Love Bomb its playful silhouette. The white fuse separates the heart from the dark base, making each part easy to see.
It is a fun Valentine keepsake for someone who enjoys an unexpected handmade gift. You can recreate the pictured colors or choose a softer combination, such as cream with a dusty-pink heart.
The pattern below includes the complete stitch counts. The video near the end is particularly useful for folding the cap rim and joining the two upper sections of the heart.
Before You Begin
This project uses three main sections: the stuffed sphere, the folded cap, and the heart with its narrow white fuse.
You should be comfortable working single crochet in rounds, increasing, decreasing, and sewing small pieces together. The front-loop and back-loop sections require a little extra attention.
Allow time for counting, stuffing, and assembly. Your finishing time will depend on your experience and yarn choices.
Materials
The tutorial lists:
- Sport-weight or DK yarn in black or dark gray, red, and white.
- A 2.0 mm or 2.5 mm crochet hook.
- Fiberfill stuffing.
- A yarn needle and scissors.
- An optional pipe cleaner or flexible craft wire for shaping the fuse.
A stitch marker is also useful for tracking the rounds.
Choose a hook that creates a close fabric with your yarn. Black stitches can be difficult to see; charcoal offers a similar appearance with a little more visibility.
The optional internal support changes how the fuse holds its curve. Without it, expect a softer shape. If you use wire, fully enclose the ends and treat the finished piece as a decorative keepsake.
Abbreviations and Pattern Notes
This pattern uses US crochet terminology.
- MR: Magic ring.
- sc: Single crochet.
- inc: Work 2 sc into one stitch.
- dec: Single crochet 2 stitches together.
- FLO: Front loop only.
- BLO: Back loop only.
- st/sts: Stitch/stitches.
- R: Round.
Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise indicated. Move the marker to the beginning of each new round.
Instructions in brackets are repeated the stated number of times. The number in parentheses at the end of a round is its completed stitch count.
Part 1: The Round Body
Use black or dark-gray yarn.
Round Instructions Stitches
1 6 sc into a MR 6
2 inc in every st 12
3 [sc, inc] × 6 18
4 sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] × 5, sc 24
5 [3 sc, inc] × 6 30
6 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] × 5, 2 sc 36
7 [5 sc, inc] × 6 42
8 3 sc, inc, [6 sc, inc] × 5, 3 sc 48
9 [7 sc, inc] × 6 54
10 4 sc, inc, [8 sc, inc] × 5, 4 sc 60
11–20 sc in every st for 10 rounds 60
The increase positions shift between rounds to reduce the appearance of six stacked increase lines.
Continue with the decreases:
Round Instructions Stitches
21 4 sc, dec, [8 sc, dec] × 5, 4 sc 54
22 [7 sc, dec] × 6 48
23 3 sc, dec, [6 sc, dec] × 5, 3 sc 42
24 [5 sc, dec] × 6 36
25 2 sc, dec, [4 sc, dec] × 5, 2 sc 30
Begin stuffing. Add small portions and distribute them around the curves rather than pushing one large clump into the center.
Round Instructions Stitches
26 [3 sc, dec] × 6 24
27 sc, dec, [2 sc, dec] × 5, sc 18
28 [sc, dec] × 6 12
29 dec × 6 6
Adjust the filling before completing the closure. The body should hold its round shape without stretching open the stitches.
Fasten off. Thread the tail through the front loops of the remaining six stitches, draw the opening closed, and secure the end inside the body.
Part 2: The Folded Cap
Use black or dark-gray yarn.
Round Instructions Stitches
1 6 sc into a MR 6
2 inc in every st 12
3 [sc, inc] × 6 18
4 Working FLO, sc in every st 18
5–8 sc in every st for 4 rounds 18
Round 4 leaves the back loops of Round 3 available for the folded join. Keep those loops accessible.
Round 9: Join the Folded Edge
Fold the section from Rounds 4–8 back toward Round 3.
Work 18 sc through both layers. For each stitch, insert the hook through the next stitch of Round 8 and its corresponding unworked back loop from Round 3.
Check the alignment as you go. Each of the 18 current stitches should pair with one of the 18 saved loops.
Fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail.
If the fold twists or the edges will not align, return to the video demonstration before continuing. Pulling the join tighter will not correct mismatched stitch positions.
Part 3: The Heart and White Fuse
Make the First Heart Bump
Use red yarn.
Round Instructions Stitches
1 6 sc into a MR 6
2 [inc, sc] × 3 9
3 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc, sc 12
4–5 sc in every st for 2 rounds 12
Fasten off the first bump.
Make a second bump using the same instructions, but keep the working yarn attached.
Join the Two Bumps
Round 6: Work 6 sc on the second bump. Continue around all 12 stitches of the first bump, then work the remaining 6 stitches of the second bump. (24)
This creates one continuous round around both pieces.
Round Instructions Stitches
7 [dec, 4 sc] × 4 20
8 [dec, 3 sc] × 4 16
9 [dec, 2 sc] × 4 12
Add a small amount of filling, gently supporting the two upper curves. Avoid packing the lower section tightly.
Round 10: dec × 6. (6)
Do not fasten off.
If a small gap remains between the bumps, close it with the tail from the first piece.
Continue with the White Fuse
Change to white yarn.
Rounds 11–17: Working BLO, sc in all 6 stitches for 7 rounds. (6 per round)
Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.
If using the optional pipe cleaner or wire, insert it into the white section before attaching the fuse. Keep the support fully enclosed and shape it with a gentle curve.
Assemble the Love Bomb
Attach the Fuse to the Cap
Position the white end at the center of the cap. Turn the heart so its front faces the direction you want, then sew the fuse base securely in place.
Check the connection before hiding the tail. If you used internal support, make sure no end protrudes through the crochet or the attachment area.
Attach the Cap to the Body
Place the cap over the body’s closing point. Check its position from the front, sides, and above before sewing around its base.
Keep the sewing tension even. Pulling one side too tightly can tilt the cap or dent the sphere.
Secure the remaining ends inside the crochet and gently arrange the body and heart with your fingers.
Check the Shape Before Calling It Finished
The heart is held above a much larger body, so its weight and the fuse’s flexibility affect the final pose.
If the heart drops forward, check the amount of filling, the fuse support, and the attachment at the cap. A soft fuse may naturally lean; forcing it upright with a very tight seam can distort the surrounding stitches.
If the body looks angular, first check the increase counts and positions. Evenly distributed filling can soften the outline, but it cannot replace a missed increase.
If the folded cap looks uneven, inspect the Round 9 join. A skipped saved loop or an incorrect pairing can make the rim twist.
Watch the Complete Video Tutorial
Use the demonstration alongside the written pattern, especially for the folded rim and heart join.
Useful chapter points:
- 0:20: Body.
- 13:31: Closing the body.
- 25:19: Cap and folded rim.
- 31:33: Heart and fuse.
- 42:47: Assembly.
- 43:00: Finished project.
Give It a Personal Finish
The charcoal, red, and white combination makes the silhouette clear. For another look, try a cream body with a rose-colored heart or a purple body with a bright-pink heart.
Keep the yarn thickness similar across the parts so the heart remains proportionate to the sphere and cap.
Add a separate paper tag with a short message such as “You’re the bomb!” or “A little love, made just for you.” A tag personalizes the gift without adding more weight to the heart.
Choose a gift box tall enough to accommodate the fuse. Support the body with tissue paper and leave space above the heart so the lid does not bend it.
Care and Storage
Follow the care instructions for the yarn, filling, and any internal support. Avoid repeatedly bending the fuse at one sharp point.
Store the keepsake with room around the heart. If it becomes compressed, gently rearrange the filling and curve rather than pulling on the joins.
Common Problems and Fixes
The bomb looks hexagonal
The increases may have stacked directly above one another. The pattern offsets alternating increase rounds to create a smoother sphere. Stuffing and hand-shaping can also soften visible lines.
The cap rim will not fold neatly
Check that Round 4 was worked in the front loops only. The unworked loops from Round 3 are needed when joining the two layers in Round 9.
The heart has a gap in the center
Use the starting yarn tail from one bump to close any small opening where the two pieces meet.
The fuse will not stay curved
Insert a pipe cleaner or flexible wire, or work the white fuse with slightly tighter tension. Do not overstuff the narrow fuse.
The heart keeps falling forward
Use less stuffing in the heart or shorten the white fuse by one or two rounds.
Color Variations
The traditional version uses a dark body, red heart, and white fuse, but you can easily personalize it:
- Pink body with a red heart
- Cream body with a dusty rose heart
- Black body with a rainbow heart
- Purple body with a hot-pink heart
- Red body with a black heart for a dramatic version
- Recipient’s favorite colors for a birthday gift
You could also embroider initials, a small date, or a short message onto the body.
Gift-Presentation Ideas
Add a small handwritten tag with one of these messages:
- “You’re the bomb!”
- “You make my heart explode.”
- “Love you to pieces.”
- “You light up my world.”
- “A little love bomb, made just for you.”
Place the finished amigurumi inside a small gift box with tissue paper, candy, or a handwritten note. 🎁
Watch the Complete Tutorial
The full video demonstrates the sphere shaping, folded cap construction, heart joining, bendable fuse, and final assembly.
▶️ Watch Don’t Buy a Gift! Crochet This Love Bomb on YouTube
Find more free written crochet patterns and step-by-step tutorials at Crochetnotes Studio.
Pattern and tutorial by Crochetnotes. Please do not republish the complete pattern or use the tutorial photographs as your own. You are welcome to share your finished project with a link to this article or the original video.
Made with yarn, shared with love. 🧶💗
Watch every stitch up close
Pair these written notes with the complete video tutorial.
Made with yarn, shared with love. 🧶💗