How to Crochet Santa Claus Pattern – DIY Crafts

Hi friends, it is Amy! If you need a Santa you can actually finish in one sitting, this tiny flat Santa applique is the one I reach for. He is only about 2 inches tall, works up in around 10 minutes once your yarn is ready, and looks so sweet on a tree, on a gift bag, or tucked onto a Christmas card.

The face and beard are worked in white in rounds, with a fun textured beard made right into Round 3, and then the little red hat is worked separately in turning rows on top. A pom-pom nose and a pom-pom on the hat tip finish him off — no stuffing, no complicated shaping, just pure festive charm.

I love making a whole handful of these with leftover yarn. Keep your tension nice and even so the applique lies flat, pull that magic ring good and tight, and you will have a Santa ready to hang before your cocoa even cools.

Materials

• Fine/sport or light DK weight yarn in white
• Fine/sport or light DK weight yarn in red
• 2.0 mm to 2.5 mm crochet hook, adjusted to match your yarn weight
• 1 small white pom-pom for the hat tip
• 1 small red pom-pom for Santa’s nose
• 2 small black beads or eye pins for the eyes
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Glue gun or fabric glue for attaching the embellishments

Abbreviations

• MR: magic ring / magic circle
• CH: chain
• SL ST: slip stitch
• SC: single crochet
• DC: double crochet
• DEC: single crochet decrease (sc2tog)
• FLO: front loop only
• SK: skip stitch

Special Stitches

• 4-DC cluster: 4 half-finished double crochets worked into the same stitch, yarn over and pull through all loops on hook

Gauge & Size

• Finished size: approximately 2 inches (5 cm) tall, as a flat applique/ornament
• Gauge: not critical for this applique; keep tension consistent so the piece lies flat
• Difficulty: Beginner-friendly with one textured stitch to learn

Face and Beard Pattern

Work the face and beard with white yarn.

Round 1: Start with a magic ring (MR). CH 2 (counts as base height). Work 18 DC into the magic ring. Pull the yarn tail to tighten the ring and close the hole. SL ST into the first DC to join. (18 sts)

Round 2: CH 1. Work 1 SC in each stitch around. SL ST into the first SC to join. (18 sts)

Round 3: This round is worked in front loop only (FLO) for the brim trim and beard texture.

Hat trim section: Work into FLO for the next 8 stitches. Repeat [CH 1, SL ST in next stitch] 8 times.

Beard section: Work into FLO for the next 10 stitches. Repeat 5 times: [CH 3, 4-DC cluster in same stitch, CH 1, SK 1 stitch, SL ST in next stitch].

Fasten off the white yarn and weave in the ends. Your base shape is complete, including the textured beard.

Santa Hat Pattern

Work the hat with red yarn, in turning rows.

Row 4: Join red yarn to the first stitch of the 8 brim stitches from Round 3, working into the back loops this time, behind the trim. CH 1, then work 8 SC across the brim. CH 1, then turn. (8 sts)

Row 5: Work 1 DEC, 4 SC, 1 DEC, decreasing at each end. CH 1, then turn. (6 sts)

Row 6: Work 1 DEC, 2 SC, 1 DEC. CH 1, then turn. (4 sts)

Row 7: Work 4 SC across. CH 1, then turn. (4 sts)

Row 8: Work 2 DEC across. CH 1, then turn. (2 sts)

Row 9: DEC the last 2 stitches together. (1 st)

Fasten off the red yarn and weave in the end.

Finishing & Assembly

Attach the small white pom-pom to the top point of the red hat using glue.

Glue the small red pom-pom in the centre of the face, just above the beard, for the nose.

Attach 2 small black beads (or eye pins) slightly above and to either side of the nose.

To use Santa as an ornament, attach a gold string or loop to the top of the hat. To use him as a gift topper, glue or sew him onto a gift bag or greeting card. For a keychain or brooch, add a felt backing and attach a brooch pin or keychain ring.

Tips

Keep consistent tension all the way around so the applique stays flat.

Pull the magic ring tight and secure it with a knot after finishing Round 1.

Take extra care when crocheting in the front loops in Round 3 so the back loops remain accessible for the hat rows.