Crochet Gingerbread Man: A Flat Ornament With White Icing
A flat gingerbread man worked in rows, with a white "icing" border, button eyes and a smile. Make one ornament or a whole gingerbread family.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) yarn in light brown (15 yd) and white (5 yd), plus red and black scraps
- Hook
- 4 mm (G-6)
- Time
- About 1 hour
- Finished size
- About 4 in (10 cm) tall
You'll need
- Worsted weight (#4) yarn — tan or light brown, white, red and black
- 4 mm (G-6) hook
- Tapestry needle
In this post
This gingerbread man is worked flat from the feet up: two legs, joined into a body, arms added at the shoulders, then a round head. The white single crochet border at the end is the "icing" — it smooths every edge and makes the shape pop.
You'll use one technique beyond the basics: foundation single crochet (fsc) to add the second arm at the end of a row.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The pattern
Legs and body (tan)
- First leg, Row 1: Ch 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (3)
- Rows 2–5: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. Fasten off. (3)
- Second leg: Work as the first leg but don't fasten off. (3)
- Row 6 (join): Ch 1, turn. Sc 3 across the second leg, ch 2, sc 3 across the first leg. Ch 1, turn. (6 sc + ch 2)
- Row 7: Sc 3, sc in each of the 2 ch, sc 3. Ch 1, turn. (8)
- Rows 8–11: Sc across. Turn. (8)
Arms and head
- Row 12: Ch 6. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and the next 4 ch, sc 8 across the body, then work 5 fsc for the second arm. Ch 1, turn. (18)
- Row 13: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (18)
- Row 14: Sl st in the first 5 sts, ch 1, sc in the next 8 sts. Leave the last 5 unworked. Ch 1, turn. (8)
- Row 15 (neck): Dec, sc 4, dec. Ch 1, turn. (6)
- Row 16: 2 sc in the first st, sc 4, 2 sc in the last st. Ch 1, turn. (8)
- Rows 17–19: Sc across. Ch 1, turn. (8)
- Row 20: Dec, sc 4, dec. Ch 1, turn. (6)
- Row 21: Dec 3 times. Fasten off. (3)
Icing (white)
- Edging: Join white anywhere on the edge. Sc evenly all the way around the gingerbread man, working 2–3 sc at the tips of the hands, feet and head, and a dec in each inner corner (armpits, neck and between the legs). Sl st to join and fasten off.
- Optional zigzag: With white, embroider a zigzag across each wrist and ankle.
Face and buttons
Two black French knots for eyes, a red or white back-stitch smile, and three red French knots (or tiny buttons) down the middle. Ch 12 in white at the top of the head for a hanging loop.
Common questions
What is foundation single crochet?
A way to make a chain and a row of sc at the same time. It lets you add stitches to the end of a row without a separate chain — here, the second arm.
Can I skip the fsc?
Yes: make the arm separately (ch 6, sc 5, then one more row of 5) and sew it on at the shoulder.
How do I make a gingerbread girl?
At Row 6, don't add the ch 2; instead work 2 rows wider at the bottom like a skirt (2 sc in the first and last st of Rows 6 and 7) and add a white frill along the hem.
Who in your house would eat him first? 🍪
Did you make this?
Tap a star to rate this pattern — it helps other makers find it.
Be the first to rate it!
YarnBloom
Crochet patterns & tutorials
YarnBloom shares cozy, beginner-friendly crochet patterns written in clear US terms, with a stitch count on every round and tips for the tricky bits. Grab your hook — let’s make something lovely.
Leave a comment