8 Free Knitting and Crochet Patterns for Holiday Gift Ideas
Nod your head if you’re a fan of making gifts over buying them. (I’m nodding along with ya, friend.) Personally, I find even more enjoyment in gift-giving rather than gift-receiving. I love giving something beautiful and useful to the awesome person who will be tearing open the recycled wrapping paper. If you feel the same way, then this list should help inspire you to make the perfect thing for each awesome person in your life. Check out the ideas and resources for knitting and crochet projects to gift this holiday season below!
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I will earn some yarn money at no extra cost to you.
1. Scrunchies
Scrunchies are possibly the cutest stash-busting project AND are super useful for anyone with long hair! There are lots of free and cheap scrunchie patterns out there, but here are two to help you get inspired.
For knitters:
As part of our festive lineup, I'm thrilled to share a little something special from New Wave Knitting – our free Staple Scrunchie knitting pattern!
Check out this super-easy, super-fun knitting project! Our Staple Scrunchie pattern is designed for all skill levels, making it a perfect choice for those just dipping their toes into the wonderful world of knitting.
For crocheters:
2. Wall art
While less useful than a scrunchie, creating wall art or a wall hanging is a super sweet gift idea! Pretty much everyone can use some more art on their walls, but this could be an especially good gift for someone who recently moved into a new place, or for a kid looking to decorate their room.
I am in love with Destiny Makes’ wall art patterns (both free and paid). If you’re looking for cool and trendy crochet wall art patterns, I highly recommend these:
Knitted wall art patterns are a little harder to come by compared to crochet since crochet stitches are a bit more structural, whereas knitted fabrics tend to stretch from gravity. However, this pattern is a bit more of a boho look than the crochet suggestion above, and it is knitted!
3. Banners
Were you interested in the wall art idea above but didn’t love the recommendations? What about making a pennant banner as a gift? A banner could be another cute home decor item for someone to put up in their favorite reading corner. Or, if they are a fan of a specific sports team or school, you could make a banner in those colors for them to put up on special game days or celebrations. And how cute would it be to make one for a kid in your family to decorate their room with?
For knitters:
Isolation Compensation Bunting by Mariana’s Lazy Daisy Days
For crocheters:
4. Ties
Another great gift idea is making ties! Whether a person has to wear them regularly, or simply could use a hand with their ~fancy~ wardrobe, a tie is a great gift to give. And even better if it is handmade. Plus, knitted ties are quite fashionable.
For knitters:
For crocheters:
5. Face Scrubbies
So, I have a large extended family. And when brainstorming ideas for this blog post, I instantly thought how perfect it would be to make face scrubbies for everyone.
Face scrubbies are quick and easy to make, whether you’re knitting or crocheting. They are incredibly useful and help to cut down on waste as they help to take the place of cotton pads or balls. I recommend making these with Dishie from KnitPicks, which is a high-quality and durable cotton that can be machine washed and dried for easy maintenance. Make each person or each family group a set of face scrubbies!
For knitters:
Face Scrubbie by A Little Knitty Designs
For crocheters:
6. Market Bags
Market bags are relatively quick to work up and can often challenge you to learn a new technique. But most importantly, they are SO handy and help to decrease the use of plastic and paper bags! If you’re looking for a practical gift that will be used and loved over and over again, you can’t go wrong with a market bag. (And omg! You can also use it to carry any other presents of theirs!)
For knitters:
For crocheters:
Chunky Knit Bags
Talking about bags made me think of another bag gift idea - Sooho’s Chunky Knit Bag by Heeju Son! Now, this pattern isn’t free, but I wanted to mention it in case you have some super bulky yarn in your stash that has been staring at you for ages.
7. Coasters
Coasters aren’t a necessity, but they can be really nice to have. They totally help level up a room’s decor. Plus, I feel like we can all think of someone who could benefit from a nice set of coasters. And hey! They are super easy to make.
For knitters:
For crocheters:
Basic, flat circle crochet coaster:
8. Beanies
Of course, how could we leave beanies out of the mix?! Beanies are great gifts for the holidays, especially because they will likely be used right away. All beanie recievers will forever think of you when their heads are nice and toasty and cute during the coldest of months.
For knitters:
This pattern is for more of a classic ribbed beanie.
And this pattern is great if you have lots of super bulky scraps!
You can also check out my Tall Staple Beanie and Short Staple Beanie patterns! They make great gifts that will fit everyone perfectly.
For crocheters:
Same themes I gave for the knitters! Here’s your more simple beanie tutorial:
And this one is for your chunky scraps!
Bonus: Socks!
Okay, I definitely saved the best for last here. Socks in general are a necessary holiday gift. But handmade socks?! That will knock everyone’s socks off! And then… you can replace them… with their new handmade socks… :)
For this section, I unfortunately am not recommending a free tutorial. Instead, I’m recommending my own sock pattern, The Staple Sock!
This sock pattern is not just made-to-measure; it's a hands-on, interactive knitting experience that guarantees a perfect fit for everyone. And guess what? No need to break out the calculator – I've got you covered with this pattern that takes care of all the nitty-gritty calculations!
If you're wondering, "What makes it interactive?" Well, you're in for a treat! Unlike traditional patterns, the interactive knitting design is a game-changer. Check out how interactive patterns works here.
I hope this blog post gave you some inspiration on what to make for friends and family this holiday season! What do you plan on making? Share in the comments!