My favourite part about crocheting dolls is choosing their hairstyles! They really bring out their personality. And the best part? You can even match the hairstyles to the recipient!
In this crochet doll hair tutorial, we will share over seventeen adorable hair styles for crochet dolls. These hair styles have all been designed for our Kozu Palm Pals series of dolls, which is a series of 4 inch dolls (that take just a couple of hours to crochet!). However, you can adapt these hairstyles to any sized dolls – you will just have to adjust the basic hair cap to fit the size of the dolls head. You can also just whip up the Kozu Palm Pals crochet doll base (it takes about an hour) and then practice the various doll hairstyles on it.
Even within these hairstyles, you can mix and match them (allowing for infinite possibilities!). For example, for the various up-dos, you can mix and match the base hair cap for different types of bangs etc.
We will keep adding new hairstyles for crochet dolls to this page, so don’t forget to check back here!
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Tips on How to Crochet Doll Hair
Before you go through the tutorials for each of the hairstyles, here are some general tips for doll hair:
- Check the Hair Cap Before Sewing: Different yarn weight (sometimes different colours of the same brand can vary in weight!) and tensions can result in the hair cap fitting differently, despite following the pattern. So before you fasten off, put the haircap on your doll and ensure that it fits as you want it, giving enough coverage in the front and back.
- Mix and Match: Feel free to mix and match the patterns. For example, if you would like bangs on a pattern that doesn’t have bangs, you can use the bangs instructions from a hair cap with bangs. The sky’s the limit!
- Varying Strand Length: For strands of hair for ponytails, pigtails, or other crocheted hair strands, the initial chain length can be varied for longer or shorter strands.
- Curlier or Straighter Strands: For crocheted hair strands
- if you would like the strand to curl less, reduce any increases in the pattern for the strands. If it still curls despite no increases in the pattern, go up a hook size for the chain length of the strand.
- if you would like the strand to curl more, add increases every few stitches. The strand curls where the increase is.
- Yarn weight: The hair cap should always be made using the same yarn weight that you used for the doll, otherwise it won’t fit. For stranded hair, go down a yarn weight for the hair strands if you want thinner hair. For thicker hair, use the same yarn weight for the strands as you did for the hair cap.
- Boy Doll Hair: For male dolls, I have found that it is essential to add ears and sideburns to make it look like hair. Otherwise the hair cap can look like a beanie. You can find the pattern for ears for these dolls here.
Ponytail Hairstyle for Crochet Dolls
Ponytails are some of the simplest hairstyles that you can make for a doll. They work up pretty quickly and they are a great go-to hair style for dolls. We have three different hairstyles for ponytails.
Simple Crochet Ponytail
The simple crochet ponytail is very quick to make. This hairstyle has just a basic haircap with four crochet strands in a magic circle. So it’s super quick to make and is just adorable! If you would like to add bangs, you can add the strands to the haircap from the hairbuns hairstyle. You can find the tutorial here.
Curly Crochet Ponytail
This curly ponytail hairstyle is also really quick to crochet. It’s similar to the simple ponytail but it has increases spaced out through the strand for these adorable curls. You can find the tutorial here.
Stranded Ponytail
The stranded ponytail has individual strands that are latched onto the periphery of the doll’s hair cap. While stranding the hair can be time-consuming, it gives a really natural-looking ponytail for your crochet doll. You can find the tutorial here.
Hair Bun Hairstyle
This simple hair bun hairstyle is perfect for a little ballerina doll – or even a little grandma doll (it’s funny how those are the two dolls you associate with hair buns!). You can keep the bow or leave it up. It’s really up to you! You can find the tutorial here.
Space Buns Hairstyle
Space buns are the cutest hairstyle both in real life and on crochet dolls! This may be my most favourite hairstyle for my dolls. You can crochet these space buns for your doll for added cuteness! You can find the tutorial here.
Crochet Pigtails
Another classic hairstyle for dolls are pigtails. I love how cute these turn out. Like a ponytail, they have a simple hair cap with the addition of crocheted strands for each of the pigtails. If you would like them to be thicker, use single crochet instead of slip stitches for the pigtail strands. If you would like them to curl more, add an increase single crochet every few stitches for the curl. You can find the tutorial here.
Crochet Side Braid
These days I really enjoy putting my hair in a side braid so I really like this little side braid hairstyle for dolls. The braid is crocheted in with the hair cap and so, aside from sewing on the hair cap, this hairstyle requires no sewing. You can add the flower to secure the braid, crochet a ponytail holder using chain stitches, or you can just tie a bow using yarn. You can find the tutorial here.
Two Braids Hairstyle
This cute hairstyle has two crochet braids on each side of the dolls head. Like the side braids, this two braids hairstyle is also crocheted into the hair cap of the doll, requiring no sewing. You can find the tutorial here.
Semi Up-do Hairstyle
This fancy hairstyle with pretty curls was designed for our crochet bride but it’s a great fancy hair style for any doll. You can leave off the hair bun for a simple up-do as well! You can find the tutorial here.
Stranded Long Hair
This is a great option if you want hair with strands so that you can style it as you wish – or just to have hair that looks more like hair. You latch individual strands onto the doll. I usually do it with a hair cap underneath (as suggested in this pattern) because it allows me to put in fewer strands without bald spots showing from underneath. But really it’s up to you. The only caveat is that stranding hair is definitely a lot more time consuming than any of the crocheted options. You can find the tutorial here.
Wavy Hair
This wavy hair style gives the hair a little wave at the ends. It is crocheted onto the hair cap and is an easy hairstyle to add to a doll. If you want to reduce the amount of wave in the hair, you can use a larger hook size for the strands. You can find the tutorial here.
Long Curly Hair
This hairstyle is similar to the wavy hair hair cap except that the curls are thicker and more defined. You can find the tutorial here.
Crocheted Long Hair with Side Part
This hairstyle has long crocheted hair with a long side part. You can find the tutorial here.
Crochet Male Doll Hairstyles
Simple Boy Hairstyle
This simple boy hairstyle is one of the first boy hairs that we made. It’s super quick to work up and simple to make. They key is this (and all boy hairstyles!) is to add the sideburns and ears to your doll so that it doesn’t look like a hat! You can find the tutorial here.
Preppy Boy Hairstyle
This slightly preppy hairstyle for boys has a side part. You can find the tutorial here.
Boy Hairstyle with Fringe
This hair style is great for a boy who (like my nephew!) like to have hair on their faces. You can find the tutorial here.
Boy’s Hairstyle with a Widow’s Peak
This hairstyle with a widow’s peak is a really cute one! I just love the book of it. You can find the free tutorial here.
Beard and Moustache
You can add a beard to any of the haircaps. Of you can leave it alone for a bald man with a beard like our Santa! You can find the tutorial here.