Seated tan crochet reindeer with dark brown branched antlers and hooves, cream ears and muzzle, embroidered eyes, a red nose, and a red fringed scarf.
Seated tan crochet reindeer with dark brown branched antlers and hooves, cream ears and muzzle, embroidered eyes, a red nose, and a red fringed scarf.

Amigurumi

Mini Crochet Reindeer with a Red Scarf

A palm-sized Christmas amigurumi with branched antlers and a bright red nose.

An original reference-inspired crochet reindeer with a red nose, branched antlers, and a red scarf. Materials and construction are design choices; human review and physical testing are required.

  • Intermediate
  • 5 hr
  • US terms
  • Free Pattern
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Why You'll Love This Pattern

  • Branched antlers
  • Seated silhouette
  • Christmas details

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Difficulty
Intermediate
Time
5 hr
Hook
2.5 mm
Yarn
Sport (2)
Size
Approximately 12–14 cm including antlers; unmeasured design target with the selected sport-weight cotton and 2.5 mm hook.
Construction
Head, body, and small parts are crocheted separately in continuous rounds and sewn together. The face is embroidered, and the scarf is worked in rows.
Testing statusNot yet human-testedFREE

Nobody has made this one start to finish yet. Check your stitch counts as you go, and tell us if something does not add up.

Height
Approximately 12–14 cm, including antlers
Width
Approximately 6–8 cm
Terminology
US terms
Sewing
Some sewing

About This Pattern

An original reference-inspired crochet reindeer with a red nose, branched antlers, and a red scarf. Materials and construction are design choices; human review and physical testing are required.

You'll learn / practice

  • Magic ring
  • Continuous-round single crochet
  • Single crochet increases and invisible decreases
  • Changing colors at the final yarn-over
  • Working rows with an uncounted turning chain
  • Closing a round through the remaining front loops
  • Crocheting flattened openings together
  • Stuffing and sewing small amigurumi parts
  • Satin-stitch and straight-stitch embroidery
  • Attaching folded yarn fringe

Pattern construction

  • Worked in 11 pieces

    Head, Body, Arm, Leg, Outer ear, Ear insert, Muzzle, Nose, Antler stem, Antler branch, Scarf

  • Some sewing required

    See Assembly & finishing.

  • Needs stuffing

    Toy stuffing

What you'll need

Gather these before you begin.

Materials (7)

Yarn in tan

Yarn in tan

Sport (2) · 100% cotton

Authored selection for the head, body, outer ears, upper arms, and upper legs. Consumption is unmeasured.

Yarn in dark brown

Yarn in dark brown

Sport (2) · 100% cotton

Authored selection in the same yarn range as tan for the hooves, two antler stems, and four antler branches. Consumption is unmeasured.

Yarn in cream

Yarn in cream

Sport (2) · 100% cotton

Authored selection for the muzzle, two ear inserts, and scarf snowflake embroidery. Consumption is unmeasured.

Yarn in red

Yarn in red

Sport (2) · 100% cotton

Authored selection for the nose, scarf, and twelve short fringe strands. Consumption is unmeasured.

Black embroidery thread

Black embroidery thread

100% cotton

Authored selection for two embroidered eyes and the mouth; use three strands together. No eye hardware is required.

Pink embroidery thread

Pink embroidery thread

100% cotton

Authored selection for two embroidered cheeks; use three strands together.

Toy stuffing

Toy stuffing

Polyester

Authored selection for the head, body, lower arms, and legs. Leave ears, muzzle, nose, and antlers unstuffed.

If you swap a material

  • A different sport-weight yarn fiber

    Changes stitch definition, firmness, care requirements, and potentially finished size and consumption.

    Keep every crocheted color the same weight. Choose a hook that produces dense fabric and review the sample's dimensions and stability.

  • DK-weight cotton

    Produces a larger reindeer and changes yarn consumption when paired with a suitable hook.

    Retain the stitch counts, choose a hook for dense fabric, and treat the height as a new target requiring measurement.

Tools (6)

Crochet hook 2.5 mm

Crochet hook 2.5 mm

Locking stitch marker

Locking stitch marker

Tapestry needle

Tapestry needle

Embroidery needle

Embroidery needle

Scissors

Scissors

Measuring tape

Measuring tape

Abbreviations

ch
Chain.
sc
Single crochet, US terminology.
inc
Increase: work 2 sc in one stitch.
dec
Decrease: work 2 stitches together into 1 sc. Use an invisible decrease through the front loops on stuffed pieces.
st
Stitch.
Rnd
Round.

Before You Start

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Instructions

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Round 1 of 53

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  1. Round 1 — Head · Rnd 1

    With tan, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  2. Round 2 — Head · Rnd 2

    Inc in each st around.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  3. Round 3 — Head · Rnd 3

    (Sc 1, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 18 stitches

  4. Round 4 — Head · Rnd 4

    (Sc 2, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 24 stitches

  5. Round 5 — Head · Rnd 5

    (Sc 3, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 30 stitches

  6. Round 6 — Head · Rnd 6

    (Sc 4, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 36 stitches

  7. Round 7 — Head · Rnd 7

    (Sc 5, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 42 stitches

  8. Round 8 — Head · Rnds 8–14

    Sc in each st around for 7 rounds.

    Stitch count: 42 stitches

    Tips

    The head has a seven-round straight section; no eye hardware is inserted.

  9. Round 9 — Head · Rnd 15

    (Sc 5, dec) × 6.

    Stitch count: 36 stitches

  10. Round 10 — Head · Rnd 16

    (Sc 4, dec) × 6.

    Stitch count: 30 stitches

  11. Round 11 — Head · Rnd 17

    (Sc 3, dec) × 6. Begin stuffing the head.

    Stitch count: 24 stitches

  12. Round 12 — Head · Rnd 18

    (Sc 2, dec) × 6.

    Stitch count: 18 stitches

  13. Round 13 — Head · Rnd 19

    (Sc 1, dec) × 6. Finish stuffing without stretching the fabric.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  14. Round 14 — Head · Rnd 20

    Dec × 6.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  15. Round 15 — Head · Close

    Fasten off. Thread the tail through the front loops of all 6 remaining stitches and pull the opening closed. Secure and weave in the tail.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

    Tips

    The head is stuffed and completely closed. The six final stitches are drawn together, not a new round.

  16. Round 16 — Body · Rnd 1

    With tan, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  17. Round 17 — Body · Rnd 2

    Inc in each st around.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  18. Round 18 — Body · Rnd 3

    (Sc 1, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 18 stitches

  19. Round 19 — Body · Rnd 4

    (Sc 2, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 24 stitches

  20. Round 20 — Body · Rnd 5

    (Sc 3, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 30 stitches

  21. Round 21 — Body · Rnds 6–9

    Sc in each st around for 4 rounds.

    Stitch count: 30 stitches

  22. Round 22 — Body · Rnd 10

    (Sc 3, dec) × 6.

    Stitch count: 24 stitches

  23. Round 23 — Body · Rnd 11

    (Sc 2, dec) × 6. Stuff the lower body firmly without stretching the fabric.

    Stitch count: 18 stitches

  24. Round 24 — Body · Rnd 12

    (Sc 1, dec) × 6. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail. Finish stuffing; leave the 12-stitch neck opening unclosed.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

    Tips

    The stuffed body has an open neck for sewing beneath the closed head.

  25. Round 25 — Arm (make 2) · Rnd 1

    With dark brown, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  26. Round 26 — Arm (make 2) · Rnd 2

    (Sc 1, inc) × 3.

    Stitch count: 9 stitches

  27. Round 27 — Arm (make 2) · Rnd 3

    Sc in each st around. Change to tan on the final yarn-over of the last stitch.

    Stitch count: 9 stitches

  28. Round 28 — Arm (make 2) · Rnds 4–7

    With tan, sc in each st around for 4 rounds. Lightly stuff only the dark brown hand and the lower tan section.

    Stitch count: 9 stitches

  29. Round 29 — Arm (make 2) · Rnd 8

    (Sc 1, dec) × 3.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  30. Round 30 — Arm (make 2) · Close

    Flatten the opening with 3 stitches on each side. Work 3 sc through both layers, pairing one front stitch with one back stitch for each sc. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail.

    Stitch count: 3 stitches

    Tips

    Each arm has a three-stitch closed attachment edge and a flexible unstuffed upper end.

  31. Round 31 — Leg (make 2) · Rnd 1

    With dark brown, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  32. Round 32 — Leg (make 2) · Rnd 2

    Inc in each st around.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  33. Round 33 — Leg (make 2) · Rnd 3

    Sc in each st around. Change to tan on the final yarn-over of the last stitch.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  34. Round 34 — Leg (make 2) · Rnds 4–6

    With tan, sc in each st around for 3 rounds. Stuff the foot and lower leg, leaving the attachment end unstuffed.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  35. Round 35 — Leg (make 2) · Rnd 7

    Dec × 6.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  36. Round 36 — Leg (make 2) · Close

    Flatten the opening with 3 stitches on each side. Work 3 sc through both layers, pairing one front stitch with one back stitch for each sc. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail.

    Stitch count: 3 stitches

  37. Round 37 — Outer ear (make 2) · Rnd 1

    With tan, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  38. Round 38 — Outer ear (make 2) · Rnd 2

    Inc in each st around.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  39. Round 39 — Outer ear (make 2) · Rnd 3

    Sc in each st around.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  40. Round 40 — Outer ear (make 2) · Rnd 4

    Dec × 6. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail. Leave unstuffed and keep the base open until the insert is sewn on.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  41. Round 41 — Ear insert (make 2) · Rnd 1

    With cream, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  42. Round 42 — Ear insert (make 2) · Rnd 2

    (Sc 1, inc) × 3. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail.

    Stitch count: 9 stitches

  43. Round 43 — Muzzle · Rnd 1

    With cream, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  44. Round 44 — Muzzle · Rnd 2

    Inc in each st around.

    Stitch count: 12 stitches

  45. Round 45 — Muzzle · Rnd 3

    (Sc 1, inc) × 6.

    Stitch count: 18 stitches

  46. Round 46 — Muzzle · Rnd 4

    Sc in each st around. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail. Leave the shallow cup unstuffed and open.

    Stitch count: 18 stitches

  47. Round 47 — Nose · Rnd 1

    With red, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail; leave unstuffed.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  48. Round 48 — Antler stem (make 2) · Rnd 1

    With dark brown, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring to close the tip.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  49. Round 49 — Antler stem (make 2) · Rnds 2–5

    Sc in each st around for 4 rounds. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail. Leave the stem unstuffed with its six-stitch base open.

    Stitch count: 6 stitches

  50. Round 50 — Antler branch (make 4) · Rnd 1

    With dark brown, make a magic ring and work 4 sc into it. Tighten the ring to close the tip.

    Stitch count: 4 stitches

  51. Round 51 — Antler branch (make 4) · Rnd 2

    Sc in each st around. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm sewing tail. Leave the branch unstuffed with its four-stitch base open.

    Stitch count: 4 stitches

  52. Round 52 — Scarf · Row 1

    With red, ch 46. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each remaining ch across.

    Stitch count: 45 stitches

    Tips

    The skipped chain does not count; the row contains 45 sc.

  53. Round 53 — Scarf · Rows 2–3

    Ch 1. Turn. Sc in each of the 45 stitches across. Work this sequence twice in total, once for Row 2 and once for Row 3. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm tail for tacking.

    Stitch count: 45 stitches

Round 1 — Head · Rnd 1

With tan, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Tighten the ring.

Stitch count: 6 stitches

Assembly & finishing

  1. Join the head and body

    Choose the front of the Body and keep its round-start line at the back. Center the closed underside of the Head over the Body's 12-stitch neck opening. Using the Body tail, sew each neck stitch to the Head around its physical Rnds 18–19. Make a second pass around this seam and weave in the tail. Keep the head upright and the seam enclosed.

    Back to round 24

  2. Add legs and arms

    Sew each Leg's three-stitch flattened top to the lower front of the Body across its physical Rnds 3–5. Position the legs symmetrically with their brown feet projecting forward and a two-stitch gap between their inner edges. Sew each Arm's three-stitch flattened top to an opposite side of the Body across physical Rnds 10–11. Let the brown hands hang toward Body Rnds 6–7. Secure all four attachment seams and weave in their tails.

    Back to round 36

  3. Prepare and attach the ears

    Place one cream Ear insert on the front of each tan Outer ear with its center about one physical round below the ear tip. Whipstitch the insert's nine-stitch edge to the outer ear without sewing the two outer-ear layers together. Pinch each outer ear's open six-stitch base flat into three pairs. Sew those pairs closed, then sew each three-pair base to an opposite side of the Head across physical Rnds 7–8, cream inserts facing forward and tips angled outward. Weave in all ear tails.

    Back to round 42

  4. Build and attach both antlers

    For each Antler stem, sew the open four-stitch base of one Antler branch to one side across stem physical Rnds 2–3, with its closed tip pointing outward and toward the stem tip. Sew a second branch on the opposite side across stem physical Rnds 3–4, also pointing upward. Use two stems and all four branches. Mirror the completed antlers. Sew each stem's six-stitch open base to the Head across physical Rnds 4–6, directly inward from its ear and slightly behind the ear's front surface. Secure the bases with a second sewing pass and weave in all six component tails.

    Back to round 51

  5. Attach the muzzle and red nose

    Center the Muzzle on the front of the Head with its center at physical Head Rnd 13 and its upper edge near Head Rnd 11. Sew all 18 stitches of the muzzle edge to the head, keeping it unstuffed and allowing its shallow cup to project slightly. Sew the Nose's six-stitch perimeter to the upper center of the cream muzzle, with the magic-ring center facing outward. Weave in both tails.

    Back to round 47

  6. Embroider the face

    Using three strands of black thread, place the eye centers between physical Head Rnds 10–11 with ten stitch intervals between centers, symmetrically beside the upper muzzle. For each eye, fill a small oval three stitch columns wide and two round intervals high with six closely spaced vertical satin stitches. Add one short cream straight stitch at the upper outer edge of each eye as a highlight. With black thread, embroider a vertical line from the bottom of the Nose to the muzzle center, then two diagonal straight stitches, each one stitch wide and one round high, forming a small inverted Y. Using three strands of pink thread, work three horizontal straight stitches spanning two head stitches below the outer edge of each eye at Head Rnds 12–13. Secure thread ends beneath the muzzle edge or another sewn seam.

    Back to round 15

  7. Finish and secure the scarf

    Using cream yarn, embroider a six-ray snowflake on one scarf end: place its center four stitch columns inward from that end on the middle row, then make six straight stitches radiating one stitch column or one row interval from the center. Cut twelve red strands, each 6 cm long. At each short scarf edge, attach three fringe bundles, one through each row end: use two strands per bundle, fold them in half, pull the fold through the edge, and pull the four loose ends through that loop. Tighten and trim the fringe evenly. Wrap the scarf once around the neck without compressing it; cross the decorated end over the plain end at the front. Use the scarf tail to tack the crossing to the upper Body with two small stitches and weave in the tail.

    Back to round 53

  8. Inspect the finished decoration

    Check both head seams, all limb and ear attachments, both antler bases, all four branch seams, the muzzle, nose, and scarf tacking. Confirm the head is closed, no stuffing shows, embroidered ends are secure, and every sewing tail is woven in. Measure the seated height from the bottom of the feet to the highest antler tip and record it during human review; the stated target is not a tested result.

Maker tips

  • Keep the lower body firmly filled and the upper limbs lightly filled so the sewn attachments remain flexible.

  • Position the ears and antlers as mirrored pairs before sewing; both branch tips should point upward.

  • Keep embroidery tension light enough to avoid pulling the cheeks inward.

Troubleshooting

Stuffing shows between stitches.

Cause
The selected hook produces fabric that is too loose, or the piece is overfilled.
Fix
Remove excess stuffing. If the gaps remain, remake the affected piece with a smaller hook after checking a dense sample; the finished size will change.

Antler branches point downward.

Cause
The branch bases were attached without orienting their closed tips toward the stem tip.
Fix
Undo the branch seam and reattach across the specified stem rounds with the closed tip pointing upward.

The head leans to one side.

Cause
The neck seam is off-center or the stuffing is uneven.
Fix
Redistribute the stuffing where accessible, then undo and resew the neck seam centered beneath the head using all 12 body neck stitches.

The scarf edges slope.

Cause
The turning chain was counted or the first or last stitch was skipped.
Fix
Undo the affected row. Keep ch 1 uncounted and work exactly 45 sc, including the first and last stitches.

Variations

Plain scarf

Omit only the cream snowflake embroidery from scarf finishing. Keep the three-row scarf, twelve red fringe strands, and attachment stitches unchanged.

Brown-nosed reindeer

Work the Nose's six-stitch magic ring in dark brown instead of red. Attach and embroider the face exactly as written; retain red yarn for the scarf.

Care & finishing

Care

For the selected cotton yarn and polyester stuffing, follow the suppliers' care labels. Spot-clean with cool water and a small amount of mild detergent, avoiding vigorous rubbing of the embroidery. Blot and reshape; air-dry fully on a flat surface. Do not hang the wet decoration from its ears, antlers, or scarf.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the exact pattern used in the reference image?

No. It is an original reference-inspired development design. Hidden construction, source instructions, and exact materials are not recoverable from the photograph.

Has this pattern been physically tested?

No. It requires human technical review and a complete crochet sample before any tested fit, size, consumption, or making-time claims can be made.

Will the listed hook produce a 12–14 cm reindeer?

That is an unmeasured design target. The 2.5 mm hook and sport-weight cotton are authored selections; tension and yarn construction affect size. Measure the completed sample to confirm the result.

How are the eyes made?

Both eyes are embroidered with three strands of black cotton thread. Each is a small satin-stitched oval with a cream highlight; the design uses no eye hardware.

Why is the difficulty intermediate?

Small continuous-round pieces, color changes, flattened limb joins, antler branch assembly, symmetrical sewing, embroidery, and scarf finishing require control beyond basic single crochet.

How much yarn and time should I allow?

Consumption and making time are not established. Use matching sport-weight yarns for all four yarn colors and record actual usage and time during development testing.

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