Crochet Leprechaun

Step aside, Winter.  Because today we’re bringing a bit ‘o fun to our crochet world!  Introducing.. the crochet leprechaun wallhanging!

What’s not to love about a crochet leprechaun.  He’s fun.  He’s sassy.  Use the crochet leprechaun appliqué on its own to brighten up a hat, a cup cozy, a sweater…just about anything really.  Or make 3 for this lovely St Patrick themed wall hanging.

Grab some scrap yarn in your favorite luck of the Irish colors and get ready to crochet the cutest crochet leprechaun decor project in one evening!

How to Crochet a Leprechaun

Isn’t this little leprechaun just the cutest? This darling pattern uses 3 shades of green yarn. A variegated green, a light green, a dark green and a medium toned “kelly” green for the hat. We’ll use a bit of orange and beige yarn and a few yards of black and gold yarn for the finishing touches. This crochet leprechaun pattern is such a great stash buster because it uses so little of each color.

We’ll be using basic stitches so this is a perfect beginner project too! And so much fun to make for beginners and experienced crocheters alike.

The rings themselves are worked around silicone canning jar gasket rings. In my grandmother’s Santa version (the inspiration for this project), she used the old style rubber canning jar gaskets. Unfortunately the rubber did not hold up to the test of time and there’s nothing sadder than seeing your grandmother’s work fall apart like that!

The easiest place to find the silicone canning jar gaskets is on Amazon although I purchased mine locally. My local store no longer carries them, but you might find some in a store that has a good canning section.

Look for wide-mouth rings for a mason jar. Canning jar gaskets come in ‘regular’ which is smaller and ‘wide-mouth’ which is larger. We are using wide mouth gaskets for this project! The ring measures 3.5 inches across from edge to edge. You might need to go with this measurement since I’ve found that Amazon doesn’t always label them correctly.

If your gaskets have the little tab on them, like mine do, use a pair of scissors to snip them off so you have a continuous ring to crochet around.

Grab some medium weight yarn (#4) and your crochet hook and get started on this cute crochet leprechaun!

Crochet Leprechaun Wall Hanging Pattern

Materials

• US H8/5mm crochet hook (these are my absolute favorite crochet hooks I recommend to everyone!).
• Worsted weight yarn (Medium #4)  
  • Light Green, Dark Green, Variegated Green, Orange (approx 55 yards ea)
  • Scraps of Beige, Kelly Green, Black (approx 35 yards ea)
  • Scraps of Yellow (approx 2 yards)
• 7 Large Mouth Canning Jar Gasket Rings*
• Small round, shank type buttons for eyes
• Tapestry needle and scissors

Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart.  Find links to stitches on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.  I really like to use the invisible seamless join when finishing pieces that get sewn together.

*Sample used wide mouth size canning jar gaskets made of silicone.  They can be purchased on Amazon or you might find them locally, as I did.  Be sure to select the correct size: these are WIDE mouth canning jar gaskets designed to fit on standard sized mason jars with a wide opening (NOT regular). The outside dimensions of the jar ring are 3.5″ across by 3.5″ high.

Gauge:

Gauge is not important in this pattern.

Resources and crochet tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart.  Find links to stitches and basic crochet skills on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches such as the slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet stitch and chain stitch used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.

Crochet Abbreviations:

• ch = chain
• dc = double crochet
• tr = treble crochet
• sc = single crochet
• sl st = slip stitch
• st = stitch(es)

Finished Crochet Leprechaun Wallhanging Size

Wall hanging is approximately 25” from top of loop to bottom of tassel.  The leprechaun applique is approximately 4.25” across at the widest point of the beard and 4.75” tall from the top of the hat to the bottom of the beard.

Crocheted Rings

Make 4 variegated green rings and 3 light green rings for a total of 7 rings.

If there are tabs on the jar gaskets, cut them off with a pair of scissors so that the ring is truly a ring.

R1:  With Light Green or Variegated Green, make 60 dc into and around the jar ring.  Join with sl st to 1^st dc.  Fasten off.

R2:  Attach dark green to any dc and sc around.   Fasten off and weave in ends.

Hanging Strip

With Dark Green, ch 90.

R1:  Sc in 10th chain and across to last chain.  Slip stitch in last chain. 

R2:  Rotate work. Working in opposite side of chain, sl st in 1st chain (which is the opposite side of the last stitch worked in round 1).  Sc across to the point where the loop begins, make 10 sc in loop.  Continue working around the opposite side of the strip and sc across the end, ending with a slip stitch in the last st at the bottom.

Fasten off yarn and work in all loose ends.  Take several strands of yarn (approx 10” long), fold in half and attach as a tassel at the bottom with a giant sl st.  The smooth end of the sl st should be on the right side of work.  Trim tassel to an eye pleasing length.

Crochet Leprechaun Applique

The leprechaun appliqués are crocheted in pieces. First crochet the head base layer. Then the orange beard and hair layer is crocheted on top of the base. Then crochet the hat and the nose. Then all the pieces are sewn together along with the button eyes.

Make 3 appliqués for the crochet leprechaun wall hanging.

With beige yarn, chain 5 and join to form ring.

R1:  Ch 4 (counts as 1 tr), 23 tr in ring.  Join with sl st to 1st tr.  Fasten off beige yarn.

R2:  With orange, join to a tr with a sl st.  *Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc.  Repeat from * 3 times.  Make 17 large dc, working OVER the previous row’s tr into the ring.  Be sure to not pull too tight.  Join with sl st to 1st sc.  

R3:  Turn work, (working 2nd row of Leprechaun’s beard).  Sc in joining, ch 1, *sc in next st, ch 1, repeat from * around to last dc of beard.  End with a sc in last dc.

R4: Turn work, *ch 3, sl stitch in ch-1 sp.  Repeat from * around.  At end of beard, ch 3 and slip st to sc in row 3 below.

Nose

Make a nose for each of your 3 crochet leprechauns:

R1:  With beige yarn, make a magic ring and sc 6 in the loop.  Do not join; work in rounds. Pull tight. (6 st)

R2:  sc around. At end of round, sl st to 1^st stitch.  Fasten off, leaving a long strand of yarn for weaving.  Draw yarn through the stitches and pull tight and knot off.  Use this yarn to put the nose through the center hole of the face and knot off and fasten to the wrong side of the leprechaun’s face.

Crochet Leprechaun Hat

Make 3 leprechaun hats to sew on the appliqué crochet leprechauns.

R1:  With Kelly Green yarn, Ch 15, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and sc across (14 st)

R2:  Ch1, sc across.  Fasten off green.  This row is the right side.

R3:  With Black Yarn and right side facing, skip 1^st 3 sc of previous row, and attach with sl stitch.  Ch 1 and sc across. (8 st).  Fasten off black yarn.

R4:  With Kelly Green yarn and right side facing, attach with sl stitch to 1^st black st in row 3.  Ch 1 and sc across (8 st)

R5 & R6:  Ch 1, sc across.  Fasten off Green.

Weave in all ends.  Using yellow yarn, back stitch the belt buckle in the center of the black band.

Crochet Leprechaun Assembly

Sew bead or button eyes on each Leprechaun face.  (Alternatively, eyes can be embroidered with French knots using black yarn.)  Sew hat on the top of the Leprechaun’s head.

Refer to picture and weave hanging strip over and under rings (see the Turkey Wallhanging for a complete photo tutorial).  Tack down with yarn at the top and bottom of the strip and anywhere else as needed to hold in place.  

Here is the base of the turkey wall hanging as an example for ring and strap placement:

You may need to adjust the strap so it does not pull or pucker and so that the loop at the top and the very bottom of the strap look even.  

Arrange the Leprechaun appliqués along the strip and sew down.

I love seeing your finished projects!  If you enjoyed making this Crochet Leprechaun Pattern or any of my crochet patterns,  I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @crochet365knittoo.  If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Crochet 365 Knit Too Facebook page or pop over to the Crochet365KnitToo Club and share a photo!  I’d love to see your work!