If you want to purchase an ad-free printable PDF version of this crochet snowman ornament pattern, you can find it HERE on etsy.
This crochet snowman ornament pattern is the third in my kid friendly ornament series!
The first was a crochet Santa ornament, and the second a crochet gingerbread man ornament. Go check them out HERE and 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 snowman is so cute and fun to make. With a simple front and back piece, surface crochet hat band, and simple embroidered details this ornament is an adorable and simple project!
I hope you enjoy making your own crochet snowman ornament, I can’t wait to see what you make!
NOTE: If you are wanting to sell finished products from this free crochet snowman 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
- A G (4.00 mm)crochet hook or a 7 (4.50 mm) crochet hook (I used 4.50mm but either will work)
- Red Heart Super Saver in the colors White, Black
- Impeccable Loops & Threads solids in the color Burgundy
- 20 inch piece of dark orange yarn
- 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
This pattern is worked flat in rows to create two main ornament pieces that you’ll later join with a black sc and ch border around the hat and a white sc and ch border around the face.
Main Piece (make 2)
Using the F (3.75mm) crochet hook and white yarn, ch 7, turn.
Row 1: Starting in second ch from hook, inc, sc 4, inc, ch 1, turn (8)
Row 2: inc, sc 6, inc, ch 1, turn (10)
Row 3: inc, sc 8, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
Rows 4 – 7: sc 12, ch 1, turn each row
Row 8: dec, sc 8, dec, change the yarn color to black, ch 1, turn (10)
Row 9: inc, sc 8, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
Row 10: sc 12, ch 1, turn (12)
Cut yarn and pull through the tail to FO (photo A).
Row 11: Flip over your snowman piece. Make a slip knot and pull it through the 3rd st in from right side (photo B). Ch 1, then make 1 sc in the same st you pulled your slip knot through (photo C). Sc 7, ch 1 (photo D), turn (8)
Row 12: inc, sc 6, inc, ch 1, turn (10)
Row 13: sc 10, ch 1, turn (10)
Row 14: inc, sc 8, inc, ch 1, turn (12)
Row 15: sc 12, ch 1, turn
Row 16: sc 12
Cut yarn and pull through to finish off.
Surface Crochet Hat Band
To create the hat band you’ll be using your red yarn to surface crochet a zigzag stripe across each main piece of your snowman. Surface crochet is fairly simple, it’s just slip stitching across the front of a finished crochet piece.
I also made a short video tutorial on my YouTube channel demonstrating the technique. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TftQacok94A.
Grab your red yarn and a 4.00 or 4.50mm crochet hook. (I used 4.50mm, but either will work.) You’ll be using two strands of red 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 each main piece you crocheted. The top row is between crocheted rows 10 and 11 (photo F pink arrow points to this row of holes), and the bottom row is between crocheted rows 9 and 10 (photo F blue arrow points to this row of holes). Make sure to keep your tension fairly loose as you’re working to make your crochet brim nice and poofy!
Create a slipknot with your held together yarn and put it on your hook (photo G). Then grab your face piece and insert your hook into the farthest right hole on that top row of holes mentioned earlier (photo H).
Yarn over, and pull the yarn up through the hole to the front side (photo I). Then slip the old loop off of your hook over the one you just pulled up (photo J). 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 (in photo K the hook points to the hole). Repeat the same process as before, yarn up and pull up a loop (photo L), then slip the old loop off of your hook over the one you just pulled up (photo M). 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 N). After that, surface stitch into the furthest right hole on the bottom row (photo O, the blue arrow points to the hole). You should start to see the zigzag forming now. Continue the pattern of alternating surface crocheting into the top and bottom rows (photo P).
Once you reach the end your brim should look like photo Q. Create one ch stitch (photo R). Cut your yarn and pull the tail through to finish off the brim (photo S).
Weave in all your black and white yarn ends, leaving your red yarn ends not woven in. (photos T, U)
Joining the front and back together
Stack your two pieces on top of each other so that you have the front side of each snowman piece facing out (photos V, W).
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 12 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 12 sts on both pieces (photo X). Take another stitch marker and place it through the farthest left of the 12 sts on the front and back pieces (photo Y), making sure to lock them.
Move onto the left side of the face two rows down from where you changed colors from white to black. Place a stitch marker in the edge of both pieces at that point and lock it (photo Z).
Then move onto the bottom of the face, holding the snowman upside down. Line up the bottom ch that you first crocheted into on the front piece with the bottom piece. There should be 6 on the front and 6 on the back. Then place a stitch marker through both pieces in the furthest right of the 6 sts on both pieces (photo *A). Take another stitch marker and place it through the farthest left of the 6 sts on the front and back pieces (photo *B), making sure to lock them.
Move onto the right side of the face two rows down from where you changed colors from white to black. Place a stitch marker in the edge of both pieces at that point and lock it (photo *C).
Now that it’s all pinned, let’s get to the joining!
Make a slipknot in your black yarn and use your hook to pull it through the pair of stitches you placed your first marker into (photo *D). Pull the loop through and ch 1 to join the yarn. Remove the stitch marker. (photo *E)
Sc into the pair you just joined the yarn into, then sc in the next 10 pairs of stitches (photo *F) (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 (photo *G) and remove the stitch marker.
Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 1 row down from your last stitch (photo *H blue arrow shows where you work into). Ch 1, sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down 2 more times (photo *I shows the first time). This last sc should be into the row just above the red band you created across the hat (photo *J).
Move the tails from your red brims to the side (photo *K). Then ch 1 and sc just below the edge of your red brim (photo *L, *M).
Turn and sc 2 across the last two stitches on the top of row 10 (photo *N).
Ch 1 and rotate the snowman clockwise so it’s sideways.
Sc into the edge of both pieces at the end of row 9, working into the second half of the increase st you worked at the end of that row (photos *O, *P).
Then rotate your snowman clockwise again so it’s upside down.
You’ll now work surface crochet stitches between rows 8 and 9 to create a border across the bottom of your snowman’s hat. This will be similar to how you worked the red brim of the snowman’s hat, but you’ll work across only one row of holes instead of zig-zagging between two of them.
Insert your hook into the furthest right hole of both pieces (photo *Q), yarn over (photo *R), and pull up a loop (photo *S). Slip the first loop on your hook up and off over the second (photo *T). This creates your first surface crochet stitch.
Continue working this stitch into the next furthest right hole of both pieces until you reach the end of the row (photo *U).
Once you’ve working into your last hole, ch 1 (photo *V). Then rotate your snowman clockwise again and sc into the edge of both pieces at this end of row 9, working into the half of the increase stitch closest to the edge (photos *W, *X).
Ch 1, sc 2 into the top pairs of row 10 (photo *Y). Then sc just below the edge of your red brim (photo *Z).
Move the tails from your red brims to the side, then ch 1 and sc just above the edge of your red brim (photo .A).
*Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last stitch (photo .B)* twice. Then ch 1, cut the yarn, and pull it through leaving a small tail (photo .C).
Thread this tail onto a needle, then insert the needle under the two loops of the first stitch you made when joining the hat pieces together (photo .D). Pull your needle through, then insert it into the hole your yarn tail just came up out of (photo .E) and pull tight until you have created what looks like a new stitch and the border around your hat is closed (photo .F). Weave what’s left of your tail into the hat.
Now that your hat border and join is created, grab your white yarn and crochet hook and pull a slipknot through both pieces on the left side of the snowman’s face through the hole you made the first surface crochet stitch into between rows 8 and 9 (photo .G). Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the same hole (photo .H). Then ch 1 and sc into both pieces where you placed the stitch marker earlier and remove the stitch marker (photo .I).
*Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows down from your last stitch* twice. Then ch 1 and sc into both pieces where the next stitch marker is and remove the stitch marker (photo .J).
Just like you did across the top of the hat, sc into the next pair of sts 4 more times (photo .K), then sc into the pair the next stitch marker is in, removing the stitch marker (photo .L). Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last stitch (photo .M).
Now that you only have about an inch of your ornament open (photo .N), stuff your snowman’s face and then resume crocheting (photos .O, .P).
Ch 1 and work 1 sc into the edge of both pieces 2 rows up from your last stitch (photo .Q). Then ch 1 and sc into the holes the last stitch marker is placed into.
Then ch 1 and sc into the last hole you placed a surface crochet stitch into earlier (photo .R). Cut the yarn and pull it through.
Thread it on a needle and insert it into the last spot you crocheted into so that the tail comes out of the back of the snowman (photo .T).
Then to secure your tails, use your needle to weave your two tails shown in photo .U over until they come out of the same hole (photo .V), knot them (photo .W), and weave in the ends.
Finishing the hat brim
Thread both of the yarn tails from one side of the back piece’s hat band onto a yarn needle. Insert the needle into the front side of the snowman’s hat just below the edge of the hat band on the front (photo .X). Have the needle exit the hat on the back side through a hole between stitches (photo .Y). Pull through and repeat with the yarn tails on the other end of the back hat band with the needle exiting the hat band in the same hole as the first one (photo .Z). Pull the strings to tighten them, knot them (photo a), and weave the ends in.
Now thread both of the yarn tails from one side of the front hat band onto a yarn needle. Insert the needle into the back side of the snowman’s hat just below the edge of the hat band on the back. Have the needle exit the hat on the back side through a hole between stitches (photo b). Pull through and repeat with the yarn tails on the other end of the front hat band with the needle exiting the hat band in the same hole as the first one (photo c). Pull the strings to tighten them, knot them (photo d), and weave the ends in (photo e).
If you still have any white peeking through the bottom of your hat, use your fingernail to push your surface crochet stitches up just a little bit and they should go away (photos f, g). Because the face is stuffed but the hat isn’t, the face will help keep these stitches pushed up slightly higher.
Embroider the Eyes
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 two rows up from the bottom of the face. Then come up out of the face about 5 stitches in from the right side of the face 4 rows down from the top (photo h). Pull this through, then insert your needle into the face 3 sts to the right of where you just exited, coming up out of the face at the top of row 11 about 1 ½ sts over to the left (photo i).
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 .i). Then insert the needle into the face very slightly above where it last exited, coming out of the face two stitches to the left of the left edge where you started the right eye (photo j shows the face after you pulled through).
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 the same row about 1 ½ sts over and to the right (photo k).
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(photo k) . 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 l)
Now that your embroidery floss tails are coming out of the same hole in the beard (photo m), knot them (photo n) and weave the ends in.
It may take a few tries. I wasn’t fully satisfied with mine so I tried again too! Photos o, p below show how my second try on the right eye turned out better and longer than my first.
Embroider the Carrot Nose
Begin by threading your piece of orange yarn onto a sharp yarn needle. Insert it into a hole between sts one row up from the bottom of the face, coming out of the face slightly to the right and just below the inner corner of your snowman’s left eye (photo q).
Pull through and insert the needle into the snowman’s face 3 to 3 ½ sts to the right of where you last exited and very slightly below it, with the needle exiting the snowman’s face about ½ a stitch below the last exit (photo r).
Pull through and insert the needle into the same spot you inserted it last time, exiting the face halfway between your other two exit points (photo s).
Insert your needle back into the same insertion spot one more time and exit the face out of a hole between stitches near your previous one (photos t, u). Now you’ll anchor your yarn carrot nose to ensure it can’t be pulled loose. Insert your needle into the stitch in between your two tails, resulting in both tails coming out of the same hole. Knot them and weave in the ends (photo v).
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 snowman 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 snowman ornament pattern, check out some related free patterns of mine below.
Thanks for following along!
