Handmade Crochet Gift Bag Tutorial

Create a charming handmade gift bag with a crochet pattern that will surely steal anyone's heart. This unique and thoughtful gift idea allows you to personalize the bag with different colors and designs, making it a special present for your loved ones. The intricate crochet work adds a touch of elegance and creativity to the bag, making it a perfect way to show someone you care.

Required Supplies

The following materials will be needed to create your handmade crochet gift bag:

• RED HEART® Soft®: 1 ball each 5142 Cherry Red A and 4601 Off White B
• Susan Bates® Crochet Hooks: 5mm [H-8 US] and 5.5mm [I-9 US]
• Yarn needle

Gauge

4 sts = 1″ (2.5 cm); 5 rows = 1″ (2.5 cm) in single crochet with larger hook. CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

Gift bag measures 6” long x 5½” wide (15 x 14 cm), not including handles.

Special Technique

Adjustable-Ring Method

Wrap yarn into a ring, ensuring that the tail falls behind the working yarn. Grip the ring and tail firmly between your middle finger and thumb. Insert hook through the center of the ring, yarn over (with working yarn), and draw up a loop. Work stitches of the first round in the ring. After the first round of stitches is worked, pull gently, but firmly, on the tail to tighten the ring.

Notes

• Bag is made of 3 hearts sewn together with a gusset side and sewn-on handles.
• Hearts are worked in 2 separate sections: a mitered square and first lobe, then the 2nd lobe and edging.
• Smaller hook is used only for handles to create a stronger fabric.

Bag

Large Hearts (Make 2)

Mitered Square: With larger hook and A, make an adjustable ring.

Row 1 (Right Side)

Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ring, turn—2 sc and 1 ch-2 space.

Row 2

Ch 1, sc in first st, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 space, sc in last st, turn—4 sc and 1 ch-2 space.

Rows 3–14

Ch 1, sc in each st to ch-2 space, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 space, sc in remaining sts, turn—28 sc and 1 ch-2 space. Place a marker in ch-2 space of Row 14.

First Lobe

Row 15

Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, skip next 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in last 4 sts, sc in ch-2 space, turn—5 dc and 10 sc.

Row 16

Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, skip next 2 sts, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, 3 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, skip next 2 sts, sc in last 3 sts, turn—9 dc and 6 sc.

Row 17

Skip first 3 sts, [2 dc in next st, dc in next st] twice, 3 dc in next st, [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] twice, skip next 2 sts, slip st in last st—15 dc. Fasten off.

Second Lobe

With the right side facing and larger hook, join A with a slip st in ch-2 space.

Row 1 (Right Side)

Ch 1, sc in ch-2 space, sc in next 4 sts, skip next 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in last 5 sts, turn—5 dc and 10 sc.

Rows 2 and 3

Repeat Rows 16 and 17 of the first lobe. Do not fasten off.

Edging

Round 4

Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 3 sts, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts] 2 times, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, sc in last st of Row 16 of second lobe, ch 1, slip st in marked ch-2 space, ch 1, sc in first st of Row 16 of first lobe, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, [sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] 3 times; *sc in ends of next 16 rows,* (sc, ch 2, sc) in beginning ring; repeat from * to * once; join with a slip st in first st—74 sc and 1 ch-2 space. Fasten off.

Lace Heart

Mitered Square

Work same as Rows 1–10 of large heart—20 sc and 1 ch-2 space. Place marker in ch-2 space of Row 10.

First Lobe

Row 11

Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, skip next 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in last 2 sts, sc in ch-2 space, turn—5 dc and 6 sc.

Row 12

Skip first 3 sts, 2 dc in next 2 sts, 3 dc in next st, 2 dc in next 2 sts, skip 2 sts, slip st in next st—11 dc and 1 slip st. Fasten off.

Second Lobe

With the right side facing and larger hook, join A with slip st in ch-2 space.

Row 1 (Right Side)

Ch 1, sc in ch-2 space, sc in next 2 sts, skip next 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in last 3 sts, turn—5 dc and 6 sc.

Row 2

Repeat Row 12 from first lobe of lace heart—11 dc.

Edging

With right side facing, join B with slip st in marked ch-2 space.

Row 1

Ch 1, sc in first st of Row 11 of second lobe, *[2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts] 3 times, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st;* sc in ends of next 11 rows, (sc, ch 2, sc) in beginning ring, sc in ends of next 11 rows, sc in next st; repeat from * to * once, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st of Row 11 of the first lobe, turn—56 sc and 1 ch-2 space.

Row 2

Ch 3, sc in next st, *[ch 3, skip next st, sc in next st] 13 times, ch 3,* skip ch-2 space, sc in next st; repeat from * to * once, slip st in last st, turn—28 sc and 28 ch-3 spaces.

Row 3

Ch 1, slip st in first ch-3 space, [ch 3, skip next sc, sc in next ch-3 space] 14 times, ch 3, sc in same ch-3 space as just worked, [ch 3, skip next sc, sc in next ch-3 space] 13 times, ch 3, slip st in last ch-3 space—28 sc and 29 ch-3 spaces. Fasten off.

Side Gusset

With larger hook and A, ch 52.

Row 1 (Right Side)

Working in back bars, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn—51 sc.

Rows 2–4

Ch 1, sc in each st, turn.

Round 5

Ch 1, sc in each st, ch 2; working in spaces between rows, sc 4 sts evenly across to Row 1, ch 2; working in the opposite side of Row 1, sc in each ch, ch 2; working in spaces between rows, sc 4 sts evenly across to Row 5; join with slip st in first sc—110 sc and 4 ch-2 spaces. Fasten off. Place markers on center sts of each long edge.

Handles (Make 2)

With smaller hook and B, leaving an 8” (20.5 cm) tail, ch 41.

Row 1

Slip st in 2nd ch from hook and each ch, turn—40 slip sts.

Row 2

Ch 1, slip st in each st. Fasten off, leaving an 8” (20.5 cm) tail.

Finishing

With the right side facing, place the lace heart on top of the right side of the large heart. With B, sew through both lower edges, leaving 18 stitches open across the top to create a pocket.

With wrong sides together, align one marked stitch on the gusset with the point of the large heart. With A and overcast stitching, sew through both edges to create a raised seam on the right side of the bag. Repeat to attach the 2nd heart to the gusset.

Using the photograph as a guide for placement, sew the ends of the handles to the wrong side of the large hearts.

Weave in ends.

Abbreviations

A, B = Color A, Color B; ch = chain; dc = double crochet; sc = single crochet; sp(s) = space(s); st(s) = stitch(es); ( ) = work directions in parentheses into the same st; [ ] = work directions in brackets the number of times specified; * = repeat whatever follows the * as indicated.