If you want to purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of this crochet gingerbread man ornament pattern, you can find it HERE on etsy.
This crochet gingerbread ornament pattern is the second in my kid friendly ornament series!
The first is a crochet Santa ornament, go check it out HERE!
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!
This little gingerbread man is so cute and simple to make. It’s made of a front and back piece that you crochet together and then the “frosting” details are embroidered on top.
The pattern fully details how I embroidered the details on this sample, but you could definitely get creative with your own decorations!
I hope you enjoy making your own crochet gingerbread ornament, I can’t wait to see what you make!
NOTE: If you are wanting to sell finished products from this free crochet gingerbread man ornament 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
- Lionbrand Skein Tones yarn in color Truffle
- White 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
This pattern is worked flat in rows to create two gingerbread cookie pieces that you’ll later join with a sc and ch border.
Gingerbread Cookie Piece (make 2)
Ch 3, turn
Row 1: Starting in second ch from hook, *inc* 2 times, ch 1, turn (4)
Rows 2 – 4: sc 4, ch 1, turn each row
Row 5: sc 4
Cut your yarn and pull through to finish off, leaving a small tail. This creates the right leg of the gingerbread man (photo A).
Repeat rows 1 – 5 again to create the left leg, but this time instead of finishing off ch 1 and turn (photo B).
Row 6: This row will join the legs together and begin the body. Start this row by continuing to work across the left leg: sc 2, dec. Then grab your right leg.
Turn the right leg so that yarn tail you left points to the other leg (photo C). Begin working into the top stitches of the right leg and dec (photos D, E), sc 2, ch 1, turn (6) (photo F)
Rows 7 – 8: sc 6, ch 1, turn each row (photo G)
Row 9: inc, sc 4, inc (8)
Row 10: inc, sc 6, inc (10)
Row 11: inc, sc 8, inc (12)
Row 12: inc, sc 10, inc (14)
Row 13: inc, sc 2, ch 1, turn (4) (this row intentionally ends early)
Row 14: *dec* 2 times (2)
Cut your yarn and pull through to finish off (photo H). This creates the right arm of the gingerbread man.
Rejoin your yarn to the top of the gingerbread body 3 sts from the end of row 12 by pulling a slipknot through the stitch and chaining one (photo I). Then sc into the same stitch you join, sc into the next stitch, and inc in the last one (photo J). Ch 1 and turn.
*Dec* 2 times (photo K), then cut your yarn and pull through to finish off, leaving a tail (photo L). This creates the left arm of the gingerbread man.
Now your gingerbread needs a head! Rejoin your yarn to the top of the gingerbread body one stitch to the left of your right arm (photos M, N) so that you can work on row 13 again..
Row 13 (part 2): starting in the same stitch you just rejoined your yarn to inc (photo O), sc 6, inc, ch 1, turn (10) (photo P)
Rows 14 – 17: sc 10, ch 1, turn each row
Row 18: dec, sc 6, dec, ch 1, turn (8)
Row 19: dec, sc 4, dec, ch 1, turn (6)
Row 20: dec, sc 2, dec (4)
Cut your yarn and pull through to finish off (photo Q). Weave in any ends you have left, and you’ve completed either the front or back of your gingerbread man! (photo R)
Joining the front and back together
Stack your two pieces on top of each other so that you have the front side of one gingerbread piece facing up (it’s not important which way you have the back one facing) (photo S).
I found it’s a lot easier to crochet the pieces together if you pin them together with locking stitch markers. Your first two stitch markers will go in the top row. Line up the 4 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 4 sts on both pieces (photo T). Take another stitch marker and place it through the farthest left of the 4 sts on the front and back pieces (photo U), making sure to lock them.
Move onto the left arm and find the last two dec sts you made. Place a stitch marker in the leftmost of the two on both pieces and lock it (photo V).
Then move onto the feet, holding the gingerbread man upside down. Place one stitch marker in the bottom of each foot in the left st of the chain you increased into when you started the foot and lock your markers (photos X, Y).
Move onto the right arm and find the last two dec sts you made. Place a stitch marker in the rightmost of the two on both pieces and lock it (photo Z).
Now that it’s all pinned, let’s get to the joining!
Make a slipknot in your yarn and use your hook to pull it through the pair of stitches you placed your first marker into (photo *A). Pull the loop through and ch 1 to join the yarn. Remove the stitch marker (photo *B).
Sc into the pair you just joined the yarn into, then sc in the next 2 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 (photos *C, *D).
Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down from your last stitch (photos *E, *F). Ch 1, sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down 3 more times (photos *G, *H). This last sc should be into the row where the head and shoulder meet.
Ch 1 and sc into the two layers about 1 stitch to the left halfway between your last stitch and the top row of the arm (photo *I).
Then ch 1 and sc into the pair of stitches next to your stitch marker (photo *J) and then the pair of stitches your stitch marker is in and remove the stitch marker (photo *K).
Rotate your gingerbread man, ch 1 and sc into the underside of your arm in the stitch indicated by the needle and pink arrow on photo *L one row down from your last sc.
*Ch 1, sc 2 rows down* 2 more times (photos *M, *N). Now that you’re in the “armpit” of the gingerbread man, ch 1, sc 2 rows down once more. It may not look like it’s two rows “down” though because of the sharp corner, so check out photo *O to see where to make that next sc (photo *P).
Working down the left leg *ch 1, sc 2 rows down* 3 times (photo *Q). Ch 1, sc into the open pair of stitches on the bottom of the foo (photo *R)t, then sc into the pair of stitches your stitch marker is in and remove the stitch marker (photo *S).
*Ch 1, sc two rows up the leg* 3 times (photos *T, *U). Begin working down the inside of the right leg, *ch 1, sc two rows down the leg* 2 times (photo *V).
Ch 1, sc into the open pair of stitches on the bottom of the foot, then sc into the pair of stitches your stitch marker is in and remove the stitch marker (photo *W). Rotate your gingerbread, and working up the right leg *ch 1, sc 2 rows up* 3 times (photo *X).
Now that you’re in the “armpit” of the gingerbread man, ch 1, sc 2 rows up once more (photo *Y). *Ch 1, sc 2 rows up* 2 more times (photos *Z, .A). Ch 1, sc into the pair of stitches your stitch marker is in, remove the stitch marker, and sc into the next pair of stitches from that top row of the arm (photo .B).
Ch 1, sc into the hole between the shoulder and the head at the hole indicated by the pink arrow in photo .C. (photos .D, .E) Ch 1, sc 2 rows up (photo .F).
You should now have a small hole in the right side of the head of your gingerbread man (photo .G). Use this hole to stuff your gingerbread. Maneuver the stuffing into the arms and legs first (a stuffing stick or pencil can help you do this (photo .H)), then stuff the body and head. You’ll want the stuffing to be fairly firm to help your gingerbread ornament keep its shape (photo .I, .J).
Resume crocheting. *Ch 1, sc 2 rows up* 2 more times (photo .K). Ch 1 more time, cut the yarn, and pull it through (photo .L).
Thread it onto a needle, then insert the needle under the two loops of the first sc you made (photo .M). Pull it through, then insert the needle down into the hole you just came up out of (photo .N). Pull tight and weave your ends in (photos .O, .P).
Head Shaping
I found the head looked a little funny leaving the border like this, so really quickly we’re going to add a few surface crochet stitches to better shape the head of our little gingerbread man.
Surface crochet stitches are slip stitches worked through a flat crochet surface. In this instance, we’ll work through two layers of flat crochet surface.
Begin by making a slipknot and putting it on your crochet hook. Hold your yarn behind your gingerbread man and your hook with the slipknot right next to the right shoulder of your gingerbread man (photo .Q). Insert your crochet hook into the same space you made the sc into earlier in between the arm and the head, pushing through BOTH the front and back pieces (photos .R, .S). Yarn over, and pull up a loop (photo .T).
Slip the first loop off over your second to create the first surface crochet stitch (photo .U). Repeat this process one more time, inserting your hook into your gingerbread man one row down and one stitch to the left of your last stitch, making sure you push through BOTH the front and back pieces (photo .V). Yarn over, pull up a loop again, and slip the first off over the second (photo .W). Cut your yarn and pull through (photo .X).
Thread this tail onto a yarn needle and insert it into the hole you just worked into so that it comes out the back side (photo .Y). Then insert the yarn needle back into the hole you came out of on the back side and come out of the body one stitch over closer to the edge of your gingerbread man (photo .Z). Thread your initial yarn tail onto a yarn needle and weave the tail in so that it comes up out of the same hole (photo a). Pull both strings as tight as you can and tie a knot (photo b). Weave in the ends.
Repeat this same process on the left shoulder (photos c, d, e, f), but instead of your second surface stitch going into the body one row down and to the left, insert it one row down and to the right (photo d).
Your gingerbread body is now finished!
Embroidery
You’ll now need your embroidery needle and about 20 inches of white embroidery floss. Separate off 3 strands of floss and thread it onto the needle.
Insert your needle into the body near the bottom of the head, coming out of it towards the bottom of the 4th row down from the head slightly to the right of the middle (photo g). Pull it through, leaving about a 4 inch tail coming out of the gingerbread’s body. Insert your needle into the head 3 sts to the right, coming out of the head at the top of the same row 1 ½ sts over to the left of where you just inserted (photo h). Keep the embroidery floss behind your needle (photo i) and pull through. Then insert your needle into the head right above where you just exited – only about a millimeter away to complete your right eye. Have your needle exit one stitch to the left of where you first started the right eye (photo j), and pull through.
Insert your needle into the head 3 sts over to the left, coming out of the head at the top of the same row 1 ½ sts over to the right of where you just inserted, keeping the embroidery floss behind the tip of your needle (photo k).
Insert your needle one millimeter above where you just exited, coming out of the head two rows down from the starting point of your right eye (photo l) and pull through to start your mouth. Insert your needle into the head two rows below the inner corner of your left eye, with it exiting where you started your mouth (photo m).
Then insert your needle into the other side of the mouth, exiting the head almost 2 rows down from where you inserted it, midway between the ends of your existing mouth stitch. Keep the embroidery floss behind the tip of your needle (photo n) and pull through.
Looking at your gingerbread man upside down, insert your embroidery needle into the head just above where it last exited, only about a millimeter away. Have your needle exit out of the head a few stitches over to the left, ensuring it comes out of a hole between stitches (photo o) and pull through.
To maneuver your embroidery floss to the end of the arm to create a stripe, insert your needle into the hole it last came out of and come up out of the body a few sts over from where it was moving closer to the end of the arm and pull through (photo p). Repeat this maneuvering process until you reach the peak of the right arm (photo q). Then make one long stitch straight down to the bottom side of the arm (photo r).
Maneuver your embroidery floss to the left arm and make the same long stitch (photo s). Then maneuver it each leg, creating a long stitch on each leg on the lower end of the 3rd row up from the bottom (photos u, v).
To create the buttons, maneuver your embroidery floss until it’s exiting the middle of a row about 2-3 rows down from the bottom of the mouth (photo w). You’ll then create the button by making a french knot.
To make a french knot, hold your needle in your right hand and your embroidery floss in your left (photo w). Tightly wrap the floss around your needle 4-5 times, making sure you continue to hold it tight throughout this process (photo x). Keeping the loops on the needle, insert the needle into the body as close as you can to where it exited before without being in the same hole (photo y).
Have the needle exit through a hole between crochet sts a few sts over, and while continuing to hold your tail tight pull the needle through (photo z). This will tighten the loops on your needle into a nice small knot (photo *a)!
Make a second french knot 1 ½ to 2 rows down from your first knot (photo *b). Then maneuver your embroidery floss until it exits the very first hole you inserted your yarn into (photo *b). Knot the ends and weave them in (photo *c).
And all that’s left to do is loop your twine, ribbon, or a scrap of yarn through the top back of the ornament and tie a knot. And you’ve finished your kid-friendly gingerbread man ornament!
If you made a little guy from this crochet gingerbread man 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 gingerbread man ornament pattern, check out some related free patterns of mine below.
Thanks for following along!
