Christmas Lantern Snowman Crochet Pattern

Why you'll love it

Warm LED lights make the snowy scene inside glow like a real lantern.
A foam base, dowel pillars, and cardboard roof keep it sturdy and straight.
The red and white roof rows and green pillars give a classic Christmas palette.
The mini snowman, tree, and poinsettia are quick, fun amigurumi pieces.
You can change the scene inside each year for a fresh display.

About the designer

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Mandy’s Crochet Studio writes the free patterns, premium PDFs and step-by-step guides on this site, with stitch counts on every round and a skill level on every pattern.

Last updated November 3, 2026

Materials needed

Tools

4.0 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Stitch markers
Craft foam block, 5.75 x 5.75 x 1.25 in (14.5 x 14.5 x 3 cm)
Four wooden dowels, 3/8 in (1 cm) thick and 8 in (20 cm) long, plus thin batting strips
Foam board, 1/2 in (1.2 cm) thick, cut to 5.25 in (13.5 cm) square for the ceiling
Stiff cardboard for the roof pyramid and tape
Clear acetate or PVC sheet, about 19 x 6.5 in (48 x 16.5 cm), and white snowflake stickers or a white paint pen
Battery-operated warm white LED fairy lights, ideally with a timer
One 2.5 in (6.5 cm) plastic ring
Polyester fiberfill, a hot glue gun, and craft glue

Gauge & finished measurements

Gauge: 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in worsted yarn with a 4.0 mm hook. Square gauge: Rounds 1-13 of the base square measure about 5.8 in (14.5 cm) per side.

The pattern

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Lantern Base

Bottom square Rounds 1-13: With red, make a MR. Round 1: ch 1, (2 sc, ch 2) 4 times in the ring, join with sl st to the first sc (8 sc). Rounds 2-13: ch 1, sc in each sc along each side and (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner ch-2 space, join with sl st to the first sc. Each round adds 2 stitches per side. (104 sc after Round 13; 26 per side)
Round 14: Ch 1. Working in BLO, sc in each sc and 1 sc in each corner ch-2 space. Join with sl st to the first sc. This turns the square up into the base walls. (108 sc; 27 per side)
Rounds 15-19: Ch 1, sc in each stitch around, join with sl st to the first sc. Repeat for 5 rounds. Insert the foam block, then fasten off. (108 sc in each round)
Snow floor Rounds 1-13: With white, work Rounds 1-13 of the bottom square. Fasten off. (104 sc after Round 13; 26 per side)
Green joining round: Place the white square on top of the foam, matching its sides to the wall edges. Join green in a corner. Working through the white square and the last red round together, sc in each stitch along each side and 1 sc through each white corner space. Join and fasten off. (108 sc; 27 per side)

Pillars (make 4)

Foundation: With green, ch 12 and join with sl st to form a ring, taking care not to twist it. (12 ch)
Round 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around. Do not join; work in continuous rounds with a marker. (12 sc)
Rounds 2-33: Working in BLO, sc in each stitch around for 32 rounds, creating a ribbed spiral. Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20 cm) tail. (12 sc in each round)

Ceiling Panel

Square Rounds 1-12 (make 2): With green, work Rounds 1-12 of the base bottom square. Fasten off the first square; keep the second on the hook. (96 sc after Round 12; 24 per side)
Joining round: Place the squares wrong sides together with the foam board between them. Working through both layers, sc in each stitch along each side and 3 sc in each corner space. Join and fasten off. (108 sc)

Roof Panels (make 4)

Foundation and Row 1: With red, ch 34. Dc in the 4th ch from the hook (the skipped chains count as a dc) and in each ch across. Fasten off red. (32 dc)
Row 2: With white, join with sl st in the first stitch, sl st in the next 2 stitches, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each stitch across, leaving the last 2 stitches unworked. Fasten off white. (28 dc)
Rows 3-8: Repeat Row 2, alternating colors: Row 3 red (24 dc), Row 4 white (20 dc), Row 5 red (16 dc), Row 6 white (12 dc), Row 7 red (8 dc), Row 8 white (4 dc). Each row has 4 fewer stitches than the row before. (4 dc after Row 8)
Seams: Place two panels wrong sides together, matching the colored rows. With red, sc through both layers along the slanted edge. Repeat to join all 4 panels into a pyramid, leaving the top open. (4 seams)
Roof trim Round 1: Join red at a bottom corner. Sc in each free loop of the foundation chain along each panel (32 sc) and 2 sc into each corner seam. Join with sl st to the first sc. (136 sc)
Roof trim Round 2: Ch 1. *Sc in the next stitch, skip the next stitch, 3 dc in the next stitch, skip the next stitch; repeat from * 33 more times. Join with sl st to the first sc and fasten off. (34 scallops)

Roof Top

Green collar: With green, ch 24 and join with sl st to form a ring. Rounds 1-3: ch 1, sc in each stitch around, join with sl st to the first sc. Fasten off, leaving a tail. (24 sc in each round)
Dome cap Rounds 1-6: With red, make a MR and work 6 sc into it. Work in continuous rounds. Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch (12). Rounds 3-6: [sc in the next X stitches, 2 sc in the next stitch] 6 times, where X is 1 in Round 3 and increases by 1 each round, ending with X = 4 in Round 6. (36 sc after Round 6)
Dome cap Rounds 7-8: Round 7: working in BLO, sc in each stitch around. Round 8: sc in each stitch around. Sl st in the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail. (36 sc in each round)
Hanging ring: With red, join to the plastic ring and work 40 sc around it, covering it completely. Join with sl st to the first sc and fasten off, leaving a tail. (40 sc)

Mini Snowman

Body: With white, make a MR and work 6 sc into it. Work in continuous rounds. Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch (12). Round 3: [sc, 2 sc in next] 6 times (18). Round 4: [sc in next 2, 2 sc in next] 6 times (24). Rounds 5-8: sc in each stitch (24). Round 9: [sc in next 2, dec] 6 times (18). Round 10: [sc, dec] 6 times (12); stuff firmly. Round 11: dec 6 times (6). Close. (6 sc after Round 11)
Head: With white, make a MR and work 6 sc into it. Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch (12). Round 3: [sc, 2 sc in next] 6 times (18). Rounds 4-6: sc in each stitch (18). Round 7: [sc, dec] 6 times (12); stuff. Round 8: dec 6 times (6). Close. (6 sc after Round 8)
Hat: With red, make a MR and work 6 sc into it. Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch (12). Round 3: [sc, 2 sc in next] 6 times (18). Rounds 4-6: sc in each stitch (18). Change to white. Rounds 7-8: sc in each stitch (18). Fasten off and fold the white rounds up as a brim. Make a tiny white pompom: MR 6 sc, sc 6, close. (18 sc in each brim round)
Nose and scarf: Nose: with orange, make a MR and work 4 sc into it; Round 2: sc in each stitch (4); Round 3: [sc, 2 sc in next] 2 times (6); fasten off. Scarf: with red, ch 31, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (30); fasten off and cut a short fringe at each end. (6 sc nose; 30 sc scarf)

Mini Tree and Flowers

Tree: With green, make a MR and work 4 sc into it. Work in continuous rounds. Round 2: [sc, 2 sc in next] 2 times (6). Round 3: sc (6). Round 4: [sc, 2 sc in next] 3 times (9). Round 5: sc (9). Round 6: [sc in next 2, 2 sc in next] 3 times (12). Round 7: sc (12). Round 8: [sc, 2 sc in next] 6 times (18). Round 9: sc (18). Round 10: [sc in next 2, 2 sc in next] 6 times (24). Round 11: sc (24). Round 12: in BLO, sc in each stitch (24). Stuff. Round 13: [sc in next 2, dec] 6 times (18). Round 14: [sc, dec] 6 times (12). Round 15: dec 6 times (6). Close. (24 sc at widest; 6 sc after Round 15)
Trunk: With brown, make a MR and work 6 sc into it. Round 2: in BLO, sc in each stitch (6). Rounds 3-4: sc in each stitch (6). Stuff lightly and fasten off, leaving a tail. (6 sc in each round)
Poinsettia (make 2): With red, make a MR. Ch 1, work 5 sc into it and join with sl st to the first sc. *Ch 5, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, dc in the last ch, sl st in the next sc; repeat from * 4 more times. Fasten off. Add a yellow French knot center. (5 petals)
White flower: With white, make a MR. *Ch 3, 2 dc in the ring, ch 3, sl st in the ring; repeat from * 4 more times. Pull the ring closed and fasten off. Add a yellow French knot center. (5 petals)
Leaf (make 5): With green, ch 6. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, 3 hdc in the last ch. Working along the other side: dc, hdc, sc, sl st. Ch 2 and sl st in the same ch for a tip. Fasten off, leaving a tail. (11 stitches + ch-2 tip)

Abbreviations

This pattern is written in US terms. Your current view: US.

US	UK	Meaning
MR	MR	magic ring (adjustable ring) · how to
ch	ch	chain · how to
sl st	ss	slip stitch · how to
sc	dc	single crochet (UK double crochet) · how to
hdc	htr	half double crochet (UK half treble) · how to
dc	tr	double crochet (UK treble) · how to
dec	dec	decrease: work 2 stitches together (invisible decrease in amigurumi)
BLO	BLO	back loop only
st(s)	st(s)	stitch(es)

Assembly

1
Scene: arrange the snowman, tree (glued on its trunk), and inside poinsettia on the snowy floor, keeping them at least 1 in (2.5 cm) from the edges. Sew or glue them in place.
2
Lights: wind the LED fairy lights loosely around the scene and up one back corner. Tuck the battery pack behind the tree or snowman so the switch is easy to reach.
3
Pillars: mark the 4 corner positions on the snowy floor, about 0.5 in (1.2 cm) in from each edge. Push the bare 1 in end of each covered dowel straight down through the floor into the foam, adding a drop of glue.
4
Windows: decorate the acetate sheet with snowflake stickers or paint. Score and fold it into a square tube to fit just inside the pillars, overlapping the ends by 0.5 in. Slip it into place around the scene and glue its edges to the pillars.
5
Ceiling: center the ceiling panel over the pillars and press the bare 0.5 in dowel tips into the foam board through the crochet. Glue in place.
6
Roof: slide the cardboard pyramid into the crochet roof. Glue the roof centered on the ceiling so the scalloped trim overhangs on all sides.
7
Top: slip the green collar over the roof tip, then sew or glue the dome cap on top. Sew the hanging ring to the center of the cap.
8
Roof flowers: sew or glue the second poinsettia, the white flower, and 3 leaves to one front corner of the roof.

Important notes

Tip: This is an original pattern inspired by the photo. Hidden construction details, yarn weight, and dimensions are interpreted from the image, and the pattern has not been physically test-crocheted.
Tip: Abbreviations (US terms): ch = chain, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, dc = double crochet, sl st = slip stitch, MR = magic ring, BLO = back loop only, dec = decrease (invisible single crochet decrease).
Tip: Square pieces are worked in joined rounds; the ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a stitch. Pillars and small amigurumi are worked in continuous rounds with a marker. Roof panels are worked in rows.
Tip: Fire safety: use only battery-operated LED lights. Never place a candle or any open flame inside or near the lantern.
Tip: This is a decoration, not a toy. The dowels, foam, batteries, and small parts are not suitable for young children or pets.

Pattern FAQ

Can I hang the lantern by its ring?

The foam base makes it fairly heavy, so it is best displayed on a surface. For a hanging version, use foam board for the base instead of a foam block, and glue the dowels firmly at both ends.

Can I skip the wooden dowels?

You can stuff the pillar tubes firmly with fiberfill around plastic drinking straws or rolled cardboard, but dowels give the strongest, straightest frame.

Where can I find clear sheets for the windows?

Clear acetate, PVC sheet, or the clear plastic from food packaging all work. Look for sheets that are firm enough to stand on their own but easy to fold.

Can I use a store-bought lantern instead?

Yes. Crochet covers for the base, pillars, and roof of a small plastic or wooden lantern, adjusting the stitch counts to fit, and glue them on. Add the scene and lights inside.

How do I clean it?

Because of the frame and lights, do not wash it. Remove dust with a soft brush or a lint roller, and spot clean with a barely damp cloth if needed.

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Christmas Lantern Snowman Crochet Pattern

Why you'll love it

About the designer