According to Germanic legend, naughty children don’t get coal from Santa at Christmas; they get face time with Krampus, a demonic-looking dude who carries a switch and chains up the very worst of the kids to drag them back to his Krampus Kave. And while I’ve never been there, I don’t think anything good happens in the Krampus Kave. Like, I don’t even think he has an xbox. * Shudder *

This pattern brings the heartwarming legend of Krampus into your home with a three-piece ornament that includes Krampus, his kid-carrying basket, and two little victims, all wrapped up in chain. Each figure is designed to hang on a different branch of the tree, which is extra fun. The finished Krampus stands just shy of 5” tall, which makes him good for a small tree or a large one.

This pattern is deliberately designed to be easy and basic, because December is too frenetic for complicated crocheting. Required stitches including sc, DC, and single crochet decrease. There are exactly four color changes, which you could even skip in an emergency.

You will need some felt scraps, including black, red, and a color of your choice (whatever color you want for Krampus’ face). You may also want safety eyes, but that’s up to you.