This crochet Christmas hat is the classic Santa hat: a soft red cone, a white ribbed brim and a fluffy pom-pom on the tip. It’s worked from the top down in plain half double crochet, so there’s no seaming and nothing fiddly, and you can try it on as you go.
The pattern comes in three sizes, baby, child and adult, which makes it perfect for matching family photos or a last-minute stocking gift. The adult size takes most people two to three hours.
In this post
Pattern at a glance
- Skill levelEasy
- SizesBaby, Child, Adult
- Time2–3 hours (adult)
- YarnWorsted weight (#4)
- Hook5 mm (US H-8)
- TermsUS crochet terms
Free printable pattern
The PDF has every round for the adult size, the baby and child changes, the brim, the pom-pom, the stitch chart and the size diagram on four pages. Print it or keep it open on your phone.
Materials
- Red worsted weight yarn: about 31 / 49 / 65 yd (baby / child / adult)
- White worsted weight yarn for the brim and pom-pom: about 18 / 24 / 33 yd
- 5 mm (US H-8) crochet hook
- Stitch marker, tapestry needle and scissors
- A piece of cardboard about 2.5 in (6 cm) wide for the pom-pom
Soft acrylic or an acrylic-wool blend is the easiest choice for a hat that gets worn and washed. For the brim, a fluffy or slightly brushed white yarn looks lovely and “furry”, but a plain smooth yarn shows the ribbing better.
Gauge and sizes
Gauge: 13 hdc and 10 rounds = 4 in (10 cm). Hats are forgiving, but if your stitches are much tighter go up a hook size, and if they’re looser go down one. The easiest check is the width: once you finish increasing, the hat should measure about half the “around” number below when laid flat.
| Size | Fits head | Stitches | Around | Height | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby (6–12 months) | 16 in (41 cm) | 48 | 14.5 in | 8.7 in | 22 |
| Child (3–10 years) | 19 in (48 cm) | 60 | 18.2 in | 11 in | 28 |
| Adult (teen / adult) | 21–23 in (53–58 cm) | 66 | 20 in | 13.4 in | 34 |
The hat is a little smaller around than the head on purpose: hdc stretches, so a couple of inches of negative ease keeps it from sliding down over the eyes.
Abbreviations (US terms)
| US | Meaning | UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| ch | chain | ch |
| sl st | slip stitch | ss |
| hdc | half double crochet | htr |
| 2 hdc | 2 hdc in the same stitch (increase) | 2 htr in the same st |
| BLO | back loop only | BLO |
| st(s) | stitch(es) | st(s) |
Crochet Christmas hat pattern
The hat is worked from the tip down in joined rounds. The ch 1 at the start of each round doesn’t count as a stitch: work the first hdc into the same stitch as the join, and put a stitch marker in that first hdc so the join is easy to find. The numbers in brackets are the stitches at the end of the round.
Hat (red), adult size
- Round 1: Make a magic ring, ch 1, work 6 hdc into the ring and join with a sl st to the first hdc. Pull the ring tight. (6)
- Round 2: Ch 1, hdc in each st around, join. (6)
- Round 3: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around, join. (12)
- Round 4: Ch 1, hdc in each st around, join. (12)
- Round 5: Ch 1, *hdc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st; repeat from * around, join. (18)
- Round 6 and every even round to Round 20: Ch 1, hdc in each st around, join. (same count as the round before)
- Round 7: Ch 1, *hdc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next st; repeat from * around, join. (24)
- Round 9: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 3 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; repeat from * around, join. (30)
- Round 11: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 2 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next 2 sts; repeat from * around, join. (36)
- Round 13: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 5 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; repeat from * around, join. (42)
- Round 15: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 3 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next 3 sts; repeat from * around, join. (48)
- Round 17: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 7 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; repeat from * around, join. (54)
- Round 19: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 4 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next 4 sts; repeat from * around, join. (60)
- Round 21: Ch 1, *hdc in the next 9 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; repeat from * around, join. (66)
- Rounds 22–27: Ch 1, hdc in each st around, join. (66)
Every increase round adds 6 stitches, and the plain round in between gives the hat its tall, slim Santa point. Increase rounds alternate between “increase at the end of each repeat” and “increase in the middle of each repeat”, so the increases never stack on top of each other and the cone stays round instead of turning hexagonal.
Stitch chart
If you prefer charts, here is the whole adult hat as a repeat chart. Every round is made of 6 identical repeats, so the chart shows one of them: work it 6 times around. Start at Round 1 at the bottom (the tip of the hat) and read upwards. Each T is a half double crochet, a V is 2 hdc in the same stitch, and the little arcs under the white rounds mean back loop only.
Brim (white), adult size
- Round 28: Join white in the last st of Round 27 by pulling it through on the final yarn-over of that round’s last hdc. Ch 1, hdc in each st around, join. (66)
- Rounds 29–34: Ch 1, hdc in the back loop only of each st around, join. (66)
Fasten off and weave in the ends. Working into the back loop leaves a little ridge on every round, which gives the brim its ribbed, knitted look. Wear it straight or fold it up into a cuff.
Baby and child sizes
- Baby (48 sts): work Rounds 1–15, then 3 rounds of hdc without increasing (18 red rounds in total). Brim: 4 white rounds, the first in both loops and the next 3 in the back loop only. 22 rounds in all.
- Child (60 sts): work Rounds 1–19, then 4 rounds of hdc without increasing (23 red rounds in total). Brim: 5 white rounds, the first in both loops and the next 4 in the back loop only. 28 rounds in all.
Not sure which size? Measure around the head just above the ears and pick the size whose “fits head” number is closest. For a teenager with a smaller head, the child size with one or two extra red rounds works well.
Pom-pom
- Wrap white yarn about 80 times around a 2.5 in (6 cm) wide piece of cardboard. For the baby hat, wrap 60 times around 2 in (5 cm).
- Slide the loops off and tie them very tightly around the middle with a long strand of yarn.
- Cut through all the loops on both sides, fluff, and trim into a neat ball.
- Thread the long ties onto a tapestry needle and sew the pom-pom securely to the tip of the hat. Knot inside the hat.
For a baby or toddler hat, sew the pom-pom on very firmly and check it before each wear, or skip it and add a little white crochet ball instead.
Tips for a neat Santa hat
- Pull the magic ring tight and weave the tail through the first round, or you’ll get a little hole at the tip.
- Keep the join straight. Moving your marker up to the first hdc of every round keeps the seam line from drifting around the hat.
- Count after every increase round. If you’re one stitch off, it’s much easier to fix now than three rounds later.
- Try it on after the increases. If it’s already as wide as you need, stop increasing and start the plain rounds.
- Make it floppier by adding 2–4 extra plain rounds between increases near the tip, so the point is long enough to fold over.
Frequently asked questions
How much yarn do I need for a crochet Santa hat?
For the adult size, about 65 yards of red and 33 yards of white worsted yarn, including the pom-pom. That’s less than one standard skein of each, so a single red and a single white skein will make a hat for the whole family.
Can I make it with single crochet instead?
You can, but single crochet is shorter and stiffer, so you’ll need more rounds and the hat will be less stretchy. Half double crochet is a nice middle ground: quick to work, soft, and with enough give to fit well.
My hat is too big. What should I change?
Go down a hook size, or stop increasing one size earlier: for example, stop at 60 stitches for a smaller adult head. Add a plain round or two if you still want the same height.
Save it for later
Pin the image below so the pattern is easy to find when the holidays get busy. If you make a hat, I’d love to see it: send a photo to info@cozymakery.com.
More festive makes: the granny Christmas tree skirt, the crochet Christmas star garland, the crochet Christmas stocking and the cone Christmas trees. Browse everything in Christmas Crafts.
