Beanies For Bravery: Sending Hats to Service Members
🇺🇸 Beanie Collection Is Now Open!
We are accepting Beanies for Bravery through January 31, 2027.
Please send your finished beanies as soon as you can. The earlier they arrive, the more hats we can prepare and ship in time to reach U.S. service members before Christmas.
Beanies for Bravery
In 2011, after my oldest son joined the Army, I started a project called Beanies for Bravery as a way to send a little handmade comfort and a very big THANK YOU to U.S. service members stationed away from home.
Since then, people from all over the world have crocheted and knit beanies for this project. Each hat is paired with a handwritten thank-you note before being sent to a service member.
From 2011 through 2025, more than 21,000 service members have received hats through Beanies for Bravery. That is only possible because so many wonderful people are willing to make hats, write notes, help with shipping and share this project with others.
🇺🇸 Shipping Sponsors Needed
One of the biggest expenses for Beanies for Bravery is getting all of those handmade hats shipped to U.S. service members. We have found ways to package them more efficiently, but shipping is still a BIG expense.
To help cover those costs, I offer a special 10 Snappy Tots Patterns for $10 Shipping Sponsor Pack.
You don’t even have to choose your patterns right away. Save your code and use it when something comes along that you just have to make!
❤️ LEARN MORE & BECOME A SHIPPING SPONSORBeanies for Bravery is a Snappy Tots community project and is not a nonprofit organization. Shipping Sponsor Packs are product purchases and are not charitable donations.
Jump to What You Need
How Can You Help?
Crochet or knit a simple beanie that follows the size, color and style guidelines below.
Attach a short handwritten thank-you note for a service member to each beanie you send.
Become a Shipping Sponsor or help spread the word so we can get more beanies where they need to go.
⚠️ Please Read the Guidelines Carefully
The units receiving these hats have specific requirements. Beanies that are the wrong size, color or style cannot be included in these shipments. Please measure your hat and follow the guidelines below so your time, yarn and shipping expense result in a beanie we are able to send.
Crochet or Knit a Beanie
I have included both a simple crochet pattern and a simple knit pattern below. You are welcome to use either one, or use another basic beanie pattern you already enjoy as long as the finished hat follows the Beanies for Bravery guidelines.
Materials & Details
Yarn: Worsted-weight yarn in solid dark brown, black or tan. Yarn must be washable and comfortable.
Crochet Hook: I (5.5mm)
Miscellaneous: Yarn needle
Gauge: 4″ = 13 hdc and 10 rows
Finished Size: Hat needs to be 8½–10″ deep and 21–23″ in circumference.
Sample: The sample created from this pattern with the gauge provided is 8.5″ x 20.5″.
Note: These hats are provided to service members of all genders.
Crochet Directions
1. With I hook and worsted weight yarn, start with a magic circle of 8hdc (or preferred method for starting a circle of 8hdc sts). (8sts)
2. Work 2 hdc in each hdc around. (16 hdc)
3. Work (1 hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st) around. (24 hdc)
4. Work (1 hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around. (32 hdc)
5. Work (1 hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around. (40 hdc)
6. Work (1 hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around. (48 hdc)
7. Work (1 hdc in next 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around. (56 hdc)
8. Work (1 hdc in next 6 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around. (64 hdc)
9. Work 1 hdc in each st around until hat measures 8.5–10″ from top to current row.
On the last round of hdc, finish with hdc in next st, sc in next st, sl st in next st. This will make the next round even.
Ch 1. Work 1 sc in each stitch around.
Join with sl st into first ch-1 sp. Finish off and weave in ends.
Materials & Details
Yarn: Worsted-weight yarn in solid dark brown, black or tan. Yarn must be washable and comfortable.
Needles: Size 9 (4.5mm) x 12″ or 16″ circular needles and Size 9 double-pointed needles
Miscellaneous: Stitch marker and yarn needle
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rounds = 4 inches
Finished Size: Hat needs to be 8½–10″ deep and 21–23″ in circumference.
Sample: The sample created from this pattern with the gauge provided is 8.5″ x 20.5″.
Note: These hats are provided to service members of all genders.
Knit Directions
With worsted weight yarn and circular needles, cast on 72 stitches, place marker, and join to begin knitting in the round.
Knit 1, Purl 1 Rib for two inches.
Work in stockinette (knit every round) until piece measures 7 inches from cast-on edge or desired length if a longer or shorter hat is needed.
Decreasing
1. *knit 7, knit 2tog* repeat to end of round. (64sts)
2. *knit 6, knit 2tog* repeat to end of round. (56sts)
3. *knit 5, knit 2tog* repeat to end of round. (48sts)
4. *knit 4, knit 2tog* repeat to end of round. (40sts)
5. *knit 3, knit 2tog* repeat to end of round. (32sts)
6. *knit 2, knit 2tog* repeat to end of round. (24sts)
7. *knit 1, knit 2tog*, repeat to end of round. (16sts)
8. *knit 2tog*, repeat to end of round. (8sts)
9. Thread yarn through the remaining 8 sts and pull tight to close the top of the beanie. Weave in ends.
✉️ About the Thank-You Notes
A handwritten thank-you note is attached to every beanie before it is sent.
This is a wonderful way for children, families, schools, groups and people who do not crochet or knit to participate too. Keep notes simple and encouraging, and please do not include personal addresses or phone numbers.
Please Send Beanies & Notes Only
We are unable to include extra items such as food, toiletries or other supplies in these shipments. Please send only qualifying beanies and thank-you notes.
Who Receives the Beanies?
Beanies for Bravery hats are sent to U.S. service members stationed away from home, including members of different branches of the military.
For safety and privacy reasons, we cannot always publicly share exact locations or unit information.
Over the years, the project has sent handmade hats to thousands of service members, and I am incredibly grateful to every person who has helped make that possible.
📦 Shipping Information
Each participant is responsible for the cost of shipping their finished beanies to Snappy Tots. Once they arrive, we prepare, organize and package the hats for shipment to U.S. service members.
We are accepting beanies for the current season through January 31, 2027. Please send finished hats as early as possible so we can prepare and ship as many as we can in time to reach service members before Christmas.
Because postage costs have increased significantly, we work hard to package the beanies as efficiently as possible. Shipping Sponsors help us cover the remaining cost of getting these boxes where they need to go.
Questions about sending beanies? Email [email protected]
🇺🇸 Become a Shipping Sponsor
Get 10 Snappy Tots patterns for just $10. Your pattern code never expires and can be used for current or future releases. 100% of the purchase proceeds go toward Beanies for Bravery shipping expenses.
❤️ SHIPPING SPONSOR DETAILSThank You for Supporting Our Service Members
Whether you make one beanie or twenty, write thank-you notes, become a Shipping Sponsor or simply share this page with someone who might want to help, you are an important part of Beanies for Bravery.
Thank you for helping us send a little handmade love from home.
Do You Know a Service Member or Unit We Could Help?
If you know of U.S. service members who may be able to receive Beanies for Bravery hats, or if you have questions about the project, please contact me.
✉️ EMAIL HEIDIKeep in Touch With Snappy Tots
Follow along for Beanies for Bravery updates, crochet patterns, events and more.
Thank you for helping with Beanies for Bravery. ❤️
