This Christmas crochet snake pairs playful amigurumi shaping with a tiny reindeer hat, split pink tongue, and bendable neck for a quirky handmade holiday decoration.
Unusual Christmas decorations add personality to seasonal displays, and this long-necked crochet snake offers a fun alternative to traditional festive figures. Its slender shape, bright green body, and miniature crochet reindeer accessories create a distinctive character, while separate details make assembly easier.
This crochet tutorial covers shaping the snake’s head and narrow body, creating its forked tongue, and making a white reindeer hat with brown antlers and a red pom-pom. You’ll also learn how the internal wire helps position the finished figure for display.
Credit NakhArt🪡🧶
Materials & Tools
- 3-ply cotton or milk cotton yarn:
- Green for the snake’s body
- Pink for the tongue
- White for the hat base
- Brown for the antlers
- Red for the pom-pom
- Crochet hook: 2.5 mm
- Polyfill stuffing: For shaping the head
- Floral or craft wire: Approximately 18 cm for the poseable neck and body
- Craft glue or hot glue: For attaching facial features and accessories
- Black bead eyes or small safety eyes
- Tapestry needle and scissors
Finished Size & Customization
This project is demonstrated in a video approximately 16 minutes long. The finished piece is a slender, long-necked snake designed as a playful seasonal decoration.
- Adjust the neck length: Add or remove rounds within the neck section, while keeping the stitch count consistent.
- Change the headwear: Replace the reindeer hat with a Santa hat, witch hat, or flower crown to suit another holiday or season.
- Personalize the expression: Choose bead eyes or small safety eyes and adjust their placement to give the snake its own character.
Pattern Abbreviations & Terminology
- ch: Chain
- sc: Single crochet
- inc: Increase; work 2 single crochets in the same stitch
- dec: Decrease; crochet 2 stitches together
- sl st: Slip stitch
- st(s): Stitch(es)
- R: Round or row
- (…) xN: Repeat the instructions inside parentheses N times
Step-by-Step Crochet Christmas Snake Pattern
Step 1: Shape the Head – Rounds 1-6
Using green yarn, begin with a magic ring and work 6 sc into the ring (6 stitches).
- R2: Work an increase in every stitch around (12 stitches).
- R3: Repeat (1 sc, inc) 6 times (18 stitches).
- R4–R6: Work 1 sc in each stitch around (18 stitches).
Keep your stitches even as the head develops. Use a stitch marker to identify the beginning of each continuous spiral round, since the rounds are not joined unless specified.
Step 2: Form the Snout and Taper the Head – Rounds 7-10
Continue using green yarn to shape the front of the snake’s head.
- R7: Work 2 sc in each stitch around, as specified in the supplied instructions, to flare the snout or jaw area.
- R8: Work 1 sc in each stitch around, with the source specifying 36 stitches.
- R9: Repeat (1 sc, 1 sc, 1 dec) 6 times.
- R10: Repeat (1 sc, dec) 6 times, giving 12 stitches.
Check the shape as you work so the head remains distinct from the narrow neck. The supplied stitch counts for these rounds appear inconsistent: increasing every stitch in R7 from 18 stitches would produce 36 stitches, but R8 then lists the same count without an increase instruction, and the stated R9 repeat does not match the preceding count. Confirm these transitions against the original video before treating the sequence as a fully verified stitch-count pattern.
Step 3: Stuff the Head and Narrow the Neck Base – Round 11
Add polyfill stuffing to the head cavity. Distribute it evenly enough to support the shape without stretching the stitches or leaving obvious gaps.
Work the decreases specified for R11 to narrow the piece to 6 stitches. Because the exact decrease sequence is not supplied, follow the original tutorial for placement and stitch count rather than guessing.
The narrow opening leads into the long neck, so check that the head stuffing stays in place before continuing.
Step 4: Crochet the Long Neck and Body – Rounds 12-45
Continue in green yarn, working 1 sc in each stitch around for 6 stitches per round.
Repeat this narrow round from R12 through R45 to create the snake’s long, slender neck and body. Keep your tension consistent so the tube remains flexible enough to pose while retaining its shape.
To customize the length, add or remove rounds in this section. More rounds create a longer neck; fewer rounds produce a shorter figure. Keep the stitch count at 6 per round so the body remains narrow.
Step 5: Shape the Tail Tip – Round 46
At the tail end, decrease to 3 stitches as specified. Fasten off and weave in the yarn tail securely.
Check the narrow tip before adding the internal wire. The wire should support the finished figure without protruding through the crochet fabric.
Step 6: Add the Internal Wire
Prepare approximately 18 cm of floral or craft wire for the poseable structure. The supplied instructions call for inserting it down the center of the body and neck.
Safety note: Wire ends can be sharp. Cover or bend both ends so they cannot poke through the yarn, and avoid leaving exposed wire near the head or tail. If the decoration may be handled by children or pets, use a safer wire-free alternative or keep it securely out of reach.
Position the wire carefully inside the crocheted tube and test the bend gently. The neck should hold a playful curve without forcing stitches apart. The exact method for securing the wire inside the body is not specified in the supplied instructions, so confirm the placement shown in the original tutorial.
Step 7: Make the Split Pink Tongue
Switch to pink yarn and chain 7.
Work 3 slip stitches back along the chain, then chain 4 to create the second branch. Work 3 slip stitches back down this short chain, and finish with a slip stitch back to the base to form the forked tongue.
Fasten off, leaving a yarn tail for attachment. Arrange the two branches so they are clearly separated, then set the tongue aside until the face is ready to assemble.
Step 8: Crochet the White Reindeer Hat
Using white yarn, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it (6 stitches).
- R2: Work 6 increases (12 stitches).
- R3: Repeat (1 sc, inc) 6 times (18 stitches).
- R4–R6: Work 1 sc in each stitch around (18 stitches).
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing or gluing the hat to the snake’s head. Check that the hat fits the head before attaching the decorative pieces.
Step 9: Make Two Brown Antlers
Using brown yarn, create branching chain shapes for the antlers. Work slip stitches back along the chains to give each branch structure, then make a second matching piece.
The exact chain lengths and branch counts are not included in the supplied instructions. Follow the original demonstration for the shape, and compare both antlers before assembly so they look balanced when attached to the hat.
Leave enough yarn at each base for sewing, or prepare the pieces for secure attachment with suitable craft glue.
Step 10: Make the Red Pom-Pom
Wrap red yarn around your fingers approximately 20 times.
Carefully slide the bundle off your fingers while keeping the loops together. Tie another piece of yarn tightly around the center, then snip the loops open. Trim the ends into a small, rounded pom-pom.
Keep the center tie secure so the pom-pom does not unravel when attached to the hat.
Step 11: Attach the Eyes and Tongue
Position the black bead eyes or small safety eyes on the snake’s head around R7, following the supplied tutorial.
Attach the pink forked tongue directly underneath the snout. Check the placement from the front before securing it so the two branches remain visible and the expression looks balanced.
Craft glue or hot glue is listed in the source instructions. Use hot glue carefully, keep it away from skin, and allow it to cool fully before handling. If using safety eyes, install them securely according to their instructions before closing any inaccessible opening.
Step 12: Assemble the Reindeer Hat
Attach the two brown antlers to the upper sides of the white hat base. Position them so both branches are visible and the hat remains balanced.
Secure the red pom-pom to the top peak of the hat with sewing or suitable craft glue. Allow adhesive to dry completely before proceeding.
Step 13: Attach the Hat and Pose the Snake
Position the finished reindeer hat on top of the snake’s head. Sew or glue it securely in place, checking the front view to make sure the antlers and pom-pom sit neatly.
Gently bend the internal wire to create a playful curve in the long neck. Avoid sharp bends or excessive pressure that could damage the crochet fabric or expose the wire.
Finish by checking all attached pieces, weaving in any remaining yarn ends, and making sure no sharp wire or loose small parts are exposed.
Your festive crochet snake is ready to display as a quirky addition to a Christmas shelf, mantel, or seasonal craft arrangement.
