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This fun and silly Christmas crochet elf hat will delight friends and family at holiday celebrations. The clever design uses an air pump to make the elf’s pointy ears move up and down.
Inspired by the bunny hat with moving ears that’s been trending on social media, I have created a whole collection of crochet moving ears hats. Have you seen my Crochet Penguin Hat with Flapping Wings or Skeleton Hat with Moving Ears? They’re cute, silly, and fun for all ages. Well, just like the other hats, this Elf Hat Crochet Pattern includes a special air pump feature to make the ears move.
Now, you can continue the fun into the holiday season with a crochet Christmas elf hat for an easy crochet pattern. To make it even more festive, I’ve added bells to the tips of the ears. So not only do the ears move up and down but they also jingle which will be great for upcoming Christmas Photos for the Christmas Season!
The pattern is written in a way that you can easily adjust the pattern for adult sizes, children sizes, or even smaller, although I don’t recommend too small due to the air pump inserts. This pattern is perfect for every member of the family.
This pattern will show you how to make your very own crochet elf hat with moving ears!
See the “moving hat” in action here:
You can also customize this trendy crochet hat to make it your own festive crochet elf hat. You can use my tutorial to make it in any size. Add extra embellishments like some crochet holly leaves and berries. Or change it up with different colors of the squishy worsted-weight chenille yarn I used, Premier Pixie Dust Brights – there are 18 colors to choose from!
These silly crochet hats make great gifts for kids or for adults who like to be the life of the Christmas party for the whole family and friends all pretending to be the smallest elves with Santa at the North Pole making gifts for the kids. They’re perfect for holiday celebrations or anywhere you need to spread some extra cheer or little Christmas Magic.
Now, let’s get started on this fun free crochet elf hat pattern which makes a great beginner’s crochet project as it only includes dc rounds with little seaming, very simple increases, and barely any color changes for the perfect festive project.
Table of contents
Crochet Hats with Moving Ears
If you’ve never tried to make a moving crochet pattern before, it may look complicated. But all it takes are some simple air pumps that you sew right into the long arms of the hat. Of course, I’ll include photos and instructions so you know just where to place them to achieve this cool effect.
If you can’t get enough of these funny beanies, you’ll be delighted to know that I have written 10 other crochet pop-up hat patterns for all different occasions, including a Santa Hat. You can find all of them, including helpful tutorials, videos, and photos, in my 10 Pop Up Pals Hats ebook!
Get the PDF of the Crochet Elf Hat Pattern
This pattern is also available as an ad-free, printer-friendly pdf pattern that can be purchased at the links below for only a small fee.
If you like fun and cute Christmas hat patterns to get in the festive mood, you might also like to try one of these:
So, let me now give you the supplies you need in order to crochet this cute pattern.
How to Crochet the Elf Hat with Moving Ears Pattern
Materials you will need
- Premier Pixie Dust Brights Yarn (100g) – worsted weight yarn (#4)
- Lucky Clover (½ skein)
- Red yarn (½ of a skein)
- Fairy Pink (just a little bit)
- 4.00 mm crochet hook → WeCrochet Dots Hook
- Scissors
- tapestry needle
- 1 Inch Golden Bells as jingle bells
- Air Pump Mechanism (for US)
- Air Pump Mechanism (for Canada)
- Air Pump Mechanism (for UK)
Gauge
3 sts x 2 rounds = 1 square inch
Size
10 (width) x 7 inches (just the hat, one size (adult) – Refer to this post to adjust the size of the beanie for a different head size
Stitches used in the pattern
Learn all the basic crochet stitches HERE
- st/sts = stitch/stitches
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- inc = increase
- dec = decrease
- Magic ring or Magic Circle
- tr = treble crochet
- ATC = Alternative Turning Chain
- invisible join
Video tutorials
Arms – like Skeleton: https://youtu.be/qBXtApUQ1Jw
How to Add the Air Pump: https://youtube.com/shorts/g-TspfmNh1Y
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here:
Free Written Christmas Cute Crochet Elf Hat Pattern with Moving Ears
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Pattern Notes
First, you’ll crochet the beanie, then the arm straps where the air pump gets inserted into, then the ears, hat, and bells. Then you assemble it all.
Use the reference table below to adjust it for another size, but the pattern was written for an adult size.
Written Pattern for the Crochet Hat
Written Pattern for the Hat
With Lucky Clover
ALL first dc stitches are made as a ch3 or ATC (both count as stitch, I used the ATC)
R1: MR, ch 1, add 12 dc, close the ring, sl st to the first st
R2: *1 dc in 2 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R3: *1 dc in 3 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R4: *1 dc in 4 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R5: *1 dc in 5 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R6: *1 dc in 6 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R7: *1 dc in 7 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R8: *1 dc in 8 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R9: *1 dc in 9 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R10: *1 dc in 10 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R11: *1 dc in 11 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R12: *1 dc in 12 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R13: *1 dc in 13 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R14: *1 dc in 14 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R15: *1 dc in 15 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R16: *1 dc in 16 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R17: *1 dc in 17 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R18: *1 dc in 18 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
Crochet Air Pumps Arms
Crochet Air Pump Arms – Video Tutorial
Besides the colors and a bit extra length, the air pump arms are the same for the Elf Hat as the Skeleton Hat. So you can use the below video for guidance.
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here:
Written Pattern for the Air Pump Arms
Switch to Red
R19-22: 1 dc per st all around, sl st to the first st
**R1: 1 dc in the next 9 sts, now add 9 chainless foundation dc stitches, sl st to the first st
(Optionally, you can also crochet the arms separately and then sew them on later. In that case, make a chain of 18, sl st to the first st, and then crochet 1 dc per ch (18 sts) all around)
R2- 23: 1 dc per st, sl st to the 1st st
Switch to Lucky Clover
R24: *1 dc, 2dc in the following st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the 1st st
R25-26: 1 dc per st, sl st to the 1st st
R27: dc dec all around, sl st to the 1st st
R28: sc dec all around, sl st to the 1st st
Fasten off (close the hole)and weave in your ends.
Reattach your yarn, 32 stitches from the 9th dc you made in R1 (opposite side of the beanie). And repeat from ** for the 2nd arm.
Written Pattern for Ears and Assembly
Crochet 2 Elf Ears
R1: MR, ch 1, add 8 dc, close the ring, sl st to the first st
R2: 1 dc per st, sl st to the first st
R3: *1 dc in 3 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R4: *1 dc in 4 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R5: *1 dc in 5 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R6: *1 dc in 6 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R7: *1 dc in 7 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R8: *1 dc in 8 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R9: *1 dc in 9 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R10: *1 dc in 10 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st
R11-12: dc 2 tog all around, sl st to the first st
Sew on 3 bells on the top of the hat. Sew on 1 bell to each ear.
Assembly
Now add the air pump mechanism, by adding the bulb through the long arms and squeeze the full bent air flap (opposite side of the air pump) between 2 stitches on round 21 of the hat – right and left side of the face. Add the air flaps into the arms, then sew the arms (make sure the thumb points upwards) to the hat.
Alternatively, you could also add a pom pom instead of bells, which you can make with a pom pom maker.
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