Sleepy Gingerbread Man SVG

About this design

It is late on Christmas Eve, and this gingerbread man is heading to bed. He wears a long, floppy nightcap that droops down behind his head and ends in a round pom-pom. His eyes are closed in a sleepy, contented smile, three buttons run down his chest, and he carries a little candle in a holder in one hand, lighting his way upstairs.

The design is two pieces, the gingerbread man and the small candle flame, with four cut-outs for the smile and buttons. The shapes are bold and simple, so it passes our cut checks from just 1.5 inches tall.

Color layers

• Backing in cream, which becomes the smile and buttons
• Design in gingerbread brown, including the nightcap

Bedtime projects

• Christmas Eve pajamas for kids.
• Christmas Eve box labels.
• Pillowcases with “Sweet dreams” underneath.
• Bedtime story bags for a holiday book.
• Night-light covers in vellum.
• Ornaments for a child’s room.
• Slumber party invitations.

Size and cutting tips

It cuts cleanly from about 1.5 inches tall. The candle flame is a tiny separate piece, so keep it on the transfer tape. For pajama tops, 6 to 8 inches tall. For a pillowcase, 8 to 10 inches.

Step by step: Christmas Eve pillowcase

1. Set the design to 8 inches tall and download the solid style.
2. Add “Sweet dreams” or “Waiting for Santa” in a soft script font in your software.
3. Mirror and cut both from iron-on vinyl.
4. Press the gingerbread man near one end of the pillowcase and the text beside him.
5. Wash inside out on a cool setting.

Color ideas

• Brown with a red nightcap, cut as a second color
• Brown with a blue nightcap for a starry night theme
• White on a navy pillowcase
• Gold glitter for a sparkly keepsake

Good to know

The nightcap is part of the same piece as the head, so the solid style cuts as one main shape. To color it separately, cut a second copy of the design in red or blue and weed away everything except the cap, then layer it on top. The tiny flame looks lovely in yellow or gold.

Variations to try

• Mirror it in the editor so he walks the other way.
• Add the editor’s offset border for a die-cut sticker.

Pairs well with

The Gingerbread Baby is already asleep, and the Gingerbread Man and Milk is the bedtime snack.