A reindeer is the one Christmas motif that reads instantly at any size. Two antlers and a nose on a brown circle, and everyone knows what it is — which is why the same animal works as a three-inch tree ornament, a headband for the school concert, a graph on a blanket, and a two-foot plush under the tree. This roundup collects 34 free crochet reindeer patterns, every one of them free and written out in full on the designer's own page, sorted into amigurumi dolls, red-nosed Rudolphs, ornaments, appliqués, wearables, home decor, granny squares and C2C graphs, and no-sew or chunky plush. Pick by deadline: ornaments tonight, a plush this weekend.
The antlers are the only part that gives people trouble, and there are really just three ways designers solve them — crocheted branches sewn on, a flat forked piece worked in one go, or chunky nubs shaped in the round. All three are represented below, so if one method fought you last year, pick a pattern that uses a different one. Finished size, yarn weight, and skill level are noted on each.
Crochet reindeer amigurumi
The classic stuffed reindeer. Sizes here run from about 6cm to a foot tall.
Comet the Reindeer — DIY Fluffies (Mariska Vos-Bolman). An 8-inch reindeer in sport-weight cotton on a 2.5mm hook, complete with a collar. This was a paid Etsy bestseller before the designer released it free, and it shows in the finishing detail. Intermediate.
Randall the Reindeer — The Nicole Chase. Worsted weight on a 4mm hook, 5.5 inches sitting and 7.5 standing, with an optional scarf. Advanced beginner, and the photo tutorial is one of the clearest here.
Rudolf the Reindeer — Cuddly Stitches Craft. The big one: 10 inches seated, 13.5 to the antler tips, in a sport-weight cotton blend on a 2.5mm hook, with an embroidered nose and mouth rather than plastic parts. Intermediate.
Amigurumi Reindeer — Grace and Yarn. Beginner-friendly worsted weight on a 3.5mm hook, with a crocheted scarf and step photos for every stage of assembly.
Amigurumi Reindeer — Supergurumi. A tiny sitting reindeer, about 6cm, in 5-ply on a 2.5mm hook. Almost entirely single crochet and increases — the pattern to hand a nervous first-time amigurumi maker.
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer patterns
If the nose has to be red, start here.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — The Crochet Mommy. A standing Rudolph about 12 inches from toe to antler tip, worsted weight on a G/4mm hook, in six colors. Intermediate, and the most impressive display piece on this list.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer — Maplewood Road. A seated 11-inch Rudolph in #4 medium on a D/3.25mm hook, using nothing more exotic than sc, hdc, dc, and tr. Beginner-friendly, scarf included.
Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer Ornament — Sewrella. A small cotton ornament worked on a C/2.75mm hook, part of a Christmas Traditions crochet-along. The full pattern is free on the page; the ad-free PDF is optional.
Crochet reindeer ornaments
Small, fast, and the best use of an evening in early December.
Reindeer Crochet Pattern — Red Ted Art. A DK-weight reindeer that hangs on the tree or sits on a shelf, with round-by-round body, antler, and sweater instructions. Beginner-friendly.
Light Up LED Reindeer Ornament — Nicki's Homemade Crafts. A 2.5 x 3.5-inch worsted ornament on a 3.5mm hook, finishable inside an hour, designed so an LED tea light tucks inside and glows through the stitches.
Crochet Reindeer Ornament — Cuddly Stitches Craft. A 3 x 3.25-inch mini in sport weight (DK and worsted also work), with two antler styles to choose from. Beginner to intermediate.
Crochet Reindeer Ornament — Nana's Crafty Home. Worked flat and then assembled, in worsted weight — a good choice if you find working small in the round fiddly.
Reindeer Ornament — Maria's Blue Crayon. Magic-ring construction with sewn-on antlers, worsted on a G/4mm hook in brown, tan, red, and white. Free on-page, with an optional paid PDF.
Reindeer Ornament — Spin a Yarn Crochet. A flat 3.5-inch ornament in five pieces — two body panels, a nose, and two antlers — on a 3.25mm hook. The antler assembly photos are worth the visit alone.
Reindeer Ornament — EyeLoveKnots. About 2⅝ inches in light worsted on a C/2.5mm hook, single crochet only, with a video tutorial. The most beginner-friendly ornament here.
Reindeer appliqués & flat motifs
For hats, sweaters, cards, stockings and gift tags.
Crochet Reindeer Applique — Repeat Crafter Me. A two-round, 3 x 2-inch worsted appliqué on a G/4mm hook, with a button or crocheted nose. Five minutes each once you've made one.
Heart Reindeer Applique — GoldenLucyCrafts. Built cleverly from a heart shape, given in two sizes — 3¾ inches in worsted, or 2 inches in thread. Easy.
Crochet reindeer hats, headbands & wearables
Antlers you can wear, from the school concert to the office party.
Reindeer Hat — Pattern Paradise. Worsted on an H/5mm hook, sized toddler through adult M/L, with the reindeer worked into the crown using front- and back-post stitches. Intermediate, and every size is written out on the one page.
Crochet Reindeer Hat with Moving Ears — Nicki's Homemade Crafts. The novelty pick: a worsted adult hat on a 4mm hook with an air-pump mechanism that makes the ears flap, plus an optional blinking nose and a size chart from preemie to adult.
Festive Reindeer Headband — Chain 8 Designs. A worsted cover for a plastic headband with two antler sizes, ears, and a holly accent, worked on G and F hooks. Intermediate.
Deer Antlers Headband — Mamma That Makes. A one-size antler headband in worsted or DK from an Australian designer whose patterns are all free by policy. Beginner to intermediate.
Reindeer Christmas Sweater — Wilmade. The full garment: two half-double-crochet panels sized XS through 5XL in worsted weight, with the reindeer worked in tapestry crochet from a graph printed on the page. Intermediate, and the biggest project on this list.
Reindeer home decor, granny squares & C2C
Pillows, potholders, blanket squares and graphghans.
Festive Christmas Throw Pillows — Leelee Knits. A 14 x 20-inch tapestry-crochet pillow cover in worsted weight, chart included. Intermediate; the free pattern is on the page and the ad-free PDF is optional.
Reindeer Christmas Potholder — Raffamusa Designs. A 6-inch double-thickness potholder in DK cotton, two circles joined with the antlers, ears, and nose sewn on. Intermediate, and a genuinely useful gift.
Reindeer Granny Square — Nana's Crafty Home. A true double-crochet granny square with the face built into the rounds, worsted on a 5.5mm hook, finishing around 14 inches. Make one as a pillow front or repeat it for a blanket.
Corner-to-Corner Reindeer Graph — Make & Do Crew. A roughly 15-inch square C2C panel in worsted weight with the full graph and half-double-crochet rows on the page. Advanced beginner — a good first graphghan.
C2C Christmas Reindeer — Lovable Loops. The full-size version: about 100 rows finishing 24 x 33.5 inches, in worsted weight, with a light-up-antler motif. Advanced beginner, but budget a few weeks.
Mini, no-sew & chunky reindeer
The fastest wins on the list — most of these are done in a single sitting.
Mini Noso Reindeer — Supergurumi. A no-sew reindeer about 2.5 inches tall in sport weight on a 2.5mm hook, worked almost entirely in one piece. Keychain and gift-topper scale.
Rosie the Mini Reindeer — Grace and Yarn. An 8-inch worsted reindeer on a 3.5mm hook that the designer recommends specifically as a first amigurumi.
No-Sew Crochet Reindeer — Natalina Craft. Worked continuously with the ears crocheted directly into the round and the face embroidered as you go, on a 2.75mm hook in worsted or plush yarn. Nothing to sew on at the end.
Pocket Reindeer — Yarn Society. A no-sew super-bulky reindeer about 3.5 inches tall, worked in continuous spirals, with a video tutorial. Designed as a stocking stuffer you can make a dozen of.
Lil' Loops Reindeer — Darling Maple Designs. Super-bulky weight-6 yarn on a 5mm hook, low-sew construction with the limbs worked in as you go. Beginner-friendly, with a video.
Squishy Reindeer Plush — The Friendly Red Fox. A big floppy plush in chenille or blanket yarn on a 4.5mm hook, body and head in one piece and intentionally under-stuffed so it stays huggable.
Randy the Reindeer Plush — Stuck On You Crochet. About 12 inches in chunky plush yarn on an H/5mm hook, with optional bobble-stitch texture on the antlers and hooves.
Tips for crocheting reindeer
- Make the antlers first. They're the part that decides whether the finished piece reads as "reindeer" or "brown bear," and they take ten minutes. If they come out floppy, drop a hook size and redo them before you commit to a whole body.
- Wire the antlers on anything large. A pipe cleaner or a length of floral wire threaded through the antler before stuffing keeps a 12-inch plush's antlers upright for years instead of weeks.
- Two browns beat one. A slightly lighter muzzle and belly against a darker body is what makes a handmade reindeer look designed. Buy the second skein; you'll use it across every pattern here.
- Embroider the nose for children. A red safety nose is faster, but anything headed to a baby or toddler should have the nose worked in yarn or embroidery floss instead.
- Check the antler count before you stuff. Most patterns work both antlers from one set of instructions, and it is startlingly easy to close up a head with only one attached.
- Batch the ornaments. If you're making more than three of the same ornament, work all the bodies, then all the antlers, then assemble — it's roughly a third faster than finishing them one at a time.
More Christmas crochet to make
Reindeer are one shelf of a much bigger mantel. Set out a family of crochet Christmas gnomes, add crochet elves and a crochet Santa hat, hang free crochet Christmas ornament patterns on the tree, string up a crochet Christmas garland, build a crochet nativity scene, and fill the free crochet Christmas stockings. Not sure what hook a pattern means by "H/5mm"? The crochet hook size chart and crochet abbreviations guide answer it in a click, and the yarn weights guide helps if you're substituting. Making the whole holiday by hand? The Christmas crochet planner tracks every project and gift deadline.
Frequently asked questions
What yarn should I use for a crochet reindeer?
Smooth worsted-weight acrylic in two shades of brown is the standard, and it covers most of the patterns above — it gives crisp stitch definition and holds a stuffed shape. Drop to DK or sport weight for ornaments and minis where you want finer detail, and switch to chenille or blanket yarn for the big floppy plushes. Avoid fuzzy or halo yarns on anything with a face; the fluff hides the shaping you just worked so carefully.
How do you crochet reindeer antlers so they stand up?
Three things help. Work the antlers a hook size smaller than the body so the fabric is dense, stuff them lightly but all the way to the tip, and thread a pipe cleaner or floral wire through anything taller than about six inches. Sew them on at a slight outward angle rather than straight up — they read better and are less likely to droop under their own weight.
Are crochet reindeer patterns good for beginners?
Plenty of them are. The Supergurumi mini, Grace and Yarn's Rosie, the Natalina Craft no-sew reindeer, the Yarn Society Pocket Reindeer and the EyeLoveKnots ornament are all written for people who crochet occasionally. Save the 12-inch standing Rudolph, the tapestry-crochet sweater, and the full C2C graphghan for after you've finished a smaller one.
Can I sell finished crochet reindeer made from these free patterns?
Usually yes, but check each designer's terms on their own page first. Most independent crochet designers allow selling finished items made from their free patterns, often asking for credit, while reserving the right to the written pattern itself — you can't copy, share, or resell the instructions. The terms are almost always stated on the pattern page; read them before you list anything at a craft fair.
Pick your reindeer — an ornament for tonight, a headband for the concert, or a plush that will still be under the tree in ten years — and cast on. When it's done, the crochet Christmas garland patterns and crochet snowman patterns will keep the sleigh loaded.
