A crochet baby hat is one of the most rewarding things you can make. It’s small, it’s quick, and it makes a perfect baby shower or hospital gift. Many beginners make their very first hat for a new baby in the family.
This list is for beginners and anyone who wants a fast, sweet gift. You’ll find plain beanies, ribbed hats, an earflap hat, a summer sun hat, a bunny bonnet, and a cute elephant hat. Most come in several sizes from newborn up. Every pattern below is free to read on the designer’s site.
Crochet Baby Hat Free Patterns
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What You’ll Need
- Soft worsted weight baby yarn
- 5 mm (H) crochet hook
- 4 mm (G) and 5.5 mm (I) hooks
- Yarn needle
- Stitch markers for working in the round
- Soft measuring tape
- Pom pom maker
1. Basic Crochet Baby Beanie
Photo: Amanda Saladin / love. life. yarn.
This easy hat uses only single crochet. You alternate front and back loops for a soft texture, and the ribbed brim is attached as you go. It’s worked top-down and comes in preemie, newborn, baby, and toddler sizes. A great first hat.
- Designer: Amanda Saladin / love. life. yarn.
- Skill level: Beginner-friendly
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm (H)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
2. The Parker Crochet Baby Hat
Photo: Ashleigh / Sewrella
A simple basic hat in double crochet with a front post brim. It’s easy to customize with a pom pom or a little patch. It comes in sizes from 0-3 months up to child, and there’s a video for the newborn size.
- Designer: Ashleigh / Sewrella
- Skill level: Beginner (Level 1)
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm (H)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
3. Adorable Easy Crochet Baby Hat
Photo: Veronika Cromwell / Blue Star Crochet
This hat starts with a short-row brim, gets joined into a round, then builds up with puff stitches before the top is shaped. The puffs give it a cozy, bumpy texture. Sizes are 0-3 and 3-6 months, with notes for going bigger.
- Designer: Veronika Cromwell / Blue Star Crochet
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
4. Beginner Crochet Newborn Baby Hat
Photo: Tiffany / Daisy Farm Crafts
Possibly the easiest hat here: you make a rectangle in half double crochet, gather one end, fold, and sew the side. Working in the front bottom loop gives it a braided look. Top it with a pom pom. Newborn size only.
- Designer: Tiffany / Daisy Farm Crafts
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: See pattern (Bernat Softee Baby Cotton)
- Hook: 4 mm (G)
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
5. Hills and Valleys Ribbed Beanie
Photo: Carol Hladik / Carol Hladik Designs
A gender-neutral ribbed winter hat with a stretchy brim and an optional pom. The ribs come from front post double crochet. Sizes run from baby all the way to large adult, so you can make matching family hats.
- Designer: Carol Hladik / Carol Hladik Designs
- Skill level: Easy
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.5 mm (I)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
6. Simple HDC Earflap Hat
A warm hat in plain half double crochet, with earflaps and optional braided ties. It comes in 11 sizes, from preemie to adult large. Great for winter babies, and you can add a little decoration to the front.
- Designer: Rhondda Mol / Oombawka Design Crochet
- Skill level: Easy
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.5 mm (I)
- Price: Free
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
7. Meadow Shell Stitch Beanie
Photo: Assia Colozzo / The Crochet Village
A seamless top-down beanie with rows of pretty 5-dc shells. It looks lovely in solid or variegated yarn. The sizes run from preemie to adult, so it’s a nice mommy-and-me pattern.
- Designer: Assia Colozzo / The Crochet Village
- Skill level: Advanced beginner
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm (H)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
8. Malia Newborn Beanie
Photo: Yarn + Chai
This newborn hat is worked in rounds and then in vertical rows, with a faux-cinched top so there’s nothing to sew shut. It uses a bean stitch for texture. One size for 0-3 months, about 12 inches around.
- Designer: Yarn + Chai
- Skill level: Easyish
- Yarn: Aran / worsted (#4), about 80 yards
- Hook: 5.5 mm (I)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
9. Willow Ridge Beanie
A top-down beanie with raised ridges from a special cluster stitch and a single crochet brim. It has eight sizes from newborn to adult. The smaller sizes use DK yarn and the larger ones worsted. Add a faux fur pom for a store-bought look.
- Designer: Amanda / Maisie and Ruth
- Skill level: Easy
- Yarn: DK (#3) for baby sizes; worsted (#4) for larger
- Hook: 4 mm (G) to 5.5 mm (I)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
10. Grace’s Granny Stitch Baby Hat
Photo: Hookfully
A one-piece, no-sew beanie with granny stitch clusters and a ribbed brim. It’s sized from newborn to toddler. The free version is on the blog with ads, and some step photos are for paying members only.
- Designer: Hookfully
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
11. Wrap Stitch Crochet Hat
Photo: Tamara Kelly / Moogly
A top-down hat with a half double crochet crown, a wrapped texture on the sides, and a short stretchy brim. Baby sizes are 0-6 and 6-12 months, plus child and adult. It’s a good pick if you want something a bit more grown-up looking.
- Designer: Tamara Kelly / Moogly
- Skill level: See pattern
- Yarn: Light (#3)
- Hook: 4.5 mm
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
12. Derby Summer Baby Hat
A cotton sun hat with a spiral brim and a contrast band, made to shade baby’s face. It’s mostly single crochet worked in a continuous spiral. Sizes are baby, toddler, and child. A sweet summer gift.
- Designer: Hortense / Knitting with Chopsticks
- Skill level: See pattern
- Yarn: Fine / sport (#2) cotton
- Hook: 4 mm (G-6) and 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
13. Crochet Bunny Bonnet
Photo: Lindsey / Winding Road Crochet
A baby bonnet you can make as a bunny or a lamb, perfect for spring and Easter photos. It has photos and a video. Sizes run from small baby to child. Front and back post stitches give it shape.
- Designer: Lindsey / Winding Road Crochet
- Skill level: See pattern
- Yarn: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm (H)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
14. Bo Newborn Baby Hat
Photo: Burgundy and Blush
A quick, simple newborn hat in aran yarn, which makes it a bit cozier than most baby hats. It mixes double and half double crochet. The free version is the 0-3 month size, and other sizes come with the paid PDF. Written in US terms.
- Designer: Burgundy and Blush
- Skill level: See pattern
- Yarn: Aran (#4)
- Hook: 5.5 mm (I)
- Price: Free (0-3 month size) + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
15. Elephant Baby Crochet Hat
Photo: Jenny & Teddy
An adorable elephant hat with ears, a trunk, and button eyes, made for newborn photos. There’s an optional earflap with ties and a video. Sized for 0-3 months. The designer says it’s great for beginners.
- Designer: Jenny & Teddy
- Skill level: Beginner
- Yarn: DK (#3)
- Hook: 6 mm (hat) and 3 mm (inner ear)
- Price: Free written pattern + paid PDF
- Get the pattern: Get the free pattern →
Which One Should You Make?
- First hat ever? Start with #4 (a folded rectangle) or #1 (all single crochet).
- Need a hospital gift? #8 and #14 are quick newborn sizes.
- Winter baby? #5 and #6 are warm, and #6 has earflaps.
- Summer baby? #12 is a cotton sun hat.
- Want something cute for photos? Try #13 (bunny) or #15 (elephant).
FAQ
What size crochet hat fits a newborn?
Most newborn hats are about 12 to 14 inches around and 5 to 6 inches tall. Babies grow fast, so many people make the 0-3 month size for a gift. Make the hat a little smaller than the head measurement, since crochet stretches.
What is the best yarn for a crochet baby hat?
Choose soft, machine-washable yarn. Baby acrylic and cotton are both good. Cotton is cooler for summer, while acrylic is warmer and very easy to wash. Avoid fuzzy yarns that shed and anything scratchy. Worsted weight is the easiest for beginners.
How long does it take to crochet a baby hat?
A simple newborn beanie takes most beginners two to four hours. Textured stitches, earflaps, or animal ears add more time. Once you’ve made one or two, you can often finish a basic hat in a single evening.
Choose a hat, pick a soft yarn, and you’ll have a sweet gift ready before the baby shower.
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