Crochet elephant hat pattern – baby to adult (4 sizes)

Embark on a crochet adventure with my Crochet Elephant Hat Pattern, designed for all sizes, from baby to adult. This cute crochet beanie pattern will lead you on a creative journey to craft an adorable elephant-themed hat, perfect for adding a touch of cozy charm to your winter wardrobe. The free crochet pattern is below.

Pinterest pin for a crochet elephant hat pattern by Lovable Loops. The pin shows a gray crochet elephant hat with large ears and a trunk on a light background. Text on the pin reads “Crochet elephant hat pattern,” “Baby to adult sizes!,” “beginner-friendly,” and “FREE.”

Crochet elephant hat pattern details

Here’s everything you need to know before you start—skill level, materials, sizing, and gauge—so your elephant beanie fits well and the face details land in the right spot.

Skill level

Beginner — This crochet elephant hat pattern uses basic stitches worked in simple repeats in the round.

Materials needed

I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook — for the hat
H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook — toddler-adult size face parts
G-6 (4 mm) crochet hook — baby size face parts
Worsted weight yarn (#4) — in black, white, gray, and pink
Yarn needle — for weaving in ends neatly
Scissors — to cut your yarn
Stitch markers (optional) — helpful for keeping track of rounds and stitch counts

Finished size

This elephant hat pattern includes four sizes.

Baby — 14–15 inches (36–38 cm) head circumference, 6 inches tall (15 cm)
Toddler — 18–19 inches (46–48 cm) head circumference, 7 inches (18 cm) tall
Child — 19–20 inches (48–51 cm) head circumference, 7.75 inches (20 cm) tall
Adult — 20–23 inches (51–58 cm) head circumference, 8 inches tall (20 cm)

Need help sizing your crochet animal hat?

Getting the right fit is one of the most important parts of making a crochet hat, especially for animal hats with ears and face details.

If you’re unsure about head circumference, hat height, negative ease, or which size to make, check out my full crochet hat sizing guide. It walks you through the sizing basics step by step and makes it easier to choose the best fit from baby to adult.

You’ll learn:

How to measure head circumference correctly — so you pick the right size
How to choose the right crochet hat size (baby to adult) — using your measurements
How hat height affects fit and comfort — so it doesn’t feel too short or too tall
How much negative ease to use — for a snug, comfy fit
How to adjust a crochet hat pattern — if your hat feels too tight, loose, or short

If your hat feels too tight, too loose, or too short, the sizing guide will help you make simple adjustments with confidence.

Gauge

15 stitches and 9 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)

If your swatch has too many stitches, try a larger hook.
If your swatch has too few stitches, try a smaller hook.

Crochet abbreviations

dc = double crochet stitches
hdc = half double crochet stitches
hdc2tog = half double crochet decrease
sc = single crochet stitches
ch/chs = chain/chains
st/sts = stitch/stitches
sl st = slip stitch

Pattern notes

Use an I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook for the hat
Use an H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook for the toddler-adult size face parts
Use a G-6 (4 mm) crochet hook for the baby size face parts
Rounds 1-5 of the hat are the same for all sizes
The pattern is worked in the round from the top of the hat down
Repeat the instructions between the asterisks (*) for the rest of the round
Unless otherwise stated, the face pieces are the same for all sizes
The pattern is written in US crochet terms

Cute gray crochet elephant beanie with oversized ears, a soft trunk, and a simple animal face design.

Crochet elephant hat pattern instructions

Rounds 1-5 are the same for all sizes.

Rounds 1-5

Round 1: Magic circle, ch 2, 11 dc, join with sl st to the top of the first dc (11 stitches)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in each st, join (22 stitches)
Round 3: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next st*, join (33 stitches)
Round 4: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 2 sts*, join (44 stitches)
Round 5: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 10 sts*, join (48 stitches)

Baby size

Rounds 6-14: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (48 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Toddler size

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 11 sts*, join (52 stitches)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 12 sts*, join (56 stitches)
Rounds 8-17: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (56 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Child size

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 11 sts*, join (52 stitches)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 12 sts*, join (56 stitches)
Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 13 sts*, join (60 stitches)
Rounds 9-18: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (60 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Adult size

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 11 sts*, join (52 stitches)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 12 sts*, join (56 stitches)
Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 13 sts*, join (60 stitches)
Round 9: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 14 sts*, join (64 stitches)
Rounds 10-19: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (64 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Elephant trunk

Use gray yarn.

Row 1: Ch 10, hdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in each rem ch, turn (8 stitches)
Row 2: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn (8 stitches)
Row 3: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 6 sts, turn (7 stitches)
Row 4: Ch 2, hdc in 5 sts, hdc2tog, turn (6 stitches)
Row 5: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn (6 stitches)
Row 6: Ch 2, hdc in 4 sts, hdc2tog, turn (5 stitches)
Row 7: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn (5 stitches)
Row 8: Ch 2, 2 hdc, hdc in 2 sts, hdc2tog, turn (5 stitches)
Row 9: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 2 sts, 2 hdc, turn (5 stitches)
Row 10: Ch 2, 2 hdc, hdc in 2 sts, hdc2tog, turn (5 stitches)
Row 11: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 2 sts, 2 hdc, turn (5 stitches)
Row 12: Ch 2, hdc, hdc2tog, hdc2tog (3 stitches)

Single crochet around the entire shape and fasten off. Sew the trunk to the hat.

Elephant eyes

Make 2 using black yarn.

Round 1: Magic ring, ch 2, 11 dc, join with sl st to the top of the first dc (11 stitches)

Use scrap pieces of white yarn to add the eye sparkle. Sew the eyes to the hat.

Elephant ears

Make 2 of each the inner and the outer ears.

Outer ear:
Use gray yarn.

Row 1: Ch 16, hdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in each rem ch, turn (14 stitches)
Row 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc, hdc in 12 sts, 2 hdc, turn (16 stitches)
Rows 3-8: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn (16 stitches)
Row 9: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 12 sts, hdc2tog, turn (14 stitches)
Row 10: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 10 sts, hdc2tog, turn (12 stitches)

Single crochet around the entire shape and fasten off. Leave a long tail for sewing.

Inner ear:
Use pink yarn.

Row 1: Ch 14, hdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in each rem ch, turn (12 stitches)
Row 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc, hdc in 10 sts, 2 hdc, turn (14 stitches)
Rows 3-7: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn (14 stitches)
Row 8: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 10 sts, hdc2tog, turn (12 stitches)
Row 9: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in 8 sts, hdc2tog, turn (10 stitches)

Single crochet around the entire shape and fasten off.

Use pink yarn to sew the inner and outer ears together. Work through the sc border of the inner ear and the front loops only of the sc border of the outer ear. This will help hide the yarn color.

Sew the ears to the hat. Make sure they are an equal distance from the top of the hat.

Adding the smile

Use pink yarn to sew a smile onto the hat.

Finishing

Fasten off and then weave in the ends.

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