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

I’m so thrilled to share my crochet tiger hat pattern with you! This fun and fierce hat is designed for all sizes, from baby to adult, so everyone in the family can unleash their inner tiger.

With its bold stripes and cute little ears, this hat is perfect for adding some wild style to your wardrobe. It’s an easy pattern to follow, making it great for beginners. Let’s get started and crochet a tiger hat that’s sure to bring out the roar in everyone who wears it! The free crochet pattern is below.

Pinterest pin for a crochet tiger hat pattern by Lovable Loops. The pin shows an orange and black striped crochet tiger hat with ears and a tiger face on a light background. Text on the pin reads “Crochet tiger hat pattern,” “Baby to adult sizes!,” “beginner-friendly,” and “FREE.”

Crochet tiger hat pattern details

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

Skill level

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

Materials needed

Crochet hook size I-9 (5.5 mm) — for the hat
Crochet hook size H-8 (5 mm) — for the snout, nose, eyes, and ears
Worsted weight yarn (#4) — in black, white, and orange
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 tiger 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 snout, nose, eyes, and ears
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

Printable PDF pattern

If you prefer an easy, print-friendly version of this crochet tiger hat pattern, a printable PDF is available in my Etsy shop. The PDF includes the full pattern instructions in a clean, ad-free format, making it perfect for printing or saving on your device.

Orange and black striped crochet tiger hat with ears, black nose, white muzzle, and embroidered whiskers.

Crochet tiger 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.

Tiger snout

Use white yarn.

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

Sew the snout to the front of the hat. Make sure it is centered.

Tiger nose

Use black yarn.

Row 1: Ch 10, hdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in each rem ch, turn (8 stitches)
Row 2: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc, hdc2tog, hdc, hdc2tog (5 stitches)
Row 3: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc, hdc2tog, turn (3 stitches)
Row 4: Ch 2, hdc3tog (1 stitch)

Sew the nose to the top of the snout.

Tiger eyes

Make 2 using black yarn.

Round 1: Magic circle, ch 2, 9 hdc, join with sl st to the top of the first hdc (9 stitches)

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

Tiger ears

Make 2 of each of the inner and the outer ear.

Outer ear:
Use orange yarn.

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

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

Inner ear:
Use white yarn.

Row 1: Ch 8, hdc in 3rd ch from the hook and in each rem ch, turn (6 stitches)
Rows 2-4: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn (6 stitches)
Row 5: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc2tog, hdc2tog (3 stitches)

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

Use white yarn and sew 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.

Adding the smile and whiskers

Use black yarn to sew a smile and whiskers onto the hat.

Finishing

Weave in all of your ends using a yarn needle.

More free crochet animal hats

Love cute animal hats? You’re in the right place! This collection of free crochet animal hat patterns includes fun designs for every season and personality, from sweet farm animals to wild zoo favorites.

Each pattern is beginner-friendly and written in baby to adult sizes, so you can make matching hats for the whole family. They’re great for gifts, dress-up, photo props, school spirit days, and everyday cold-weather fun.

Pick your favorite animal and start crocheting a hat that makes everyone smile.