This reindeer crochet pattern is an adorable and quick to make crochet towel topper.  A free crochet pattern by Nana’s Crafty Home!

I love quick and easy Christmas projects.  I have several Christmas themed towel toppers as free patterns here on the blog and they all would make a fun Christmas gift for someone special!

Deer and snowmen are one of my favorite ways to decorate my house at Christmas and during the winter season.  They invoke a winter feeling so I will decorate with them all winter through. 

Once I released my other reindeer patterns – the Reindeer Hot Pad, Reindeer Treat cup, Reindeer Granny Square and the Christmas ponytail holder which feature a reindeer – I knew there were other ways I could showcase reindeer in my home and came up with this cute little towel topper. A great way to add some winter Christmas fun to your kitchen home decor.

2022 HOLIDAY STASHDOWN CROCHET ALONG

This pattern is a part of the 2022 Holiday Stashdown Crochet Along hosted by Underground Crafter! Every Monday and Thursday from October 3 through December 15, 2022, the hosts share a free crochet pattern by a different designer. This week is my turn! Each pattern will be a one-skein project, or a stashbuster/scrappy project, so you can work from your own existing yarn stash to make a great winter holiday gift, decoration, or wrap.

You can find all the details of the Crochet Along, as well as links to all the patterns on the Underground Crafter Crochet Along Home Page!

Reindeer Crochet Pattern Details

If you are familiar with all of my other crochet towel toppers you know that they all feature a hidden 3″ ring* which allows the towel to be removable for easy washing.  I purchase my rings from Amazon* but you can substitute with inexpensive plastic shower rings, wood rings or even elastic hair ties.  All have been used successfully by other makers.

*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. 

You will be crocheting a round circle in single crochet for a separate front and back panel.  You will be crocheting over the ring while working the back panel.  The panels are then sewn together at the end with the ring inside the front and back panels which means it is hidden inside!

If you love this North Pole Santa Claus Express kitchen towel as much as I do you can find it on Amazon. It is a set of two farmhouse kitchen towels perfect for your kitchen holiday home decor this Christmas!

I am using a Red Heart With Love* yarn which is a medium weight #4 acrylic worsted weight yarn.  This is a fantastic scrap basket project.  You will be using just small amounts of 5 colors in this pattern.  The main color will be a taupe or light brown color, beige for his eyes, muzzle and to embroider v’s on his face, a dark brown for his antlers, red for his rudolph nose and black to embroider his eyes.

This reindeer crochet pattern is also available as an ad-free, printable PDF!  You can purchase the individual 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 my Reindeer Towel Topper for a small fee.  Thank you so much for supporting my work!

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

• 1. Tasseled Towel Topper free crochet pattern
• 2. Viking Gnome Towel Topper free crochet pattern
• 3. Black Cat & Spider Towel Topper free crochet pattern

Reindeer 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)
•     Tan 0.3 oz / 16 yds (Color B)
•     Holly Berry 0.1 oz / 6 yds (Color C)
•     Chocolate  0.2 oz / 10 yds (Color D)
•     Black 0.1 oz / 6 yards (Color E)

Size J – 6.0 mm crochet hook
1 – 3” plastic ring
1 – 3/4” button
Embroidery floss for sewing on button
1 – decorative kitchen Towel
Scissors
Tapestry Yarn Needle
Stitch Markers

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

Gauge: 5” = 9 rounds of sc

• Abbreviations:
• WS = wrong side
• RS = right side
• MC = magic circle
• 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 first 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.

Recommended Tutorials:

How to crochet a perfect round circle photo and video tutorial

Pattern Instructions:

Front Panel

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

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.

Ears (make 2)

Leaving a long tail for sewing, with Color A, ch 2.

Row 1:  (RS) 2 sc in second ch from hook.  Turn.  (2)

Row 2:  ch 1, 2 sc in each st. Turn. (4)

Row 3:  ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (6)

Row 4:  ch 1, 1 sc in each st. Turn. (6)

Row 5:  ch 1, sc2tog, 1 sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog Turn. (4)

Row 6:  ch 1, sc2tog x 2. Turn. (2)

Row 7:  ch 1, sc2tog.  (1)

Fasten off, weave in end not left for sewing.

Eyes (make 2)

With Color B, repeat rounds 1 – 2 of front panel.

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

With Color E, embroider eyes, weave in ends.

Muzzle

With Color B, repeat rounds 1 – 4 of front panel.

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

Nose

With Color C, make MC.

Round 1: ch 1, 6 sc in MC, sl st join to first st.  Tighten MC. (6)

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

Antlers (make 2)

Leaving a long tail for sewing and with Color D, ch 3.

Row 1: 1 sc in second ch from hook and in next ch. Turn.  (2)

Row 2 – 3: ch 1, 1 sc in each st. Turn. (2)

Row 4: ch 1, 1 sc in each st.  Do not turn.  Ch 3, 1 sc in second ch from hook and in next ch.  Turn.

Row 5: ch 1, 1 sc in each st.  Do not turn.  Sc in each st from row 4.

Fasten off.  Weave in ends not left for sewing.

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 first st, ch 2, sk next 2 sts, sc in last st. (2 st + 2 ch) 

Row 22:  ch 1, sc in first 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.

Assembly 

Note:  Sew following pieces to RS of same face panel.

With long tail on tapestry needle, sew nose to muzzle.

With long tail, sew muzzle to front panel.

With long tail, sew eyes to front panel.

With long length of color B, embroider v’s on RS of front panel between eyes and above muzzle.  Weave in ends.

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 A, attach yarn at first stitch marker, sl st in each st through both front and back panels to next stitch marker.  (37 st) 

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

With long tail, sew antlers to back panel.

With long tail, sew ears to back panel.

Copyright 2022 Tonya Bush / Nana’s Crafty Home

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