Crochet Mouse Ears Hair Clip Pattern (Free + Fridge Magnet Version)

Some crochet projects take a weekend. This one takes about as long as a cartoon episode.

It is a tiny mouse head with two round ears and a little black bow, sitting on a snap clip that is wrapped in yarn. Kids go wild for it. So do grown adults on their way to a theme park.

I commissioned this design from the crocheter I work with, tested the step photos, and I am sharing the full pattern free. The same mouse head also turns into a fridge magnet, and that version is further down.

Quick Info

Detail	What to Expect
Skill level	Easy (you need the magic ring and half double crochet)
Makes	One mouse head about 4 to 5 cm (roughly 2 inches) wide, on a covered snap clip
Time	About 20 to 30 minutes per clip, plus glue drying time
Stitches used	MR, ch, sc, hdc, inc, dc, sl st
Finishes	Hair clip or fridge magnet
Yarn	4-ply milk cotton, a few meters each of red and black

Everything here is worked flat. The head is two rounds, each ear is one round, and the bow is a single round in a magic ring.

There is no stuffing and no sewing pieces together. Glue does all the joining, which is exactly why it is so quick.

What Makes This Mouse Clip Different

Most crochet mouse ears patterns you will find are for a headband or a hat. They are great, but they are a bigger make and they are very much a costume.

This one is small enough to wear on a normal Tuesday. It clips into a fringe, a half-up style or a kid’s pigtail, and it still reads as “mouse ears” from across the room.

The other nice touch is the clip itself. Instead of showing bare metal, the crocheter covers the snap clip in yarn, so the whole thing looks finished from every side.

Materials

• 4-ply milk cotton yarn in red and black
• 2.5 mm crochet hook
• Black felt (a scrap about 6 cm square is plenty)
• One metal snap clip (the teardrop-shaped kind that clicks shut) for the hair clip version, or one small disc magnet for the magnet version
• Fabric glue or B-7000 glue
• Yarn needle
• Scissors

Milk cotton is a good match for a tiny flat piece like this. It keeps a clean round edge and does not fuzz up after a few weeks in your hair.

The felt looks like an extra, but it matters. It hides the back of the crochet and gives the glue a flat surface to grip the clip.

Abbreviations

• MR = magic ring
• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• inc = increase (2 hdc in the same stitch)
• dc = double crochet
• sl st = slip stitch
• [24] = stitch count at the end of the round

This pattern uses US crochet terms.

Part 1: Crochet the Head, Ears and Bow

You make four small pieces: one big circle for the head, two small circles for the ears, and one tiny bow.

The Round Base (Head)

Use red yarn.

• R1: 12 hdc in MR. [12]
• R2: inc in every stitch around. [24]

Fasten off, cut the yarn, and hide the tail.

Tip: Start the magic ring with a chain. Hdc is taller than sc, so most crocheters chain 2 first and do not count it as a stitch. Then work all 12 hdc into the ring.

Tip: Pull the ring shut hard. A loose magic ring leaves a hole right in the middle of the mouse’s face. Tug the tail until the 12 stitches bunch up tight.

Tip: A sl st join keeps it round. Spiraling hdc can nudge a small circle into an egg shape. Slip stitching into the first hdc at the end of Round 1, then chaining up for Round 2, keeps the head a neat circle.

The Ear Bases (Make 2)

Use red yarn.

• R1: 12 hdc in MR. [12]

Fasten off, cut the yarn, and hide the tail. Make a second ear the same way.

Tip: Leave the ear tails a bit long. You will not sew with them, but a longer tail is easier to weave into the back where the felt will cover it.

Tip: Match the two ears. Pull both magic rings to the same tightness. If one ring is looser, that ear comes out bigger, and a lopsided mouse is surprisingly easy to spot.

The Mini Bow

Use black yarn.

• R1: (ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) 2 times in MR.

Fasten off, cut the yarn, and hide the tail. Pull the magic ring tight and the two loops pinch into a bow shape by themselves.

Tip: The ring is the knot. There is no wrapping or cinching step here. The tighter you close the magic ring, the more the middle of the bow pinches in, so pull it firmly.

If you like this little bow, it is a mini cousin of the bows in my crochet mini bow pattern, which makes three bows in different sizes.

Part 2: Assemble the Mouse Head

1. Lay the head face down.
2. Glue the two ears to the back of the head, one on each upper side, so about half of each ear peeks out over the top.
3. Turn it over and glue the bow on the front, centered between the two ears.

Look at it from the front before the glue sets. You still have a few seconds to nudge the ears so they sit evenly.

Tip: Use a thin line of glue. Too much glue soaks through cotton and leaves a stiff shiny patch on the front. A small dot where each ear overlaps the head is enough.

Tip: Check the angle. Ears pointing straight up look like a bear. Ears tilted slightly outward, at about ten and two on a clock, look like a mouse.

Part 3: Back It With Felt

1. Glue the finished mouse head face up onto your square of black felt.
2. Let the glue grab for a few minutes.
3. Trim the felt close around the head and ears.

The felt covers the tails and the glue spots from the ear joins. It also stops the head from stretching when you clip it into hair.

Tip: Trim after the glue grabs, not before. Cutting the felt to the mouse shape first is a guessing game. Glue it to a square, let it hold, then cut around it.

Tip: Cut just inside the edge. Trim a hair inside the crochet outline so no black felt shows from the front. It matters less on the black version, but on the red one you will see it.

Part 4: Cover the Snap Clip and Attach the Head

This is the step that makes the clip look store bought.

1. Open the snap clip so it lies flat.
2. Attach black yarn to the clip frame and work sc all the way around the open gap in the middle of the clip.
3. Fasten off, cut the yarn, and hide the tail.
4. Glue the felt-backed mouse head onto the wide end of the covered clip.
5. Let the glue dry completely before you wear it.

Tip: Work the sc over the metal, not into anything. There are no stitches to go into. You simply wrap each sc around the edge of the clip frame, the same way you would crochet over a plastic ring.

Tip: Pack the stitches close. Push each sc up against the last one so no metal peeks through. It takes a few more stitches than you think.

Tip: Keep the snap working. Only cover the frame. Leave the springy tongue of the clip free, and check that it still clicks open and shut before you glue the head on.

Tip: Give it a full day. B-7000 feels dry in about 10 minutes but takes around 24 to 48 hours to fully cure. A clip worn the same afternoon can pop off.

Two Colorways: Red Head or Black Head

The crocheter made this clip as a pair, and I love the pair more than either clip on its own.

• Red mouse: red head and ears, black bow, black-covered clip.
• Black mouse: black head and ears, red bow, red-covered clip.

It is the same pattern with the two colors swapped. The contrast between the clip and the head is what makes each one pop.

Here are a few more combinations that work with this exact pattern:

Head and ears	Bow	Clip cover	Looks like
Red	Black	Black	The one in these photos
Black	Red	Red	The matching pair
Black	Pink	Pink	A sweet pink-bow mouse
Pink	White	White	Soft pastel for little ones
Gray	Pink	Pink	A storybook mouse
Gold or glitter yarn	Black	Black	A party or birthday version

Heading to a Disney park? A black head with a red bow is the closest to the classic Minnie look. For a Mickey-style clip, make the head and ears in black and skip the bow.

Fridge Magnet Version

The fridge magnet is the exact same mouse head. The only change is what goes on the back.

1. Crochet the head, ears and bow, and assemble them as above.
2. Back the head with black felt and trim it.
3. Glue a small disc magnet to the center of the felt.
4. Let the glue dry completely before it goes on the fridge.

It is a sweet way to hold up a photo, a school drawing, or the trip countdown on the fridge. A set of three in different colors makes a cute little gift.

Tip: Center the magnet. An off-center magnet lets the head tilt and slowly slide down the door. Put it right behind the middle of the face.

Tip: Use a strong small magnet. A 10 to 12 mm neodymium disc hides behind this head and holds a sheet of paper. Weak craft magnets struggle once the felt and yarn add thickness.

Tip: Keep magnets away from little kids. Small strong magnets are a serious swallowing hazard. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that swallowed magnets can pull together inside the gut and cause severe injury. Hang these high, or skip the magnet in homes with toddlers.

If you like making tiny flat fridge magnets, my crochet daisy pattern uses the same felt-and-magnet finish on a flower.

Tips for Success

• Batch them. Crochet all the heads, ears and bows in one sitting, then do the felt and gluing together. Five clips go much faster that way than one at a time.
• Yarn swaps. Any 4-ply cotton works with a 2.5 mm hook. DK cotton with a 3 mm hook gives a slightly bigger head, which suits a claw clip or a headband better.
• Flatten curling pieces. If the head cups or the ears curl, hover a steam iron over them for a few seconds and press flat with your hand while they cool. Do it before the felt goes on.
• Hide every tail. Once the felt is on, you cannot get back to the tails. Weave them into the back of the head where the felt will cover them.
• Sew instead of glue for kids’ clips. Clips on small kids get pulled and chewed. A few stitches of matching thread through the felt and around the clip frame hold much better than glue alone.

A Quick Note on Selling These

This is a fan-made, mouse-inspired design. It is not an official Disney product and is not affiliated with Disney.

Making one for yourself, your kids or a friend is what most people do with it. If you plan to sell character-style pieces, look up the rules where you sell, because big character brands do protect their designs. A plain “mouse ears” listing in your own colors is the safer route.

FAQ

Is this crochet mouse ears pattern good for beginners?

Yes, if you can make a magic ring and a half double crochet. The head is only two rounds, so it is a great first project with hdc.

How big is the finished mouse head?

About 4 to 5 cm wide including the ears, in 4-ply milk cotton with a 2.5 mm hook. It sits nicely on a standard 5 cm snap clip.

Can I use an alligator clip or a barrette instead of a snap clip?

Yes. Skip the crochet cover and glue the felt-backed head straight to the top arm of an alligator clip or the flat bar of a barrette. Keep glue off the hinge so the clip still opens.

Can I make crochet mouse ears for a headband with this pattern?

You can. Make the two ear circles bigger by adding a second round (inc in every stitch, 24 stitches), then glue or sew them to a plain headband with the bow in the middle. For a full head of ears, skip the round head piece.

What glue works best for a crochet hair clip?

A flexible craft glue like B-7000 or a thick fabric glue works well. Hot glue holds too, but it can pop off metal over time as it gets cold and brittle.

Are crochet hair clips safe for babies?

Small hair clips are a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. Use them only on kids old enough not to pull them out and put them in their mouth, and always sew the head on for young children.

Can I turn the mouse head into a keychain?

Yes. Sew a jump ring through the top of the head, between the ears, and add a keyring. My roundup of crochet keychain ideas has more small pieces that work the same way.

Make One and Show Me

If you make this mouse clip, I would love to see it. Save the pattern to your crochet board on Pinterest so it is there the next time you need a quick gift or a trip accessory.

Want another hair accessory that takes under an hour? The crochet bow hair clip is a lovely match. For more small makes to give away, browse my crochet gift ideas.