Spread the love

Knit an adorable holiday hat with this Easy Santa’s Belt Buckle Baby Hat Knitting Pattern! Knit in the round with sizes for babies 6–24 months.

Easy Santa’s Belt Buckle Baby Hat Knitting Pattern

Add some handmade charm to the holiday season with this Easy Santa’s Belt Buckle Baby Hat Knitting Pattern. The bright red hat features Santa’s classic black belt and a cheerful gold buckle, creating an adorable Christmas accessory for babies and toddlers. A fluffy white pom-pom completes the festive design and gives the hat a fun, traditional holiday look.

This baby Santa hat is a quick and colorful project that’s perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. The recognizable Santa suit design looks impressive, but the pattern uses simple stitches and easy construction techniques. It’s a wonderful project for holiday photos, Christmas celebrations, visits with Santa and chilly winter outings throughout December.

Get the Printable PDF Pattern

Want an easy-to-read, ad-free version of this pattern? The printable PDF includes the complete pattern in a convenient format you can save or print.

Buy the PDF Pattern

Knit in the Round for a Seamless Finish

This baby Santa hat is knit in the round, so there’s no bulky seam running along the back. The seamless construction creates a comfortable fit for little ones and gives the finished hat a neat, professional appearance. The pattern is an approachable choice for knitters who are comfortable using circular needles and making basic yarn color changes.

The design includes several beginner-friendly features:

Uses basic knit and purl stitches
Knit seamlessly in the round
Includes simple red and black color changes
Features an easy, separately knit gold buckle
Finished with a fluffy white yarn pom-pom
Available in two baby and toddler sizes
Works up quickly using uncomplicated construction
Uses only small amounts of the accent colors

The main portion of the hat is worked in red, with a few rounds of black yarn forming Santa’s belt. The gold buckle is knit separately and sewn onto the center of the belt after the hat is finished. Making the buckle separately eliminates the need for complicated stranded colorwork and allows you to adjust its shape and placement before securing it to the hat.

Complete the design by attaching a large white pom-pom to the top. You can make one from yarn for a soft, classic look or use a removable faux-fur pom-pom if preferred. Be sure to attach all embellishments securely when making the hat for a baby or toddler.

A Festive Handmade Baby Gift

Available in sizes 6–12 months and 12–24 months, this knitted Santa hat is perfect for celebrating a baby’s first or second Christmas. It makes a thoughtful handmade gift for new parents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other special little ones. Since the pattern works up relatively quickly, it’s also a great choice when you need a memorable last-minute Christmas gift.

The finished hat makes an especially charming accessory for family pictures, Christmas cards, holiday parties, winter walks and Christmas morning. Pair it with festive pajamas, a cozy cream sweater or a warm winter coat to create an irresistibly cute seasonal outfit.

This project is also a practical way to use leftover yarn. While red is the main color, only small amounts of black, gold and white are needed for the belt, buckle and pom-pom. The combination of simple construction, cheerful colors and an instantly recognizable Santa design makes this baby hat a fun project you’ll enjoy knitting and gifting during the holiday season.

Looking for free knitting patterns? Browse this full collection of easy knitting patterns you can start today:

50 Free Knitting Patterns You’ll Actually Want to Make (Beginner-Friendly)
31 Free Hat Knitting Patterns for Everyone (Women, Men, Kids & Babies)
Fall Knitting Hub: Cozy Autumn Knitting Patterns for Beginners
Easy Scarf Knitting Patterns Hub: Cozy Beginner-Friendly Scarves You’ll Love to Make
Straight Needle Knitting Hub: Easy Flat Knitting Patterns for Beginners
Kids Knitting Pattern Hub: Easy & Fun Knitting Patterns for Babies, Toddlers & Kids

Easy Santa’s Belt Buckle Baby Hat Knitting Pattern in the Round

✨ Ad-Free Printable Pattern Available! ✨
The ad-free, printable PDF of this pattern is now available for purchase at Shop Gina Michele—perfect for easy, distraction-free stitching.

Looking for more projects? Browse the Knitting Pattern Directory to explore all my knitting patterns in one place.

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool East Thick & Quick in Red, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Black, Vanna’s Choice in Mustard, Lion Brand Homespun in Deco (for the Pom Pom)
Needles: Size US 13 circular, 16 inch, Size US 13 double point needles for the crown
Also needed: Crochet Hook size I
Gauge: 8 stitches and 12 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch
Size: baby size 6-12 months, 12- 24 months

Colorwork Snowflake Hat

Get the PDF

Flat Knit Mittens

Get the PDF

Easy Stroller Blanket

Get the PDF

Free Knitting Pattern
With the red yarn, cast on 32 (34) stitches.

Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.

Rounds 1–4: Purl all stitches.
Rounds 5–9: Knit all stitches.

Switch to the black yarn.

Rounds 10–12: Knit all stitches.

Switch back to the red yarn and continue knitting every round until the hat measures 6½ (7) inches from the cast-on edge.

Shape the Crown

Size 6–12 Months Only

Decrease Round 1: Knit 2 stitches together around. 16 stitches remain.
Decrease Round 2: Knit 2 stitches together around. 8 stitches remain.
Decrease Round 3: K2, k2tog, k2, k2tog. 6 stitches remain.

Size 12–24 Months Only

Decrease Round 1: Knit 2 stitches together 17 times. 17 stitches remain.
Decrease Round 2: Knit 2 stitches together 8 times, then knit the final stitch. 9 stitches remain.
Decrease Round 3: *(K1, k2tog); repeat from * around. 6 stitches remain.

Cut the yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Thread the tail through the remaining six stitches using a yarn needle. Pull tightly to close the top of the hat and secure the yarn on the inside. Attach a pom-pom to finish.

Make the Perfect Pom-Pom

Finish your Santa baby hat with a soft, fluffy white pom-pom! If you need help creating a full, evenly shaped pom-pom, follow my Perfect Pom-Pom Tutorial for simple step-by-step instructions.

The tutorial shows you how to wrap, tie, trim and shape your yarn so the finished pom-pom looks neat and professional. Make it slightly oversized for a playful Santa-inspired finish, then sew it securely to the top of the hat.

Click here to learn how to make the perfect yarn pom-pom.

To Make the Belt Buckle:

Santa's Belt Buckle Hat Baby Free Knitting Pattern

Using the crochet hook, make a chain of 24 stitches with the yellow yarn.

Place the chain in the center of the stripe. Using the crochet hook pull the ends through the hat and make a knot.

Make a stitch at the corners to square off the chain.

Get the Printable PDF Knitting Pattern

Want an easy-to-follow version of the pattern you can keep? The printable PDF includes the complete Santa’s Belt Buckle Baby Hat Knitting Pattern in a clean, convenient format without ads or extra website content. Download it to your phone, tablet or computer, or print a copy to keep in your knitting bag.

The PDF is perfect for knitting offline, making notes as you work and returning to the project each Christmas. It includes instructions for both the 6–12 month and 12–24 month sizes, so you can create this festive Santa hat for more than one little one.

Click here to purchase the printable, ad-free PDF pattern.

More Baby Hat Knitting Patterns

Looking for more cozy projects for little ones? Baby hats are quick to knit, practical for chilly weather and perfect for using smaller amounts of yarn from your stash. They also make thoughtful handmade gifts for baby showers, first birthdays and winter holidays.

Explore more of my baby hat knitting patterns, including simple beanies, earflap hats, animal-inspired designs and festive holiday styles. With patterns for different yarn weights, skill levels and construction methods, you’ll find plenty of adorable options for babies and toddlers.

You’ll also love these baby hat knitting patterns:

Super Bulky Toddler Ear Flap Hat Knitting Pattern (Knit Flat)
Baby Ear Flap Hat Knitting Pattern (Easy Super Bulky Hat Knit in the Round)
Toddler Thick & Quick Hat Knitting Pattern (Easy Knit in the Round Design)
Easy Toddler Football Hat Knitting Pattern (Free & Beginner-Friendly)
Easy Colorblock Hat Knitting Pattern for Babies, Toddlers & Kids (Knit in the Round)
1 Hour Baby & Kids Hat Knitting Pattern (Easy Beginner Knit Hat with Super Bulky Yarn)
Easy Baby Pom Pom Hat Knitting Pattern (Knit Flat + Beginner-Friendly)