Free Halloween Crochet Patterns to Download

Spooky season, hook at the ready

Halloween is the best possible excuse for a small, silly project. Nobody needs a crocheted ghost, and everybody is delighted by one. Every pattern in this collection is a free PDF download, and between them they'll decorate a whole house: amigurumi ghosts, pumpkins, black cats, bats, spiders, witches and friendly monsters; bunting, garlands and wreaths; window hangings and mantelpiece scenes; cushions, coasters and table runners; plus costume accessories, witch hats and trick-or-treat baskets for carrying the haul.

The colour palette does the work

Orange, black, deep purple, acid green, bone white and blood red will cover nearly everything here, and most of it can come from the oddments already in your basket. Glow-in-the-dark yarn is genuinely effective on ghosts and window hangings. Sparkle and metallic yarns suit spider webs and witch hats. Because the pieces are small, this is a good moment to use up single balls rather than buying new — a bag of leftovers will usually yield an entire garland.

Amigurumi basics for Halloween makes

1. Start with a magic ring and work in continuous spirals, marking the first stitch of each round.
2. Use a hook one or two sizes smaller than the ball band suggests — DK on a 3mm hook, say — so the stuffing doesn't show through the stitches.
3. Stuff firmly and evenly, adding filling little by little rather than in one lump, so limbs and heads keep their shape.
4. Use invisible decreases for a smooth surface with no puckering.
5. Pin features in place and look at the piece from across the room before you sew anything down. Eye position is the whole personality.

Safety for children's toys

If a make is going to a child under three, embroider the eyes and mouth with yarn or thread rather than using safety eyes, buttons or beads. Attach limbs with a tight, closely worked ladder stitch and go around twice. Choose machine-washable yarn, and avoid loose ribbons or long chains that could tangle. For costume accessories, check that anything worn on the head sits comfortably and doesn't obscure vision — a crocheted witch hat needs a wired or starched brim if you want it to stand up, and that wire must be safely enclosed.

Quick makes for the week before

• Bunting motifs: pumpkins, bats and ghosts worked flat and joined onto a chain — an evening for a whole string.
• Mini ghosts: a dozen small white amigurumi scattered along a shelf, each about twenty minutes.
• Spider web coasters: a flat round with chain-space spokes, four or five per evening.
• Pumpkin jars: a simple orange tube worked over a jam jar with a green stalk on top.
• Sweet baskets: a firm double crochet basket in aran or chunky, done in an afternoon.

Decorating and displaying

Stiffen flat spider webs and bats with diluted PVA or fabric stiffener and pin them out to dry so they hang crisply against a window. Sew a small loop of chain or ribbon to hangings rather than pushing wire through the fabric. Group amigurumi in odd numbers on a mantelpiece and vary the heights — three pumpkins of different sizes look far better than two matching ones. Add a battery tealight behind a stiffened lace pumpkin for a glow that's safe around children.

Storing until next year

Pack the whole collection into one lidded box with tissue between layers, keep stiffened pieces dry, and label it clearly. Give amigurumi a gentle hand wash and a thorough dry before storing if they've been handled all month.

Halloween crochet questions

Are these Halloween crochet patterns really free? Yes — every pattern in this collection is a free PDF download you can print at home.

What can I crochet in one evening? A small ghost, a pumpkin, a bat, or a full string of bunting motifs from oddments.

What hook and yarn should I use for amigurumi? DK or aran with a hook one or two sizes below the band recommendation, for a dense fabric.

How do I make decorations hold their shape? Firm tension, plenty of stuffing, and fabric stiffener or diluted PVA on flat pieces.

Where else should I look? Find more ideas in our Halloween crafts, or try quick crochet patterns and other free crochet patterns.