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One red hat can carry the whole Christmas photo, and knitting it yourself means it actually fits. These free Christmas Santa hat knitting patterns cover every head in the family, from a newborn’s long tail hat to a chunky adult hat with a name on the brim.
The first three ideas are spotlight builds with materials and original pattern notes written for this blog: a classic Santa beanie, a long tail hat and a chunky personalized hat. The rest are quick variations worth queuing up.
Every pattern idea here follows the same free friendly logic: a white or cream brim, a red body, decreases or a long taper, and a pom pom with personality. Learn one and you can knit them all.
Before you cast on, measure the head honestly. Santa hats sit low and get worn for hours at parties, so a brim with good ribbing stretch matters more than any fancy stitch on the body.
Quick Picks
- Classic Santa Beanie: the all rounder: ribbed white brim, red body, big pom, in sizes for everyone
- Long Tail Santa Hat: the photo favorite for babies and kids, with a tail that drapes and a pom at the end
- Chunky Santa Hat: super bulky yarn and one evening of knitting; add a name to the brim for gifts
1. Classic Santa Beanie
The five matching hats by @defiknitlytasteful were knit for an Etsy order, and they show the classic formula at its best: a white ribbed brim, a red body with gentle texture, and an oversized fluffy pom. Hers use simple wave texture, but plain stockinette works just as well for a first Santa hat.
🛠 Skill level: Beginner friendlyYarn: Worsted or bulky⏱ 3 to 5 hours
Materials Needed
- Worsted or bulky yarn in red and white or cream (about 100 to 150 yards total for an adult hat)
- 5 mm circular needle, 16 inch, plus double pointed needles for the crown (or magic loop)
- A large faux fur pom pom or yarn for a yarn pom
- Stitch marker and tapestry needle
- Optional leather or wooden tag for a handmade finish
How to Make It
- Brim: cast on in white for the head size you need (a snug rib is the goal) and work 2×2 rib for about 2 inches (5 cm). Ribbing is the fit secret: it grips without squeezing.
- Body: switch to red and knit stockinette, or a simple texture of knit and purl waves, until the hat measures about 7 to 8 inches (18 to 20 cm) from the cast on edge for an adult.
- Crown: decrease evenly every other round, knitting two together around the hat, until a small circle of stitches remains. Thread the tail through, pull snug and secure inside.
- Pom: attach the pom firmly through the crown with doubled thread or yarn ties you can undo for washing.
- Fit check: the brim should stretch to fit and spring back. If it is loose, your next hat needs fewer cast on stitches or a smaller needle for the brim only.
Tip: Knit the family set assembly line style: all the brims first, then all the bodies. You will finish five hats faster and the sizes will match beautifully.
2. Long Tail Santa Hat
The long hat by @strikke.berit was knit for a granddaughter, with a sweet band of red hearts above the brim and a tail that drapes down the back. The long tail shape is slower to decrease than a beanie, which is exactly why it looks so festive: more red, more drape, more Santa.
🛠 Skill level: Confident beginnerYarn: Worsted or DK⏱ 4 to 6 hours
Materials Needed
- Worsted yarn in red, plus white for brim, pom and the heart band
- 4.5 mm circular needle and double pointed needles
- Stitch markers to track decrease rounds
- A pom pom maker or cardboard rings
- Optional small bell for the tail tip (adults and older kids only)
How to Make It
- Brim: work a white ribbed brim as for the classic beanie, deep enough to fold if you like a chunky cuff.
- Heart band (optional): work a few rounds in white with red hearts in stranded colorwork, or skip the band and keep the hat plain for a true beginner version.
- Body and tail: knit the red body straight for a few inches, then decrease just a few stitches every fourth round. Slow decreases make the long cone.
- Tip: when only a handful of stitches remain, knit a short i-cord tail, bind off, and sew on the pom (and the bell, if using) with strong doubled yarn.
- Try it on: the tail should fall past the shoulders for the full effect. Steam lightly to relax the drape.
Tip: Long tails eat yarn quietly. Weigh your red yarn before you start; you want at least half the ball left when the brim is done.
3. Chunky Santa Hat With a Name Brim
The hat by @thechunkyknit.co is the gift version: super bulky red yarn, a deep white brim and the name Max stitched straight onto the brim. A yarn like Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Cranberry makes the body fly off the needles, and the name turns a one evening knit into a keepsake.
🛠 Skill level: Beginner friendlyYarn: Super bulky⏱ One evening
Materials Needed
- Super bulky yarn in red, such as Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Cranberry, plus white for the brim
- 9 or 10 mm circular needle
- A big pom pom, yarn or faux fur
- Tapestry needle with a large eye for the name embroidery
- Stitch marker
How to Make It
- Brim: cast on in white and rib deeply, about 3 inches (7.5 cm). The deep brim is the canvas for the name, so keep the ribbing simple and even.
- Body: switch to red and knit stockinette, decreasing gently near the top for a soft point, or knit straight and gather for a slouchy Santa shape.
- Pom: add the biggest pom the hat can carry; chunky hats look best a little over the top.
- Name: with red yarn and a tapestry needle, chain stitch the name across the brim, practicing the letter height on the ribbing valleys first.
- Gift finish: fold the brim, add a tag, and photograph it on the tree before wrapping.
Tip: Chain stitch sits best worked along one rib valley per letter row. If a letter wobbles, unpick just that letter; embroidery forgives one letter at a time.
4. Santa Hat With a Faux Fur Brim
The hat by @lennyknits swaps the ribbed brim for a deep band of fluffy faux fur yarn, and the whole hat turns luxurious. Knit the body as usual, then work the brim in a furry eyelash or chenille yarn, or sew a strip of faux fur fabric inside the brim edge.
You’ll need: Red worsted yarn plus a ball of white faux fur or eyelash yarn for the brim and pom.
Best for: Grown up Santa hats and photo booth props.
5. Mini Santa Hats for Decor and Dolls
The bundle by @just.luvit is a pile of small Santa hats waiting for jobs: wine bottle toppers, doll hats, place setting gifts and tree ornaments. Knit them on double pointed needles in leftover red and white; each one takes less than an hour.
You’ll need: Small amounts of DK yarn in red and white, double pointed needles, tiny poms.
Best for: Table decor, bottle gifts and ornament sets.
6. Maroon Santa Hat in Chunky Wool
The hat by @wendylwatkins was a Thanksgiving Day cast on for her son, who wears a Santa hat all Christmas Eve and Day, and it took only a few hours in chunky Malabrigo Rasta wool. Deep maroon red reads richer than bright red and suits grown up Santas beautifully.
You’ll need: Super bulky wool in a deep red and cream, big needles, one evening.
Best for: The family member who wears a Santa hat for two days straight.
7. Matching Parent and Child Santa Hats
The pair by @goldenstitchcompany was a custom order: the same hat in two sizes, with folded cream brims and neat white poms. Matching hats are the Christmas card photo solved, and sizing down is simple: fewer stitches, same recipe.
You’ll need: Red and cream yarn in one weight for both hats, needles to match, two poms.
Best for: Christmas card photos and family parties.
8. Striped Christmas Beanie
For the person who loves Christmas but not costumes, the striped beanie by @knotsewkrazy mixes red, cream and green stripes with a big fur pom. It reads festive at the market and normal enough for the school run, which means it gets worn all winter.
You’ll need: Worsted yarn in three Christmas colors, a faux fur pom, your favorite beanie recipe.
Best for: Everyday December wear beyond the party.
9. Santa Hats for the Whole Crew
The sister duo at @tight.knitsisters takes custom orders for their Santa hats every year, and the photo shows why: deep red bodies, cream brims and poms, clean and matching. A crew set in one yarn and one recipe keeps group photos tidy.
You’ll need: One yarn line in red and cream for the whole set, so every hat matches.
Best for: Office parties, sports teams and big family sets.
10. Baby Long Tail Santa Hat
The newborn set by @knitsdunord pairs a long striped tail hat with a little ruffled collar for first Christmas photos. The tail drapes beside the baby rather than under, and the whole hat weighs almost nothing. Photo props should always be soft, brief and supervised.
You’ll need: Soft baby DK yarn in red and white or gray, small needles, a soft pom.
Best for: First Christmas photos, worn briefly and supervised.
11. Santa Face Beanie
The beanie by @orgu____bahcesi works three Santa faces around a red hat: white beards, red hats, tiny noses. It is the hat for knitters who want the Santa on the hat, not just the colors, and it uses stranded colorwork you can practice on this small canvas.
You’ll need: Red, white, skin tone and black yarn scraps, a simple face chart, worsted needles.
Best for: Colorwork practice with a big festive payoff.
12. Colorwork Santa Beanie
The Santa Beanie by @rosieposieknitco scatters little standing Santas across a gray stranded colorwork hat with a red brim and pom, and it is written for baby, toddler, youth and adult sizes. A calm background color makes the Santas pop and the hat wearable past December parties.
You’ll need: Worsted yarn in gray, red, white and black, colorwork needles, a yarn pom.
Best for: A Santa hat that works as a real winter hat too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size should a knitted Santa hat be?
Measure around the head above the ears and knit the brim about 2 inches (5 cm) smaller than that measurement, because ribbing stretches. When in doubt, size for comfort: Santa hats get worn for hours, and a tight brim means a hat in a handbag by pudding time.
How much yarn does a Santa hat take?
An adult beanie style Santa hat in worsted takes about 100 to 150 yards. A long tail hat can take twice that, and a chunky hat uses less yardage but chunkier yarn, usually one ball of red and part of a ball of white.
Are knitted Santa hats safe for babies?
For photo props, use soft yarn, sew poms on with doubled yarn or skip the pom, and never leave a baby wearing a hat unsupervised or asleep. Long tails must drape beside the baby, never across the face, and hats come off as soon as the photos are done.
How do I make a pom pom that stays on?
Make it dense, tie the center with strong yarn pulled very tight, and sew it through the crown of the hat with several passes of doubled yarn. Removable poms on ties or a button inside the crown make washing much easier.
Can a beginner really knit a Santa hat?
Yes. The classic beanie in this list is knit, purl and knit two together, and chunky yarn hides a multitude of sins. Knit your first hat in the biggest size you need; larger stitches are easier to count and quicker to finish.
How do I wash and store Santa hats?
Wash gently in cool water if the yarn allows, dry flat with the brim smoothed, and store loosely folded in a drawer rather than crushed in the decoration box. Take removable poms off before washing so they stay fluffy.
Final Thoughts on Free Christmas Santa Hat Knitting Patterns
A drawer of knitted Santa hats is a family tradition waiting to happen: one for the cook, one for the photographer, one for the baby who will only wear it for six photos, and a spare for the guest who forgot theirs.
Start with the classic beanie and the head you know best, then let the long tails and colorwork Santas tempt you. By next Christmas, you will be the person other people ask to knit their hat, which is the highest honor December offers.
