Santa Hand Puppet

Here comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! The Santa hand puppet pattern is here! He couldn’t leave his trusty old pal, Rudolph, hanging. Maybe you’ve been participating in my Christmas Crochet-a-Long, or maybe you’ve just found this pattern later on. Either way, he makes a wonderful stocking stuffer for Christmas, or a great resource for story telling this time of year! Your children will love reading The Night Before Christmas, with their Santa and Rudolph puppets!

One of my all time favorite Christmas books about Santa is Santa’s Christmas Journey, by Roger Brooke. It creatively tells of just how it is, that Santa is able to travel the world in one night. My dad used to read it to me and my little sister with our family globe out, and we’d find the different places he had been in the story. I’d love to read this classic with my own children, our globe, and our puppets now too!

If you’re interested in a printer-friendly PDF of the Santa hand puppet pattern, you can find the design in my Ravelry or Etsy shops! If you prefer to use the free blog copy below, I still appreciate you being here! And another great way to support my blog is simply by sharing! Thank you for supporting my business! 

Materials:

Worsted Weight (4) Yarn

Red Heart Super Saver Yarns

1. Buff (skin color) (A)
2. Cherry Red (B)
3. Black (C)
4. White (D)
5. Small amount of yellow for belt buckle

THE HOOK NOOK CROCHET HOOK, size H – 5mm (I LOVE the hooks from the Designer Interchangeable Hook Set)

Stitch marker

Tapestry needle

Scissors 

Terms and abbreviations to know:

magic ring

rnd, rnds – round, rounds

st, sts – stitch, stitches

sl st – slip stitch

sk – skip

sc – single crochet

hdc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

inc – increase, 2 sts in same st

hdcdec – half double crochet decrease

invsc2tog – invisible single crochet 2 together; this is essentially a decrease, but done in such a way as to make the continuous stitching smoother, and the decrease not as noticeable. 

1. Insert hook into front loop only of next stitch, DO NOT yarn over.
2. Insert hook into front loop of second stitch. 
3. Yarn over. Pull through 2 loops. 
4. Yarn over and pull through last 2 loops.

Dc bobble – double crochet bobble

1. Yarn over, and insert hook into designated st.
2. Pull up a loop. 
3. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 2 loops on hook.
4. Yarn over, and insert hook into same st.
5. Pull up a loop.
6. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 3 loops on hook.
7. Yarn over, and insert hook into same st.
8. Pull up a loop. 
9. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 4 loops on hook.
10. Yarn over, and insert hook into same st.
11. Pull up a loop.
12. ​Yarn over and pull through 2 loops, leaving 5 loops on hook.
13. Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.

puff st – puff stitch

1. Yarn over and insert hook into next st.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook).
3. Yarn over and insert hook back into same st.
4. Yarn over and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook).
5. Yarn over and insert hook back into same st.
6. Yarn over and pull up a loop (7 loops on hook).
7. Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops. 

Notes: The body of the Santa Hand Puppet is worked from the top down, in the rnd, with no joining. The arms, beard, eyes, and hat, are made separately and sewn on. Pages 2-6 are printer-friendly, with just the written pattern. Pages 7-9 contain process pictures to better help with the steps.

Size: This is one size, fitting child through adult, but if you wish to make it smaller for a smaller child to play with, simply tighten the gauge or go down a hook size. 

Gauge: 6 sts across and 7 rnds down = approximately 2 inches

Santa Hand Puppet Pattern

Body – beginning at the head, with A

Begin with a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring; 6 sts

Rnd 2: inc in each st around; 12 sts

Rnd 3: (inc, sc in next st)6x; 18 sts

Rnd 4: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)6x; 24 sts

Rnd 5: (3 inc, sc in next 9 sts)2x; 30 sts

Rnds 6-14: sc in each st around; 30 sts

Rnd 15: (3 invsc2tog, sc in next 9 sts)2x; 24 sts

Attach Red (B), and fasten off your skin color. Continue with Red.

Rnd 16: (ch 7, sk next 4 sts, sc in next 8 sts)2x; 30 sts, counting the chs

Rnd 17: (sc into each of the 7 chs, sc in next 8 sts)2x; 30 sts

Rnds 18-26: sc in each st around; 30 sts 

Attach Black (C), but don’t cut Red. You will pick it back up in a couple rnds. 

In black-

Rnds 27-29: sc in each st around; 30 sts

Pick red back up for the rest of the body, and fasten off black.

In red-

Rnds 30-32: sc in each st around; 30 sts

Rnd 33: hdc in next 13 sts, 2 hdc in next st, sl st in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 13 sts; 32 sts *note that the 2 sl sts should be front center of the rnd, as though they are the bottom of the coat, adjust as needed, if the first 13 sts doesn’t get you to the center. 

Sl st into the first st of the last rnd, and fasten off. Weave in ends. 

Hem – beginning in the back, at the end of rnd 33, pull white through from inside the puppet, working a surface sl st around that last row; 32 sts

Fasten off, and knot and weave in ends inside the puppet.

Belt buckle – using yellow, work a surface sl st around the black stripe at the center of the body, about 3 sts up and 6 sts across. Again, fasten off, knot, and weave in ends inside the puppet. 

Arms, Make 2 – I used black for mittens of the hands, but you could use skin color here, and change to white at the same spot.

In black

Begin with magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 st in magic ring; 6 sts

Rnd 2: (inc, sc in next st)3x; 9 sts

Rnds 3-4: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Rnd 5: dc bobble, sc in next 8 sts; 9 sts

Rnd 6: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Pull white through to complete the last st of rnd 6, and fasten off black.

In white

Rnd 7: puff st into each st around; 9 sts

Pull red through to complete the last puff st of rnd 7, and fasten off white.

In red

Rnd 8: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Rnd 9: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)3x; 12 sts

Rnds 10-13: sc in each st around; 12 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Weave in all the ends inside the arm, and then use the long tail to sew onto the arm holes of the body. Weave in ends. 

Beard, in D 

Ch 6

Row 1: turn and dc bobble in 3rd ch from hook, sc in next ch, dc bobble in next ch, sc in last ch; 4 sts

Row 2: ch 1 and turn, inc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, inc, in last st; 6 sts

Row 3: ch 1 and turn, work this row over top of the sts from row 2, (dc bobble, sc) into the first st, dc bobble in next st, sc in next st, (dc bobble, sc) into last st; 6 sts

Row 4: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 4 sts, inc; 8 sts

Row 5: ch 1 and turn, work this row over top of the sts from row 4, (dc bobble, sc) into the first st, (dc bobble in next st, sc in next st)2x, (dc bobble, sc) into the last st; 8 sts

Row 6: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 6 sts, inc; 10 sts

Row 7: ch 1 and turn, work this row over top of the sts from row 6, (dc bobble, sc) into the first st, (dc bobble in next st, sc in next st)3x, (dc bobble, sc) into the last st; 10 sts

Row 8: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next st, ch 10, sk next 6 sts, sc in next st, inc in last st; 6 sts, 10 chs

Row 9: ch 1 and turn, work 1 dc bobble over the top of the first 2 sts, sc over top of the next st, hdc in next 2 chs, dc in next 2 chs, sl st in next 2 chs, dc in next 2 chs, hdc in next 2 chs, sc over top of the next st, 1 dc bobble over top of last 2 sts, sl st into same st and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing; 15 sts

Sew onto the face, and top of the shirt, so that there is a small opening between the mustache and the beard. Mustache should be at approximately rnds 10-12. Sew all the way around the beard, and then all the way around the inside of the “mouth” so that there’s about 1.5 rnds seen between the bottom of the mustache and the top of the beard. *NOTE: be careful you don’t sew down any of the beard onto the arms. It will limit their movement, and distort the face when played with. Weave in all ends. 

Eyes and Nose

The placement of the eyes and nose is very important, so that there’s room to sew the hat on top of the head in the right place. The nose is easiest. Using about 8 inches of your skin color yarn, sew the nose, through and over about 3-4 sts, at the top center of the mustache. Go over them about 5 to 6 times. Nose should be about rnd 9. Knot off inside the head, and weave in ends. Using black yarn, place the eyes in an upward curve over rnd 7. The bottom of the eyes will be below rnd 7, and the top peek will be above rnd 7. To help maintain that curve, I also wrap the yarn around itself, after bringing the needle through at the peak, underneath the curve, and then send the needle back through into the head, through the beginning st. Knot off inside the head and weave in ends. 

Hat, is made in two parts, the 1st beginning as a flat piece to go onto the back of the head, and the 2nd piece to stick out from the side. 

Flat piece

Begin with magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring; 6 sts

Rnd 2: inc in each st around; 12 sts

Rnd 3: (inc, sc in next st)6x; 18 sts

Rnd 4: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)6x; 24 sts

Rnd 5: (inc, sc in next 3 sts)6x; 30 sts

Rnd 6: (inc, sc in next 4 sts)6x; 36 sts

Rnd 7: (inc, sc in next 5 sts)6x; 42 sts

Rnd 8: (inc, sc in next 6 sts)6x; 48 sts

Pull white through to complete the last st of rnd 8. Fasten off Red, and continue with White.

Rnd 9: (puff st in next st, hdcdec) all the way around; 32 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Place the hat against the back of the head, with the front folding over the the top of the head. The back of the hat should be sewn about 2 rnds up from the red of his jacket, and the front of the hat should be sewn around the face, folded over about rnd 6, or just about the eyes. Weave in ends. 

Side of the hat, flopped over

Begin with white in a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring; 6 sts

Rnd 2: (inc, sc in next st)3x; 9 sts

Rnds 3-4: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Rnd 5: (invsc2tog, sc in next st)3x; 6 sts

Pull red through to complete the last st of rnd 5, and fasten off white. Continue in red.

Rnd 6: inc in each st around; 12 sts

Rnd 7: sc in each st around; 12 sts

Rnd 8: (inc, sc in next 3 sts)3x; 15 sts

Rnd 9: sc in each st around; 15 sts

Rnds 10-15: sc in each st around; 15 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew on the back of the hat, from rnds 1 to 6 or 7 of the flat piece, and sew down a bit, so that it is secure off the the side of the head. You can sew it off to either side. Weave in ends.

I hope you have enjoyed making the Santa hand puppet! If you love this design, be sure to check out some of my other hand puppets, always free on the blog! The first puppet of our Christmas Puppet Crochet-a-Long was the Snowman Hand puppet, found HERE. We have since made the Gingerbread Man, and Rudolph too! Follow me along on Instagram for more Christmas themed puppets to come!  If you loved making any of these patterns, and show them off on Instagram, please be sure to tag @ekaygdesigns to let me know, and I will share in my stories! Use the hashtag #12DaysofChristmasCAL