Free Christmas Pudding Beanie Knitting Pattern for Children

This child’s Christmas pudding beanie is such a fun little festive knitting project, especially if you love handmade Christmas outfits, holiday photos, and cosy seasonal accessories. Designed to look like a traditional Christmas plum pudding, the hat is worked in rich brown with a white “icing” top, then finished with knitted holly leaves and red berries.

It is a cheerful project for Christmas parties, school dress-up days, family photos, handmade gifts, and winter markets. The design is especially sweet for babies, toddlers, and young children, and it is also a great stash-busting Christmas knitting pattern because you only need small amounts of red and green yarn for the finishing details.

For more festive handmade ideas, browse our Christmas crafts section for ornaments, decorations, and seasonal DIY projects. If you enjoy small yarn projects, you can also explore more knitting patterns on CraftBits for handmade hats, accessories, and gift ideas.

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What you need

You will need a 50 gm ball of brown and a 50 gm ball of white plus a small amount of red and green.
Using size 6 US (4 mm) needles.

Instructions

Sizing Note

This is an older-style child’s hat pattern and may knit up smaller than expected, depending on your tension, yarn, and needle size. Some knitters have found it closer to a baby size. For a larger child’s hat, consider using a larger needle size, thicker yarn, or adding extra stitches and rows while keeping the white icing placement balanced.

What You Need

• 50g brown 8 ply / DK yarn
• 50g white 8 ply / DK yarn
• Small amount of green 8 ply / DK yarn for holly leaves
• Small amount of red 8 ply / DK yarn for berries
• US 6 / 4mm straight knitting needles
• Yarn needle for sewing up
• Scissors
• Optional: stitch markers or row counter

A basic DK yarn, straight knitting needles, and a yarn needle are all you need for this festive hat. If you are restocking supplies, Amazon and Mary Maxim are useful places to look for DK yarn, knitting needles, and Christmas-colored yarn bundles.

Knitting Abbreviations

sts – stitches
k – knit
p – purl
st-st – stocking stitch / stockinette stitch
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
yrn – yarn round needle
dec – decrease
RS – right side
WS – wrong side

Pattern Notes

This Christmas pudding beanie is knitted flat on straight needles and sewn together at the end.

The brown section forms the pudding base, while the white rows create the dripping icing effect. Read each icing row carefully before knitting and mark off each row as you go.

The holly leaves and berries are knitted separately and stitched to the top of the finished hat.

Instructions

Hat Ribbing

Using brown yarn and US 6 / 4mm straight needles, cast on 68 sts.

Work in rib as follows:

Rows 1–6: K2, p2 across each row.

Main Pudding Section

Continue in stocking stitch using brown yarn.

Work 12 rows in stocking stitch.

White Icing Section

Begin shaping the white icing pattern by working with brown and white yarn as follows.

Row 1: K3 white, k14 brown, k3 white, k24 brown, k5 white, k12 brown, k3 white, k4 brown.

Row 2: P3 brown, p5 white, p4 brown, p1 white, p4 brown, p8 white, p11 brown, p3 white, p8 brown, p5 white, p12 brown, p4 white.

Row 3: K6 white, k9 brown, k7 white, k5 brown, k6 white, k9 brown, k9 white, k3 brown, k3 white, k3 brown, k6 white, k2 brown.

Row 4: P9 white, p1 brown, p17 white, p3 brown, p1 white, p3 brown, p8 white, p3 brown, p9 white, p3 brown, p2 white, p2 brown, p7 white.

Row 5: K12 white, k1 brown, k10 white, k3 brown, k9 white, k1 brown, k3 white, k1 brown, k28 white.

Row 6: P43 white, p1 brown, p24 white.

From this point onward, work in white only.

White Top Section

Work 6 rows in stocking stitch using white yarn.

Crown Shaping

Continue in white.

Next knit row: K8, k2tog across the row.

Work the next row in purl.

Next knit row: K7, k2tog across the row.

Work the next row in purl.

Continue decreasing in this way on each knit row, reducing the number of knit stitches before each decrease by one each time:

K6, k2tog
K5, k2tog
K4, k2tog
K3, k2tog
K2, k2tog
K1, k2tog
K2tog across the row.

Remember to purl every alternate row between decrease rows.

When only a few stitches remain, break off the yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the yarn through the remaining stitches, pull tight, and secure.

Holly Leaves

Using green yarn and US 6 / 4mm needles, cast on 15 sts.

Beginning with a purl row, work 3 rows in stocking stitch.

Next row: K1, then work the following sequence to the end of the row:

Wrap yarn around the needle twice, k2tog, transfer the last stitch back onto the left-hand needle and knit it again. Transfer the same stitch back once more and knit it again.

Repeat this sequence across the row.

Next row: P1 into the next loop, then drop the second loop from the needle. Repeat across the row to the last stitch, p1.

Next row: Knit across.

Cast off.

Fold the cast-on edge in half and stitch it together. Repeat with the cast-off edge. Stitch the two sides together so they form the centre vein of the holly leaf.

Make additional leaves if desired.

Leaf Stitch Note

When the pattern tells you to wrap the yarn around the needle twice, this creates an elongated loop. On the following row, purl into the first loop and drop the extra wrap from the needle. This opens the stitch and gives the holly leaf its textured shape.

Berries

Using red yarn, cast on 10 sts.

Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Purl.

Cast off.

With the wrong side facing out, roll the knitted piece into a small ball shape. Stitch it securely in place to form a berry.

Make 3 berries for the top of the hat.

Making Up

Sew the back seam of the hat neatly using a yarn needle, matching the brown and white sections as closely as possible.

Attach the green holly leaves to the top of the hat. Sew the red berries in the centre of the leaves.

Weave in all yarn ends securely, especially if the hat is being made for a baby or young child.

For a softer finish, lightly steam the holly leaves before stitching them to the hat, taking care not to flatten the texture too much.

Helpful Tips and Variations

For a traditional Christmas pudding look, use dark chocolate brown for the lower section and bright white for the icing. For a softer baby version, try cream instead of white and a warm cocoa brown for the pudding base.

You could also add tiny embroidered stitches, mini pom-poms for berries, or make a matching Christmas pudding hat for sibling photos.

This festive knitted beanie would be adorable for Christmas card photos, handmade holiday gifts, school concerts, Christmas market stalls, and cosy winter dress-up days.