Gingerbread Man Crochet Pattern

This gingerbread man crochet pattern is a low sew crochet project as the body, head and legs are worked in one piece with just his arms to sew on.

Gary the Gingerbread Man

The smell of the warm spices when the gingerbread men go into the oven creates a festive joy in the home and with this easy crochet pattern, you can stitch up your own gingerbread man and keep him with you all year round.

I LOVE gingerbread men and my some of my collection are on display in my house all year as they really do bring me joy – luckily, all my friends and family know about my love of them and I receive new ornaments and toys every year, and my collection continues to grow.

Making the Boy Band | Meeting Gary’s Friends

This pattern was originally created back in 2018, when I was selling my finished projects and I wanted to make something festive for those Christmas markets. Gary wasn’t alone for long on my stalls, as Simon the Snowman joined him that very same year. It wasn’t until 2020 that I felt there was someone missing, and Terry the Tree was designed and took over as the project that became my festive favourite.

These designs continue to put a smile on my face, all these years later, and in October 2024, they were officially brought together in the Cosy Christmas Collection, my first crochet pattern book.

The Cosy Christmas Collection’s official publication date was on the 1st day of the Knitting & Stitching Show in Alexandra Palace, London, where by the middle of the 3rd day of the show, the book had sold out! I put the popularity of the book down to the stunning examples my good friend Julie stitched up for me to display – including a larger version of the gingerbread man crochet pattern pictured below.

In the image above, he doesn’t look bigger than normal, but he was stitched up using super chunky weight yarn, following the same pattern, creating a larger finished size!

Purchase the Printable PDF Pattern

You can also opt to purchase a printable copy of this crochet pattern by clicking the button below to purchase from your favourite retailer:

Recommended Materials

The pattern was written to be made in Size 4/Aran weight yarn and I used Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran. As mentioned above, the finished size of your crochet gingerbread man can be easily adjusted simply by adjusting the weight of yarn you are using and using the corresponding hook size for that yarn weight.

Pattern Details | Gingerbread Man Crochet Pattern

Optional – rust proof pins

Abbreviations – US terms

• st(s) – stitch(es)
• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• 2sc – work 2 single crochet stitches into the same stitch
• sc2tog – single crochet decrease
• mc – magic ring (adjust able ring)
• RS – right side
• pm – place stitch marker

Video Tutorial – Gingerbread Man Crochet Pattern

Pattern – Gary the Gingerbread

Head & Body

Round 1. RS: Make mc (or ch 4, sl st to 1st ch to create ring), 6sc into ring, pm into 1st st made – 6 sc

Round 2: 2sc in each st around – 12 sc

Round 3: *sc in next, 2sc in next; repeat from * around – 18 sc

Round 4: *sc in next 2, 2sc in next; repeat from * around – 24 sc

Rounds 5-7: sc in each around – 24 sc

Secure eyes between Rounds 5-6, with 3 stitches between eyes

Round 8: *sc in next 2, sc2tog across next 2; repeat from * around – 18 sc

Round 9: *sc in next, sc2tog across next 2; repeat from * around – 12 sc

Round 10: Repeat Round 9 – 8 sc

Stuff the head firmly, ensuring eyes are not misaligned by stuffing

Round 11: 2sc in each around to last, sc in last – 15 sc

Round 12: *sc in next 2, 2sc in next; repeat from * around to last, sc in last – 20 sc

Rounds 13-22: sc in each around – 20 sc

Fasten off

Lightly stuff the body, leaving room to work around base of body (once the 1st leg is complete, the body can be firmly stuffed)

Continue to Legs

Legs

Place your hook in the centre stitch, in line with the middle of the eyes and through to the other side of the body, ensuring there are 9 stitches either side of your hook to create equal leg openings

Round 1: Join yarn through both edges of Body, working around from centre st, 9 sc around to end, pm in 1st st made – 9 sc

Rounds 2-6: sc in each around to end – 9 sc

Round 7: sc2tog across next 2 sts 4 times to last, sc in last – 5 sc

Stuff leg lightly ensuring body is completely stuffed too

Fasten off, leaving long tail for weaving

Use long tail to weave through each st to close

Weave ends

Repeat from Round 1 to create 2nd leg, joining in same beginning point as 1st leg

Arms

Make 2

Round 1. RS: Make mc (or ch 4, sl st to 1st ch to create ring), 4 sc into ring, pm into 1st st made – 4 sc

Round 2: 2sc in each around – 8 sc

Rounds 3-8: sc in each around – 8 sc

Fasten off, leaving long tail for weaving

Use long tail to weave through each st to close

Weave ends

Flatten arms and pin into position each arm between Round 2-3 on opposite sides of the body before sewing into position

Adding the Detail

Using red yarn, create a smile under the eyes – use photo as guide

Using hot glue (or fabric glue), secure the mini pompoms down the front of the body and ribbon between the head and body

Use a strand of yarn and thread through head to create a hanging loop if required

Inspirational Images

As always, without my pattern testers, creating easy to read patterns simply wouldn’t happen and I am so proud to share their makes with you!

Below are the finished projects from my team of testers who LOVED making their own Gary the Gingerbread’s – don’t they all look FAB!