Looking for a free crochet Santa pattern to make this Christmas? Here are 21 free crochet Santa Claus amigurumi patterns. Each one has the full written pattern, round by round, free on the designer's own site with no sign-up. You'll find big huggable Santa dolls, tiny Santas for the tree, chubby Santa gnomes, and a Mrs. Claus or two so he isn't lonely. Most need only red, white and a skin tone, plus a little black for the belt.
For each pattern I've noted the yarn weight, hook size and finished size where the designer gives them, plus the detail that makes it special. (Looking for Santa hats to wear? Those live in our Santa hat patterns roundup.)
A quick guide to choosing: for a first Santa, pick one marked easy, like the Sigoni Macaroni doll (only single crochet) or the super bulky Maria's Blue Crayon plush that works up in an afternoon. For the tree, the ornaments and minis take an evening or less. For a showpiece on the mantel, try one of the larger classic dolls or the 15-inch Scandinavian gnome.
Classic Santa Claus dolls
Full-bodied Santas to sit on a shelf, guard the presents, or be hugged by a little one.
The Friendly Santa — The Friendly Red Fox. About 10 inches tall in worsted yarn on a 3.75mm hook, rated advanced beginner. The beard and trim are worked in fluffy Bernat Pipsqueak on a 5mm hook, so he looks soft and snowy. The designer suggests a foam roller or dowel in the neck to keep his head upright. (Her patterns are for personal use.)
Santa Claus Shelf Sitter — The Friendly Red Fox. About 7 inches tall sitting, with long striped legs that dangle over the edge of a shelf or mantel, about 15 inches in all. The head and body are one piece, which keeps the sewing down. It's part of her Christmas shelf sitter series, so you can build a whole row.
Crochet Santa Claus — The Caffeinated Snail. A tall 14-inch Santa (before his hat) in worsted yarn on a 4mm hook. The legs, belly and head are worked as one piece in yarn-under single crochet for a neat, tight fabric, and the beard gets a chain-loop edge for texture. The designer calls it intermediate to advanced because of the construction, and notes chunky yarn would make a Santa "a few feet tall."
Free Santa Crochet Pattern — Handy Little Me (designed by The Dotty Duck). A slim 11-inch Santa, pom-pom included, in fine cotton-blend yarn on a 2.5mm hook. Plan on about 7 to 8 hours. The small hook and thin yarn give him crisp, detailed shaping.
Amigurumi Santa Claus Doll — Once Upon a Cheerio. A small 15cm (6-inch) Santa rated easy. It uses worsted yarn on a 3mm hook, which makes a firm fabric that holds stuffing well. The head, arms and legs all start from magic rings, and the body switches to front loops partway up to form his coat.
Easy Santa Claus — Maria's Blue Crayon. The fastest big Santa on the list. It's worked in super bulky blanket yarn on a 6.5mm hook, and the designer finished hers in about an hour and a half. He's built from the bottom up, with the beard and head crocheted straight onto the stuffed body, and there's a video to follow.
Black Santa Claus Amigurumi — Sigoni Macaroni. About 10 inches tall in worsted yarn on a 5mm hook, using only single crochet. The body starts from an oval chain, and his full gray beard is made from 38 strands of yarn tied on one at a time, so you can trim it to any shape you like.
Santa ornaments and mini Santas
Small Santas for the tree, gift toppers and stocking stuffers.
Mini Santa Claus — Little Crochet Farm. Just 3 inches tall with his hat, in sport-weight cotton on a 2mm hook. It's beginner-friendly, with links to the stitch tutorials and a video, and gauge isn't critical. It belongs to a mini ornament series that also includes Mrs. Claus (below).
Mini Santa Claus Amigurumi — Storyland Amis. About 5.5 inches tall in worsted yarn on a G/4mm hook, written for beginners with step-by-step photos. The legs are joined into the body so there's less sewing, and the designer allows selling finished pieces with credit, which is handy for craft fairs.
Santa Ornament — Furls Crochet. A round Santa head with a separate hat, pom-pom, ears, beard and hair. It's the first of Furls' Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments, and the same head is reused for the elf in that series, so once you've made one the rest go quickly.
Crochet Santa Ornament — The Stitchin' Mommy. A plump Santa ornament in worsted yarn on an H/5mm hook, using about 80 yards across six colors. The designer rates it "experienced," so save it for when you're comfortable with small pieces and color changes.
Santa Claus Ornament — Sewrella. The grand finale of Sewrella's 25-day Christmas Traditions crochet-along, worked in cotton on a 2.75mm hook. His beard is built from little "beard balls" in three sizes, which gives him a lovely curly, cloudlike look.
Crochet Santa Claus Ornament — Maria's Blue Crayon. A cheerful worsted-weight Santa face on a G/4mm hook, using tan, red and white. It opened her 12 Days of Christmas Crochet Ornaments series, so there are plenty of matching ornaments to go with it.
Heart-Shaped Santa Ornament — GoldenLucyCrafts. A clever flat ornament about 3.5 inches tall in sport-weight cotton on a 3.5mm hook. A large heart makes the face, a medium heart the hat, and three small hearts the beard. No stuffing, so it's great for gift tags too.
Santa gnomes and chubby Santas
Round, squishy Santas with hats pulled down low. If you love these, see our full Christmas gnome patterns roundup.
Crochet Santa Gnome — Winding Road Crochet. A sweet 5-inch gnome in worsted yarn on an E/3.5mm hook, worked in continuous rounds. It's an easy pattern with photos and a video series for the basic gnome shape, and there's a matching Mrs. Claus gnome on the same site.
Pudge-E Santa Gonk — Hooked by Kati. A chubby 7-by-4-inch gonk in worsted yarn on a G/4mm hook. The body is one piece, the nose is a single bobble stitch, and the curly beard is worked onto the surface with a chain-loop stitch. Easy and very satisfying.
Scandinavian Santa Gnome — One Dog Woof. The biggest gnome here at about 15 inches tall, in worsted yarn on a G/4mm hook. There are no eyes: the tall hat sits right on his nose, Scandinavian style. A small pouch of rice in the base helps him stand, and the fringe beard can be brushed out for extra fluff.
Heart-Shaped Santa Gnome — GoldenLucyCrafts. A flat gnome ornament about 4.25 inches tall in worsted yarn on a 4.5mm hook. A heart worked into a ring forms the beard, under a pointed hat worked in rows. Rated intermediate; add tiny buttons if you like.
Mrs. Claus and Santa sets
Because Santa deserves company.
Easy Mrs. Claus Amigurumi — Sigoni Macaroni. Made to match the Sigoni Macaroni Santa above: about 10 inches tall in worsted yarn on a 5mm hook, with only single crochet and very little decreasing. She wears a red dress over a white base and has pom-pom hair.
Mini Mrs. Claus — Little Crochet Farm. About 4.3 inches tall in sport-weight cotton on a 2mm hook, with a video tutorial. She has a little waist apron and a skirt worked in half double crochet through the third loop. Pair her with the Little Crochet Farm Mini Santa.
Santa and Mrs. Claus — Crochethea. Two tiny dolls in one post, each about 3 inches tall in sport cotton on a 2.25mm hook. Santa has a fold-up hat brim and a pinned-on beard and mustache, and Mrs. Claus wears an apron. Use thicker yarn and a bigger hook if you want them larger.
Tips for crocheting Santa amigurumi
- Choose a true red. Cherry or Christmas red reads as "Santa" better than burgundy or orange-red. Buy one skein for the whole set so every piece matches.
- Make the beard fluffy. Boucle, faux fur or "baby blanket" chenille yarn gives a snowy beard with no extra work. Brushed-out fringe (like the One Dog Woof gnome) is another easy trick.
- Go down a hook size. Tight stitches keep the stuffing from showing through, especially in white.
- Weight the base. A few poly pellets or a small pouch of rice in the bottom helps a Santa sit or stand on a shelf.
- Skip small parts for babies. Embroider the eyes and leave off buttons, bells and safety eyes if the Santa is for a child under three.
More Christmas crochet to make
Santa needs a crew: add a few Christmas elf patterns and a crochet angel for the top of the tree. Hang the minis alongside our amigurumi Christmas ornaments and free Christmas ornament patterns, then bake up a batch of crochet gingerbread and a Christmas tree to finish the scene. Tiny Santas also make great cheap stocking stuffers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest crochet Santa pattern for beginners?
The Sigoni Macaroni Santa uses only single crochet, and the Maria's Blue Crayon Santa is worked in super bulky yarn with a video, so it's done in about an hour and a half. For a small one, try the Storyland Amis Mini Santa, which has step-by-step photos.
What yarn is best for crochet Santa amigurumi?
Worsted (#4) acrylic or cotton works for most of these patterns. Sport-weight cotton on a 2mm hook gives tiny, crisp ornaments, and super bulky blanket yarn makes a big, squishy Santa fast. For the beard, try boucle or fluffy baby yarn.
How do you make a beard for a crochet Santa?
There are four common ways. You can crochet a flat beard piece and sew it on, work chain loops onto the surface (Hooked by Kati), tie on strands of yarn as fringe (Sigoni Macaroni and One Dog Woof), or use a fluffy novelty yarn for the beard pieces (The Friendly Red Fox).
How long does it take to crochet a Santa Claus doll?
Mini Santas and flat ornaments take about one to two hours. Medium dolls around 10 inches take an evening or two. The detailed fine-yarn Santas, like the Handy Little Me pattern, take about 7 to 8 hours.
Start with a little ornament Santa this week, then make a big Santa doll for the mantel before December. He'll look right at home next to everything else in our Christmas ornament roundup. Looking for a cuddly gift for a child? Our free crochet teddy bear patterns include Christmas bears and polar bears. If this is your first amigurumi, warm up with one of our easy amigurumi patterns for beginners.
