Gloves and mittens are perfect projects for scraps of fabric, and they also make great handmade gifts in the colder months. Today I’m sharing 23 of the best paper and PDF sewing patterns I found, including 11 free patterns!
Contents list:
Fitted gloves:
“Jeanne” classic gloves with optional wrist ruffles
Buy now from Charm Patterns – £9.50 (the pattern is only available on the designer’s Patreon, which costs £9.50 per year)
- Sizes: Sizing details are provided upon becoming a Patreon member.
- Design: Classic gloves with optional color blocking or wrist ruffles. Wrist length.
- Fabric: Light to medium-weight knit fabrics. For example, cotton jersey, fleece backed jersey, French terry, and fleece. The gloves can also be sewn from a sheer, mesh fabric for a dressier look.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes.
- Instructions: Instructions are included with the download of the pattern and there is also a video tutorial available on the designer’s Patreon account.
- Suitable for beginners? No. Although the designer suggests that an advanced beginner could sew this pattern due to the clear instructions and tutorials included, I think some sewing experience would be an advantage here as there’s some fiddly sewing to do in seaming the fingers.
“V8311” gloves in eight styles
Buy now from Something Delightful – $5.99
- Sizes: S, M, L. 7”-9” (18 – 23 cm).
- Design: Unlined gloves with eight style variations. Button embellishments. Strap and buckle detail. Ruching. Contrast lined band. Contrast cuff. Contrast unlined band. Contrast lower ruffle.
- Fabric: Light to medium-weight knit fabrics with crosswise stretch, such as stretch microsuede, velour, jersey, stretch lace and stretch faux leather. Faux fur can be used for the trim.
- Format: Paper pattern with printed instructions.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think a beginner would struggle to sew this pattern without any previous experience sewing with knit fabrics. The gloves have narrow fingers to seam together, which will take a lot of accuracy and precision and it could be very difficult to do whilst using a stretchy, slippery fabric.
Gloves with faux fur trim detail
Download now from Sew-ing – FREE
- Sizes: One size. No exact measurements are given.
- Design: Classic unlined gloves with faux fur trim.
- Fabric: Light to medium-weight knit fabrics with 2-way stretch. For example, cotton or wool jersey, fleece, velour, or stretch suede.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes.
- Instructions: Photo instructions are included with the blog post but they are sparse and vague.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think a beginner would struggle to sew this pattern. The pattern, sizing, and instructions are all rather vague and the designer suggests that the pattern may need to be altered to fit your own hand. A beginner with little or no sewing experience could find this difficult to do.
Fleece gloves with wrist cuffs
Download now from So-sew-easy – FREE
- Sizes: S, M/L, XL.
- Design: Classic fleece gloves with wrist cuffs.
- Fabric: Lightweight polar fleece is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Measurements for cutting the finger sides are given in the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate to advanced sewist with some previous experience sewing with stretchy and thick fabrics. The additional panels on the fingers could be fiddly and tricky to sew for a beginner, especially when using a fleece fabric.
Mittens:
Mittens with elasticated cuff and blanket stitch finish
Buy now from LovelyandEnough on Etsy – $5
- Sizes: S, M, L.
- Design: Classic mittens with elasticated cuffs. Blanket stitch detail on the wrists.
- Fabric: Medium to heavyweight woven or knit fabrics such as fleece, wool, suede, or leather. Thrifted materials such as old blankets, quilts, or coats would also work well.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. I think a beginner with some garment sewing experience could enjoy sewing this pattern. The style of the mitten is simple and the reviews suggest that the pattern is a quick and easy sew with clear instructions to follow.
“Tova” mittens with ribbed cuff and optional lining
Buy now from The Last Stitch – $8
- Sizes: XS – L. 5 ¾” – 8 ¾” (20.5 – 22 cm).
- Design: Classic mittens. Elegant shaping. Ribbed cuff. Option to add a lining for extra warmth.
- Fabric: Medium-weight stable knits with at least 20% stretch. For example, sweater knits, felted wool knit, and fleece. Rib knit for the cuffs.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes.
- Instructions: Illustrated instructions are included with the download. There’s an additional blog post showing how to line the mittens here.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. An adventurous beginner with some garment sewing experience could enjoy sewing this pattern. The style of the mitten is simple and the lining can be left out to make the process easier. Some experience sewing with knit and stretch fabrics would be helpful.
“Condon [Bernie]” Mittens with four design options
Buy now from Ensemble Patterns – $8
- Sizes: S – L. 6 ½” – 7 ½” (17 – 19 cm).
- Design: Classic mittens with four style options. Options for wide cuffs, slim cuffs, wristband, and a patchwork design finish. Paneled design.
- Fabric: Medium-weight woven fabrics like tweed, denim, or canvas for the top of the mitten, and medium-weight knit fabrics like sweater knits or French terry for the palm and the thumb sections.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Illustrated instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist due to the way the mittens are lined and the fabrics that are recommended. A beginner could struggle with the difficulty of sewing in the thumb. A sturdy, non-stretch fabric could be used to make the sewing process easier.
“Coats & Clark” zippered mittens
Download now from Yarnspirations – FREE
- Sizes: No pattern pieces are provided, you draw the pattern by tracing your hand.
- Design: Cosy fleece mittens. Zip opening to convert them to fingerless mittens. Elasticated, raw hem.
- Fabric: Fleece is recommended by the designer. You can also use boiled wool or sherpa.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Illustrated instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist. Inserting the zipper could prove difficult for a complete beginner. The instructions are clear but no illustrations are provided so the process is open to interpretation and relies on some previous knowledge and experience.
Upcycled sweater mitten pattern
Download now from See Kate Sew – FREE
- Sizes: XS – XL. A kids’ version for ages 2-10 is also included in the blog post.
- Design: Upcycled, sweater mittens made from old knitwear. Ribbed cuff. No separate thumb pieces.
- Fabric: Old and unused sweaters, sweatshirts, and other knitwear and recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. I think this would be a great pattern for a beginner to try. The instructions are clear and illustrated, and the mittens are sewn flat so there’s no thumb to insert. Using old clothing is also a great way to practice and improve your sewing skills with minimal pressure.
“Big Toe” children’s and adults’ mittens with wrist cuffs
Buy now from Picolly – €5 (approx. $5)
- Sizes: Three kids’ sizes (3-5, 5-8, 9+) and one universal women’s size are included.
- Design: Classic mittens. Rounded top. Wrist cuffs. Option to use ribbed fabric or self-fabric for the cuffs.
- Fabric: Thick, knit fabrics are recommended, such as fleece, sweater knits, and stretch wools.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes, A0 copyshop size. Illustrated instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No. This pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist. Sewing with thick knits can be tricky, especially when inserting the thumb. A beginner with little or no sewing experience would struggle with the construction.
Women’s sweater mittens with contrast rib cuff
Buy now from Fox and Pine Stitches – $9
- Sizes: One size for women. Four different sizes (baby, children, women and men) can be purchased as a bundle here.
- Design: Classic mittens made out of old sweaters. Rounded top. Ribbed wrist cuffs. Optional color-blocked back panels.
- Fabric: Old sweaters, jumpers, and other knitwear are recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes, A0 copyshop size. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? I think this pattern could suit an advanced beginner with some experience sewing with knit fabrics. The mittens are a simple style but a complete beginner might struggle to set in the thumb and using stretch knits can be difficult to sew without previous experience.
Fleece gloves:
“Polar paws” fleece gloves and mittens
Buy now from The Green Pepper – $7
- Sizes:
- Children: S – XL. 5” – 6 ½” (12.5 – 16.5 cm).
- Adult: S – XL. 6 ½” – 8 ½” (16.5 – 21.5 cm).
- Design: Cozy fleece gloves and mittens. Elasticated storm cuffs.
- Fabric: Polar or micro fleece fabric with crosswise stretch is recommended. Stretch nylon or lycra is used for the storm cuffs.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes, A0 copyshop size. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist with experience in sewing with stretch fabrics. Sewing gloves with fingers can be tricky due to the small pattern pieces and tight areas to sew in thick fabrics.
Simple Felted Wool Mittens
Download now from Purl Soho – FREE
- Sizes: One size. Length: 10 ¼” (26 cm). Circumference: 7” (18 cm).
- Design: Simple felted wool mittens with color blocking. Long cuffs.
- Fabric: Felted wool is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. The gloves are unlined, which makes the sewing process easier. Some previous sewing experience would be helpful for the precise sewing needed around the thumb area, but boiled wool is a relatively easy fabric to work with.
Fleece mittens with faux fur lining
Download now from Hello Sewing – FREE
- Sizes: S, M, L.
- Design: Simple fleece mittens. Faux fur lining. Faux fur cuff. Separate thumb piece.
- Fabric: Micro or polar fleece is recommended. Faux fur is used for the lining.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. I think an adventurous beginner could have a go at this pattern. The style of the mitten is very simple but some precision sewing is needed around the thumb area. A complete beginner might find it difficult to sew with bulky fabric so some previous experience would be helpful.
Fingerless gloves:
Fingerless, fleece gloves with flip top
Buy now from tiedyediva on Etsy – $6.95
- Sizes: Circumference: 6” – 8.5” (15 – 21.5 cm).
- Design: Fingerless, fleece gloves. Optional flip top. Button closure. Elasticated cuff.
- Fabric: Micro or polar fleece is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. I think a beginner with some sewing experience could sew this pattern. Leave the flip top off to make the sewing process easier. Some previous sewing experience would be helpful for sewing around narrow areas such as the thumb.
Fingerless, felted wool wrist warmers with embroidery detail
Download now from Purl Soho – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Fingerless wrist warmers. Thumb hole. Optional embroidery detail.
- Fabric: Felted wool is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. The wrist warmer pattern is a very simple rectangular shape with minimal sewing and fitting involved. Felted wool is easy to work with as the seams don’t need to be finished making the sewing process even quicker. You can also leave the embroidered details out for a simpler project.
Fingerless mittens with flip top
Download now from Melly Sews – FREE
- Sizes: Three sizes: Kids, women, and men.
- Design: Fingerless gloves with flip top. Wide wrist cuffs.
- Fabric: Micro or polar fleece is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Instructions: A YouTube video showing how to make the mittens is available here.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. I think an advanced, adventurous beginner with some sewing experience could make these mittens. Some experience would be helpful for sewing in the thumb but otherwise, the mittens are a simple shape to sew. The instructional YouTube video is clear and helpful.
Fingerless gloves with decorative bow detail
Download now from Gina Renee Designs – FREE
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Fingerless gloves. Decorative bow detail on the wrist. Thumb hole.
- Fabric: Medium-weight, knit jerseys are recommended like cotton, rayon or bamboo jersey, wool jersey or light fleece.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? Yes. I think an advanced beginner with some experience sewing with knit fabrics could make these mittens. The mittens are fairly simple but do have some difficult steps to them such as sewing in the thumb and forming the bow decoration.
Scrap-busting fingerless gloves with geometric design
Download now from Patterns for Pirates – FREE
- Sizes: XS – L. Circumference: 6 ½” – 9” (16.5 – 23 cm).
- Design: Fingerless gloves sewn from small fabric scraps. Geometric design. Thumb hole.
- Fabric: Scraps of light to medium-weight knit fabrics are recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes.
- Instructions: Instructions are provided in a separate blog post here.
- Suitable for beginners? No. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist with some experience sewing with knit fabrics. Although the style of the gloves are simple, a complete beginner might struggle to sew all of the pieces required to form the geometric design of the gloves.
Long evening gloves (eg. lace, sequins)
“Hydrangea” elbow-length sequin opera gloves
Download now from Mood – FREE
- Sizes: Instructions for how to draft your own pattern are included in the blog post.
- Design: Elbow-length sequin opera gloves. Close-fitting, elegant style. Optional ostrich fringe trim.
- Fabric: Stretch sequin mesh fabric is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. Instructions are included in the blog post.
- Suitable for beginners? No. Sequin mesh fabric is extremely difficult to sew and very slippery. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist with experience in sewing delicate fabrics.
Elbow-length mesh gloves
Buy now from MaretaThreads on Etsy – $6.35
- Sizes: One size.
- Design: Elbow-length mesh gloves. Close-fitting, elegant style. Separate thumb piece.
- Fabric: Stretch mesh fabric is recommended.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes.
- Instructions: No written instructions are provided. A YouTube tutorial is available here.
- Suitable for beginners? No. Mesh fabric is extremely difficult to sew.. Reviews of the pattern also suggest that the instructions aren’t very easy to follow. I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate to advanced sewist who’s able to handle stretchy, slippery fabric with ease.
Ladies’ lace gloves in two lengths
Buy now from Sew Chic Patterns – $12.95 – 14.95
- Sizes: S, M, L. Circumference: 6 ½” – 8” (16.5 – 20 cm).
- Design: Vintage style, ladies’ lace gloves. Above the wrist or elbow length. Simple, elegant style.
- Fabric: Light to medium-weight wovens like lace, taffeta, gingham, silk and linen, or cotton. Knits with at least 25% 2 or 4-way stretch; lycra or spandex blends, stretch velvet, swimwear or performance fabrics, knit faux suede, and stretch lace.
- Format: PDF pattern in US letter and A4 print-at-home sizes. A paper version is also available at an additional cost. Instructions are included.
- Suitable for beginners? No. Lace fabric can be difficult to work with so I think this pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist with plenty of experience in working with delicate fabrics. You can choose a more stable woven fabric to make the process a little easier.
Leather gloves:
“B6398” gloves in six styles
Buy now from Something Delightful – $19.95
- Sizes: XS-S, M-L. Circumference: 6 ½” – 8” (16.5 – 20 cm).
- Design: Vintage style, ladies’ gloves. Six style options. Lace trim and side button opening. Lace trim and front button opening. Contrast lace sleeve with adjustable casing and front button placket. Cuffs with side button opening fringe or braid trim. Contrast lace overlays.
- Fabric: Kid Leather, stretch micro suede, stretch faux leather, or stretch velvet.
- Format: Paper pattern with printed instructions.
- Suitable for beginners? No. All of the gloves are involved sewing projects with difficult design details. This pattern would better suit an intermediate sewist with plenty of previous garment sewing experience including attaching buttons and linings.
Quick Q&A’s:
How much fabric do I need for gloves?
Depending on the style, gloves can be sewn from as little as a third of a yard of fabric or even scraps or thrifted sweaters / jumpers. For elbow (opera) length gloves, up to three yards could be required.
Are gloves easy to sew?
The simplest pair of gloves to sew would be rectangular wrist warmers like the ones here. Another simple style would be a pair of mittens with a flat shape such as the ones here. Opera-style sequined gloves are probably the most difficult style to sew due to the slippery and delicate nature of the fabric.
What to read next:
- How to Sew Wool Fabric from Start to Finish
- 34 Best Sewing Patterns & Projects for Wool Fabric
- 16 Sewing Patterns for Potholders & Oven Mitts
- DIY Double Oven Mitt: FREE Professional Pattern & Tutorial
- 14 Bucket Hat Sewing Patterns for Women, Men & Baby
This article was written by Sally Gauntlett, and edited by Nisan Aktürk.
Sally Gauntlett (author)
Sally started sewing as a child. In 2008, she started a handmade business selling personalized gifts and homeware. She then became a sewing content creator, sharing her makes on Youtube and Instagram. Read more…