Drawstring Bag – Free Crochet Pattern

Easy Crochet Drawstring Bag

Whether you’re looking for a gift bag, a handy pouch for organizing your home, or a small bag for travel essentials, this quick and easy Drawstring Bag Crochet Pattern is as practical as it is fun to crochet. Designed to be beginner-friendly and satisfying to make, it works up quickly with simple stitches and minimal yarn.

There are so many ways to use this handy little bag.

It makes a lovely reusable gift bag for candles, jewelry and soaps, and is just as perfect for holding birthday treats, holiday goodies and party favors. You can make a few in different colors to keep on hand for last-minute gifts or special occasions.

Around the home, this small drawstring bag is a great way to keep everyday items neatly contained. Use it to organize cables, sewing kits, buttons, dice, board game pieces, hair elastics, craft supplies and all those little odds and ends that need a place to live. It’s a simple solution for keeping things tidy while adding a handmade touch.

It’s also a wonderful travel companion. The bag is just the right size for packing medication, makeup, chargers and other small essentials so everything stays together and easy to find when you’re on the go.

This small crochet bag works up really quickly so you can make several in a short amount of time. Plus, it’s a great way to use up leftover yarn. With detailed, easy-to-follow instructions and a step-by-step video tutorial, it’s sure to become your go-to drawstring bag pattern that you’ll want to make again and again.

Use the Table of Contents below to jump to any section of the pattern or keep scrolling down to view all the details, the video tutorial and the written instructions.

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Pattern Details

Skill Level

Easy

Size

The pattern creates a bag that is approximately 7.5” high and has a base that is 4” across. Instructions for adjusting the size are included in the pattern in the “How to Adjust the Size” section.

Materials

Yarn: Any size 4 (medium) yarn. You will need approximately 80 yds for the bag and 10 yds for the drawstring cord. 

I used Soft Classic yarn by Loops & Threads. For the bag, I used the colors: “Cornflower,” “Sage,” and “Mauve.” For the drawstring cord, I used “Off White.” This yarn is size 4 (medium) and 100% acrylic. A skein is 354 yds / 324 m and 7 oz / 198 g. 

Crochet Hook Size: H/8 (5.00 mm).

Other Materials: Yarn needle, scissors, stitch markers and a measuring tape. 

Terminology

This pattern is written for right-handed crochet using standard US terminology. If you’re more familiar with UK terms, here’s my US to UK Conversion Chart. 

Abbreviations

• BLO = back loops only
• ch/chs = chain/chains
• ch-2 sp = chain-two space
• dc = double crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• RS = right side 
• sc = single crochet 
• sl st = slip stitch
• sk = skip
• sp/sps = space/spaces 
• st/sts = stitch/stitches
• WS = wrong side

Gauge

Exact sizing is not important. For reference, after Bag Base – Round 2, work should measure 2.25” across.  

Pattern Notes

• Chains never count as stitches.
• The slip stitch that joins the round never gets worked into or counted as a stitch. 
• You may find it helpful to place a stitch marker in the first stitch made in every round. 

How to Adjust the Size

To adjust the size of the base, make more or less rounds. Your final round of the base must have a total stitch count that is a multiple of 4 (meaning that the total number of hdc sts in the round can be evenly divided by 4, such as 60 sts, 80 sts, etc.).

To increase the size of the base, make additional rounds following these instructions for each round: 

Ch 1. Do not turn. In the first st, 2 hdc. 

Hdc in the next __ sts. 

*In the next st, make 2 hdc. Hdc in the next __ sts.*

Repeat from * to * around.

Sl st into the top of the first hdc of the round to join.

Fill in the blanks with the following number of sts: 

Round 5: Hdc in the next 3 sts (50 hdc sts total).
Round 6: Hdc in the next 4 sts (60 hdc sts total).
Round 7: Hdc in the next 5 sts (70 hdc sts total).
Round 8: Hdc in the next 6 sts (80 hdc sts total).

Ensure your final round has a multiple of 4 sts (ending after Round 6 or Round 8 will meet this requirement). Do not fasten off. Proceed to the “Sides” instructions.

To adjust the height of the bag, repeat Sides Round 3 more or less times. 

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Video Tutorial

Watch the step-by-step video tutorial below or keep scrolling down for the written instructions.

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Just a Reminder!

This pattern is also available as a PDF, which includes everything listed here but as a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF that you can instantly download, save, print, make notes on and keep forever.

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Pattern Instructions

Bag Base

Use the color you would like for the drawstring bag. 

Start: Make a Magic Circle.

Round 1 (RS): Ch 1. 

Make 10 hdc into the Magic Circle. 

Pull the Magic Circle tight to close. 

(10 hdc sts. Reminder: chs never count as sts.)

Sl st into the top of the first hdc of the round to join.

Round 2 (RS): Ch 1. Do not turn.

In the first st, make 2 hdc.

*In the next st, make 2 hdc.* 

Repeat from * to * around. 

Sl st into the top of the first hdc of the round to join. 

(20 hdc sts)

Round 3 (RS): Ch 1. Do not turn.

In the first st, make 2 hdc. In the next st, hdc. 

*In the next st, make 2 hdc. In the next st, hdc.*

Repeat from * to * around.

Sl st into the top of the first hdc of the round to join.

(30 hdc sts) 

Round 4 (RS): Ch 1. Do not turn.

In the first st, make 2 hdc. Hdc in the next 2 sts. 

*In the next st, make 2 hdc. Hdc in the next 2 sts.*

Repeat from * to * around.

Sl st into the top of the first hdc of the round to join.

(40 hdc sts). Exact sizing is not important. For reference, after Round 4, my work measured 4” across. 

Do not fasten off. Proceed to the “Sides” instructions. 

Bag Sides

Sides Round 1 (RS): Ch 1. Do not turn. 

Next, you’ll be working into the back loops only (BLO), which are the loops furthest away from you. 

In the BLO of the first st, sc. 

*In the BLO of the next st, sc.* 

Repeat from * to * around. 

Sl st into both loops of the top of the first sc of the round. (Work into both loops from now on). 

(40 sc sts) 

Note: As you work on the sides, you will notice that the RS (the top) of the base you just completed will be facing down and will be on the outside bottom of the bag. 

Sides Round 2 (RS): Ch 1. Do not turn. 

In the first st, sc. 

Ch 2. In the next st, make 2 dc. 

Sk the next 2 sts.

*In the next st, sc.

Ch 2. In the next st, make 2 dc.

Sk the next 2 sts.*

Repeat from * to * around.

Sl st into the top of the first sc of the round to join. 

(10 sc sts + 20 dc sts = 30 sts and 10 ch-2 sps)

Every time you chained 2, you created a “ch-2 sp” that you will work into from now on. This ch-2 sp is between the sc and 2 dc sts. 

From now on, you will turn at the start of each round. On WS rounds, the inside of the bag will be facing you. On RS rounds, the outside of the bag will be facing you.

Reminder: you may find it helpful to place a stitch marker in the top of the first st made in every round. 

Sides Round 3 (WS): Ch 1 and turn.

For the rest of the round (until joining), only work into ch-2 sps, not into tops of sts. 

In the first ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, 2 dc).

*In the next ch-2 sp, (sc, ch-2, 2 dc).*

Repeat from * to * around. 

Sl st into the top of the first sc of the round to join. 

(10 sc sts + 20 dc sts = 30 sts and 10 ch-2 sps)

Sides Rounds 4 – 14: Repeat Sides Round 3.

After Sides Round 14, my work measured 7.5” high.

To adjust the height, repeat Sides Round 3 more or less times. End after completing a RS round. 

Fasten off and weave in all loose ends. 

Cord

Use the color you would like for the cord.

The instructions below make a cord that is approximately 16” long (after completing Row 1). To adjust the length of the cord, make more or less starting chs (any number). 

Start: Ch 61. 

For Row 1, work into the back ridge loops. 

Row 1: In the second ch from the hook, sc.

Sc in each ch across.

(60 sc sts) 

It’s normal for your work to curl. 

Fasten off and weave in all loose ends. 

Add the cord to the bag:

Weave cord in and out of the bag in the ch-2 sps of the fourth last round. 

And now you have a new drawstring bag!

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