I’m kicking off the fourth annual Giftstravaganza Blog Hop and Crochet Along with the Mini Crochet Stocking Cap (Ornament, Gift Tag, or Bottle Cozy) pattern. This adorable set with Santa Hat and Elf Hat versions is forever free on my blog, but the PDF version is available for free with a coupon code through 6am Eastern time on November 2, 2025, so read on for details.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Yarn for this project was generously provided by Lion Brand.
This pattern is part of the fourth annual Giftstravaganza Blog Hop and Crochet Along. Every day in November 2025, a new crochet pattern will be released for a handmade gift idea using 1, 2, or 3 skeins of yarn! Each pattern is forever free on a blog, and you can get the PDF version of each day’s featured pattern for free through 6am Eastern the following day. Head over to the main Giftstravaganza blog post for more details, to get the link to each day’s featured pattern as it goes live, and to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a prize from GlassEyesOnline, KnitPal, Knitter’s Relief Balm, LennyMudPottery, MBT Creates, or Unicorn by Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern.
My contribution to the fourth annual Giftstravaganza Blog Hop is the Mini Stocking Cap (Ornament, Gift Tag, or Bottle Cozy). I was inspired to make these because of an annual holiday tradition started by my mom. She rarely uses disposable wrapping paper. Instead, she wraps gifts in fabric with ribbons that we upcycle and give back to her at the end of the holiday season. Since she doesn’t want to damage the fabric or reusable paper with stickers or by writing names on the gifts, she uses special, themed hanging gift tags for each person in our immediate family to tell which gifts are for who. (Mine usually have cats on them.) The recipient keeps the gift tags as ornaments. If you wanted to start a similar gift tag/ornament tradition in your family, you could use Santa Hats on the gifts for one person, Elf Hats on the gifts for second person, team color hats on the gifts for a third person, and so on! (Tips for turning your Mini Stocking Cap into ornaments and gift tags are included in the Pattern Notes. To use as a cozy, just stick on top of a bottle of wine, olive oil, maple syrup, or whatever culinary delight you are gifting!)
Scroll down for the free pattern for the Mini Stocking Cap (Ornament, Gift Tag, or Bottle Cozy). The Mini Stocking Cap is the featured pattern in the Giftstravaganza Blog Hop and Crochet Alongfor November 1, 2025. You can download the PDF version for free on Ravelry using coupon code MINI25 through 6am Eastern time on November 2, 2025 or click on the Download your free Giftstravaganza Blog Hop pattern button below to add the pattern with coupon code to your cart. Check that your cart is set to zero before checking out as there will be no refunds for accidental purchases.
Don’t forget to head back to the Giftstravaganza Blog Hop and Crochet Along to get the rest of the free patterns in the blog hop, and to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a prize from GlassEyesOnline, KnitPal, Knitter’s Relief Balm, LennyMudPottery, MBT Creates, or Unicorn.
If you make your own Mini Stocking Cap, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Bluesky as @UndergroundCrafter, Facebook as @UndergroundCrafter, or on Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and private access to my vault of subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!
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Mini Stocking Cap (Ornament, Gift Tag, or Bottle Cozy)
Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter
These tiny stocking cap ornaments also make great gift tags or bottle cozies. Make the Santa Hat version or the Elf Hat version to decorate your home, to gift, or to use as gift tags! This pattern is part of the fourth annual Giftstravaganza Blog Hop and Crochet Along.
Finished Size
- One Size: 4.5” (11.5 cm) tall.
Materials
- Lion Brand Heartland yarn (100% acrylic, 5 oz/142 g, 251 yd/230 m) – 1 skein each in 098U Acadia (CA), 113R Redwood (CB), and 180G Kings Canyon (CC), or approximately 20 yd (18.5 m) in CA and 10 yd (9 m) each in CB and CC in any medium weight acrylic yarn.
- Lion Brand Heartland is available online at Lion Brand | Herrschners | Amazon
- US Size F-5/3.75 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
- Yarn needle.
- Stitch marker or scrap yarn.
- Ornament hook (optional).
Gauge
- Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern. Stitches should be snug rather than loose.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop only – Rich Textures Crochet has a helpful video demonstrating how to identify the back loop in crochet here.
- CA – Color A
- CB – Color B
- CC – Color C
- ch – chain
- cl – 2-dc cluster – [Yo, insert hook in same st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops] twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial above for the cluster, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- invdec – invisible decrease – Insert hook in front loop only of each of next 2 sts, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops. A helpful video tutorial for this decrease is available below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial above for the invisible decrease, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
Pattern Notes
- Stocking Cap begins with a Hat Band crocheted flat in rows. Then, stitches are worked along the edge and joined in the round. Stocking Cap is finished in the round, crocheting towards the tip.
- To turn your Mini Stocking Cap into a felt-backed gift tag and/or ornament:
- Use tips from this Reusable Handmade Ornaments and Gift Tags tutorial.
- Alternatively, thread your yarn needle with a length of yarn long enough to wrap around a gift as a bow. With the yarn needle, draw the yarn between stitches on your Mini Stocking Cap and back out so that the Mini Stocking Cap dangles from the yarn. Tie the yarn around the gift like a bow.
- Attach an ornament hook to the final round of the Mini Stocking Cap.
- A helpful video tutorial demonstrating a slip stitch seam is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for the slip stitch seam above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video tutorial demonstrating how to crochet around the side of your project is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for crocheting around the side of your project above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video demonstrating how to change colors in the last yo of the single crochet is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for changing colors above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video tutorial demonstrating a whipstitch seam is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for the whipstitch seam above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
Pattern Instructions
Santa Hat Version
Hat Band
- With CA, ch 4.
- Row 1: Turn, skip 1 ch, sc in next 3 ch. (3 sts)
- Row 2: Turn 1, ch 1, scBL in first st and each st across.
- Rows 3-16: Repeat Row 2, 14 times.
- Fold Hat Band so that short edges are together, being careful not to twist. Join with slip stitch seam (see Pattern Notes), do not fasten off.
Hat Body
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, working along circumference of Hat Band, evenly crochet (see Pattern Notes) 16 sc around the side of the Hat Band, change to CB in last yo of final sc (see Pattern Notes), place stitch marker in last st to mark position and move up each Rnd. Fasten off CA. (16 sc)
- Rnd 2: ScBL in each st around.
- Rnd 3: Sc in each st around.
- Rnds 4-5: Repeat Rnd 3 twice.
- Rnd 6: Invdec, sc in next st and each st around. (decreases by 1 st)
- Rnds 7-Rnd 17: Repeat Rnd 6, 10 times, fasten off CB. (4 sts)
- Rnd 18: Join CA with sl st to any st, ch 1, cl in same st and next 3 sts, fasten off CA.
- Thread yarn needle with CA from Rnd 18 and whipstitch top of stocking cap closed (see Pattern Notes).
- With yarn needle, weave in ends on inside of hat.
Elf Hat Version
- Work as for Santa Hat version through Hat Band. At the end of Rnd 1 of Hat Body, change to CC, do not fasten off CA, place stitch marker in last st to mark position and move up each Rnd. Carry unused yarn on inside of hat.
- Rnd 2: ScBL in each st around.
- Rnd 3: Sc in each st around, changing to CA in last yo of final sc (see Pattern Notes).
- Rnd 4: Repeat Rnd 3 once.
- Rnd 5: Repeat Rnd 3 once, changing to CC in last yo of final sc.
- Rnd 6: Invdec, sc in next st and each st around. (15 sts)
- Rnd 7: Repeat Rnd 6 once, changing to CA in last yo of final sc. (14 sts)
- Rnd 8: Repeat Rnd 6 once. (13 sts)
- Rnd 9: Repeat Rnd 6 once, changing to CC in last yo of final sc. (12 sts)
- Rnd 10: Repeat Rnd 6 once. (11 sts)
- Rnd 11: Repeat Rnd 6 once, changing to CA in last yo of final sc. (10 sts)
- Rnd 12: Repeat Rnd 6 once. (9 sts)
- Rnd 13: Repeat Rnd 6 once, changing to CC in last yo of final sc. (8 sts)
- Rnd 14: Repeat Rnd 6 once. (7 sts)
- Rnd 15: Repeat Rnd 6 once, changing to CA in last yo of final sc. (6 sts)
- Rnd 16: Repeat Rnd 6 once. (5 sts)
- Rnd 17: Repeat Rnd 6 once, changing to CC in last yo of final sc, fasten off CA. (4 sts)
- Rnd 18: Cl in same st and next 3 sts, fasten off CC.
- Thread yarn needle with CC from Rnd 18 and whipstitch top of stocking cap closed (see Pattern Notes).
- With yarn needle, weave in ends on inside of hat.
Thank you for the Santa and Elf Hats pattern. Very Cute!