Crochet Koala Hat | Free Crochet Koala Earflap Hat Pattern

G'day, friend! Meet the newest member of my Wildlife Animal Hat series: this cuddly little crochet koala hat. It has big round ears, a sweet black nose, rosy pink cheeks and those dreamy cartoon eyes. If you've been looking for a crochet koala hat that works up quickly and comes in every size from newborn to teen, you're in the right place.

This koala got his start as a square on my Wildlife Animal Blanket (you can find the original Koala Crochet Square here). I loved that little face so much, I just had to turn him into an earflap hat, right alongside the Panda Hat, the Tiger Earflap Hat and the Giraffe Hat that came before him. If you've made any of those, this one will feel like visiting an old friend.

The base of the hat is my DC All Day Beanie, worked from the top down in simple rounds of double crochet, with earflaps added at the bottom. Then comes the fun part: ears, nose, eyes, cheeks and muzzle are all small pieces you crochet separately and sew on at the end.

Best of all, every face detail on this crochet koala hat is crocheted. There are no safety eyes or buttons to fuss with, which makes it a safe choice for the littlest heads.

Why You’ll Love This Crochet Koala Hat

• Beginner-Friendly Base: The hat itself is nothing but double crochet rounds and simple increases. It's a great first hat if you're new to working in the round, and the earflaps are just a few short rows of double crochet decreases.
• A Fun Step Up for the Details: The ears, nose and face pieces are an intermediate-level touch and a great way to practice ami or applique details.
• Six Sizes, Newborn to Teen: Newborn, 1–6 Months, 6–12 Months, Toddler, Child, and Teen (Adult Small) are all included.
• A Craft Fair Favorite: With six sizes in one pattern, you can stock your booth for every age.
• Perfect for Baby Photo Ops: The newborn and baby sizes make the sweetest photo props. Think an Aussie-themed first birthday or a zoo nursery photo shoot.
• Video Help Every Step of the Way: Video tutorials for the DC All Day Beanie, adding the earflaps, my Easiest Magic Circle and Crochet Cartoon Eyes.
• Part of a Matching Collection: The koala joins the Panda Hat, Tiger Earflap Hat and Giraffe Hat in my Wildlife Animal Hat series. They all share the same base, so you can make a whole zoo of matching hats. More fun animals are joining the crew, too!

Tips for Making Your Koala Hat

• Check Your Gauge First: The first three rounds should measure about 3 1/2 inches across. If yours is bigger or smaller, try a different hook size so your hat fits the size you're making.
• Leave Those Long Tails: Most of the small pieces are finished with a long tail. That's your sewing yarn, so don't trim it!
• Lay It All Out Before You Sew: Arrange every piece on the hat before you take a single stitch. Pin things in place, step back, and adjust until that face makes you smile.
• Sew Securely for Little Ones: If the hat is for a baby or toddler, sew every piece on tightly and go around the edges twice.
• Prefer another option for tassels? Substitute braids or pom poms for different looks!

Supplies for the Koala Earflap Crochet Hat pattern

*This post contains affiliate links. You can click on any yarn or material highlighted to purchase. I will receive a small commission if you purchase but it won't cost you any extra! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I used Loops & Threads Soft Classic, a soft and affordable 100% acrylic worsted weight yarn. The koala body is worked in Light Grey, with Black for the nose and eyes, White for edging, and just a touch of Blush for the cheeks and Aqua for the eyes.

You can certainly substitute your favorite medium worsted weight yarn you have on hand. This is a great raid-your-stash project!

Want the Koala Crochet Hat Ad-Free Printable PDF?

Want an ad-free, printer-friendly version of the Koala Earflap Hat? The printable PDF is available in my shop! It’s perfectly formatted, easy to read while you’re working, and great for keeping in your pattern binder.👉 [LINK TO PDF ] 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!

Nana’s Crafty Home Community

I've opened the Nana's Crafty Home Community, a free place where crocheters can gather, share their projects, ask questions and cheer each other on. Free to join!

Check out this adorable crew! The Elephant will be joining really soon - so be sure to check back!

Looking for More Free Crochet Hat Patterns?

If you love this sweet koala crochet hat with ear flaps, I have tons of free crochet hat patterns right here on the blog, from cozy winter beanies to fun seasonal accessories. And if you don't want to miss a single new release, be sure to sign up for my free newsletter! You'll get new patterns, tutorials, and crafty inspiration delivered straight to your inbox. 👉 Sign up for my free newsletter here! 

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You may also love the following free crochet patterns: 

1. Giraffe Ear Flap Hat free crochet pattern
2. Koala C2C Blanket free crochet pattern
3. Koala Crochet Square free crochet pattern

 Koala Ear Flap Hat free written pattern

Pattern written in US crochet terminology

Supplies:

• Loops & Threads Soft Classic Weight 4 / Medium (100% acrylic)
• Color: Light Grey (Grey) 
• Newborn 1.0 oz / 55 yards
• 1 - 6 Months 1.2 oz / 65 yards
• 6 - 12 Months 1.5 oz / 80 yards
• Toddler 1.7 oz / 90 yards
• Child 2.0 oz / 105 yards
• Teen (Adult Small) 2.2 oz / 120 yards
• Color: White 0.5 oz / 26 yards (White)
• Color: Black 0.5 oz / 26 yards (Black)
• Color: Blush 0.05 oz / 3 yards (Pink)
• Color: Aqua 0.01 oz / 1 yard (Blue)

Size I (5.5 mm) crochet hook
Stitch marker
Scissors
Tapestry Needle

Gauge: First 3 rounds = 3 1/2"

Abbreviations:

• Rnd(s) = round(s)
• RS = right side
• MC = magic circle
• ch(s) = chain(s)
• dc = double crochet
• sl st = slip stitch
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• dc2tog = double crochet 2 together (See Special Stitches Section Below)
• yo = yarn over
• sk = skip
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• tr = treble crochet
• dtr = double treble crochet
• WS = wrong side

Special Stitches:

dc2tog: Yo, insert hook into next stitch and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yo, pull through two loops (two loops on hook), yo, insert hook into next st, pull up a loop (four loops on hook), yo, pull through two loops (three loops on hook), yo, pull through remaining three loops on hook.

Approximate finished sizes: 

Pattern Notes:

• Hat is worked from the top-down.
• Ch-3 at beginning of each round counts as first stitch.
• Ch-2 at beginning of a row does not count as stitch.

Recommended Tutorials:

Easiest Magic Circle Tutorial

Crochet Cartoon Eyes in 3 Sizes Tutorial

DC All Day Beanie Tutorial

Add Earflaps to the DC All Day Beanie Tutorial

Pattern Instructions

Step 1: Make the Base Earflap Hat The koala crochet hat starts with the same base as my Panda Earflap Hat. Head on over to the Panda Earflap Hat blog post here: [ Panda Earflap Hat pattern ] Make your preferred size(s) using these colors: Grey (Light Grey) for the hat and both earflaps and White for the single crochet edge around the outside of the hat. Need a little help? Watch the DC All Day Beanie video here: [ DC ALL DAY BEANIE VIDEO ] and the How to Add Earflaps video here: [ HOW TO ADD EARFLAPS VIDEO ]. You can also find the original DC All Day Beanie pattern here: https://nanascraftyhome.com/easy-crochet-hat-pattern-for-beginners/ Once your hat is finished and edged, come right back here for the koala additions.

Front Ears (make 2)

With white, make a MC,

Row 1: (RS) Ch 3, 5 dc in MC. Turn. (6)

Row 2: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st, 2 dc in each remaining st. Leaving a long tail for sewing, fasten off white and switch to grey. Turn. (12)

Row 3: Ch 3, 1 dc in same st, 1 dc in next st, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next st,* repeat from * to * to end. Turn. (18)

Leaving a long tail for sewing, fasten off and weave in remaining ends.

Back Ears (make 2)

With grey, repeat front ear instructions without color change.

Fasten off.

With WS of front and back ears facing, join grey with sl st to bottom corner of front ear and sl st join both front and back ears together.

Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Weave in remaining ends.

Eyes (make 2)

With black, make MC.

Round 1: (RS) Ch 1, 8 hdc in MC, join with sl st in top first hdc, tighten ring. (8)

Fasten off black, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Row 2: Join blue in first st of round 1, sl st in next 4 sts.

Fasten off blue.

Row 3: Join white in first st of round 1 (behind slip stitches of row 2), sl st in next 4 sts.

Fasten off white, leaving a long tail for embroidery of eye.

With long tail of white, embroider center of eye.

Weave in remaining ends not left for sewing.

Cheeks (make 2)

With pink, make a MC.

Round 1: (RS) Ch 1, 8 hdc in MC, join with sl st in top first hdc, tighten ring. (8)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Nose

With black, make a MC.

Rnd 1: (5 hdc, 2 dc, 1 tr, 1 dtr, 1 tr, 2 dc) in MC, sl st to first st. (12)

Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. 

Muzzle

With white, make a MC.

Rnd 1: (RS) Ch 1, 8 hdc in MC, join with sl st in top first hdc, tighten ring. (8)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around, sl st in top of first hdc. (16)

Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Assembly 

With long tail of black, sew nose to muzzle then embroider smile.

With long tails, sew muzzle to front of hat.

With long tails, sew eyes above nose.

With long tails, sew cheeks to each side of muzzle. 

With long tails, sew ears to top sides of hat.

Weave in remaining ends.

Tassels

Cut 20 strands of white and grey yarn (10 of each color) approximately 8 inches long. Pass through bottom edge of earflap and knot at edge of earflap. Trim ends. Repeat for second tassel.

Copyright 2026 Tonya Bush / Nana’s Crafty Home, LLC.

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Disclaimer: This pattern is for personal use or small-scale crafting. If you intend to sell the finished product in the EU, ensure it complies with the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, including safety, labeling, and traceability requirements.