Is this crochet monster hat beginner-friendly?

Yes. This pattern is rated beginner and uses a simple top-down construction worked in the round. The eyes and horns are crocheted separately and sewn onto the hat.

What sizes are included in the monster hat pattern?

The pattern includes baby, toddler, child, and adult sizes, making it a fun baby to adult crochet hat pattern. You can use the same design to make a matching kids monster hat or an adult version.

What yarn weight should I use?

Use worsted weight yarn, also known as medium weight or #4 yarn.

What crochet hook is used for this pattern?

The pattern uses an I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook.

How is the monster hat constructed?

This top down crochet hat is worked in the round from the crown to the bottom edge. The ear flaps are added to the hat, while the eyes and horns are made separately and sewn on.

Does every size include ear flaps and braids?

Yes. Every size includes ear flaps and braided ties, so this crochet hat with ear flaps has the same playful look in baby, toddler, child, and adult sizes.

Are the monster eyes and horns crocheted separately?

Yes. The silly eyes and horns are crocheted as separate pieces and sewn onto the finished hat. These details turn the basic hat into a playful monster hat with horns and lots of personality.

What colors should I use for the monster hat?

Choose one main color for the hat and two contrasting colors for the horns and trim. Use black and white for the eyes, and combine all three hat colors in the braided ties.

Can I use this monster hat for Halloween?

Yes. The silly eyes, horns, ear flaps, and braids make it a fun crochet Halloween hat for costumes, parties, trick-or-treating, and fall events. It can also be worn as a playful winter hat after Halloween.

Crochet Monster Hat Pattern – Free Baby to Adult Sizes

This crochet monster hat pattern turns a simple hat into a silly monster with goofy eyes, horns, ear flaps, and colorful braids. It’s a fun choice for Halloween costumes, dress-up, or adding a little extra personality to cold-weather wear.

Quick answer

This advanced beginner crochet monster hat pattern uses worsted weight (#4) yarn and an I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook. The hat is worked from the top down in joined double crochet rounds and includes baby, toddler, child, and adult sizes. Ear flaps and braided ties are added to the hat, while the eyes and horns are crocheted separately and sewn in place.

Crochet monster hat pattern details

Skill level

Advanced beginner — Uses basic crochet stitches, joined rounds, increases, single crochet decreases, ear-flap shaping, braided ties, separately crocheted eyes and horns, and basic sewing.

Materials needed

I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook
Worsted weight yarn (#4) in one main color, two contrasting colors, white, and black
Yarn needle
Scissors

Color placement: Choose one main color for the hat and two contrasting colors. Use one contrasting color for both horns and the other contrasting color for the trim around the hat and ear flaps. Use white yarn for the eyes and black yarn for the pupils and mouth. For the braided ties, combine all three hat colors so each braid includes the main color plus both contrasting colors.

Sizing

This pattern includes four sizes designed to fit the following head circumferences:

Baby — Fits a 16–17 inch (41–43 cm) head circumference; finished hat height is 6.25 inches (16 cm).
Toddler — Fits an 18–19 inch (46–48 cm) head circumference; finished hat height is 6.75 inches (17 cm).
Child — Fits a 19–20 inch (48–51 cm) head circumference; finished hat height is 7 inches (18 cm).
Adult — Fits a 20–23 inch (51–58 cm) head circumference; finished hat height is 7.75 inches (20 cm).

See my crochet hat sizing guide for full details and size charts.

Gauge

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

Learn how to check crochet gauge before you begin so you can adjust your hook size if needed.

Crochet abbreviations

dc = double crochet
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
sc2tog = single crochet decrease
ch/chs = chain/chains
st/sts = stitch/stitches
sl st = slip stitch

Pattern notes

The hat is worked from the top down in joined rounds.
The beginning ch 2 in the hat rounds does not count as a stitch.
The beginning ch 1 in the ear-flap rows, eye rounds, and horn rounds does not count as a stitch.
Join each round with a sl st to the first stitch made in that round.
Repeat from the asterisk (*) as indicated.
The ear flaps are worked in rows directly from the lower edge of the hat.
The eyes and horns are crocheted separately and sewn to the finished hat.
The pattern is written in US crochet terms.

Free crochet monster hat pattern instructions

Use your main hat color.

Rounds 1–7

These rounds are the same for all four sizes.

Round 1: Make a magic circle. Ch 2, work 11 dc into the ring. Join with a sl st to the first dc. (11 sts)
Round 2: Ch 2, work 2 dc in each st around. Join. (22 sts)
Round 3: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next st; repeat from * around. Join. (33 sts)
Round 4: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (44 sts)
Round 5: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 10 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (48 sts)
Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 11 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (52 sts)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 12 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (56 sts)

Baby

Rounds 8–13: Ch 2, dc in each st around. Join. (56 sts)

Do not fasten off. Continue with the first ear flap.

Toddler

Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 13 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (60 sts)
Rounds 9–15: Ch 2, dc in each st around. Join. (60 sts)

Do not fasten off. Continue with the first ear flap.

Child

Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 13 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (60 sts)
Round 9: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 14 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (64 sts)
Rounds 10–16: Ch 2, dc in each st around. Join. (64 sts)

Do not fasten off. Continue with the first ear flap.

Adult

Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 13 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (60 sts)
Round 9: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 14 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (64 sts)
Round 10: Ch 2, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 15 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (68 sts)
Rounds 11–17: Ch 2, dc in each st around. Join. (68 sts)

Do not fasten off. Continue with the first ear flap.

Add the ear flaps

Begin the first ear flap where you ended the final round of the hat.

Size	Ear flap width	Sts in back	Sts in front
Baby	12 sts	14 sts	18 sts
Toddler	14 sts	14 sts	18 sts
Child	14 sts	16 sts	20 sts
Adult	14 sts	18 sts	22 sts

Baby ear flaps

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in next 12 sts. Turn. (12 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (10 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (10 sts)
Row 4: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (8 sts)
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (8 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (6 sts)
Row 7: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (6 sts)
Row 8: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (4 sts)
Row 9: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (4 sts)
Row 10: Ch 1, sc2tog twice. Turn. (2 sts)
Row 11: Ch 1, sc2tog. (1 st)

Fasten off.

Skip 14 sts along the back of the hat, then join the main hat color in the next st. Repeat Rows 1–11 for the second ear flap. The remaining 18 unworked sts form the front of the hat.

Fasten off after completing the second ear flap.

Toddler, child, and adult ear flaps

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in next 14 sts. Turn. (14 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (12 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (12 sts)
Row 4: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (10 sts)
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (10 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (8 sts)
Row 7: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (8 sts)
Row 8: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (6 sts)
Row 9: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (6 sts)
Row 10: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (4 sts)
Row 11: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (4 sts)
Row 12: Ch 1, sc2tog twice. Turn. (2 sts)
Row 13: Ch 1, sc2tog. (1 st)

Fasten off.

Skip the number of stitches listed for the back of your size, then join the main hat color in the next st. Repeat Rows 1–13 for the second ear flap. The remaining unworked stitches form the front of the hat.

Fasten off after completing the second ear flap.

Join one of your contrasting yarn colors anywhere along the lower edge of the hat. Ch 1 and sc evenly around the entire lower edge and both ear flaps. Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off.

Add the braids

Cut 12 equal lengths of yarn about 24–30 inches long for each ear flap, using 4 strands of each of the three hat colors.
Fold all 12 strands in half and pull the folded center through the bottom of one ear flap. This creates 24 working strands.
Divide the 24 strands into three equal sections of 8 strands each.
Braid the three sections together tightly to your desired length.
Tie a knot at the end to secure the braid.
Trim the ends evenly for a neat finish.
Repeat these steps for the second ear flap.

Add the monster eyes

Use white yarn for the eyes.

Large eye

Round 1: Make a magic circle. Ch 1, work 10 hdc into the ring. Join with a sl st to the top of the first hdc. (10 sts)
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (20 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st; repeat from * around. Join. (30 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Small eye

Round 1: Make a magic circle. Ch 1, work 10 hdc into the ring. Join with a sl st to the top of the first hdc. (10 sts)
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (20 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Use black yarn and a yarn needle to stitch an “X” pupil onto each eye.

Position the large and small eyes on the front of the hat. Using the long white yarn tails and a yarn needle, sew each eye securely in place. Weave in the remaining ends.

Add the mouth

Using black yarn and a yarn needle, stitch a simple mouth onto the front of the hat below the eyes. Shape the mouth however you like to give your monster its own expression.

Fasten off securely on the inside of the hat and weave in the ends.

Add the monster horns

Make 2 using one of your contrasting yarn colors.

Round 1: Make a magic circle. Ch 1, work 4 sc into the ring. Join with a sl st to the top of the first sc. (4 sts)

Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around. Join. (8 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (8 sts)

Round 4: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; repeat from * around. Join. (12 sts)
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (12 sts)

Round 6: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (16 sts)
Round 7: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (16 sts)

Round 8: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (20 sts)
Round 9: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (20 sts)

Round 10: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; repeat from * around. Join. (24 sts)
Round 11: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (24 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Position the horns evenly on each side of the top of the hat. Using the long yarn tails and a yarn needle, sew the horns securely in place. Weave in the remaining ends.

Printable PDF version

You can purchase the ad-free PDF of this Crochet Monster Hat Pattern in my Etsy shop. The downloadable pattern is easy to save, print, and keep with your crochet projects.

More free Halloween crochet hat patterns

Looking for another playful costume hat? Try my crochet devil horn hat pattern or my crochet jester hat pattern for more fun Halloween and dress-up designs.

Looking for another Halloween character hat? My crochet jack-o-lantern hat pattern features a bright orange pumpkin face and comes in toddler, child, and adult sizes.

You can also browse my free crochet hat patterns for more baby, toddler, child, and adult hats, including animal hats, character hats, holiday hats, and winter hats.

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📌 Don’t forget to pin this pattern for later!
Happy crocheting! 🧶
— Melissa