​Gingerbread Family Crochet Ornament

Light Brown, White, and your chosen colours for decoration

(less than 20g/30yds of each)

Yarn needle & scissors

These can be made with any yarn/hook size. The yarn/hook size you choose will determine the size of your finished Gingerbread person. As a guide, I used Chunky (US Bulky) yarn with a 6mm hook and made a gingerbread approximately 11cm tall and a 4mm hook for 8cm tall.

These gingerbread people are made Amigurumi style, working single crochets in rounds. We will work in joined rounds, slip stitch into the first stitch at the end of each round and begin the next with ch1 and work into the same stitch as join (starting ch1 will not count as stitches). They are worked from the head down. The head, arms, body and right leg are worked all in one piece, only needing to join again to work the left leg.

(mr) Magic ring, (sc) Single crochet, (hdc) Half Double crochet, (inc) Increase – 2sc in same st, (dec) Decrease (invisible) – hook through front loop only of the next 2 stitches, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops on hook

(Standing hdc) for joining the second leg – start with a slip knot on hook, place a finger over the knot to hold in place, yarn over (2 loops on hook), hook through the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

Numbers shown in ( ) indicates the number of stitches you should have at the end of the row/round.

Using your Light Brown yarn, start with a magic ring,

R1. sc x6 into mr, pull closed, sl st into first sc to join (6)

R2. ch1, inc x6, sl st to join (12)

R3. ch1, sc x2, inc x2, sc x4, inc x2, sc x2, sl st to join (16)

R4. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (16) Allow the piece to fold over flat, the joining seam will run down the middle of the back.

R5. ch1, sc x2, dec x2, sc x4, dec x2, sc x2, sl st to join (12)

R6. ch1, sc, dec x2, sc x2, dec x2, sc, sl st to join (8)

You have just completed the head and will now work the arms and neck.

R7. ch1, sc x2, ch6, turn to work sc x5 along the back bumps of the chain starting from the 2nd ch from hook (the 1st ch on hook will be counted as a stitch), sc x4 along the front of head, ch6, turn and work sc x5 as before, sc x2, sl st to join (30)

Working into the back bumps creates visible ‘top V stitches’ all the way around the worked chain, making it neater and easier to work into next round.

R8. ch1, sc x7 along back and arm, you will probably find the chain stitch at the tip quite tight so just work sc in the front loop only, sc x14 (along other side of arm, front, and other arm), sc in front loop only of other tip stitch, sc x7 down arm and back, sl st to join (30)

R9. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (30) This completes the arms, you will now work the body.

R10. ch1, sc x3, skip the next 9 stitches of the arm, sc x6 along front, skip the next 9 stitches of the other arm, sc x3, sl st to join (12)

R11. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (12)

R12. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (12) This completes the body.

R13. ch1, hdc, sc x4, hdc, skip the next 6 sts and sl st into first hdc to join (6) This creates the top of first leg.

R14. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

R15. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

R16. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

Cut yarn leaving a long tail (approximately twice the length of your gingerbread) and pull through loop on hook to fasten. Use your yarn needle to weave the end through the front loops of the last 6 stitches and pull tight to close the end of leg. Thread the excess tail end through the middle, up inside the leg and out the open bottom edge of the arm on same side of body. Leave this tail end here, we will use it to seam the arm later.

R1. Work a standing hdc (see above for instructions) to join yarn on to R12. in the stitch next to the first leg, sc x4, hdc, sl st into first hdc to join (6)

R2. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

R3. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

R4. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

Cut yarn leaving a long tail and finish off the same as the first leg bringing the tail through the other arm opening. Do not seam the arms until you finish decorating the gingerbread.

You can use other materials (eg. beads, buttons, felt) to embellish your gingerbread men if you like. I have just used yarn to embroider my ‘icing’ decorations. Only decorate the front (side without joining seam) of your gingerbread for a more realistic appearance. Use the open parts of the arms to easily access the underside of the front and to tuck in your cut ends.

I like to plan my colour choices and work each part in the same colour together in a continuous strand (carrying the yarn on the inside) to save adding lots of cut strands. I added White eyes and traditional icing lines at the hands and feet, then embroidered an open mouth smile and buttons in Red, added a Green bow tie and finished with adding blue pupils to the eyes.

Make 2 long stitches the length of the bow, one above and one below the row you want it to be on, fill in the area in between with 2 more long stitches, bring the yarn out and under in the middle of these strands, wrap the yarn around the 4 strands, feed back through and pull tight to gather the strands in the middle. You can use these bows as bow ties, dress bows, or even head bows for the girls.

Fold a length of yarn in half and tying a large double knot at the ends. Use a smaller hook size to go through the top of head (middle of starting magic ring) and come out through an arm opening. Hook on to the loop of yarn and it bring through.

Gingerbread Man Free Crochet Pattern

Once you have finished decorating your gingerbread, use your yarn needle and the previous long tail ends to whip stitch along the arms to seam. Use one side to close up the gap in between the legs as well. Cut excess and weave in ends.

The first 10 rounds of the gingerbread lady are worked exactly the same as the gingerbread man, please refer to above for R1.-R10.

R11. ch1, sc x2, inc x2, sc x4, inc x2, sc x2, sl st to join (16)

R12. ch1, sc x3, inc x2, sc x6, inc x2, sc x3, sl st to join (20)

R13. ch1, sc x4, inc x2, sc x8, inc x2, sc x4, sl st to join (24)

This completes the dress.

R14. ch1, sc x3, skip the next 6 stitches, sc x3, skip the last 12 stitches, sl st into first sc to join (6)

This creates the top of first leg.

R15. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

R16. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6) Cut yarn leaving a long tail and pull through loop on hook to fasten. Use your yarn needle to weave the end through the front loops of the last 6 stitches and pull tight to close the end of leg. Thread through the middle of leg to the bottom of dress on the same side. Whip stitch to seam the open edge of dress, thread up inside the body and out the open bottom edge of the arm on same side.

Leave this tail end here for seaming the arm later.

R1. Join yarn to the middle of R13. with a sc in the stitch next to the first leg, sc x2, skip 6 stitches, sc x3, sl st into first sc to join (6)

R2. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)

R3. ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6) Cut yarn leaving a long tail and finish off the same as the first leg bringing the tail through the other arm opening.

You have now finished a Mr & Mrs Gingerbread. Make smaller gingerbread people as their children by simply reducing your hook and/or yarn size. Hang them on your tree or around the house singly, or thread them on to a ribbon (or work a chain of yarn, single crocheting around the hanging loops at regular intervals) to join them as a bunting string. You can even leave off the hanging loops and just stack them on a plate as a cute display feature or just little figures.

Why not make a Gingerbread Family to represent your very own family? Match up eye colours and their favourite colour outfits.