A baby's first Christmas gets photographed more than any other day of the year, and a handmade outfit is the thing people remember in those photos. The good news: baby clothes are small. Most of these take one or two skeins and a few evenings. These 17 free patterns cover full Santa suits, an elf onesie, reindeer and gingerbread hats, holiday sweaters, booties, a bib and a photo cocoon. Every one is free with no signup.
Two notes before you start. Sizes: every entry below lists the sizes the designer actually wrote. Babies grow fast, so for a December outfit, make the size the baby will be in December, not the size they are today. Format: 13 patterns are written out on the designer's own page. The other 4 are free PDF downloads from Red Heart's pattern site, Yarnspirations. They need no account, and each one is marked (free PDF).
For stitch abbreviations, keep the crochet abbreviations list open. The yarn weights guide explains the difference between DK and worsted, which matters a lot in baby sizing.
Santa suits and Santa sets
The classic. A red suit with white trim reads as "Christmas" from across the room, and it looks just as good in a photo in March.
Baby Crochet Santa Outfit — Traverse Bay Crochet. A Santa sweater and matching hat in worsted yarn. The designer sizes it by hook: an E hook for newborn, up to a J hook for about 15 to 18 months. One pattern, every size. Easy.
Christmas Santa Set — Baby Crochet Designs. Santa pants with a black belt, a pompom hat with fluffy trim, and a "Little Miss Christmas" dress you can make instead of the pants. DK yarn, sizes newborn to 1–2 years. The most complete free set on this list. Easy.
Infant Santa Suit and Hat — Kim Guzman for Red Heart (free PDF). A full one-piece Santa romper with a hat, in soft worsted acrylic. Sizes up to 3 months through up to 12 months. Intermediate.
Santa Hat and Booties Set — Lisa Auch. A red-and-white pompom hat with matching booties in DK yarn. The hat fits a newborn and the booties fit 0–3 months. A good gift for a December baby shower. Easy.
Santa's Little Sack Hat — The Stitchin' Mommy. A long, floppy Santa hat written in eight sizes, from preemie to adult large. Make the whole family's hats from one pattern. Easy.
Christmas Baby Booties — Jo to the World Creations. Red booties with a black belt, a buckle and a fluffy white cuff. They fit 3 to 9 months and are about 4 inches tall, so they actually stay on. Easy.
Elf outfits
Elf Baby Onesie — Pattern Paradise. A full striped elf onesie with a belt detail, worked top-down. Sizes newborn–3 months, 3–6 months and 6–12 months. The only complete crochet elf outfit we found that is free on the designer's own page. Intermediate.
Baby Elf Hat — Nancy Anderson for Red Heart (free PDF). A pointed elf hat in soft worsted, for an 18 to 20 inch head (about 6 months to 2 years). Pair it with the onesie above or with a plain green bodysuit. Intermediate.
If you want more elf pieces for the rest of the house, the elf patterns roundup has amigurumi elves and decor.
Reindeer hats
Reindeer Hat — Cypress and Wool. A hat with crocheted antlers, ears and a nose, written for 6 to 12 months. Easy.
Deer Hat — Lovable Loops. A deer hat in six sizes, from 0–3 months to adult, in worsted on an I hook. The designer suggests a red nose for a Rudolph version, which is the easiest costume change on the list. Easy.
For reindeer toys and decorations to match, see the reindeer patterns roundup.
Gingerbread and Christmas tree looks
Gingerbread Baby Set — Tammy Hildebrand for Red Heart (free PDF). A romper, vest, beanie and bow tie, written for 6 months with changes for 12 and 18 months. It is the biggest project here and rated for experienced crocheters, but it is a real four-piece costume. Experienced.
Newborn Gingerbread Hat — Sweet Potato 3. A newborn-size hat with a gingerbread face, designed as a photo prop. Easy.
Christmas Ornament Beanie — Sweet Potato 3. A beanie decorated as a string of colorful Christmas lights and ornaments, in sizes newborn to child. Easy.
Holiday sweaters, bibs and cocoons
The pieces a baby can wear to Christmas dinner, not only to a photo shoot.
Crochet Christmas Baby Sweater — Daisy Farm Crafts. An all-half-double-crochet pullover with faux-fur trim, written for about 9 months. The designer explains how to measure and adjust for other sizes. Easy.
Kate's Christmas Jacket — Daisy Farm Crafts. A red hooded jacket with a peplum and white fur trim, like a coat from an old Christmas movie. The free on-page pattern is for 3–6 months; a separate extended-size PDF is linked on the page. Intermediate.
Christmas Bib — Maggie's Crochet. A 9.5 by 10 inch worsted bib with a candy-cane heart and holly appliqués. It protects the outfit during dinner, which is the real reason to make it. Easy.
Holiday Baby Cocoon — Kristine Mullen for Red Heart (free PDF). A cherry-red cocoon with a sparkly pompom border, made for newborn "first Christmas" photos. One size, 20 inches around by 18 inches long. Easy.
Build a full outfit from separate patterns
Many of the best pieces here are hats or booties on their own. Mix them into a complete look:
- Classic Santa: the Traverse Bay sweater and hat, plus the Jo to the World booties. Every piece is red with white trim, so the colors match without planning.
- Little elf: the Pattern Paradise onesie with the Red Heart elf hat. Use the same green in both, and buy it in one dye lot.
- Rudolph: the Lovable Loops deer hat with a red nose, over a plain brown bodysuit. This is the fastest costume on the list, at about one evening.
- Christmas dinner: the Daisy Farm sweater with the Maggie's Crochet bib on top. It is dressy enough for family photos and practical at the table.
- Newborn photos: the Red Heart cocoon with the Sweet Potato 3 gingerbread hat. Both are sized for the first weeks, when a baby sleeps through a photo shoot.
Make the hat first. If you run out of time, a hat alone still makes the photo.
For the photo backdrop or a stroller wrap, pair the outfit with one of our free crochet baby blanket patterns.
Making baby Christmas clothes that last past one photo
Choose soft, washable yarn. Baby clothes get spit-up on them. Use a machine-washable acrylic, a cotton blend or a superwash wool. Avoid yarn that sheds, such as mohair, near a baby's face.
Be careful with fluffy trim and small parts. Faux-fur yarn looks great, but sew every pompom and button on very firmly. For a baby under three, embroider eyes and noses instead of using buttons or safety eyes.
Make it one size up. A slightly big sweater still fits in February. A slightly small one fits nobody.
To finish the look, add a crochet diaper cover under a sweater or a Santa hat in a different style. Hang a Christmas stocking with the baby's name, and add a snowflake ornament to the tree for their first year. For grown-up gifts, the hat and scarf sets include matching family sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What yarn is best for crochet baby Christmas outfits?
Use a soft, machine-washable yarn in DK or worsted weight. Baby-specific acrylics and cotton blends are the easiest to care for. Avoid scratchy wool and shedding yarns such as mohair, especially for hats and anything near the face.
What size should I make for a baby's first Christmas?
Make the size the baby will be in December, and go one size up if you are between sizes. A newborn born in October will likely wear 0–3 months by Christmas. When in doubt, a hat and booties are safer than a fitted suit.
How long does a crochet Santa outfit take?
A hat and booties set takes one or two evenings. A full Santa suit or romper takes about a week of evenings. The four-piece gingerbread set is the longest project here, so start it in October.
Are fluffy trims and pompoms safe for babies?
They are safe if they are attached very securely. Sew pompoms on with several passes of yarn and check them before each wear. Never leave a baby alone with a loose pompom, button or long tie, and keep hat ties short.
Want an everyday hat for after the holidays? See our free crochet baby hat patterns, from simple newborn beanies to earflaps and bonnets. To finish the outfit, add Santa or reindeer feet from our crochet baby booties patterns.
