Free Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet Pattern Tutorial

🎶 Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose! 🎶

This Christmas, delight a child with a handmade Rudolph amigurumi—crocheted with care and designed to be kid-friendly. The eyes are made from soft felt so there are no small, hard parts to worry about. Measuring about 11 inches tall and plush enough to cuddle, this little reindeer is perfect for holiday snuggles and year-round play.

Everyone loves Rudolph — after Santa, he’s one of the most beloved symbols of the season.

This free Rudolph amigurumi pattern uses basic crochet stitches: single, half-double, double, and treble crochet. If you want a quick refresher, watch the stitch tutorials on the author’s YouTube channel.

🧶 Materials

• About 200 yards of #4 medium yarn in medium brown (example: Red Heart Soft in Toast)
• Small amounts of dark brown, white or cream, and red yarn
• Felt in white/cream, dark brown, and black for eyes and belly
• D-3 / 3.25 mm crochet hook
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Scissors and yarn needle
• Stitch markers

🧷 Stitch markers

Stitch markers are useful for working in-the-round: place one at the start of each round to track where it begins. They’re also helpful when positioning parts before sewing—see the assembly section below.

📏 Finished size

Rudolph measures approximately 11 inches tall when seated.

⭐ Notes

• All instructions use US crochet terms.
• Most parts are worked in-the-round without slip-stitching at the end of rounds; stitch counts per row are given in parentheses.
• For refreshers on increase and decrease techniques, consult recommended video tutorials.
• The head and body are crocheted as one piece. Other parts are made separately and sewn on at the end with a yarn needle. Felt eyes and the belly are cut and stitched in layers; no separate tutorial is provided for those details.

🪝 Crochet abbreviations

• st – stitch
• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• hdc – half-double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• tr – treble crochet
• sl st – slip stitch
• inc – increase (2 stitches in same space)
• dec – decrease (see notes)
• sc2tog – single crochet two together (decrease)

📝 Pattern

Head and body

Foundation: Magic Ring: 6 sc

Row 1: 2 sc in each st (12)

Row 2: 2 sc in each st (24)

Row 3: *Sc in next 2 st, inc* repeat (31)

Row 4: Sc in each st (31)

Row 5: *Sc in next 3 st, inc* repeat (38)

Row 6: Sc in each st (38)

Row 7: *Sc in next 4 st, inc* repeat (45)

Row 8: *Sc in next 5 st, inc* repeat (52)

Row 9: *Sc in next 6 st, inc* repeat (59)

Rows 10–21: Sc in each st x 12 rows (59)

Row 22: *Sc in next 5 st, dec* repeat (51)

Row 23: Sc in each st (51)

Row 24: *Sc in next 4 st, dec* repeat (43)

Rows 25–26: Sc in each st x 2 rows (43)

Row 27: *Sc in next 3 st, dec* repeat (35)

Rows 28–29: Sc in each st x 2 rows (35)

Row 30: *Sc in next 3 st, dec* repeat (28)

Rows 31–32: Sc in each st x 2 rows (28)

STUFF BODY AT THIS POINT

Row 33: *Sc in next 3 st, dec* repeat (23)

Row 34: Sc in each st (23)

Row 35: *Sc in next 2 st, inc* repeat (28)

Row 36: *Sc in next 1 st, inc* repeat (42)

Row 37: Sc in each st (42)

Row 38: *Sc in next 2 st, inc* repeat (56)

Rows 39–41: Sc in each st x 3 rows (56)

Row 42: *Sc in next 1 st, inc* repeat (67)

Rows 43–50: Sc in each st x 8 rows (67)

Row 51: *Sc in next 35 st, sc, sc, dec* repeat (59)

Row 52: *Sc in next 35 st, sc, sc, dec* repeat (54)

Rows 53–58: Sc in each st x 6 rows (54)

Row 59: *Sc in next 5 st, dec* repeat (46)

Row 60: *Sc in next 4 st, dec* repeat (39)

Row 61: Sc in each st (39)

Row 62: *Sc in next 3 st, dec* repeat (32)

STUFF HEAD AT THIS POINT

Row 63: Sc in each st (32)

Row 64: *Sc in next 2 st, dec* repeat (24)

Row 65: *Sc in next st, inc* repeat (16)

Row 66: *Sc in next st, inc* repeat (11)

Row 67: Dec x3, then sew closed

Arms (make 2)

Foundation: Magic Ring with dark brown: 6 sc

Row 1: 2 sc in each st (12)

Rows 2–3: Sc in each st x 2 rows (12)

Rows 4–10: Change to main brown at row 4; sc in each st x 7 rows (12)

Row 11: *Sc in next 4 st, dec* repeat (10)

Rows 12–17: Sc in each st x 6 rows (10)

Stuff lightly, sew closed, knot off, leaving a long tail for attaching to body.

Legs (make 2)

Foundation: Magic Ring with dark brown: 6 sc

Row 1: 2 sc in each st (12)

Row 2: *Sc in next st, inc* repeat (18)

Rows 3–4: Sc in each st x 2 rows (18)

Rows 5–10: Sc in each st x 6 rows (18)

Row 11: *Sc in next 4 st, dec* repeat (15)

Row 12: Sc in each st (15)

Row 13: *Sc in next 3 st, dec* repeat (12)

Row 14: Sc in each st (12)

Stuff, sew closed, knot off, and leave a long tail to attach to body.

Muzzle

Row 1: Ch 4

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 3 st, turn (4)

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in next 3 st, 3 sc in end stitch, work around other side with sc in next 3 st, 3 sc in end stitch — forms an oval (12)

Row 4: Sc 4, inc, sc 4, inc, sc 2 (14)

Row 5: *Sc 1, inc* repeat (21)

Row 6: *Sc 1, inc* repeat (31)

Row 7: Sc in each st (31)

Row 8: Sc 9, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc 9, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc 3 (37)

Row 9: Sc 10, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc 13, inc, sc, inc, sc, inc, sc 4 (43)

Row 10: Sc in each st (43)

Sl st, pull long tail through for sewing to head.

Nose

Foundation: Magic Ring: 6 sc

Row 1: Sc in each st (12)

Row 2: *Sc 2, inc* repeat (16)

Rows 3–4: Sc in each st x 2 rows (16)

Row 5: *Sc 2, dec* repeat (12)

Row 6: Dec x6, sew closed. Sl st and pull tail for sewing to muzzle.

Outer ears (make 2)

Foundation: Magic Ring: 6 sc

Row 1: *Sc 1, inc* repeat (9)

Row 2: *Sc 2, inc* repeat (12)

Row 3: *Sc 3, inc* repeat (15)

Row 4: *Sc 4, inc* repeat (18)

Rows 5–7: Sc in each st x 3 rows (18)

Inner ears (make 2)

Row 1: Ch 6

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 5 st, turn (6)

Row 3: Sc in 2nd st from hook, sc next 3, turn (4)

Row 4: Sc in 2nd st from hook, sc next 2, turn (3)

Row 5: Sc in 2nd st from hook, sc next st (2)

Row 6: Sc in 2nd st from hook (1)

Sl st, pull tail for stitching to outer ear.

Top of tail

Row 1: Ch 8 with brown

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 6 st, 3 sc in last st (10)

Row 3: Work around other side: sc 8, then hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc x3, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc x3

Sl st, pull tail for sewing to body.

Underside of tail

Row 1: Ch 6 with white/cream

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 4 st, 3 sc in last st (8)

Row 3: Work around other side: sc 7, then hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc x3, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc x2

Sl st, pull tail for sewing to top tail piece.

Main antlers (make 2)

Foundation: Magic Ring: 6 sc

Rows 1–12: Work in-the-round: 8 sc each round x 12 rows

Stuff lightly, sew closed, knot off, leave tail for attaching to head.

Mini-antlers (make 4)

Foundation: Magic Ring: 6 sc

Rows 1–4: Work in-the-round: 4 sc each round x 4 rows

Leave tail to sew to main antler branches.

Scarf

Foundation: Ch 54, turn

Row 1: Ch 1, sc across (54)

Row 2: Ch 2, dc across (54)

Row 3: Ch 1, sc across (54)

Add fringe by folding yarn pieces in half, pulling the loop through the edge stitches, and threading the tails through. Trim evenly.

🦌 Assembly & finishing

Sew arms, legs, ears, antlers, muzzle, nose, and tail onto the body with a yarn needle using a whip stitch. Before sewing, position each piece with stitch markers so you can confirm placement.

Tail: Sew the cream underside to the brown top of the tail, taking care not to stitch through both sides so the contrasting color won’t show. Attach the tail to the back with brown yarn.

Muzzle & nose: Sew the nose to the muzzle, then position the muzzle on the face. Begin sewing it on with cream yarn, stuffing midway, then finish sewing closed.

Belly: Use two layers of cream felt if needed for opacity and sew in place with matching yarn using a running stitch.

Eyes: Cut felt pieces from white, dark brown, and black felt to form layered eyes. Sew each layer onto the face with regular thread, working one layer at a time until you achieve the look you want.

Ears: Layer and sew inner ear to outer ear without stitching all the way through, fold the base slightly inward for shape, and sew to the head with brown yarn.

Antlers: Attach above the ears with dark brown yarn.

Scarf: Leave the scarf removable or tack it in a few places with red yarn to keep it in place.

Merry Christmas! 🎅🎄

Love crochet? Browse other projects on the site for more free patterns and ideas.

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• 2-Hour Slouch Hat
• Little Bear Amigurumi
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Did you make this Rudolph amigurumi? Share your results in the comments below!

Please be respectful: do not sell this pattern or finished item as your own. For commercial use, contact the author as noted on the original site.