How to Crochet A Plush Grinch in a Santa Hat & Peppermint Scarf

Author: Talha

I am a crochet designer, macramé maker and a crafter who also loves doing MATH.

Contributor: Julia of Juliwoolly toys

She is a crochet plushie and amigurumi designer who has been our contributor since early 2026 via mycraftybasket.

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Learn how to crochet a cute Grinch plushie with a peppermint braided scarf & a crocheted Santa hat following this step-by-step tutorial + a written pattern as well. This is the ultimate Grinch plushie for gifting, both in terms of ease of making for beginners and the size (it is a medium-sized plushie, which makes a perfect buddy & Christmas gift for kids). This present Grinch plush is designed as a sitting doll with a body, and the face is crocheted as a single piece, and the legs, arms, and other features are attached separately. Soon, I will also bring a keychain-sized no-sew variation of the Grinch.

But with the super bulky yarn in green, you can crochet this Grinch plush easily within 45-60 minutes, depending on your stitch count per minute. Our Grinch plush also has embroidered eyebrows, eyelashes, and glitter eyes.

Last year, you all liked the light green Grinch plush more than the dark green Grinch plush. So, this year, too, I recommend crocheting this Grinch plush in the same color combo as the one that was used in the “No-sew Grinch buddy” plushie. The peppermint scarf of this crochet Grinch is also crocheted instead braiding thanks to using the double strand in the making of an I-cord. Anyway, continue reading to learn more about this crochet Halloween project for beginners.

Table of Contents

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Featured Work

Pattern to Crochet the Sitting Grinch with Super Bulky Yarn

This is a pattern to make a green toy. The toy is the Grinch. He is the one who takes Christmas. He is small and green and soft. You will make his head, his body, his arms, and his legs. You will put the arms and legs on the body so he can sit down.

You will also make a small piece of hair for his head. You will make a red and white scarf and a red hat for him. You will use yarn and a hook to make him. He has a funny face. He looks a little mad, but he is very cute. You will like making this toy.

Materials Needed

Main Yarn: Plush yarn (like YarnArt Dolce or similar thick velvet yarn) in Green (you will need less than half a skein).
Clothing Yarn: Plush yarn in Red and White for the scarf and hat.
Accent Yarn: A small amount of fluffy/textured yarn (like “grass” yarn or Alize Softy) in white for the hat brim and scarf tassels.
Embroidery Thread/Yarn: A small amount of thin black cotton yarn or thread (like YarnArt Jeans) for the nose, mouth, and eyebrows.
Crochet Hook: 4.0 mm (or size 3.5 mm / 5.0 mm depending on your personal tension with plush yarn).
Safety Eyes: 10 mm or 20 mm plastic safety eyes with backings (size depends on the look you prefer).
Stuffing: Holofiber or standard toy stuffing.
Tools: Stitch marker, scissors, a large plastic needle (for sewing plush yarn), and a smaller sewing needle for black embroidery.

Pattern Abbreviations

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
inc = single crochet increase (2 sc in one stitch)
dec = single crochet decrease (crochet 2 stitches together)
hdc = half double crochet
hdc-inc = half double crochet increase (2 hdc in one stitch)
BLO = back loops only
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)

Are you a Beginner? Learn Crocheting Easily!

You can learn to crochet better with this crochet Grinch plush with the following tutorial, too. Or continue to the written pattern below!

Detailed Pattern Instructions

Note on starting with plush yarn: Do not use a magic ring, as pulling plush yarn tightly can snap it. Start all parts by chaining 2, and crocheting the first round into the second chain from the hook.

Arms (Make 2)

Do not stuff the arms. Round 1: Ch 2, make 6 sc in the 2nd chain from the hook. (6) Round 2 to 5: 1 sc in each st around. (6) (4 rounds total) Finish: Pinch the top opening of the arm flat. Crochet 3 sc through both layers to close the hole. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

Legs (Make 2)

Round 1: Ch 2, make 6 sc in the 2nd chain from the hook. (6)

Round 2: 6 inc. (12)

Round 3: In BLO, make 1 sc in each st around. (12)

Round 4 to 5: 1 sc in each st around. (12) (2 rounds total)

Round 6: (1 sc, 1 dec) repeat 4 times. (8) Finish: Stuff the leg firmly. Do not crochet the top closed. Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

Head and Body (Worked in one piece)

Round 1: Ch 2, make 6 sc in the 2nd chain from the hook. (6)

Round 2: 6 inc. (12)

Round 3: (1 sc, 1 inc) repeat 6 times. (18)

Round 4: (2 sc, 1 inc) repeat 6 times. (24)

Round 5 to 6: 1 sc in each st around. (24) (2 rounds total)

Round 7 (Creating cheeks): 4 sc, 3 hdc-inc, 6 sc, 3 hdc-inc, 8 sc. (30) Insert the safety eyes now. Place them between Rounds 6 and 7, leaving about 3 stitches between them.

Round 8: 1 sc in each st around. (30)

Round 9: 4 sc, 3 dec, 6 sc, 3 dec, 8 sc. (24)

Round 10: (2 sc, 1 dec) repeat 6 times. (18) Stuff the head firmly, shaping the cheeks where you made the increases. Round 11: (1 sc, 1 dec) repeat 6 times. (12) (Neck is complete. Moving on to the body)

Round 12: (1 sc, 1 inc) repeat 6 times. (18)

Round 13 to 14: 1 sc in each st around. (18) (2 rounds total)

Round 15: (2 sc, 1 inc) repeat 6 times. (24)

Round 16: (3 sc, 1 inc) repeat 6 times. (30)

Round 17: 1 sc in each st around. (30)

Round 18: (3 sc, 1 dec) repeat 6 times. (24)

Round 19: (2 sc, 1 dec) repeat 6 times. (18) Stuff the body firmly with holofiber.

Round 20: (1 sc, 1 dec) repeat 6 times. (12)

Round 21: 6 dec. (6) Finish: Fasten off. Use a needle to weave the yarn tail through the front loops of the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end.

Hair Tuft

Leave a short starting tail. Step 1: Ch 5, starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, make 4 sl st back down the chain. Step 2: Ch 5 again, starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, make 4 sl st back down the chain. Step 3: Ch 5 one last time, starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, make 4 sl st back down the chain. Finish: Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

Assembly and Face Details

Attach the Legs: Pin the legs to the bottom of the body so they stick out forward, allowing the Grinch to sit up on his own. Sew them securely in place.
Attach the Arms: Pin the arms to the sides of the body, slightly angled forward towards the belly. Attach them about one round below the neck so there is room for his scarf. Sew them in place.
Attach Hair: Sew the hair tuft directly onto the very top center of the head.
Eyelids: Using your green plush yarn, sew a straight horizontal line right over the top of each eye. This covers the top part of the plastic eye and gives him his signature cunning/grumpy look.
Embroidering the Face (Use thin black yarn):
- Nose: Embroider a small horizontal line directly between the eyes.
- Eyebrows: Make thick, diagonal lines slanting downwards towards the nose to make him look mad.
- Mouth: Make a small vertical line dropping down from the nose. From the bottom of that line, embroider a wide, curved smile (like a Cheshire cat). Tack the thread down with a tiny stitch at the corners of the mouth so the smile holds its curved shape.

Clothing Accessories

Scarf

Take one strand of red plush yarn and one strand of white plush yarn and hold them together (or alternate colors if you prefer).
Chain a length of about 27 cm (or long enough to wrap around the neck and tie easily).
Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work 1 sc into each chain all the way back to the beginning. Fasten off.
Cut small pieces of fluffy white yarn, loop them through the ends of the scarf to make tassels, and trim them short. Tie the scarf around the Grinch’s neck.

Santa Hat

Brim: Using fluffy white yarn, chain enough stitches to fit completely around the Grinch’s head. Sl st to the first chain to form a ring.
Ch 3, make 1 double crochet in every chain around. Sl st to join. Fasten off the white yarn.
Body of the Hat: Attach red plush yarn. Make 1 sc in every stitch around.

Continue crocheting in continuous rounds with the red yarn. In every round, make 2 decreases (spaced evenly apart, on opposite sides of the hat).
Keep repeating this step until the hat narrows to a point and closes completely. Fasten off and weave in the ends. Put the hat on the Grinch’s head!