Want to crochet a gingerbread man this Christmas? This list has 21 free crochet gingerbread patterns. Each full written pattern is free on the designer's own site, with no sign-up. You'll find cuddly gingerbread stuffies, tiny ornaments for the tree, gingerbread houses, and flat cookies for garlands, kitchen towels and gift toppers. Most use worsted yarn in one brown and a little white for the icing, so they are great for using up scraps.
For each pattern I've noted the yarn weight, hook size and finished size where the designer gives them, plus what makes it stand out. The groups run from big and huggable down to flat and quick, so you can choose by how much time you have.
Here's a quick guide. For gifts for kids, the plush gingerbread men are soft and sturdy. For the tree, the ornaments take an hour or less each. For a centerpiece, try one of the gingerbread houses. And if you want a fast scrap-buster, the flat cookies are hard to beat. (For babies and toddlers, skip safety eyes and buttons and embroider the faces instead.)
Amigurumi and plush gingerbread men
Stuffed gingerbread friends to hug, sit on a shelf or tuck under the tree.
Gingerbread Man Stuffie — Okie Girl Bling 'n' Things. About 8 inches tall in worsted yarn on a G/4mm hook. It's worked as two flat pieces in rows from the legs up, then sewn together and stuffed. Pom-poms make the rosy cheeks and the buttons down the front.
Gingerbread Boy and Girl (Ragdoll Style) — Maria's Blue Crayon. A floppy pair about 12 inches from head to toe, in Bernat Blanket yarn (or worsted held double) on a J/6mm hook. They're worked in rows with only chains and single crochet, and there's a video to follow. A lovely first plush.
Gingerbread Man Amigurumi — Little Crochet Farm. A neat 4.3-inch (11cm) figure in sport-weight cotton on a 2mm hook. The legs are made first and joined with a chain to start the body, so there is very little sewing.
Ginger the Gingerbread Girl — Grace and Yarn. A tall 13-inch doll in worsted yarn on a 3.5mm hook. Her skirt has a scalloped edge that looks like piped frosting, and the designer has a matching gingerbread boy if you want a pair.
Gingerbread Boy — Spin a Yarn Crochet. Made on a 3.25mm hook with flat pieces joined for a cookie-like look. The fun detail: two "bite" marks are worked right into the body, as if someone couldn't wait.
Gingerbread Man — Yum Yarn. About 20cm (8 inches) tall in worsted yarn on a 4mm hook. The legs and body are worked as one piece, then finished with sprinkles, a little bow and 12mm safety eyes.
Gingerbread Jellyfish — Crafty Kitty Crochet. The most playful pick: a gingerbread-colored jellyfish about 23 inches long with curly double crochet tentacles. It uses two strands of worsted yarn on a 5mm hook. A great gift for an ocean-loving kid.
Gingerbread ornaments and minis
Small gingerbread for the tree, gift tags and stocking stuffers.
Gingerbread Man Ornament — Cuddly Stitches Craft. A tiny 2.25-inch beginner ornament in sport-weight yarn on a 2.5mm hook. The icing drips are crocheted right onto the piece, so there's no sewing at all.
Gingerbread Ornament — Okie Girl Bling 'n' Things. A round gingerbread face about 4 inches wide, worked in rounds on a G/4mm hook with 9mm safety eyes. It's quick to make, and a row of them on the tree is very sweet.
Mini Gingerbread Man — Little Crochet Farm. Just 2.4 inches (6cm) tall in sport cotton on a 2mm hook, with a separate frosting piece, a tie and confetti sprinkles. It's part of a mini ornament series, and there's a video.
Gingerbread Man Ornament — Hookfully. An easy, flat ornament about 4 by 4.5 inches in DK yarn on a 4mm hook. It's made in one piece with very little sewing, and 10mm safety eyes finish the face.
Gingerbread Smilies — Hooked On Patterns. Round, smiling cookie faces about 2.5 inches across, in chunky yarn on a 6mm hook, with little bows. Hang them on the tree or turn them into pin badges.
Gingerbread Heart Ornaments — GoldenLucyCrafts. Three-inch heart cookies in worsted yarn on an H/5mm hook, with a round of white icing around the edge. String several together for a garland.
Little Gingerbread Boy and Girl — BellaCrochet. A vintage-style thread design about 2.5 inches long, in size 3 cotton thread on a 3.5mm steel hook. The girl gets a white skirt. It's rated intermediate and has a nice heirloom look.
Crochet gingerbread houses
For a centerpiece or a showpiece ornament.
Gingerbread House — Nicki's Homemade Crafts. A real tabletop house, 10 by 9 inches and 12 inches high. Crocheted panels in worsted yarn on a 5mm hook cover a cardboard frame and are mostly hot-glued in place. The walls use a brick stitch, so it looks like it's built from cookies.
Gingerbread House Ornament — The Purple Poncho. A flat house about 7 inches high, worked in corner-to-corner (C2C) double crochet blocks on an H/5mm hook. It's easy if you already know C2C, and there's a video.
Gingerbread House Ornament — Maria's Blue Crayon. A cheerful worsted-weight house on a G/4mm hook, with gumdrop candies on top and a dripping-icing roof edge made from double crochet. It was day 12 of her 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments.
Flat gingerbread cookies, garlands and kitchen gingerbread
Quick flat pieces for gift toppers, garlands and the kitchen.
Crocheted Gingerbread Man Cookie — Repeat Crafter Me. A 3.5-by-2.5-inch cookie in worsted yarn on a G/4mm hook, worked in double crochet from a magic ring. Use it as an appliqué or ornament, or string a dozen into a garland.
Crochet Gingerbread Man (Sturdier Version) — Repeat Crafter Me. A bigger 6-by-4.5-inch version made from two layers slip-stitched together with white icing. It's stiff enough for wreaths, garlands or place cards on the holiday table.
Gingerbread Man Kitchen Towel — A Crocheted Simplicity. The whole towel is the gingerbread man's body, about 8 by 17.5 inches in Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton, with a separate edged head. It's a fun hostess gift with a dishcloth set.
Gingerbread Candy Cane Holders — Sweet Potato 3. A clever stocking stuffer. A crocheted head of just over 2 inches holds two full-size candy canes, which become the arms and legs. Each takes about 20 yards of brown yarn on an H/5mm hook.
Tips for crocheting gingerbread
- Pick a warm mid-brown. Shades like café latte, cinnamon or camel read as "gingerbread" best. Very dark brown looks like chocolate.
- Use white cotton for icing. It has crisp stitch definition and stays bright. A metallic or sparkle yarn makes a pretty frosting too.
- Go down a hook size for amigurumi. Tight stitches keep the stuffing from showing through.
- Stiffen flat cookies. A little spray starch or a felt backing keeps garland cookies flat and stops them curling.
- Add buttons last. Pom-poms, buttons, beads and safety eyes all go on at the end, so you can try out the face before you commit. Leave them off for little ones.
More Christmas crochet to make
Hang your gingerbread with our free crochet Christmas ornament patterns and amigurumi Christmas ornaments, then add a few Christmas tree patterns for a little bakery forest. Flat cookies look great strung between our Christmas garland patterns, and the candy cane holders pair nicely with our candy cane and peppermint patterns. For more small gifts, see our cheap stocking stuffer patterns and holiday coasters and mug rugs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest crochet gingerbread man pattern?
Start with a flat one. The Repeat Crafter Me cookie and the Hookfully ornament are both quick, flat and low-sew. For a stuffed doll, Maria's Blue Crayon ragdoll uses only chains and single crochet rows, and there's a video to follow.
What yarn is best for a crochet gingerbread man?
Worsted (#4) acrylic or cotton in a mid-brown works for most of these patterns. Add white cotton for the icing. Sport-weight cotton gives tiny, crisp ornaments, and bulky blanket yarn makes a big, squishy plush fast.
How do you make crochet gingerbread icing?
Most designers do it in one of three ways. Some work a final round of white around the edge. Some crochet a separate wavy piece and sew it on. Others surface slip stitch or embroider the icing on top. The Cuddly Stitches ornament crochets the drips directly onto the piece, so there's no sewing.
How long does it take to crochet a gingerbread ornament?
Flat cookies and small round ornaments take about 20 to 45 minutes each. Mini amigurumi gingerbread men take about an hour. Larger plush dolls take an evening or two, and the cardboard-frame gingerbread house is a weekend project.
Make one quick cookie tonight to warm up, then pick a plush friend or a house for the weekend. Before long you'll have a whole gingerbread family ready for the tree, and plenty more ideas in our Christmas ornament roundup.
