If you want to purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of this simple crochet bat pattern, you can find it HERE on etsy.
I have a little Bubbins at home who is now 16 months old. That means that while last Christmas he loved to stare at our Christmas tree, this year he will no longer be content with just staring.
I’m fully expecting to find ornaments strewn about the house this year. But I don’t want those ornaments to be anything breakable or hazardous.
So I felt inspired to create my own line of kid-friendly crochet ornament patterns!! All of these ornaments will have no plastic in them, nothing smashable, and no potential sharp edges. This makes them much safer for little ones!
The first one in this series is an adorable crochet Santa Claus ornament. It works up fairly quickly and has minimal sewing to it (aside from weaving some ends in).
It turned out so much better than I hoped it would, and I’m actually planning on stocking up on a few of them for a craft fair next month!
I hope you enjoy making your own crochet Santa ornament!
NOTE: If you are wanting to sell finished products from this free simple crochet bat pattern you’re welcome to, just make sure you link back to my pattern here and credit me with the design. Thank you!
Abbreviations
- MR – magic ring
- Ch – chain
- Sc – single crochet
- Inc – increase
- Dec – decrease
- Sl st – slip stitch
- FO – Finish off
- Rnd – round
- sts – stitches
Materials
- An F (3.75 mm) crochet hook
- A G (4.00 mm) crochet hook or a 7 (4.50 mm) crochet hook (I used 4.50mm but either will work)
- Impeccable Loops & Threads solids in the color Burgundy
- Red Heart Super Saver in the color White
- Red Heart Super Saver in the color Buff
- Black embroidery floss
- Stuffing (I use polyester fiberfill)
- Tapestry/yarn needle
- Embroidery/sewing needle
- Scissors
- 6 locking stitch markers
- A piece of twine, ribbon, or yarn to hang your ornament with
Pattern
The front and back pieces are worked flat, while the nose and hat bobble are worked in the round.
Front
Using the F (3.75mm) crochet hook and white yarn, ch 4, turn.
Row 1: Starting in second ch from hook, sc 3, ch 1, turn (3)
Row 2: *inc* 3 times, ch 1, turn (6)
Row 3: inc, sc 4, inc, ch 1, turn (8)
Row 4: inc, sc 6, inc, ch 1, turn (10)
Row 5: inc, sc 8, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
Row 6: inc, sc 10, inc, ch 1, turn (14)
Rows 7 – 8: sc 14, ch 1, turn each row
Row 9: sl st across, change to beige yarn, ch 1, turn (14)
Row 10: sc 14 in each end of rnd 8 (not the sl sts you just created, see photos A, B, C), ch 1, turn (14) (photo D)
Row 11: sc 14, ch 1, turn (14)
Row 12: sc 14, change to red yarn, ch 1, turn (14)
Row 13: sc 14, ch 1, turn (14)
Row 14: dec, sc 10, dec, ch 3, turn (12)
Row 15: starting in the second ch from the hook sc 2 into the chain stitches, sc 10, dec, ch1, turn (13)
Row 16: dec, sc 9, dec, ch 1, turn (11)
Row 17: dec, sc 7, dec, ch 1, turn (9)
Row 18: dec, sc 5, dec, ch 1, turn (7)
Row 19: dec, sc 3, dec (5)
FO (photo E, left side) and weave all your ends in.
Back
Using the F (3.75mm) crochet hook and white yarn, ch 4, turn.
Row 1: Starting in second ch from hook, sc 3, ch 1, turn (3)
Row 2: *inc* 3 times, ch 1, turn (6)
Row 3: inc, sc 4, inc, ch 1, turn (8)
Row 4: inc, sc 6, inc, ch 1, turn (10)
Row 5: inc, sc 8, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
Row 6: inc, sc 10, inc, ch 1, turn (14)
Rows 7 – 8: sc 14, ch 1, turn each row
Row 9: sl st across, change to red yarn, ch 1, turn (14)
Row 10: sc 14 in each end of rnd 8 (not the sl sts you just created), ch 1, turn (14)
Rows 11 – 12: sc 14, ch 1, turn each row
Row 13: sc 14, ch 3, turn (14)
Row 14: starting in the second ch from the hook sc 2 into the chain stitches, sc 12, dec, ch1, turn (15)
Row 15: dec, sc 11, dec, ch 1, turn (13)
Row 16: dec, sc 9, dec, ch 1, turn (11)
Row 17: dec, sc 7, dec, ch 1, turn (9)
Row 18: dec, sc 5, dec, ch 1, turn (7)
Row 19: dec, sc 3, dec (5)
FO (photo E, right side) and weave all your ends in.
Hat Brim
To create the hat brim you’ll be using your white yarn to surface crochet a zigzag brim across Santa’s hat on the front face piece. Surface crochet is fairly simple, it’s just slip stitching across the front of a finished crochet piece.
To do this you’ll need your white yarn again and a G (4.00) or 7 (4.50mm) crochet hook. (I used 4.50mm, but either will work.) You’ll be using two strands of white yarn held together. You don’t necessarily need two separate skeins of yarn to do this, I used only one skein of yarn. Just hold together the yarn end from the center pull of the skein and the yarn end that’s wrapped around the outside of your skein.
You’re going to be surface crocheting into two rows of holes on the front side of the front piece you crocheted. The top row is between crocheted rows 10 and 11 (photo G white arrow points to this row of holes), and the bottom row is between crocheted rows 9 and 10 (photo G pink arrow points to this row of holes).
Create a slipknot with your held together yarn and put it on your hook (photo F). Then grab your face piece and insert your hook into the farthest right hole on that top row of holes mentioned earlier (photos H, I).
Yarn over (photo J), and pull the yarn up through the hole to the front side (photo K). Then slip the old loop off of your hook over the one you just pulled up (photo L). You’ve created one surface crochet stitch!
Now you’ll create the next surface crochet stitch, but this time into the furthest right hole on the bottom row of holes (photo M). Repeat the same process as before, yarn over and pull up a loop (photo N), then slip the old loop off of your hook over the one you just pulled up (photo O). And that’s your second surface crochet stitch.
To continue creating the zigzagged brim, the next hole you’ll crochet a surface stitch into is the furthest right hole on the top row, right next to the first stitch you made (photo P, the white arrow points to the hole). After that, surface stitch into the furthest right hole on the bottom row (photo Q, the white arrow points to the hole). You should start to see the zigzag forming now (photo R). Continue the pattern of alternating surface crocheting into the top and bottom rows (photo S).
Once you reach the end you should have one hole left in each row. Work into the last top and bottom stitches (photos T, U). Then create one ch stitch (photo V). Cut your yarn and pull the tail through to finish off the brim (photo W).
Your finished hat brim should look like photo X and both pieces side by side will look like photo Y.
Attach the Front and Back Pieces
To make this process easier, grab 6 locking stitch markers. You’ll use them to pin the front and back pieces together at 6 different points.
Begin by placing your front and back pieces together, right sides out. This means that your white sl st rows on both pieces should be facing out. (photo Z) Your first two stitch markers will go in the top row. Line up the 5 sts on the top row of the front piece with the ones on the top row of the back. Then place a stitch marker through both pieces in the furthest right of the 5 sts on both pieces. Take another stitch marker and place it through the farthest left of the 5 sts on the front and back pieces (photo *A), making sure to lock them.
Next you’ll place stitch markers at the beard edging slip stitch line you created in row 9 of both pieces. Insert your stitch marker into the sl st closest to the edge, through both pieces, and coming out of the sl st closest to the edge on the other piece (photo *B). Repeat on the opposite side of the beard (photo *C). Then at the very bottom of the beard place them like you did at the top of the hat, but since there’s only 3 sts you’ll place one stitch marker through the front and back pieces, skip one stitch, then place another stitch marker through the 3rd stitch of both pieces (photo *C).
Now grab your red yarn and your F (3.75mm) crochet hook again. Create a slipknot and place it on your crochet hook (photo *D). Looking at the front of your ornament, you’ll be working on the top right side a few rows above the brim. Insert your hook into the edge of both pieces 4 rows down from the top of the hat (photo *E). Sc into this space, then ch 1 (photo *F). Make another sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last stitch (photo *G shows the space you work into).
Ch 1 (photo *H). Sc into the sts you placed the first stitch marker into (photo *I), and remove the stitch marker.
Sc in the next 3 pairs of stitches (a “pair” refers to the stitch on the front and back piece, you need to make sure you are crocheting through both layers throughout this whole process). Then sc into the sts you placed the second stitch marker into and remove the stitch marker (photo *J).
Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down from your last stitch (photo *K). Ch 1, sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down 2 more times (photos *L, *M).
You’ll now switch to using white yarn. Do this by yarning over with the white yarn and pulling through to create a white ch stitch (photos *N, *O).
Pushing the edge of your brim up and out of the way, insert your hook through the edge of both pieces just below where you surface crocheted your brim on (photos *P, *Q). Then ch 1 and work 1 sc through the sts you placed the next stitch marker into earlier (photo *R) and remove the stitch marker (photo *S).
*Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down from your last stitch (photo *T). Repeat from * 2 more times. Then ch 1 and work 1 sc through the sts you placed the next stitch marker into earlier. Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down from your last stitch (photo *U). Then just like the top of the head, work 1 sc into the next pair, then 1 sc into the next pair of stitches you placed the stitch marker into earlier and remove the stitch marker Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down from your last stitch (photo *V).
Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last stitch (photo *W).
*Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last stitch* 2 more times. Then ch 1 and work 1 sc through the sts you placed the next stitch marker into earlier at the edge of the beard sl st row (photos *X, *Y).
You should now have an open hole on the right side of your ornament. Fill your ornament with stuffing through this hole until it reaches a thickness similar to photo .A or to your liking.
Ch 1 and sc in the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last sc, working in the row just below the brim of the hat (photo .B).
You’ll now switch to using red yarn. Do this by yarning over with the red yarn and pulling through to create a red ch stitch (photo .C).
Pushing the edge of your brim up and out of the way, insert your hook through the edge of both pieces just above where you surface crocheted your brim on (photos .D, .E).
Now rather than creating single crochet sts around the edge of your ornament you’ll surface crochet 3 sts through both layers of your ornament. Work them diagonally up and to the left of your hat so that they’re somewhat parallel to the outer right edge of your hat (photo .F). This creates a separation between the main portion of the hat and the tall skinny part that ends in a bobble. Cut the yarn and pull it through your last stitch to the front of the hat, then weave it back into the hat to secure the line you just created (photos .G, .H).
You should still have the tails and ends of your hat brim sticking out. Thread the tails from one side onto your needle and loop them once around the white border you created when you single crocheted around the edge (photo .I). Then weave the tails in (photo .J). Repeat on the other side of the trim.
Nose
Begin with beige yarn and your F (3.75mm) hook.
Rnd 1: sc 6 in a MR (6)
Cut your yarn, leaving about a 6-8 inch tail, then pull it through your last stitch (photo .K). Thread this tail onto a needle, then insert the needle under the two loops of the first stitch you made in rnd 1 (photo .L). Pull your needle through, then insert it into the hole your yarn tail just came up out of (photo .M) and pull tight until you have created what looks like a new stitch and your circle is closed (photo .N).
Hat Bobble
Begin with white yarn and G (4.00mm) or 7 (4.50mm).
Rnd 1: sc 8 in a MR (8)
Finish the hat bobble off the same way you finished the nose off.
Final Sewing
Using the tail you finished off the nose with, sew it on the face on the middle of the sl st line at the top of your Santa’s beard (photos .O, .P). Weave in your ends. (photo .Q)
Using the tail you finished off the hat bobble with, sew it on the open edge of the hat just to the right of where you surface crocheted through the front and back pieces (photos .R, .S). To make it secure and keep the sts as invisible as possible I did some of my stitching between the backside of the hat and the bobble circle (photo .T). Weave in your ends. (photo .U)
Now it’s time to embroider on the eyes! Using three strands of black embroidery floss, thread it onto an embroidery or sewing needle and insert it into a hole between sts in the beard. Then come up out of the face one stitch to the right of the nose between rows 10 and 11. Pull this through, then insert your needle into the face 3 sts to the right of where you just exited (photo .V the pink arrow), coming up out of the face at the top of row 11 about 1 ½ sts over to the left (photo .V the gray arrow).
When you pull the needle through here, loop it under the stitch you created from left to right earlier so that it creates a curve in the stitch (photo .W). Then insert the needle into the face very slightly above where it last exited, coming out of the face one stitch to the left of the left edge of the nose (photo .X the gray arrow indicates where the needle is coming out).
Following the same process as you did on the right eye, pull your needle through where it was coming out of, and insert your needle into the face 3 sts to the left of where you just exited, coming out up out of the face at the top of row 11 about 1 ½ sts over and to the left (photo .Y).
When you pull the needle through here, loop it under the stitch you created for the eye earlier so that it creates a curve in the stitch. Then insert the needle into the face very slightly above where it last exited, coming out of the beard in the hole where you inserted the embroidery floss at the very beginning. (photo .Z)
Now that your embroidery floss tails are coming out of the same hole in the beard, knot them and weave the ends in (photo a).
And all that’s left to do is loop your twine, ribbon, or scrap of yarn through the top back of the ornament and tie a knot. And you’ve finished your kid-friendly Santa ornament!
If you made a little guy from this crochet Santa ornament pattern, feel free to post a picture on social media with #lifewithbubbins or tag me on Instagram @lifewithbubbins so I can see your lovely creations!
And if you liked this crochet Santa ornament pattern, check out some related free patterns of mine below.
Thanks for following along!
