Knit All Holiday Patterns Free Patterns

September 24th, 2021

Lil Monsters Skull Pumpkin – Free Knit & Crochet Patterns

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This crochet skull pumpkin pattern is the simplest member of my Lil Monsters Pumpkin Patch — a bone-colored pumpkin with a charmingly spooky skull face that’s done entirely in embroidery. No separate accessories to make, no fiddly attachments. Just the base pumpkin, one googly eye, and a few simple embroidered details. 💀

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If you’ve never embroidered on a knit or crochet piece before, this is a great first project. The stitches are simple — basically a few black lines and shapes — and there’s plenty of room to make it your own. Some people make a perfectly symmetrical skull, while I love the slightly off-kilter look with one googly eye and one embroidered eye socket for that proper pirate vibe.

The pattern is written for both knit AND crochet. Make a plain bone-colored pumpkin in whichever craft you prefer, then embroider the face on top.

crochet skull pumpkin pattern

Why you’ll love this crochet skull pumpkin pattern

  • The simplest costume in the patch — no accessories to make, just the pumpkin base + embroidery
  • Beginner-friendly — perfect first embroidery-on-yarn project
  • Quick to make — once the pumpkin base is done, embroidery takes about 20 minutes
  • Both knit AND crochet versions provided — pick your craft
  • Customizable face — make it symmetrical, classic, pirate-style, or as detailed as you want
  • Family-friendly Halloween decor — skull-themed but charming, not creepy
  • Part of a coordinated set — make all 8 Lil Monsters costumes for a Halloween display

See the whole Lil Monsters Pumpkin Patch

This Skull pumpkin is one of 8 free costumed pumpkin patterns in the Lil Monsters Pumpkin Patch — alongside Mummy, Witch, Devil, Spider, Bumble Bee, Frankenstein, and Kitty Cat. The full collection makes a charming coordinated Halloween display. Visit the main hub for the full overview and easy access to all the patterns:

crochet skull pumpkin pattern

Pattern details

  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Finished Size: Approximately 15″ wide × 6″ tall (deflated rectangle); shapes into a plump round pumpkin once seamed and stuffed
  • Construction: Standard pumpkin base + embroidered face details
  • Time: An afternoon for the base + about 20 minutes for embroidery and assembly
  • Format: Both knit AND crochet versions provided

Materials

Gauge

Crochet: 12 sc × 14 rows = 4″ (10 cm) with a 6.0 mm crochet hook
Knit: 17 sts × 23 rows = 4″ (10 cm) with 6.0 mm knitting needles

Start with the pumpkin base

Every costume in the Lil Monsters Pumpkin Patch starts with the same simple pumpkin base. The Skull doesn’t need any color modifications — you’ll make a standard pumpkin base in Aran (bone/off-white) yarn, with a brown or coffee-colored stump.

👉 Get the free Simple Pumpkin Base pattern + tutorial here →

Crochet skull pumpkin pattern — face embroidery

The Skull’s face is done entirely in embroidery using black yarn and a tapestry needle. There are no separate pieces to crochet or knit — once your pumpkin base is complete, you’ll add all the face details directly onto the front.

You’ll embroider three main features:

  • One eye socket (the other side gets a googly eye) — embroidered as a solid black filled-in oval or circle
  • A nose — a small upside-down triangle in the center of the face, just below the eyes
  • Teeth — a horizontal mouth line with vertical lines crossing through to suggest teeth

Use simple satin stitch (long parallel stitches that fill in shapes) for the eye socket and nose, and straight running stitches for the teeth. There’s no precise pattern here — the slightly imperfect, hand-drawn look is part of the charm.

Assembly

  1. Decide which side gets the googly eye. Your choice — left or right works equally well. (Some pumpkin enthusiasts prefer the eye on the same side as the dominant cheek for a pirate look.)
  2. Attach the googly eye with the hot glue gun. Position it just below where the stump meets the pumpkin, about a third of the way down from the top.
  3. Embroider the eye socket on the opposite side, sized to roughly match the googly eye for symmetry.
  4. Embroider the nose centered between (or just below) the two eyes.
  5. Embroider the teeth as a horizontal mouth line about two-thirds of the way down the front of the pumpkin, with vertical short lines crossing through to suggest individual teeth.
  6. Weave in any loose ends on the inside of the pumpkin to keep the front clean.
crochet skull pumpkin pattern

Make the rest of the patch

The Skull is one of 8 free costume patterns in the Lil Monsters Pumpkin Patch — each one uses the same simple pumpkin base, so once you’ve made this one, the rest come together quickly. Pick your favorites or make the whole family:

Want all 7 spooky costumes in one printable PDF?

If you’d rather skip jumping between blog posts and work from one clean ad-free PDF, the Lil Monsters Pumpkin Patch Bundle on Etsy includes the Skull plus 6 other costumes (Frankenstein, Devil, Spider, Mummy, Witch, and Cat). The bundle also includes knit versions for 5 of the costumes — including this Skull.

Get the Pumpkin Patch Bundle on Etsy →

Use code SEELOVE15 for 15% off

More crochet pumpkin patterns you’ll love

Made one? I’d love to see your skull pumpkin! Tag me on Instagram @seeloveshare or share your makes in our free Facebook community. Happy Halloween! 💀🎃

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