Crochet Gingerbread Man Candy Cane Holder

Whether you’re making Christmas decor for your home and Christmas tree, or you want to add little handmade touches to gift bags and presents this year, candy cane ornaments are perfect!

All you need to make a gingerbread man (or girl) candy cane holder is a little bit of yarn and less than an hour of your time and you’ll be adding to your gingerbread man decorations in no time at all.

These adorable crochet candy cane holders also make great DIY Christmas Gift Tags! These cute little gingerbread boy & girl candy cane holders are perfect for that! We also have a Santa, Reindeer, and a Snowman!

How to Make a Candy Cane Holder

This free crochet gingerbread man candy cane holder is made by crocheting a few small pieces and then assembling them all together.

First, you’ll make the gingerbread person’s body. Make 1 or 2 bodies, depending on how thick you want it to be. The body is worked in rows from the bottom up. If you make two bodies, there’s no need to weave in all the ends from adding all of the little details. Your ends will all be hidden after you join the two bodies. This will save some time!

Next, you’ll add ric rac trim to the body and either add buttons for a boy or crochet a dress for a girl.

Then, you’ll embroider the eyes and mouth on your gingerbread person. Instructions are included for optional eyelashes, cheeks, for your gingerbread girl.

After you added all the facial features, you’ll create a hanging loop with a simple crochet chain and sew it on.

Lastly, you’ll join two bodies, if making a double layer gingerbread person. If making a gingerbread girl, the very last step is to attach her dress and hair bow.

Yarn

I used Lily Sugar n’ Cream for my gingerbread man crochet candy cane holder pattern. I love the color choices available in the Lily Sugar n’ Cream line and it’s easy to mix and match with Peaches and Cream and Bernat Handicrafter. All 3 are very similar cotton yarns.

Although I chose a 100% cotton yarn for my crochet candy cane holder, you can use most any other fiber. Acrylic, wool, and even acrylic, wool, or cotton blends will work great for your gingerbread Christmas tree decorations.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch(s): chain(s)
• sl st(s): slip stitch(es)
• st(s): stitch(es)
• sp: space
• sc: single crochet
• ext sc: extended single crochet
• yo: yarn over
• SM: stitch marker
• Rnd: round
• RS: Right Side
• WS: wrong side
• Join yarn with a standing sc

Experience Level

• Easy

Gauge

• Measurements are given throughout the pattern.

Size

One Size: 5.5″ H x 3.75″ W (without hanging loop)

Special Stitches

• Extended Single Crochet (ext sc): Insert hook into stitch indicated, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru 1 loop on hook, yo, pull thru remaining two loops on hook.
• Join yarn with a standing single crochet: Begin with a slip knot on your hook, insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated, yo, pull up a loop, yo and draw thru both loops on hook.
• Surface Crochet

Arms

Make sure to turn after you work the last row of the Body.

Row 1: With brown yarn & a 4.00mm crochet hook, ch 4, then join yarn with a standing sc in the first st of the Body, sc in each remaining st across the body, ch 5. Turn. (6 sts + ch 4 + ch 5)

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each of the first 2 sts, 2 sc in the next ch-2 sp, sc in each of the next 6 sts, 2 sc in the next ch-2 sp, sc in each of the last 2 sts. Before you turn, place a SM in the 9th stitch to mark where to join the yarn to begin the Head. Turn. (14 sts)

Fasten off. Weave in ends. Arms are approximately 3.25″ W x .5″ H. Continue on to the Head.

Head

Make sure to turn after you work the last row of the Arms.

Row 1 (WS): With brown yarn & a 4.00mm crochet hook, join yarn with a standing sc in the st you marked with a SM, sc in each of the next 3 sts. Turn. (4 sts)

Row 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the last st. Turn. (6 sts)

Row 3: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the last st. Turn. (8 sts)

Row 4 – 6: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (8 sts)

Row 7: Ch 1, skip the 1st st, sc in each of the next 5 sts, skip the next st, sc in the last st. Turn. (6 sts)

Row 8: Ch 1, skip the 1st st, sc in each of the next 3 sts, skip the next st, sc in the last st. (4 sts)

Do not fasten off. Head size is approximately 1.75″ W x 1.75″ H. Continue on to the Edging.

Edging

Note: Stitch count is not crucial for this step. The most important part is that your edging is not worked too tight or too loose as this will cause your gingerbread man to have wavy edges.

Two quick Tips I can give you are: 1) Adjust your hook size to help keep your edging flat, and 2) Work an extra stitch when working around outside corners (arms and legs). Adding this extra stitch on the outside corners will help to keep your work from puckering.

Rnd 1 (RS): Continuing on from the Head with a 4.00mm crochet hook (or whatever size you need to create a nice flat edging), sc evenly around the entire perimeter of the body. Do not join. Stitch count is not crucial.

Double Layer Gingerbread Person: Fasten off. Weave in ends. Make a second body, then continue on to the Ric Rac Trim.

Single Layer Gingerbread Person ONLY: Work a surface crochet stitch (or sl st) in each st from the previous round. Use Special Join Technique to join at the end of this round. See Surface Crochet photo tutorial & Special Join Tutorial for help with this round. This step stabilizes the edges of a single layer project.

Fasten off. Weave in ends. Continue on to the Ric Rac Trim.

Ric Rac Trim

With a yarn needle and white yarn, sew zig zags on your gingerbread person’s arms and legs (as shown in the photo below) to create ric rac trim.

Weave in ends. Continue on to Buttons or Dress, depending on which gingerbread person you’re making.

Buttons for Gingerbread Boy

With a yarn needle and red yarn, sew 3 buttons, evenly spaced, on the belly of the gingerbread man. I kept it simple and made 3 small “X’s”.

Weave in ends. Continue on to Facial Features below.

Gingerbread Boy Option: The Gingerbread Girl’s Hair Bow would be super cute as a bow tie. He would look dapper with a bow tie.

Dress for Gingerbread Girl

Row 1: With red yarn & a 4.00mm crochet hook, ch 5, working into the back hump of the ch, sc in the 2nd ch from your hook, sc in each of the next 2 chs, sc in the last ch. Turn. (4 sts)

Row 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 3 sts. Turn. (5 sts)

Row 3: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 4 sts. Turn. (6 sts)

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (6 sts)

Row 5: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 5 sts. Turn. (7 sts)

Row 6: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 6 sts. Turn. (8 sts)

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (8 sts)

Row 8: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 7 sts. Turn. (9 sts)

Row 9: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 8 sts. Turn. (10 sts)

Row 10: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 9 sts. Turn. (11 sts)

Row 11: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each of the next 10 sts. (12 sts)

Do not fasten off. Dress size is approximately 3″ W (last row width) x 2.5″ H. Continue on to the Dress Edging.

Dress Edging

Note: Stitch count is not crucial for this step. The most important part is that your edging is not worked too tight or too loose as this will cause your dress to have wavy edges. Adjust your hook size to help keep your edging to lay flat.

Rnd 1 (RS): Continuing on from the Dress with a 4.00mm crochet hook (or whatever size you need to create a nice flat edging), sc evenly around the entire perimeter of the dress. Join with a sl st to the 1st st. Stitch count is not crucial.

Fasten off. Weave in ends. Continue on to the Dress Details.

Dress Details

Dress Ric Rac Trim

With a yarn needle and white yarn, sew zig zags on your dress (as shown in the photo below) to create ric rac trim.

Weave in ends. Continue on to the Dress Buttons.

Dress Buttons

With a yarn needle and white yarn, sew 2 buttons, evenly spaced, on the center of the dress.
Weave in ends. Continue on to the Facial Features.

Facial Features

Eyes

With an 18″ piece of black yarn and yarn needle, embroider eyes on the gingerbread person’s face as shown below. I looped the yarn around a stitch, 3 times, on the center of the face.

Mouth

With an 12″ piece of black yarn and yarn needle, embroider mouth on the gingerbread person’s face as shown in the photos.

Gingerbread Boy or Gingerbread Girl?

Gingerbread Boy: If you’re making a gingerbread boy ornament, scroll down to the Hanging Loop.

Gingerbread Girl: If you’re making a gingerbread girl ornament, continue on to Cheeks & Eyelashes for Gingerbread Girl.

Cheeks for Gingerbread Girl

With an 12″ piece of pink yarn and yarn needle, embroider cheeks on the gingerbread person’s face as shown below. I looped the yarn around a stitch, 3 times, at each corner of the mouth.

Eyelashes for Gingerbread Girl

For this step, you can use black thread, OR pull apart the plies of black worsted weight cotton yarn and use only one ply.

With an 12″ piece of black yarn and yarn needle, embroider eyelashes on the gingerbread girl’s face, near her eyes, as shown above.

Continue on to the Hanging Loop.

Hanging Loop

With red yarn & a 4.00mm crochet hook, create a chain that is 6″ long. Join with a sl st to the 1st ch.

Fasten off, leaving a tail of yarn. With a yarn needle and tail of yarn, sew the hanging loop to the top and back of the gingerbread person’s head. Weave in ends.

Continue on with the instructions for the single layer or double layer gingerbread ornament you’re making.

Hanging Loop Alternative

You could also use a 6″ piece of ribbon as a hanging loop, instead.

Then attach it to the back of the gingerbread person with a needle and thread.

Continue on with the instructions for the single layer or double layer gingerbread ornament you’re making.

Single Layer Gingerbread Boy Ornament

If you are making a single layer gingerbread boy, your gingerbread candy cane holder ornament / gift tag is complete!

• Insert a candy cane through the holes in his arms and hang him on your tree!

Single Layer Gingerbread Girl Ornament

If you’re making a single layer gingerbread girl, continue below to Attach Dress to the Gingerbread Girl.

Double Layer Gingerbread Person

If you are making a double layer gingerbread person, continue on to Joining Double Layer Gingerbread Person, below.

• You will attach the gingerbread girl’s dress after joining the two layers.

Joining Double Layer Gingerbread Person

Step One: With the wrong sides together, lay your gingerbread bodies on top of each other. Use locking stitch markers to help hold the two bodies together while you join them.

Step Two: With a brown (or white) piece of yarn that is 4 times the perimeter of your gingerbread person, and a yarn needle, join the two gingerbread bodies by inserting your yarn needle up through one stitch along the perimeter and down through the next stitch. Repeat this all the way around the edge of the gingerbread person.

Tip About Joining: If you happen to have more edging stitches in an area of one of the bodies, it’s not a big deal at all. When you come to a spot where there are more stitches, simply work into the same stitch on the body that has fewer stitches. It will not be noticeable.

Gingerbread Boy

• If you’re making a Gingerbread Boy, weave in ends. Your Gingerbread Boy Candy Cane Holder Ornament & Gift Tag is complete!

Gingerbread Girl

• If you’re making a Gingerbread Girl, continue below to Attach Dress to Gingerbread Girl.

Attach Dress to Gingerbread Girl

With red yarn and a yarn needle, position the dress on top of the gingerbread girl’s body and sew it on.

Weave in ends. Continue on to the Hair Bow.

Hair Bow

Row 1: With red yarn & a 4.00mm crochet hook, ch 4, working into the back hump of the foundation ch, ext sc in the 2nd ch from your hook, sl st in the next ch, ext sc in the last ch. (3 sts)

Fasten off leaving a small tail to use to attach to gingerbread girl.

With a yarn needle and tail of yarn, attach hair bow to gingerbread girl’s head as shown in the photos.

With a 6″ piece of white yarn and a yarn needle, sew the white yarn around the center of the bow to add an accent color. Weave in ends.

Related: If you enjoyed making this gingerbread Christmas ornament, I think you’ll love the Reindeer Candy Cane Holder Ornament and Snowman Candy Cane Holder too!