This little Santa hat is a tree ornament made in one piece. The bright red body is a smooth cone of single crochet. Its narrow, bendy tip flops over to one side. A thick white brim with a knit-look texture runs around the bottom, a fluffy white pom-pom sits on the tip, and a red yarn loop at the top lets you hang it from a branch.
The colors are classic Christmas: tomato red and snow white. The style is clean and slightly chunky. The stitches are tight, so the hat holds its shape without wire. It looks good on a tree, tied onto a gift, or hung from a garland hook.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished hat measures about 4.2 in (10.7 cm) across the brim and about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall with the tip folded over. The pom-pom is about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Construction is simple. You start at the tip with a magic ring and work a slow-growing tube in continuous rounds. Then the increases speed up to form the cone. Next you change to white and work the brim in joined rounds straight off the cone. Last, you add the pom-pom and the hanging loop and tack the tip down. There is no sewing of separate body parts.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.2 in (10.7 cm) wide at the brim x 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, with the tip folded
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted weight (#4)
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 hat body with brim, plus 1 pom-pom
- Layout: Single ornament; no motifs to join
- Piece size: The red body is 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide at the base when flattened
- Size before brim: 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide x 3.6 in (9.1 cm) long, measured straight from tip to base before folding
- Brim depth: 1 in (2.5 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted-weight yarn. Cotton or a cotton blend gives the crisp stitch definition shown here and holds the cone shape well. Acrylic also works, but the hat may turn out a little softer and floppier. Avoid fuzzy or novelty yarns for the body, because the stitches will blur.
- Red (body, hanging loop): about 12 g / 20 m
- White (brim, pom-pom): about 8 g / 14 m
These amounts include a small margin for your gauge test, pom-pom trimming, and weaving in ends.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- 1 in (2.5 cm) pom-pom maker, or a dinner fork
- Small pinch of polyester fiberfill (optional)
- Blocking pins and a spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- inc: 2 sc in the same stitch
- sl st: slip stitch
- BLO: back loop only
- MR: magic ring
- st(s): stitch(es)
- [ ] x N: repeat the steps in brackets N times
Special stitch: hdc in third loop (hdc3L). Look at the back of the previous round. Below the top two loops of each hdc is a horizontal bar. Yarn over, insert the hook under that bar only, and finish a normal hdc. The top two loops roll to the front and form the upright “knit” Vs on the brim.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 10 sc and 11 rounds = 2 in (5.1 cm) in sc worked in the round. That is 5 sc and 5.5 rounds per inch. For the brim, hdc rounds work up at about 4 rounds per inch.
Make one hat first before you start a batch. Small gauge changes add up quickly on a cone.
Checkpoints:
- After Round 9 (tip tube, 12 sts): The tube flattens to about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide and is about 1.6 in (4.1 cm) long.
- After Round 17 (36 sts): The base flattens to 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide. The piece is about 3.1 in (7.9 cm) long, measured straight.
- After Round 20 (red finished): Still 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide, and about 3.6 in (9.1 cm) long.
- After Round 25 (brim finished): The brim flattens to 4.2 in (10.7 cm) wide and is 1 in (2.5 cm) deep.
If your hat is too big: Go down to a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook or tighten your tension. If it is too small: Go up to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook. Keep the stitch counts the same either way, because the proportions of the tip, cone, and brim depend on them.
Hat Body (Red)
Work in continuous rounds. Don’t join and don’t turn. Place a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go. Keep the right side facing out.
Use the yarn-under method for each sc if you can. It makes slightly tighter, neater stitches and helps stop stuffing from showing through.
Tip tube
Round 1: With red, make an MR. Work 4 sc in the ring and pull the ring closed. (4 sts)
Round 2: Sc in each st around. (4 sts)
Round 3: [Inc, sc in next st] x 2. (6 sts)
Round 4: Sc in each st around. (6 sts)
Round 5: [Inc, sc in next 2 sts] x 2. (8 sts)
Round 6: Sc in each st around. (8 sts)
Round 7: [Inc, sc in next 3 sts] x 2. (10 sts)
Round 8: Sc in each st around. (10 sts)
Round 9: [Inc, sc in next 4 sts] x 2. (12 sts)
The tip stays thin and flexible because it grows by only 2 stitches every other round. That is what lets it bend over cleanly later.
Cone
Round 10: [Inc, sc in next st] x 6. (18 sts)
Round 11: Sc in each st around. (18 sts)
Round 12: [Inc, sc in next 2 sts] x 6. (24 sts)
Round 13: Sc in each st around. (24 sts)
Round 14: [Inc, sc in next 3 sts] x 6. (30 sts)
Round 15: Sc in each st around. (30 sts)
Round 16: [Inc, sc in next 4 sts] x 6. (36 sts)
Round 17: Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
Check your size now. The base should flatten to 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide.
Rounds 18–20: Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
These 3 plain rounds straighten the bottom of the cone so the brim sits level. At the end of Round 20, sl st into the next st to smooth the step left by the spiral. Fasten off red, leaving a short tail.
Brim (White)
On this one-piece design, the brim takes the place of a border. You work it straight onto the last red round in joined rounds, which keeps the knit-look columns straight.
Brim gauge: 5 sts per inch around. Sc rounds work up at 5.5 rounds per inch and hdc rounds at 4 rounds per inch.
Round 21 (trim round): Join white with a sl st in the back loop of any st of Round 20. Ch 1 (doesn’t count as a st). Sc BLO in each st around. Sl st to the first sc to join. (36 sts worked 1 per existing st + 0 extra = 36 sts)
The unused front loops of the red round make a neat ledge. This is where the brim starts to stand out from the cone.
Round 22 (conversion round): Ch 1. [Inc, sc in next 5 sts] x 6. Sl st to the first sc to join. (36 sts worked 1 per existing st + 6 extra = 42 sts)
Round 23: Ch 1. Hdc in each st around. Sl st to the first hdc to join. (42 sts)
Round 24: Ch 1. Hdc3L in each st around. Sl st to the first hdc to join. (42 sts)
Round 25: Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Finish with an invisible join to the first sc. (42 sts)
Fasten off white and weave in the ends on the inside.
When you flatten the hat, the front and back of the brim each hold 21 sts. The folds fall in the middle of a stitch, so no stitch is counted twice.
Why the math works: The red base has 36 sts at 5 sts per inch. That gives a 7.2 in (18.3 cm) circumference and a 3.6 in (9.1 cm) flat width. Round 22 adds 6 sts for a total of 42 sts and an 8.4 in (21.3 cm) circumference. That flattens to 4.2 in (10.7 cm), so the brim sticks out 0.3 in (0.8 cm) past the cone on each side. The 6 increases are spaced evenly, so the flare is smooth and doesn’t ruffle. For depth, the 3 sc rounds add about 0.55 in (1.4 cm) and the 2 hdc rounds add about 0.5 in (1.3 cm). Together they make a brim about 1 in (2.5 cm) deep.
Pom-Pom
Wrap white yarn about 60 times around a 1 in (2.5 cm) pom-pom maker or the prongs of a fork. Tie it tightly in the center with a 12 in (30.5 cm) length of white yarn. Cut the loops and trim the pom-pom into a firm, round ball 1 in (2.5 cm) across. Leave the long tie ends attached for sewing.
Thread the tie ends onto a tapestry needle. Pass them through the center of the magic ring at the tip, then back through the tip once more. Pull tight so the pom-pom sits snugly against the end of the tube. Knot the ends inside and trim them.
Folding the Tip
Lay the hat flat with the brim at the bottom. Bend the tip tube down to one side at about Round 9 or 10. The pom-pom should sit level with about Round 14 or 15, just past the side edge of the cone.
Use a 6 in (15.2 cm) red tail to make 2 or 3 small stitches through the underside of the tube and into the cone around Round 13. These stitches keep the tip bent. Keep them small and hidden in the fold.
For a firmer shape, push a small pinch of fiberfill into the cone before you tack the tip. The hat shown here is lightly filled at the top only, with the brim left open.
Hanging Loop
Cut a 10 in (25.4 cm) length of red yarn. Thread it through a stitch at the top of the fold, near Round 10. Even up the ends and tie them in a square knot. This gives you a loop about 4 in (10.2 cm) long. Slide the knot inside the fold or hide it under the bent tip.
For a sturdier loop, you can instead chain 30 in red and sew both ends to the top of the fold.
Final Blocking
- Mist the whole hat with water until it feels just damp. Don’t soak it.
- Fill the cone loosely with a rolled paper towel so it holds its shape while it dries.
- Shape the brim into an even circle and pin it on a blocking mat at 4.2 in (10.7 cm) across.
- Roll the brim edge gently between your fingers so the hdc3L columns stand upright.
- Check that the tip still bends to the same side and the pom-pom points slightly down.
- Let the hat dry completely, then remove the paper towel and pins.
- Fluff the pom-pom with your fingers and trim any stray strands.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Brim measures 4.2 in (10.7 cm) across and 1 in (2.5 cm) deep
- Hat stands 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall with the tip folded
- Stitch count is 36 at the base of the red body and 42 at the brim
- Cone increases are evenly spaced, with no sharp corners
- The red-to-white change has a clean ledge with no red showing through
- Knit-look columns on the brim run straight up and down
- Pom-pom is round, firm, and securely attached
- Tip is tacked with hidden stitches and doesn’t spring back
- Hanging loop is secure and the knot is hidden
- All ends are woven in on the inside
Troubleshooting
The cone twists into a spiral. This is normal in continuous sc. Keep your tension even, then block the hat. Light steam also helps.
The tip won’t stay bent. Check that each increase round in Rounds 1–9 has only 2 increases. Then add one more tacking stitch.
The brim ruffles. Your hdc rounds are too loose. Go down one hook size for Rounds 23–24 only.
The brim curls inward. Check that Round 22 has 42 sts. Without the 6 increases, the brim pulls in.
There’s a visible seam line in the brim. Stagger the join: work the ch 1 and the first st one stitch to the right on each round.
Red shows through at the color change. Make sure Round 21 is worked in back loops only, and pull the white yarn snug when you join.
The pom-pom looks flat. Wrap more yarn, tie it tighter, and trim it into a ball.
Holes show at the increases. Tighten your tension or use a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook for the body.
Care
Spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, then reshape the hat and let it air dry. Store it flat in a box so the brim and pom-pom keep their shape.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. At 5 sc and 5.5 rounds per inch, the 12-st tip tube is 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide. The 36-st red base is 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide, and the 42-st brim is 4.2 in (10.7 cm) wide. Five white rounds make a 1 in (2.5 cm) brim, and the folded hat stands about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall. If your hat matches every checkpoint, the finished ornament will match too. Once you have one you like, a few more will make a cheerful set for your tree.
Happy crocheting!