Looking for a free crochet baby booties pattern? Here are 23 of them: easy newborn and preemie booties, stay-on booties with cuffs and ties, cozy little boots, Mary Janes and sandals, high-top sneakers, and sweet Santa, reindeer, panda, owl and penguin booties. Every pattern is free in full on the designer's own site, with written rounds and stitch counts and no sign-up. A pair of booties uses only a small amount of yarn and takes an evening or two, so they're a lovely baby shower gift on their own or tucked in with a hat.
For each pattern I've noted the yarn, hook, sizes and how it starts. Nearly all baby booties begin the same way: a short chain worked around both sides to make an oval sole, then a few rounds up the sides, then the top and cuff. Once you've made one, the rest feel familiar. Measure the sole as you go. A newborn sole is about 3 to 3.5 inches long.
Easy booties for newborns and preemies
Start here if you've never made booties before. These are simple, quick and small.
Easy Newborn Baby Booties — OkieGirlBling'n'Things. A simple bootie with a soft rolled cuff, in worsted (I Love This Yarn) on a 3.5mm hook, newborn size. Round 1 is ch 9 worked around for 20 sc. It's a great first pair.
Baby Booties — Jo to the World Creations. A classic lace-up bootie in newborn, 3-6 and 6-12 months. The newborn size uses light (#3) yarn on a 3.25mm hook, and the bigger sizes use worsted on a 5mm hook. It starts with ch 8 and 20 hdc around. The same instructions make every size, so you only learn it once.
Springtime Baby Booties — Petals to Picots. A light, pretty strap bootie in Red Heart Baby Hugs Medium on a 3.75mm (F) hook, in 0-6 and 6-12 months. It starts with ch 8 and 20 sts in Row 1, and the sole measures 3.5 inches for the smaller size. It's rated easy.
Preemie Fashion Booties — Crochet Anything. A tiny boot with a fuzzy trim, sized for a 3-4 lb baby (2.5 inches long), in worsted plus a fuzzy yarn on an F hook. Round 1 is ch 7 worked around for 18 sc. It's short and quick, so it's a good one to make in batches. Check with your local NICU about donation rules first.
Stay-on booties, cuffs and little boots
The biggest complaint about baby booties is that they kick off. Tall cuffs, ribbing, ankle ties and button straps all help them stay put.
"Little Stefan" Baby Booties — My Hobby Is Crochet. A stay-on bootie with a tall ribbed cuff and ankle ties, in DK (Rico Baby) on a 4mm hook, 0-6 months. It's worked cuff first: ch 15 and rows of the designer's yarn-over slip stitch ribbing, then 23 sc along the cuff for the leg.
Ianis Baby Booties — My Hobby Is Crochet. A cozy boot with a ribbed cuff, a fluffy trim and ties, in DK on 4mm and 4.5mm hooks, 0-6 months. It starts with 24 foundation single crochet and four rounds of front- and back-post ribbing.
The Wrap Around Baby Boots — HanJan Crochet. A boot with a cuff that wraps across and buttons, in DK (King Cole Baby Alpaca) on a 3.5mm hook, in four sizes from newborn. Round 1 is 22 hdc for the smallest size. It's rated easy, and the button strap really keeps it on.
Baby Bear Booties — love. life. yarn. A cuffed bootie with a ribbed top, in Lion Brand Heartland on 4mm and 5.5mm hooks, in 0-3 and 3-6 months. It starts with ch 8 and 20 sc. It's part of a matching bear set and is rated easy.
Baby Cuffed Slippers — Crochet 'n' Create. A neat slipper with a cuff and ribbon tie, in Big Value Baby DK on 4mm and 5mm hooks, 0-3 months. It uses only about 30g of yarn. It's written in both UK and US terms, and the US version starts with ch 11 and 3 hdc in the 4th chain.
Crochet UGG Style Booties — Repeat Crafter Me. A little sheepskin-style boot with a button, in Bernat Super Value on an F hook, sized for about 6 months. It starts with ch 10 and sc around. Use a smaller or bigger hook to go anywhere from 0 to 12 months. A few readers say to count the toe and heel carefully.
Ups and Downs Baby Booties — Moogly. A textured bootie with a fold-over cuff and optional buttons, in DK on a 5.5mm hook, in newborn, 3, 6 and 12 months. The sole starts with just ch 3. It uses long treble loops, so it's a step up from the beginner pairs.
Mary Janes and sandals
For dressy occasions, photos and summer babies. These are for non-walkers, so they're soft and light.
Baby Mary Jane Shoes with Bow — Sweet Softies. A sweet Mary Jane with a strap and a little bow, in worsted on a 3.75mm hook, 0-3 months. It starts with ch 10 and hdc around. There's a video to follow along.
Little Dot Mary Janes — Whistle and Ivy. A classic Mary Jane with dots, in medium-weight yarn (KnitPicks Brava) on an F hook. It starts with ch 11 and builds the sole with sc, hdc and dc. Only the 3-6 month size is free on the page; the designer sells a paid PDF with more sizes.
Pink Lady Baby Booties — Hopeful Honey. A pretty strap bootie in cotton DK on a 3.5mm hook, in 0-6 and 6-12 months. It starts with ch 11 and 26 hdc in Round 1. It's rated easy.
Easy Crochet Baby Sandals — B.Hooked Crochet. Cute summer sandals in Lion Brand Jeans Colors on a 5mm hook, 0-3 months. The sole starts with ch 9 and 23 sts around, and the straps are made separately and sewn on. There's a video, and it's rated easy.
Crochet Baby Summer Sandals — Ashlee Marie. Soft sandals in Lion Brand Baby Soft on a 4.25mm hook, one size. It starts with ch 12 and builds to 30 sts. The designer notes they run large and suggests a smaller hook for small feet.
High-tops and sneakers
Little shoes that look just like big-kid sneakers.
Classic Baby Booty High Tops — The Crochet Crowd. A two-tone high-top in worsted (Red Heart With Love). The hook sets the size: an F hook for newborn, up to a K hook for about 4 years. It starts with ch 12 and sc around. Great for matching siblings.
Thread Crochet Baby Converse — Ashlee Marie. Tiny canvas-style sneakers with laces, in cotton thread on a 1.75mm hook. It starts with ch 21 and builds to 64 sts around. Thread work is slower and fiddlier, so this one is for confident crocheters.
Animal and holiday booties
Perfect for first-holiday photos and themed baby showers.
Christmas Baby Booties (Santa) — Jo to the World Creations. Santa boots with a black sole and a fluffy white top, in worsted plus Bernat Pipsqueak on 3.75mm and 5mm hooks, 3-9 months. It starts with ch 8 and 20 hdc. The designer notes these aren't for babies who are standing or walking. Pair them with our baby Christmas outfit patterns.
Reindeer Christmas Baby Booties — HanJan Crochet. Brown boots with a reindeer face, antlers and a red nose, in cotton aran on a 4mm hook, in 6-12 and 12-24 months. It's written in UK terms first, with the US version further down the page. For more, see our crochet reindeer patterns.
Sleepy Panda Baby Booties — Hopeful Honey. Black-and-white booties with a sleepy panda face, in cotton DK on a 3.5mm hook, in 0-6 and 6-12 months. It starts with ch 11 and 26 hdc. It's rated easy.
Baby Owl Booties — damn it Janet, let's crochet! A Mary Jane-style bootie with a strap and a little owl on the toe, in worsted on a 4mm hook, newborn to 3 months. It starts with ch 11 and 25 sts. The designer glues the flower details; sew them on securely for a baby instead.
Penguin Baby Booties — Crochet Parfait. Winter booties with a penguin face worked in colorwork, on a 3.25mm hook, 3-9 months. The sole starts with ch 11 in back loops. They pair well with our crochet penguin patterns.
Baby bootie size guide
Measure the sole from heel to toe. These are the lengths most designers use.
- Preemie: about 2.5 inches
- Newborn (0-3 months): about 3 to 3.5 inches
- 3-6 months: about 3.5 to 4 inches
- 6-12 months: about 4 to 4.5 inches
Frequently asked questions
How do you make crochet baby booties stay on?
Pick a pattern with a tall cuff, ribbing, ankle ties or a button strap. Make the cuff snug rather than loose, and thread a ribbon or i-cord through the ankle if you need extra hold.
What is the best yarn for baby booties?
Soft, washable yarn. Baby acrylics like Bernat Softee Baby and cotton or cotton blends are easy to wash and gentle on skin. Avoid very fuzzy yarns for tiny babies, as the fibers can shed.
How long does it take to crochet baby booties?
Most simple pairs take two to four hours. Boots, Mary Janes with straps and character booties take an evening or two. Thread sneakers take longer.
Are crochet booties safe for babies who are walking?
Crochet soles are slippery on hard floors. For crawlers and new walkers, add a non-slip sock grip paint or a suede sole, or keep crochet booties for non-walkers and photos. Sew buttons and small parts on very securely.
More handmade baby gifts
Make a full set with our crochet baby hat patterns and a crochet baby blanket, plus a matching diaper cover for photos. A soft easy amigurumi toy or a bunny from our crochet lovey patterns makes a sweet extra. Making for bigger feet too? See our crochet slipper patterns and crochet sock patterns. Wrap it all up in a crochet gift bag.
