This crochet Gingerbread Man pattern for a cute towel topper  is a free pattern by Nana’s Crafty Home.

I feel a bit like I have fallen down the Christmas design rabbit hole this year! I have always enjoyed Christmas themed crochet patterns but this year I just keep going and going.  I guess what I’m saying is, I hope you enjoy Christmas patterns as much as I do!

Towel toppers have been kind of a thing around here since I released my Gnome Towel Topper a couple of years ago.  I used to make towel toppers for gifts every year back in the day but I always hated poking holes into the kitchen towel.  And, they never seemed to look nice very long.  Once the towel was washed a few times the topper started pilling and then they just never looked the same.  

Once I discovered the amazing plastic ring* I could use inside the topper to make the towel removable an entire new world opened up for me.  Since then I have designed several towel toppers using a 3″ plastic ring which I have incorporated into the pattern and have been hooked ever since.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself. This post may contain affiliate links that if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. 

These are the plastic rings that I buy (in bulk 😂) from Amazon. They are the perfect size, durable and inexpensive. Many have successfully substituted wood rings, plastic shower rings or elastic hair ties. I recommend if you use hair ties to use thicker versions perhaps even doubled up so in case one breaks you still have another.

I also have a set of plastic safety eyes and noses that I found at Amazon. Inexpensive with a wide range of sizes so I have just the right one for each project I am making.

Gingerbread Man Towel Topper Pattern Details

The Gingerbread Man Towel Topper is absolutely adorable, too!  He works up really quickly in just small amounts of yarn.  Great for raiding your stash.

He is made from two identical panels of single crochet rounds – with the back panel you will work over your ring for several stitches which will keep that ring in place.  

Then you will crochet two cheeks, add plastic safety eyes and embroider his smile on the front panel.  Once the front panel is complete you will slip stitch the two front panels together.  Add a hanging tab with a button to the top of your topper and he is all ready to go.

I used Red Heart With Love yarn which is a medium worsted weight yarn but you could certainly use your favorite yarn as a substitute.

Add a fun Christmas holiday themed kitchen towel and you have a great addition to your holiday kitchen home decor! I found the cute one shown with my towel topper at Amazon as well.

I think this pattern would be just fine for beginners since you are using single crochet stitches throughout.  

The Mr. Gingerbread Man Towel Topper crochet pattern is also available as an ad-free, printable PDF! You can purchase the individual pattern for the Gingerbread Man Towel Topper Pattern, or if you love PDFs, you might want to check out my Lifetime Membership. It’s an awesome deal! Never pay for one of my PDFs again!! (Or, scroll down for the free version!)

Purchase the ad-free pdf of the Gingerbread Man Crochet Pattern for a small fee.  Thank you so much for supporting my work! 

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You may also like the following free crochet patterns by Nana’s Crafty Home:

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1. Reindeer Hot Pad free crochet pattern
2. Viking Gnome Towel Topper free crochet pattern
3. Tasseled Towel Topper free crochet pattern

Gingerbread Man Towel Topper free crochet pattern

Pattern written in US crochet terminology

Supplies:

• Red Heart With Love Weight 4 Medium (100% acrylic, 7 oz / 370 yds) 
• Taupe 0.8 oz / 45 yds (Color A)
• Holly Berry 0.1 oz / 6 yds (Color B)
• White  0.2 oz / 10 yds (Color C)

Size J (6.0 mm crochet hook)

1 – 3” plastic ring
1 – 3/4” button
Embroidery floss for sewing on button
2 – 12 mm safety eyes
Holiday Christmas kitchen towel
Scissors
Tapestry Needle
Stitch Markers

Approximate finished size:  5” round (not including towel)

Gauge: 5” = 9 rounds of sc

Abbreviations:

WS = wrong side
RS = right side
MC = magic circle (or magic ring)
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
sk = skip

Pattern Notes:

• Worked in seamless rounds – do not sl st join at the end of each round, use a stitch marker in 1st st of each round and move up to keep track of rounds.
• Towel topper is worked in two panels which are then joined together at the end.
• Plastic ring is crocheted over while working back panel.

Front Panel

Round 1:  (RS) With Color A, make a MC, ch 1, 6 sc in MC.  (6)

Round 2:  2 sc in each st.  (12)

Round 3:  *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * to end. (18)

Round 4:  1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st* repeat from * to * to last st, 1 sc in last st.  (24)

Round 5:  *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 3 sts,* repeat from * to * to end. (30)

Round 6:  1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, *1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * to last 2 sts, 1 sc in last 2 sts.  (36)

Round 7:  *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 5 sts,* repeat from * to * to end.  (42)

Round 8:  1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *1 sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st,* repeat from * to * to last 3 sts, 1 sc in last 3 sts.  (48)

Round 9: *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 7 sts,* repeat from * to * to end, sl st to first st.  (54)

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Back Panel

Round 1 – 5:  repeat rounds 1 – 5 of Front Panel.

Round 6:  repeat round 6 of Front Panel, except work the first 5 sc stitches over the plastic ring. Note:  keep ring to WS of panel.  See photos 1 & 2 at bottom of PDF.

Round 7 – 9:  repeat rounds 7 – 9 of Front Panel.  At end of round 9, sl st to first st.

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Cheeks (make 2)

With Color B, make MC, ch 1, 6 sc in MC, sl st in first st.  Tighten MC.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Assembly

Add safety eyes to front panel evenly spaced at approximately round 3 of front panel.  With long tail left for sewing, sew cheeks to front panel.

With Color C, embroider smile between cheeks.

With WS of panels facing (ring to inside of panels, open part of ring at bottom of face), use stitch markers to count 37 st from one side of panel to the other.  Attach front and back panels together with stitch markers through both panels.  With Color C, attach yarn at first stitch marker, sl st in each st through both front and back panels to next stitch marker.  (37 st) 

Once you have worked through both panels for 37 stitches, stop working through back panel and continue working slip stitch in remaining 17 sts of front panel only around to end.

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Hanging Tab

Row 1:  With Color A (leaving a long tail for sewing), ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch, turn. (4)

Row 2 – 20:  ch 1, sc in each st, turn.  (4)

Row 21 (button hole row):  ch 1, sc in 1st st, ch 2, sk next 2 st, sc in last st. (2 st + 2 ch) 

Row 22:  ch 1, sc in 1st st, 2 sc in ch 2 sp, 1 sc in last st.

Fasten off.  Weave in end.

With embroidery thread, sew button to non-button hole end of tab.

With long tail left for sewing, sew button side of tab at top of back panel.  Weave in end. 

Copyright 2021 Tonya Bush / Nana’s Crafty Home

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