Free Crochet Santa Lovey Pattern

By Jan Bay

This free crochet Santa lovey pattern combines a recognizable Santa Claus head with a long, soft snuggler-style body, floppy arms and legs, a red suit, white beard and simple embroidered face. The body stays substantially unstuffed so the finished Santa feels more like a cuddly lovey than a firm amigurumi doll, while light stuffing in the head gives his face enough shape to hold its character.

Worsted Weight Yarn for Crochet

Finished Size and Skill Level

Worked with medium worsted-weight yarn at the gauge below, this Santa is expected to measure about 22 inches from the white pom to the bottoms of his boots when the hat is stretched out. From the top of his head to the bottoms of the boots, expect roughly 17 to 18 inches.

The lower tunic is about 6 inches wide when laid flat, with a head about 3 1/2 inches across before the beard is added. The long arms and legs are intentional. They give Santa the loose lovey shape shown in the finished example instead of turning him into a short, firmly stuffed doll.

Skill level: Intermediate. You'll work in continuous rounds, make simple increases and decreases, change colors, crochet small shaped pieces and sew several layers into place.

Gauge: Approximately 16 single crochet stitches and 18 rounds = 4 inches in firm single crochet.

Gauge matters more here than it does on many stuffed crochet projects because the head, tunic and hat have to stay in proportion. If your fabric is loose enough to show noticeable gaps, go down a hook size. If it's stiff and difficult to work, go up slightly.

Materials for the Santa Lovey

Use smooth medium #4 worsted-weight yarn so the embroidered face and layered beard stay easy to see. A soft acrylic, acrylic blend or washable wool blend can work. I would skip fuzzy yarn for the face and body because it hides the shaping that gives this Santa his character.

• Red worsted-weight yarn: approximately 180 yards
• White worsted-weight yarn: approximately 90 yards
• Skin-tone or warm peach worsted-weight yarn: approximately 45 yards
• Black worsted-weight yarn: approximately 55 yards
• Gold or mustard yarn: a few yards for the embroidered belt buckle
• Muted pink yarn or embroidery floss: a small amount for the cheeks
• 4.0 mm G/6 crochet hook, or size needed for firm fabric
• Polyester fiberfill for the head, boots, mittens and pom
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch marker
• Scissors

You won't need safety eyes, buttons or beads. The black eyes, nose, cheeks and buckle are all worked with yarn so there are no hard embellishments on the finished Santa.

If you're making more Christmas projects after Santa, the free Christmas crochet patterns page keeps the seasonal patterns together in one place.

Crochet Abbreviations

This pattern uses US crochet terminology.

• ch = chain
• dc = double crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• inc = work 2 single crochet stitches in the same stitch
• MR = magic ring
• rnd = round
• sc = single crochet
• sc2tog = single crochet 2 stitches together
• sl st = slip stitch
• st/sts = stitch/stitches
• BLO = back loop only

Unless a row specifically says otherwise, a beginning chain does not count as a stitch.

Crochet Santa Lovey Pattern Notes

Work the head, body, arms, legs and hat in continuous rounds unless the instructions tell you to turn. Put a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you work.

The beginning of each round on the head and body will become the center back. That gives you a reliable reference point when it's time to place the eyes, arms, beard, buckle and legs.

The body is supposed to stay soft. Do not stuff the tunic, red arms or red legs. Stuffing those sections would turn the finished project into a firmer Santa doll and change the silhouette we are making.

Use fiberfill in the head. Add only enough to the black mittens and boots to round them out, and use a small amount in the crocheted pom. Stop the stuffing at the color changes so it does not migrate into the long red limbs.

Keep your stitches tight enough that the stuffing in the head and black pieces does not show through. You don't need to crochet painfully tight. You just want a firm, even fabric.

The beard is deliberately made in layers instead of as one flat white piece. That's a little more sewing, but it is what gives this Santa the broad, rounded beard shown in the finished example. Don't flatten that part out to save a few minutes.

For each color change, begin the final stitch of the old color normally, then complete the last yarn-over with the new color. Cut the old yarn unless the instructions will use it again immediately, secure the tail on the inside and continue with the new color. This keeps the belt and white cuffs as neat as possible while working in continuous rounds.

All stitch counts shown in parentheses are the number of stitches you should have when that round or row is complete.

Crochet the Santa Head

With skin-tone yarn, make an MR.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in MR. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc in next st, inc in next st] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 4: [Sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (24)

Rnd 5: [Sc in next 3 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (30)

Rnd 6: [Sc in next 4 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (36)

Rnd 7: [Sc in next 5 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (42)

Rnds 8-15: Sc in each st around. (42)

Rnd 16: [Sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog] 6 times. (36)

Rnd 17: [Sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] 6 times. (30)

Rnd 18: [Sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] 6 times. (24)

Rnd 19: [Sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] 6 times. (18)

Begin stuffing the head. Add the fiberfill in small amounts so the face stays rounded instead of lumpy.

Rnd 20: [Sc in next st, sc2tog] 6 times. (12)

Add the final bit of stuffing before the opening gets too small.

Rnd 21: Sc2tog around. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a tail. Thread the tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches, pull closed and secure it inside the head.

Face placement: Keep the round beginning at center back. The center front falls opposite that marker, around stitches 21 and 22 of the 42-stitch section.

Using black yarn, embroider each eye as a short vertical satin stitch spanning approximately Rnds 9-11. Place the eye centers about 7 stitches apart, roughly at stitches 18 and 25 when counted around from the center-back marker.

With black yarn, embroider one short slightly curved eyebrow above each eye around Rnd 8. Angle the outer ends slightly upward and keep the two eyebrows symmetrical.

Nose: With skin-tone yarn, make an MR and work 6 sc in the ring. Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail. Center the small crocheted nose between the eyes over approximately Rnds 11-13. Sew through each outer stitch to secure it to the face, allowing the center to stay slightly raised instead of pulling the piece completely flat.

Add one short muted-pink horizontal stitch beneath each eye for the subtle cheek color. Knot and bury every embroidery tail securely inside the head.

Make the Layered White Beard and Moustache

The beard has a tapered backing piece plus four overlapping scalloped strips. The backing keeps the beard solid while the strips give it the thick rounded layers visible on the finished Santa.

Beard base

With white yarn, ch 23.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Ch 1, turn. (22)

Row 2: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (22)

Row 3: Sc2tog, sc in next 18 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (20)

Row 4: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (20)

Row 5: Sc2tog, sc in next 16 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (18)

Row 6: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (18)

Row 7: Sc2tog, sc in next 14 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (16)

Row 8: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (16)

Row 9: Sc2tog, sc in next 12 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (14)

Row 10: Sc2tog, sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (12)

Row 11: Sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts, sc2tog. Ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 12: Sc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog. (8)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Upper scallop strip

Ch 21.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (20)

Row 2: [Sl st in next st, 5 dc in next st, sl st in next st, sl st in next st] 5 times.

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.

Middle scallop strip

Ch 17.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (16)

Row 2: [Sl st in next st, 5 dc in next st, sl st in next st, sl st in next st] 4 times.

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.

Lower scallop strip

Ch 13.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (12)

Row 2: [Sl st in next st, 5 dc in next st, sl st in next st, sl st in next st] 3 times.

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.

Bottom scallop strip

Ch 9.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (8)

Row 2: [Sl st in next st, 5 dc in next st, sl st in next st, sl st in next st] 2 times.

Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.

Lay the beard base with Row 1 at the top. Pin the upper strip across approximately Rows 2-3 with the rounded shells pointing down. Place the middle strip across about Rows 5-6, the lower strip across Rows 8-9 and the small bottom strip across Rows 10-11. Center every strip before sewing.

Sew only along the straight foundation edge of each strip. Leave the rounded shell edges loose so they overlap the layer below. The beard should look full, not pressed flat.

Moustache, make 2

With white yarn, ch 9.

Beginning in the 2nd ch from hook, work: sl st in next ch, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, sl st in last ch.

Fasten off with a sewing tail.

Make a second moustache half the same way.

Do not sew the beard or moustache to the head yet. Final placement is easier after the body has been attached because the lower beard needs to fall naturally over the upper red tunic.

Crochet the Soft Santa Lovey Body and Tunic

The tunic begins narrow at the shoulders, keeps the black belt high on the body and then widens in three controlled steps. That flare matters. It is what gives the finished project the softer lovey shape instead of a straight stuffed-doll torso.

With red yarn, ch 30 loosely. Being careful not to twist the chain, join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Sc in each ch around. (30)

From this point, work in continuous rounds.

Rnds 2-6: Sc in each st around. (30)

Change to black.

Rnds 7-8: Sc in each st around. (30)

Change back to red.

Rnd 9: [Sc in next 4 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (36)

Rnds 10-12: Sc in each st around. (36)

Rnd 13: [Sc in next 5 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (42)

Rnds 14-17: Sc in each st around. (42)

Rnd 18: [Sc in next 6 sts, inc in next st] 6 times. (48)

Rnds 19-23: Sc in each st around. (48)

Change to white.

Rnd 24: Sc in each st around. (48)

Rnd 25: Hdc in each st around. (48)

Rnd 26: [Sl st in next st, 5 dc in next st, sl st in next 2 sts] 12 times.

Fasten off and weave in the white yarn tail without closing the lower opening yet.

The 12 small white shells form the continuous rounded scalloped trim visible around the lower tunic. Keep the scallops outside the lower seam rather than trapping them inside it when the legs are attached.

Embroider the belt buckle: Find the center front opposite the round marker. Using gold or mustard yarn, embroider a small rectangular outline across the center of the two black belt rounds. Aim for roughly 4 body stitches in width and the full height of Rnds 7-8. Secure the yarn ends on the inside.

Leave the body completely unstuffed.

Crochet the Long Arms and Black Mittens

Make 2.

Begin with black yarn and an MR.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in MR. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Rnds 3-5: Sc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 6: [Sc in next st, sc2tog] 4 times. (8)

Add a small amount of fiberfill to the mitten only. Keep the stuffing below the wrist.

Change to white.

Rnd 7: Working in BLO, sc in each st around. (8)

Rnd 8: [Sc in next st, inc in next st] 4 times. (12)

Change to red.

Rnds 9-27: Sc in each st around. (12)

Do not add any more stuffing after the black mitten. Leave both the white cuff and red sleeve unstuffed.

Flatten the upper opening so 6 stitches sit along each side. Sc through both layers across the top to close the arm, or fasten off and sew the two layers together. Leave a long tail for attaching the arm to the body.

Repeat for the second arm.

Crochet the Long Legs and Black Boots

Make 2.

Begin with black yarn and an MR.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in MR. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc in next st, inc in next st] 6 times. (18)

Rnds 4-6: Sc in each st around. (18)

Rnd 7: [Sc in next st, sc2tog] 6 times. (12)

Rnds 8-10: Sc in each st around. (12)

Lightly stuff the black boot. Shape the fiberfill toward the rounded lower end, but stop at the top of the black section.

Change to white.

Rnd 11: Working in BLO, sc in each st around. (12)

Rnds 12-13: Sc in each st around. (12)

Change to red.

Rnds 14-35: Sc in each st around. (12)

Do not add any more stuffing after the black boot. Leave both the white cuff and red leg unstuffed.

Flatten the top opening so 6 stitches lie across each side. Sew or sc through both layers to close the top. Leave a long tail for attaching the leg inside the tunic.

Repeat for the second leg.

At the expected gauge, each finished leg and boot measures roughly 7 3/4 inches from the flattened upper edge to the bottom of the boot. If yours are noticeably shorter or longer, check your round gauge before assembling Santa.

Crochet the Long Santa Hat

The hat is worked from the red tip down toward the white brim. Do not stuff the red cone. It needs to bend and droop naturally like the hat in the finished example.

With red yarn, make an MR.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in MR. (6)

Rnd 2: Sc around. (6)

Rnd 3: [Sc in next st, inc in next st] 3 times. (9)

Rnd 4: Sc around. (9)

Rnd 5: [Sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (12)

Rnd 6: Sc around. (12)

Rnd 7: [Sc in next 3 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (15)

Rnd 8: Sc around. (15)

Rnd 9: [Sc in next 4 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (18)

Rnd 10: Sc around. (18)

Rnd 11: [Sc in next 5 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (21)

Rnd 12: Sc around. (21)

Rnd 13: [Sc in next 6 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (24)

Rnd 14: Sc around. (24)

Rnd 15: [Sc in next 7 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (27)

Rnd 16: Sc around. (27)

Rnd 17: [Sc in next 8 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (30)

Rnd 18: Sc around. (30)

Rnd 19: [Sc in next 9 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (33)

Rnd 20: Sc around. (33)

Rnd 21: [Sc in next 10 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (36)

Rnd 22: Sc around. (36)

Rnd 23: [Sc in next 11 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (39)

Rnd 24: Sc around. (39)

Rnd 25: [Sc in next 12 sts, inc in next st] 3 times. (42)

Rnds 26-27: Sc in each st around. (42)

Change to white.

Rnd 28: Working in BLO, sc in each st around. (42)

Rnd 29: Hdc in each st around. (42)

Rnd 30: Sc in each st around. (42)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the brim securely to the head.

Crocheted white pom

With white yarn, make an MR.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in MR. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc in next st, inc in next st] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 4: Sc around. (18)

Rnd 5: [Sc in next st, sc2tog] 6 times. (12)

Add a small amount of fiberfill.

Rnd 6: Sc2tog around. (6)

Fasten off with a long tail. Pull the opening closed and sew the pom firmly to the red tip of the hat. A crocheted pom is a better fit for this project than a cut-yarn pom because there are no loose cut strands hanging from it.

Assemble the Santa Lovey

Take a minute to lay everything out before sewing. The face, beard, arms and long legs are what determine whether the finished Santa keeps the proportions shown in the example image.

1. Attach the body to the head.

Keep the beginning-of-round markers at center back on both pieces. The upper edge of the body has 30 stitches. Head Rnd 17 also has 30 stitches.

Bring the top edge of the red body up around the lower head so that it sits along the Rnd 17 line. Match center back to center back and center front to center front. Sew one body stitch to each corresponding head stitch all the way around. This gives you a 1-to-1 join with no gathering.

The body must remain unstuffed.

2. Attach the beard.

Center the 22-stitch top edge of the beard base across the lower front of the face. The upper corners should sit at approximately Rnds 13-14, with the beard centered beneath the embroidered nose.

Sew the top and side edges of the beard base securely to the head. Let the tapered lower portion fall over the upper red chest. Tack the lower beard to the body in two or three inconspicuous places so it does not flip upward, but do not sew down every scalloped edge.

The lower beard should approach the belt without hiding the gold buckle completely.

3. Add the moustache.

Place the two white moustache halves directly beneath the embroidered nose. Touch the inner tips together at center front. Curve each half outward over the upper beard and sew it down along the chain edge, leaving the fuller outer edge slightly raised.

4. Attach the arms.

With the body marker at center back, the side points of the 30-stitch upper body fall at approximately stitches 8 and 23.

Center one flattened 6-stitch arm top over each side point near Rnds 3-4 of the body. Sew through both layers of the arm top and the body fabric several times. The arms should hang straight and loose, with the black mittens reaching toward the lower tunic.

Check that the arms are level before knotting and burying the tails.

5. Position the legs.

Turn the tunic so the center-front buckle faces you. Flatten the lower opening, matching the front half of Rnd 25 to the back half. You will have 24 paired stitch positions across the lower edge.

Place the first flattened leg top between paired positions 5-10. Place the second between paired positions 15-20. That leaves four paired positions between the legs and keeps them centered under the flared tunic.

Slip each leg top between the front and back layers of the body opening. Sew through the front body layer, both layers of the flattened leg top and the back body layer across all 6 positions. Repeat for the second leg.

Close the remaining lower body opening by sewing the matching front and back Rnd 25 stitches together. Work behind the white scalloped trim so the closure seam stays tucked under it.

The long red legs should hang independently below the tunic with the rounded black boots facing forward.

6. Attach the hat.

Set the white brim around the upper head so it sits just above the embroidered eyes and beard. Angle the hat slightly to one side before sewing if you want the same relaxed droop shown in the finished example.

Sew the entire lower edge of the white brim to the head. Do not leave the hat removable.

Let the unstuffed red cone bend naturally rather than stitching the full length of the hat to the head.

Finishing and Final Shape Check

Weave every remaining yarn tail through several stitches on the wrong side before trimming it. On the head, boots, mittens and pom, bury the tails inside the stuffed piece.

Lay Santa flat and look at him before you call the project finished.

The head should sit directly above the upper body rather than leaning off center. The beard should cover the front neck join and fall toward the belt. Both arms should begin at the same height. The lower tunic should widen gradually rather than balloon sharply at one round.

Check the legs next. You want a visible gap between them, with both emerging from beneath the center of the tunic. The black boots should be similarly stuffed and roughly the same finished size.

The body should still feel soft and collapsible in your hand. That's the point. If the main tunic feels like a stuffed ball, too much filling has been added somewhere it does not belong.

Shape the white beard layers with your fingers so the rounded shells overlap instead of lining up in rigid horizontal rows. Bend the unstuffed hat gently to one side and arrange the pom at the tip.

Blocking usually isn't necessary for the stuffed portions. If the beard or white tunic trim needs a little help lying neatly, dampen only that section, shape it with your fingers and let it dry flat.

If you like this longer soft-body construction, you can also browse the easy baby lovey crochet patterns for more projects built around a cuddly rather than firmly stuffed shape.

Safety and Care

This Santa uses embroidered facial features and yarn details instead of plastic eyes, buttons, beads or a separate buckle. Sew the hat, beard, moustache, arms, legs and pom securely, and check the finished lovey regularly for loose yarn, opened seams or damaged embellishments.

A handmade lovey is not an infant sleep product. Do not leave it in a crib, bassinet or other infant sleep space during unattended sleep. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises keeping an infant sleep space bare except for a fitted sheet. You can read the current CPSC safe sleep guidance for more information.

For washing, follow the care directions for the yarn you used. If you're unsure, hand wash gently in cool water with a small amount of mild detergent. Press out excess water in a towel instead of twisting the lovey, reshape the beard, hat and limbs, and let Santa dry flat.

Give the seams another quick check after washing, especially where the legs, arms, hat and pom are attached.