Crochet Monster Hat – Free Crochet Pattern

Here is a free crochet pattern for an adorable monster hat – perfect for the little boys in your life. It's easy enough for a beginner, but looks more complicated because of all the accessories.

My Merry Messy Life: Crochet Monster Hat - Free Crochet Pattern

When my three-year-old told me he wanted to be a monster for Halloween, my mind went crazy thinking of all the ways I could make him a costume, then crochet a hat to match. I looked around to get inspiration, and found lots of cute monster hat patterns online, then ventured out to make my own version. Here's what I came up with, and Gabe loves it! He looks so darn cute in it he can literally get away with anything while wearing it.

I have two sizes included here – one for a toddler (18 months to 3 years) and one for a child (3 to 10 years). See my post on Hat Measurements for Crochet and Knit for a complete list of hat measurements. To make it smaller, just remove an increasing round, and to make it bigger, add an increasing round, then measure the crown before you start working the sides and compare that measurement to my chart in the hat measurement post for the size you want!

Check out the monster costume and tutorial I made for Gabe and his brother to go along with the hat!

My Merry Messy Life: Crochet Monster Hat Free Pattern - Toddler to Child Sizes

Hat Pattern

Materials:

  • Hook: H (5.0 mm)
  • 1-2 ounces yarn for the hat, and just a tiny bit needed for all the accessories. I used:
  • Tapestry needle to sew on accessories and hide the tails
  • Scissors to cut tails
  • Tiny amount of fiber fill (about 2 handfuls) to stuff the horns


Abbreviations

  • CH  = chain
  • SC = single crochet
  • HDC = half double crochet
  • DC = double crochet
  • SL ST = slip stitch

 

Toddler (18 months to 3 years)

Note: Join each round with a SL ST to the CH 2

Ch 3, SL ST to form a circle

Round 1

  • Ch 2
  • 11 HDC in ring (12 HDC total)

Round 2

  •  Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 2 HDC in each st around (24 HDC total)

Round 3

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in next st
  • 1 HDC in each st around (24 HDC total)

Round 4

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 1 HDC in next st
  • *2 HDC in next st, 1 HDC in next st
  • Repeat from * around (36 HDC total)

Round 5

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 1 HDC in each of the next 2 st's
  • *2 HDC in next st, 1 HDC in each of the next 2 st's
  • Repeat from * around (48 HDC total) (My crown measured about 4 1/2 inches in diameter)

Rounds 6-18

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in next st
  • 1 HDC in each st around (48 HDC total)  (switch to a contrasting color on rows 17 and 18)

 

Child (3 to 10 years)

Note: Join each round with a SL ST to the CH 2

Ch 3, SL ST to form a circle

Round 1

  • Ch 2
  • 11 HDC in ring (12 HDC total)

Round 2

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 2 HDC in each st around (24 HDC total)

Round 3

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 1 HDC in next st
  • *2 HDC in next st, 1 HDC in next st
  • Repeat from * around (36 HDC total)

Round 4

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 1 HDC in each of the next 2 st's
  • *2 HDC in next st, 1 HDC in next st, 1 HDC in each of the next 2 st's
  • Repeat from * around (48 HDC total)

Round 5

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in same st
  • 1 HDC in each of the next 3 st's
  • *2 HDC in next st, 1 HDC in each of the next 3 st's*
  • Repeat from * around (60 HDC total) (My crown measured about 5 inches in diameter)

Rounds 6-20

  • Ch 2
  • 1 HDC in next st
  • 1 HDC in each st around (60 HDC total) (switch to a contrasting color on rows 19 and 20)

 

Eye Pattern

(If you want your eyes to be smaller, just remove round 2)

(join each round with a SL ST to the CH 1)

Ch 3, SL ST to form a circle

Round 1

  • CH 2
  • 11 HDC in ring (12 HDC total)

Round 2

  • CH 2
  • Work 1 HDC in same stitch, then 2 HDC in each stitch around (24 HDC total)

Round 3

  • CH 3
  • Work 1 DC in same stitch
  • 1 DC in next stitch
  • *2 DC in next stitch, 1 DC in next
  • Repeat from * around (36 DC total)

 

Pupil Pattern

Switch to a G size hook

(join each round with a SL ST to the CH 1)

CH 3, SL ST to form a circle

Round 1

  • CH 1
  • 5 SC in ring (6 SC total)

Round 2

  • CH 1
  • Work 1 SC in same stitch
  • 2 SC in each stitch around (12 SC total)

 

Mouth & Teeth

CH 25 and sew on! Then glue on felt teeth (cut out triangles from a piece of white felt and glue on with fabric glue) OR crochet tiny triangles for teeth.

Crochet Monster Hat - Teeth and Mouth

Horns

Switch to a G size hook

I drove myself CRAZY crocheting these horns. I have a hard time seeing SC stitches with a small hook, but it is necessary for these horns. I hope it's easier for you than it was for me! I found it was MUCH easier to use a magic circle than to crochet a ring. I used YouTube videos to learn how to do the magic circle and it made it very easy! I used this pattern from Lion Brand for the horns as a jumping off point, but made it a little differently. Basically, you want more stitches on one side than the other to create a curve.

Here are the changes I made:

  • I added a CH 1 and joined each round so I could keep track of the rounds better and so I could change colors
  • Round 1: Magic ring and 3 SC in it
  • 13 rounds instead of 9, increasing on top of the previous increases like the pattern is written

For the horn strings, I just cut 1 strand of each color of yarn (minus the white and black) about  4-5 inches long. Then threaded them through the top of the horn 1 by 1 and tied a knot in each thread. Then, I cut off the ends to make it all even.

Crochet Monster Hat Horn Pattern

Free Crochet Pattern for a Cute Monster Hat for a Halloween Costume or Pretend Play

 

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