Free Crochet Snowman Pattern: Top Hat, Scarf, 27 Rounds
This free crochet snowman pattern makes a plump white snowman with an orange nose, a black top hat and a scarf, worked from the head down in 27 rounds of single crochet and stuffed as you go. It needs one hook, three colours of yarn and a pair of safety eyes, and it sits happily on a shelf, a mantel or a windowsill.
Below is the whole free crochet snowman pattern in 18 photo steps, from the magic ring to the scarf. After the steps come the four mistakes that spoil most snowmen, the hook and yarn question, and five more free snowman patterns to compare.
One note before you start: this free crochet snowman pattern gives a hook, a yarn brand and every round count, but no gauge, no yardage and no finished height, and we don’t invent them. Where a number is missing we say so, and we show what five other designers publish.
- What you need
- Stitches and abbreviations
- The plan at a glance
- Step by step
- Where it goes wrong
- Hook, yarn and size
- Five more free crochet snowman patterns
- FAQ
- Shelf Companions for the Snowman
- Sources
What You Need for This Free Crochet Snowman Pattern
The free crochet snowman pattern uses white for the head and body, black for the hat and scarf, and a little orange for the nose. The yarn shown is Red Heart acrylic, and its label lists medium weight (4) and a 5.5 mm hook for gauge.
| Item | What to use |
|---|---|
| Yarn | Red Heart acrylic in white, black and orange (label: medium weight, 100% acrylic) |
| Hook | 5.25 mm, the maker says anything close is fine |
| Eyes | 12 mm safety eyes for the face and 9 mm safety eyes for the buttons, or embroider them |
| Stuffing | Polyester fiberfill or any soft toy stuffing |
| Tools | Yarn needle, scissors and a stitch marker (a scrap of contrast yarn works) |
| Rounds | 27 white rounds, 8 hat rounds and 2 scarf rows |
The Stitches Behind a Free Crochet Snowman Pattern
This free crochet snowman pattern needs only a few basic stitches. Crochet has two naming conventions, and we give both so you never work the wrong stitch.
| Abbreviation | Name used here | Other naming convention |
|---|---|---|
| MR | Magic ring | Magic circle |
| ch | Chain | Chain |
| sc | Single crochet | Double crochet |
| inc | Increase: 2 sc in the same stitch | Same |
| dec | Decrease: 2 sc worked together (sc2tog) | Same |
| FLO / BLO | Front loop only / back loop only | Same |
The stitch multiple is 6 in every shaping round: each round adds or removes six stitches, so the head grows from 6 to 24 stitches in steps of 6 and the body from 12 to 36 the same way. If a round ends off by one, you slipped a repeat.
The Plan at a Glance
Here is the whole free crochet snowman pattern in one table. Every count comes from the round cards, and the last column is our own sum.
| Part | Rounds | Ends on | Stitches in the part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head | 1 to 11 | 12 stitches (left open) | 210 |
| Body, growing | 12 to 22 | 36 stitches | 360 |
| Body, closing | 23 to 27 | 6 stitches | 90 |
| Hat | 1 to 8 | 18 stitches | 102 |
| Scarf | 2 rows | 39 stitches | 78 |
Our own number: that adds up to 840 stitches for the whole snowman, 660 of them in the white head and body. We calculated it by adding the round counts shown on the pattern cards, and it does not include the nose, the chain of 40 or the embroidery.
Step by Step: Make a Free Crochet Snowman Pattern from Head to Scarf
Work each part in order. The head is set aside open after round 11, and the body grows straight from it, so keep the white yarn attached.
Step 1: Start with a magic ring (round 1)
Make a magic ring in white, chain 1, then work 6 single crochet inside the ring. Pull the tail to close it. You should have 6 stitches. Use a stitch marker from here on so you always know where a round begins.
Step 2: Work rounds 2 to 4 (increases)
Round 2 is 6 increases, which gives 12 stitches. Round 3 is (sc, inc) six times for 18. Round 4 is (2 sc, inc) six times for 24. An increase is two single crochet in the same stitch, so each round grows by exactly 6.
Step 3: Work five straight rounds (rounds 5 to 9)
Single crochet in every stitch for five rounds, 24 stitches each round. This is the top of the head, and in any free crochet snowman pattern it is the stretch where most people lose count, so tick each round off as you finish it.
Step 4: Decrease to close the head (rounds 10 and 11)
Round 10 is (2 sc, dec) six times for 18 stitches. Round 11 is (sc, dec) six times for 12 stitches. For each decrease, insert the hook in the next stitch and pull up a loop, do the same in the following stitch, then pull through all the loops on the hook. Lift the hook out of the loop and set the head aside, keeping the white yarn attached. A stitch marker in the live loop stops it from running.
Step 5: Crochet the orange nose
With orange, make a slip knot and leave a long tail. Chain 3, skip 2 chains and work 1 single crochet in the first chain, then cut a long tail and tie off. That gives a tiny cone, the whole nose of this free crochet snowman pattern, and the two long tails are what you use to attach it.
Step 6: Sew the nose onto the head
Count about 7 rows down from the top of the head and put the nose roughly in the middle. Pull one tail through to the inside and tie it, then move one stitch over and do the same with the other tail. Double knot both inside, because the nose has to survive years of handling.
Step 7: Add the safety eyes
Place the 12 mm safety eyes one row above the nose and about two stitches away from it on each side. Snap on the backs from inside the head. If you would rather not use safety eyes, embroider them with black yarn.
Step 8: Stitch the smile
Thread black yarn onto a yarn needle. Pick the first corner of the mouth about a row below the nose and just under the corner of an eye, and bring the needle out there. Take the second corner about four stitches away, then pull through to make a curve. Do not pull tight, because a tight thread gives a frown, and a loose curve gives a smile. Anchor the middle low with a small stitch, tie off and hide the ends.
Step 9: Start the body in the front loops (round 12)
Pick the white yarn back up at the open head. Round 12 is worked in the front loop only, the loop towards you at the top of the stitch: (sc, inc) six times for 18 stitches. It feels fiddly for one round, then you go back to both loops.
Step 10: Grow the body (rounds 13 to 15)
Now work through both loops. Round 13 is (2 sc, inc) six times for 24 stitches. Round 14 is (3 sc, inc) six times for 30. Round 15 is (4 sc, inc) six times for 36. The gap between increases grows by one stitch each round, which is why the body of this free crochet snowman pattern swells so smoothly.
Step 11: Work seven straight rounds (rounds 16 to 22)
Single crochet in every stitch for seven rounds, 36 stitches each round. This is the tummy of the snowman in this free crochet snowman pattern, and it is a good stretch for a film or a podcast.
Step 12: Put on the buttons
Set the body aside on its working yarn and add the buttons now, while the body is still open and easy to reach. Nine millimetre safety eyes make good buttons, and you can space them as you like. If you cannot embroider, safety eyes are the easy route.
Step 13: Crochet the hat crown (rounds 1 to 6)
In black, make a magic ring, chain 1 and work 6 single crochet in it. Round 2 is 6 increases for 12 stitches. Round 3 is 12 single crochet in the back loop only, the loop farthest from you. Rounds 4 to 6 are 12 single crochet through both loops, so the crown stands up like a little cylinder.
Step 14: Make the hat brim (rounds 7 and 8)
Round 7 is worked in the front loop only: (sc, inc) six times for 18 stitches. Round 8 is 18 single crochet through both loops. Slip stitch to finish if you like a neater edge, then cut the yarn and tie off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Step 15: Sew the hat onto the head
Put black yarn on the yarn needle and set the hat in the centre of the head, or a little to one side for a jaunty look. Take the needle through the edge of the hat and out through the head, then back through the next stitch and around. Careful: do not sew in the white working yarn that is still attached to the body. When the hat is secure, stuff the head.
Step 16: Close the body (rounds 23 to 27)
Now decrease back down. Round 23 is (4 sc, dec) six times for 30 stitches. Round 24 is (3 sc, dec) six times for 24. Round 25 is (2 sc, dec) six times for 18. Round 26 is (sc, dec) six times for 12. Stuff the body firmly, then work round 27 as 6 decreases in a row for 6 stitches, cut a long tail and tie off.
Step 17: Close the hole at the bottom
Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and pass it through the inside loop of each of the 6 stitches. Pull it tight, push the needle through the body and cut the tail. If you miss a loop, just take up the ones that are closest, because nobody sees the bottom.
Step 18: Crochet the scarf
In black, chain 40, skip the last chain and work 39 single crochet along the chain. Chain 1, turn, and work 39 single crochet back. Cut the yarn, tie off and wrap the strip around the neck. That is 78 stitches of scarf, and your free crochet snowman pattern is done.
Where a Free Crochet Snowman Pattern Goes Wrong
Four mistakes account for almost every lopsided snowman made from a free crochet snowman pattern:
- Losing count in the plain rounds. Rounds 5 to 9 and rounds 16 to 22 have no shaping, so nothing tells you where you are. Keep a marker in the first stitch and count 24 or 36 at the end of every round.
- Skipping the loop instructions. Round 12 and hat round 7 are front loop only, and hat round 3 is back loop only. Missing them means your snowman will not match the photos, so read each round twice.
- Sewing the working yarn into the hat. The body is still on its white working yarn while you attach the hat, so keep that strand out of the way.
- Stuffing at the wrong time. Stuff the head after the hat is on and the body before round 27. Once round 27 is closed you cannot add more.
A safety note: a snowman with safety eyes and buttons is a decoration, not a toy. Keep it away from small children and pets.
Hook, Yarn and Size for a Free Crochet Snowman Pattern
This free crochet snowman pattern uses a 5.25 mm hook and Red Heart acrylic. The label on that yarn lists a 5.5 mm hook, and the Craft Yarn Council puts medium yarn at 5.5 to 6.5 mm, so 5.25 mm is a hair under the label range. The maker says anything close is fine, and a slightly smaller hook keeps the stuffing hidden.
Other free crochet snowman patterns lean the same way. One works medium yarn on a 3.5 mm hook, well below the label range, on purpose, to get a tight fabric that holds its shape. If your stuffing shows through the stitches after round 4, go down a hook size rather than up.
The free crochet snowman pattern does not state a yardage, so we won’t guess one. The nearest hard figure is a different design, a 9.5 in (24 cm) snowman that lists 169 yd (154 m) in total, with 121 yd (110 m) of that in white, worked on a 3.5 mm hook. Your tighter or looser gauge will change the amount, so weigh your leftovers if you want a figure of your own.
Finished height is not stated either. Other designers publish 4.3 in (11 cm), 8.75 in and 9.5 in (24 cm), and the largest, with a pom-pom beanie, is 13.5 in. Yours depends on your yarn and hook, so measure the body after round 22.
Five More Free Crochet Snowman Patterns to Compare
Each of these free crochet snowman patterns is on the designer’s own site. Check the hook and size against yours before you start.
| Pattern | Hook | Yarn | Size and method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flurry the Snowman, Jess Huff | 3.5 mm | Worsted weight, 169 yd (154 m) | 9.5 in (24 cm), low-sew, weighted stuffing |
| Chillin’ With My Snowmies, The Loopy Lamb | 8.0 mm | Super bulky blanket yarn, about 145 yd | About 8.75 in, no sewing |
| Snowman Amigurumi, Mariska Vos | 2.5 mm (5.0 mm chenille version) | Sport cotton, or super bulky chenille | 4 in (9 cm) or 9 in (22 cm), two versions |
| Snowman Amigurumi, Little Crochet Farm | 2.0 mm | Sport cotton | About 4.3 in (11 cm) |
| Snowflake Snowman, Craft Passion | 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm | DK acrylic | 13.5 in with a pom-pom beanie |
Want more winter makes? Try the free crochet snowflake pattern, the crochet snowy owl or the easy crochet scarf pattern.
Free Crochet Snowman Pattern FAQ
Is this free crochet snowman pattern good for beginners?
Yes, if you can work single crochet in the round, a magic ring, increases and decreases. The only other skills are sewing on a nose and hat and embroidering a smile, and the smile can be replaced with safety eyes.
What hook and yarn should I use?
This free crochet snowman pattern uses a 5.25 mm hook and Red Heart acrylic in white, black and orange. The yarn label lists 5.5 mm, and the maker says anything close to 5.25 mm is fine. A smaller hook gives a denser snowman.
How many stitches does the snowman have?
The whole snowman in this free crochet snowman pattern, with hat and scarf, has 840 stitches by our count: 660 in the white head and body, 102 in the hat and 78 in the scarf. The nose, the chain of 40 and the embroidery are extra.
How big is the finished snowman?
The pattern does not state a height. Other free crochet snowman patterns range from 4.3 in (11 cm) to 13.5 in, so measure the body after round 22 and adjust your hook if you want a different size.
Can I use embroidered eyes instead of safety eyes?
Yes. Use 12 mm safety eyes for the face and 9 mm for the buttons, or embroider both in black yarn. Embroidered eyes are the safer choice if the snowman will go near small children.
When do I stuff the snowman?
Stuff the head after the hat is sewn on and stuff the body before round 27, which closes the bottom. Keep the stuffing firm and even so that the snowman sits upright.
Shelf Companions for the Snowman
Once your free crochet snowman pattern is done, sit it beside the crochet snowy owl on a shelf, or hang a crochet snowflake next to it. For more, browse our accessories or every free pattern on the site.
Sources
- Jess Huff, Flurry the Snowman
- The Loopy Lamb, Chillin’ With My Snowmies
- Mariska Vos, Free snowman amigurumi crochet pattern
- Little Crochet Farm, Snowman Amigurumi
- Craft Passion, Amigurumi Snowman Crochet Pattern
- Craft Yarn Council, yarn weight system
Pattern credit: this snowman design is by Samantha. Find more of her crochet work on the YouTube channel Beginner Samantha.
