Soft Crochet Kwanzaa Kinara Free Kwanzaa Pattern

Celebrating Kwanzaa with children is a wonderful tradition, and this soft crochet kinara lets little ones safely place and count their own candles. With a firm, sturdy brown base holding seven distinct candles—three red, three green, and a central black candle—this toy brings warmth and meaning to holiday storytelling. There’s nothing hot and nothing sharp at all, making it entirely toddler-friendly.

Soft Crochet Kwanzaa Kinara Free Kwanzaa Pattern

Quick Facts

• Skill level: Intermediate
• Finished size: Base is 10 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1.5 inches high; candles are 3.5 inches tall.
• Yarn: Worsted-weight acrylic yarn in Dark Brown, Black, Red, Green, and Yellow.
• Hook: US E/4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook.
• Stitches used: Chain (ch), single crochet (sc), increase (inc), invisible decrease (inv-dec), slip stitch (sl st), back loop only (BLO).
• Time to make: Approximately 6 to 8 hours.

Size customization tips are included further down in this guide.

What Makes This Soft Kinara Special

This pattern is built using amigurumi construction techniques in continuous spiral rounds to give the candles a smooth, solid shape without visible seams. The base uses firm single crochet stitches worked in rows and joined around a structured shape to hold its form securely. The flames are worked directly onto the top of each candle with bright yellow yarn, creating a seamless, child-safe toy that stands up to play.

Skill Level

• Working in continuous spiral rounds and flat rows
• Changing colors cleanly in amigurumi
• Stuffing firm pieces evenly without distortion
• Basic surface finishing and weaving in ends

💡 Designer Tip: If you are making this toy for a toddler under three years old, embroider any facial features or details rather than using plastic safety eyes or small parts.

Finished Measurements

• Kinara Base Length: 10 inches / 25.4 cm
• Kinara Base Width: 2 inches / 5.1 cm
• Kinara Base Height: 1.5 inches / 3.8 cm
• Individual Candle Height: 3.5 inches / 8.9 cm
• Individual Candle Diameter: 0.75 inches / 1.9 cm

Materials You Will Need

Material	Color	Details	Quantity
Worsted Yarn	Dark Brown	Base	80 yards / 73 meters
Worsted Yarn	Black	Central Candle	15 yards / 14 meters
Worsted Yarn	Red	Outer Candles (3)	45 yards / 41 meters
Worsted Yarn	Green	Outer Candles (3)	45 yards / 41 meters
Worsted Yarn	Yellow	Flames (7)	20 yards / 18 meters
Crochet Hook	–	Size US E/4 (3.5 mm)	1 hook
Notions	–	Polyester fiberfill stuffing	2 oz / 60 g
Notions	–	Yarn needle, stitch markers, scissors	As needed

Yarn Suggestions

Brand	Line	Skein Yardage	Notes
Lion Brand	Superwash Merino	186 yards	Smooth texture, excellent stitch definition for toys.
Red Heart	Super Saver	236 yards	Durable, easy to wash, vibrant holiday colors.
Caron	Simply Soft	315 yards	Soft hand-feel with a slight sheen.

⚠️ Note: Avoid novelty yarns such as boucle, mohair, or eyelash yarn for this project, as they obscure stitch definition and make amigurumi shaping difficult to see.

Gauge

• Single Crochet: 20 sts and 22 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm using a 3.5 mm hook.
• Flat Circle Start: Rounds 1 to 6 of the candle base measure approximately 0.75 inches across.

Abbreviations

• beg: beginning
• BLO: back loop only
• ch: chain
• dec: decrease (work 2 sc together)
• inc: increase (work 2 sc in the same st)
• rep: repeat
• rnd(s): round(s)
• row(s): row(s)
• sc: single crochet
• sl st: slip stitch
• st(s): stitch(es)
• inv-dec: invisible single crochet decrease

UK terms conversion: UK sc = US dc, UK hdc = US tr, UK dc = US dtr. (This pattern uses standard US terminology).

Special Stitches Explained

1. Magic Ring: Wrap yarn around your index finger twice to form a ring, insert hook into the ring, pull up a loop, ch 1, and work the required number of sc into the ring. Pull the tail to close.
2. Invisible Decrease (inv-dec): Insert hook into the front loop only of the next stitch, then front loop only of the following stitch. Yarn over, pull through both loops, yarn over, and pull through remaining two loops.

Pattern Instructions

Section 1: Kinara Base (Dark Brown, make 1)

The base is worked in flat rows to create a solid rectangular block with indented slots for the candles.

Row 1: Ch 52, working in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across, turn. (51 sc)
Rows 2 to 8: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (51 sc)
Row 9: Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, ch 3, sk 3 sts, [sc in next 4 sts, ch 3, sk 3 sts] rep 6 times, sc in last 5 sts, turn. (33 sc, 7 ch-3 spaces)
Rows 10 to 14: Ch 1, sc in each st and work 3 sc around each ch-3 space across, turn. (51 sc)
Rows 15 to 22: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (51 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail of 24 inches for sewing the base together around a firm cardboard insert or tightly packed fiberfill.

✅ Checkpoint: Ensure your base has 7 evenly spaced openings along the top ridge before proceeding to sew the box closed.

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Section 2: Central Candle (Black, make 1)

Worked from the bottom up in continuous spiral rounds. Stuff firmly as you go.

Rnd 1: Start 6 sc in a magic ring. (6 sc)
Rnd 2: [Inc] x 6. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: Working in BLO, [1 sc, inc] x 6. (18 sc)
Rnds 4 to 18: Sc in each st around. (18 sc)
Change to Yellow yarn.
Rnd 19: [1 sc, inv-dec] x 6. (12 sc)
Rnd 20: [Inv-dec] x 6. (6 sc)
Fasten off, weave tail through remaining stitches, pull tight to close.

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Section 3: Outer Candles (Red, make 3, and Green, make 3)

Worked from the bottom up in continuous spiral rounds. Make 3 in Red and 3 in Green.

Rnd 1: Start 6 sc in a magic ring using chosen color (Red or Green). (6 sc)
Rnd 2: [Inc] x 6. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: Working in BLO, [1 sc, inc] x 6. (18 sc)
Rnds 4 to 18: Sc in each st around. (18 sc)
Change to Yellow yarn.
Rnd 19: [1 sc, inv-dec] x 6. (12 sc)
Rnd 20: [Inv-dec] x 6. (6 sc)
Fasten off, weave tail through remaining stitches, pull tight to close.

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Assembly

1. Kinara Base Assembly: Fold the base piece into a rectangular box shape, inserting a firm piece of cardboard cut to size inside to maintain rigidity, or pack tightly with fiberfill before slip stitching the final edges closed.
2. Candle Placement: Arrange the candles in the slots on top of the base in the traditional Kwanzaa color order: place the single black candle in the exact center slot, the three red candles to the left of the black candle, and the three green candles to the right of the black candle.
3. Securing Candles: Whipstitch the base of each candle securely into its designated slot using matching yarn tails.

Finishing

Weave in all remaining loose yarn ends securely inside the pieces. Trim excess yarn. Ensure no sharp points or loose loops remain.

Size Customization Tips

• To make a larger kinara, increase the initial chain length of the base by multiples of 6 stitches to accommodate wider candle spacing.
• Adjust candle height by adding or subtracting rounds from Rnds 4 to 18 on each candle tube.

Care Instructions

Spot clean gently with a damp cloth and mild soap. Do not submerge completely in water if cardboard is used inside the base. Air dry flat.

FAQ

Can I use cotton yarn instead of acrylic?

Yes! Cotton yarn gives a cleaner, more defined stitch texture, though it will feel slightly firmer and less stretchy than acrylic.

How do I make the candles stand up straight?

Inserting a small wooden dowel or a rolled piece of thick cardstock inside each candle before closing the top will keep them completely upright and rigid.

Are safety eyes safe for baby toys?

For children under three years old, it is always safest to embroider all facial features or avoid plastic safety parts entirely to prevent any choking hazards.

Happy Crocheting!

I hope you enjoy bringing this meaningful holiday decoration to life for your family celebrations. Be sure to save this pattern pin on Pinterest and leave a comment below sharing what colors you used for your kinara!