Make a Quick Crochet Reindeer Candy Cane Holder this Christmas!

Make fun handmade holiday decorations with this adorable Crochet Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Ornament! This free pattern includes step-by-step instructions to create a cute reindeer…

Make fun handmade holiday decorations with this adorable Crochet Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Ornament! This free pattern includes step-by-step instructions to create a cute reindeer that’s perfect for your Christmas tree, classroom gift, or as a delightful gift topper.

Handmade Christmas ornaments are my absolute favourite! Craft your own crochet reindeer candy cane ornament to add colour and fun to your Christmas decorating. This unique crochet pattern features mini candy canes as limbs, making your ornaments irresistibly cute and perfect for the holiday season.

 It’s Easy to Grab the Whole Candy Cane Holder Collection!

There are (16) sixteen patterns in the Candy Cane Holder Ornament collection! And you can grab all of this cuteness straight away, in the Crochet Candy Canes Bundle e-book!

The Candy Cane Ornament Bundle includes the FULL 16 pattern collection, with process photos, tutorial links and a clickable table of contents! This set of crochet patterns includes instructions to create the Santa, Snowman, Reindeer, Kitty, Dinosaur, Unicorn, Bear, Puppy, Mrs. Claus, Elf, Mouse, Moose, Gingerbread Boy, Gingerbread Girl, Penguin, and Giraffe!

Allll this cuteness is available NOW! Check out the Bundle on Ravelry or Etsy!

The entire Candy Cane Holder Ornament collection, which includes 16 ornaments including: Santa, Snowman, Reindeer, Kitty, Dinosaur, Unicorn, Bear, Puppy, Mrs. Claus, Elf, Mouse, Moose, Gingerbread Boy, Gingerbread Girl, Penguin, and Giraffe!

Make Your Own Crochet Candy Cane Ornaments!

As a seasoned amigurumi designer who has created hundreds of patterns and a mom who loves Christmas, I love to make these quick, reindeer candy cane ornaments, to add extra sweetness to our holiday celebrations each year! 

  • My kids adore giving these reindeer candy cane holders to their classmates, making holiday gift-giving fun!
  • These ornaments are incredibly quick to crochet, so they’re convenient to have ready for any unexpected holiday gifting – like when your local postal worker gives you a Christmas card that you weren’t expecting.
  • Need ideas for teacher’s gifts or items to stock your craft table? These candy cane crochet ornaments are ideal for gifting and selling.
  • Crochet candy cane holders as unique gift toppers!
  • Make this quick ornament pattern with scrap yarn to keep costs down
  • The crochet reindeer candy cane ornament is reusable, year after year, just replace the candy canes!
  • I’ve designed all of the crochet candy cane patterns, with WeCrochet’s Brava Worsted Yarn, which offers super soft texture and amazing colours.
  • While Brava Worsted is recommended, you can use any favourite medium (4) weight yarn for this crochet ornament pattern.
  • To make child safety a priority. Choose between 6mm flat back black pearls, safety eyes, or embroidering the eyes—just be cautious of choking hazards for children under three.

Low-Sew Reindeer Ornament Crochet Pattern

These candy cane ornaments are perfect for crafters looking for a quick and easy project with minimal sewing required. The head and body are worked seamlessly in one piece, reducing the assembly time significantly. You’ll only need to sew or embroider the facial features and tail, allowing you to focus more on the fun parts of crocheting. This low-sew design makes it faster to create multiple reindeer ornaments quickly! A total win if you ask me. 🦌

The free crochet pattern uses basic stitches and clear instructions, making it an ideal project for confident beginners or a relaxing project for more experienced crocheters. You can make use of your leftover scrap yarn for this easy crochet pattern too!

Check out the Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament crochet pattern below or grab the inexpensive ad-free PDF with additional helpful photos on Ravelry or Etsy


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Cute crocheted reindeer candy cane holder face peeking in from the left side of the photo. close up showing red nose, safety eyes and antlers
Processed with MOLDIV
Interested in more cute crochet patterns? Check these out!

What you will need for your Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament Crochet Pattern

Materials:

Hook size        3.75 mm (F) Clover Amour 

Yarn: Medium Weight (4) – Shown using Knit Picks Brava Worsted

Main Colour
Brindle (Brown)25 yards
Accent Colours
Almond (Light Brown), Red (Red)Small Amount
Curly Cue Arms/Legs
(Colour of Choice) (Optional)
15 yards
  • 6mm safety eyes OR 6mm flat back black pearls (optional)
  • Polyester filling  
  • 2 Mini Candy Canes (approx. 3” long) for the arms/legs
  • Twine (optional)
  • 4 x 10mm Bells (optional for Curly Cue arms/legs)
  • Stitch Markers & Safety Pins to help with sewing placement
  • Yarn Needle to weave in the ends

A trio showing Santa, Snowman and crochet Reindeer candy cane holders, all made from free crochet patterns and using mini candy canes for limbs.

Gauge:   

4 rounds of sc = 1.5 inches diameter

Gauge Pattern:       

Create a Magic Ring
Round 1:     6sc in the ring (6)
Round 2:     2sc in each st (12)
Round 3:     *sc, 2sc* 6 times (18)
Round 4:    *sc in the next 2 sts, 2sc* 6 times (24)

Abbreviations:

BLOBack Loop Only
chchain
FLOFront Loop Only
hdchalf double crochet
scsingle crochet
scdecsingle crochet decrease
skskip
ssslip stitch
st(s)stich(es)
*to*repeat the sequence between the ** the number of times indicated

Special Stitches & Techniques: 

Magic ring
Embroider Nose
Sleepy Eye – (if not using safety eyes/flat back pearls)
How to Close the Head and Begin the Body

Notes:

  • #sc (eg. 2sc, 3sc, etc) shows the number of scs to be completed in the indicated st
  • sts listed within brackets are to be worked in the same st.  Eg. (Sc, hdc)
  • I highly recommend using a stitch marker to help keep track of the rounds
  • All rounds will be continuous (unless otherwise stated).
  • When changing colours, end off previous colour unless noted otherwise.

Check out the Bundle on Ravelry or Etsy!


How to Crochet Your Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Ornament

Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Body/Head:

The head/body is created in continuous rounds beginning with the head

Using Brown, create a Magic Ring

Round 1:    6sc in the ring (6)
Round 2:    *2sc* 6 times (12)
Round 3:    *sc, 2sc* 6 times (18)
Round 4:    *sc in the next 2 sts, 2sc* 6 times (24)
Rounds 5-10:    sc in each st (24)
Round 11:    *sc in the next 2 sts, scdec* 6 times (18)
Round 12:    *sc in the next st, scdec* 6 times (12)
See Video for assistance with the next 2 Rounds
Round 13:    FLO for the entire round, sc in each st (12), do not end off…

  • Place a stitch marker in the loop on your hook to keep it from pulling out.
  • Place on a flat surface with the top of the head facing away from you and the last stitch sitting at the far right (far left if left handed) and ‘flatten’ the head down. 
  • If using – add safety eyes to Round 7 approx 4 sts apart
  • Lightly stuff the head.  Flatten the head down.
  • Using a scrap piece of yarn and starting with the first and last st of Round 13, mattress stitch in the back loops of Round 12, across the opening.
  • Continue working Round 14 from where you left off after Round 13.

Round 14:    creating the arm holes *ch5, sc in the next 6 sts* twice (12 + 10chs) 
Round 15:    *sc in the next 5 chs, sc in the next 6 sts* twice (22)
Round 16:    *sc in the next 9 sts, scdec* twice (20)
Rounds 17-18:    sc in each st (20)
Round 19:    *sc in the next 8 sts, scdec* twice (18)
Rounds 20-23:    sc in each st (18)
End off, by slip stitching to the next st, weave in end.

Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Muzzle:

The muzzle is worked from the tip back, in continuous rounds.

Using Light Brown, create a Magic Ring

Round 1:     6sc in the Ring (6)   
Round 2:     *2sc* 6 times (12)
End off, leaving a 12” tail for sewing.  See video to embroider nose (using Red) onto the muzzle before sewing the muzzle to the head.

Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Ears (make 2):

Made in a joined oval round.

Using Brown, ch 4

Round 1:    sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc, 3sc in last ch, turn (rotate) and begin working in the back of the ch, hdc, sc, join to first sc (7)
End off, leaving a 9” tail for sewing.  

Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Antlers (make 2):

Created in 1 Row.  

Using Light Brown, ch 7

Row 1:      (main antler) ss in the 2nd ch from the hook, ss in the next 2 chs, (to make ‘branch’ of antler) ch 3, ss into the 2nd ch from the hook, ss in the next st, (back to the main antler), ss in the next 3 sts.
End off, leaving a 4” tail for sewing

Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Tail:

Created in 1 joined oval round.

Using Brown, ch 3

Round 1:      sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, (sc, ch1, sc) in the last ch, turn and begin working in the bottom of the starting ch, sc in the last ch, join to the first st (4)
End off, leaving a 6” tail for sewing.

Cute Crochet Scarf:

Created in a ch.

Using Red, ch 35

End off, cut ends close to beginning and end of chain.

Alternative: Curly Cue Arms/Legs (make 2, if not using candy canes):

Created in 1 row

Using Colour of  Choice, ch 36

Row 1:  3sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, 3sc in each of the next 34chs (105)
End off, Sew on bells if desired, Weave in ends

Sewing Placement – I highly recommend pinning ALL parts in place BEFORE sewing to make sure everything sits properly and is to your liking 🙂

Eyes (if not using safety eyes):
Hot glue on the flat backed pearl or embroider eye/sleepy eye at approx. Round 7, 4 sts apart.  See video for assistance
Muzzle:
If you haven’t already, using Red, embroider on the nose (see video).  Place the muzzle centred just below the eyes between Rounds 9-12.  Sew in place along Round 2 of the muzzle.
Ears:
Place on either side head between Rounds 4-5. Sew in place.
Antlers:
Place on either side of Rounds 2-3.  Sew in place.
Tail:
Place the tail centred at the back of the body on Rounds 20-21.  Sew along the starting chain of the tail.
Scarf:
Tie in place around the neck.
Ornament Hanger
Cut a piece of twine approx 6” long.  Sew through the top of the head.  Tie a knot.
Arms/Legs:
Add your mini candy canes or curly cues  into the holes made in Round 14 of the Head/Body.

You might also love my Crochet Christmas Ornament Round Up!!

Quick Crochet Christmas Ornament Patterns

A Tradition of Handmade Holidays

There’s something magical about hanging handmade ornaments during the holiday season. When I was a child, my family and I would gather around the Christmas tree all together on December 1st, to hang the same ornaments each year. Many of these were handmade. Some were vintage, some were bought, but most had been made by myself and my siblings. Each of the ornaments had memories attached, and that’s a tradition I wanted to share with my family. This Crochet Reindeer Candy Cane Holder is inspired by those cherished memories. I hope this candy cane ornament pattern help you to create a similar holiday tradition with your own family. 🥰

Congratulations!

You have now completed your Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament Crochet Pattern.

The reindeer candy cane crochet pattern is sure to become a favourite in your household. It’s cute, reusable, and the kids will love them for lots of reasons! My kids love giving them out to their classmates, and I’ve found they’re incredibly handy to have at the ready for last-minute gifting.

As a low-sew amigurumi pattern, it’s perfect for both beginner and experienced crocheters looking for a quick project. Plus, they not only make adorable additions to your own Christmas tree—they make thoughtful, handmade gifts that teachers, friends, and family! I hope you decide to give this free Christmas pattern a go!

We love seeing your finished projects. Tag us in your photos and posts using #DarlingMapleDesigns or @darlingmapledesigns.

Thank you so much for joining us! I hope you loved completing your Crochet Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Pattern as much as I enjoyed designing it for you. Don’t want to miss a stitch? Subscribe to the Darling Maple Designs newsletter and I’ll send updates for new pattern releases, sales and promotions straight to your inbox. See you again soon! Sara <3

If you have any questions or concerns with this, or any other pattern written by Darling Maple Designs, please do not hesitate to contact me at: info@darlingmapledesigns.com.

Don’t forget to Pin it to your project board.

Check out my other crochet candy cane ornament patterns!

Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament Crochet Pattern Pin 1
Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament Crochet Pattern Pin 2
Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament Crochet Pattern Pin 3
Reindeer Candy Cane Ornament Crochet Pattern Pin 4