Free crochet bag patterns: market tote, drawstring pouch & crossbody

If you've been googling "free crochet bag patterns" and landing on the same three tired designs, this post is for you. Here are three original bag patterns — a roomy terracotta market tote, a sage drawstring pouch, and a cream crossbody with a wooden button — designed from scratch for this site, with stitch counts you can trust and zero sewing-machine skills required. Each one is beginner-friendly, works up in cotton yarn that holds its shape, and finishes into a bag you'd genuinely carry.

Why these three bags?

Most free bag patterns online are either a plain rectangle folded in half (boring) or a lace doily glued onto a purse frame (not actually a bag). I designed these three to cover the bags you reach for every day: the tote that swallows a farmers-market haul, the little pouch that corrals earbuds and lip balm, and the crossbody that keeps your phone and wallet close on a day out. All three use only basic stitches — single crochet, double crochet, chains, and slip stitches — arranged with honest, checkable math. Count your stitches at the end of every round, and each bag will come out exactly the size promised.

A quick note on yarn: bags need structure, so use cotton or a cotton blend, not soft acrylic. Acrylic stretches under weight and your tote will grow a foot longer by August. Worsted-weight (#4) cotton with a 5.0 mm hook is the sweet spot for all three patterns below.

Bag 1: Terracotta market tote

The workhorse. A sturdy solid base, an airy chain-mesh body that stretches to fit a baguette or a bunch of kale, and two comfortable handles. This is the bag that will make strangers stop you at the farmers market.

Materials

• Worsted-weight (#4) cotton yarn in terracotta, about 180 g (roughly 350 m / 380 yd)
• 5.0 mm crochet hook
• Stitch markers, tapestry needle, scissors

Size & gauge

• Finished size: about 28 cm (11 in) wide × 33 cm (13 in) tall, not counting handles. The mesh stretches with use — that's normal.
• Gauge: 14 sc × 16 rows = 10 cm (4 in). Gauge isn't fussy here; if your tote comes out a little bigger or smaller, it still works perfectly.
• Skill level: advanced beginner. You should know how to chain, single crochet, double crochet, and work in the round.

Abbreviations — US terms

Pattern

Base panel (worked flat):

• Ch 41. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (40).
• Rows 2–8: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (40). Do not fasten off.

Sides (worked in the round around the panel):

• R1: rotate the panel and work sc evenly around all four edges: 40 sc along the first long edge, 7 sc along the first short end (one in each row end), 40 sc along the second long edge, 7 sc along the second short end. Place a marker in the first st (94).
• Rounds 2–5: sc in each st around (94).
• R6: [45 sc, sc2tog] × 2 (92). This slight decrease squares the corners so the mesh sits evenly.

Mesh body:

• R7: ch 1, sc in first st, ch 5, sk 3 sts, sc in next st; rep from * around (23 ch-5 loops). Join with a sl st in the first sc.
• Rounds 8–19: sl st into the next ch-5 loop, ch 1, sc in the same loop, ch 5, sc in next loop; rep from * around; join with a sl st in the first sc. (12 mesh rounds total.)

Top band:

• R20: 3 sc in each ch-5 loop around (69). Join.
• Rounds 21–22: sc in each st around (69). FO and weave in the end.

Handles (make 2):

• Ch 61. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (60). Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (60). FO, leaving a 30 cm (12 in) tail.

Finishing

Fold the top band flat and find the center front and center back. For each handle, sew one end 10 sts to the left of center and the other end 10 sts to the right (a 20-st span), stitching through the handle and two layers of the band. Go around twice — handles take the most stress on any bag, so make these joins bombproof. Weave in all ends.

Tips

• If your mesh looks lopsided, you probably skipped 2 instead of 3 somewhere. Count your loops: there must be exactly 23 on every mesh round.
• Cotton softens and stretches with use. If your tote grows, run it through a warm wash and lay it flat to dry — cotton springs most of the way back.
• Want a smaller produce bag? Stop the mesh at round 14 and work the top band — you get a cute lunch-size tote with the same pattern.

This tote pairs beautifully with our free crochet basket pattern for a matching farmers-market set — basket for the car, tote for the stalls.

Bag 2: Sage drawstring pouch

The quick win. One evening, one skein, and you have the perfect little bag for earbuds, coins, stitch markers, or a gift pouch that beats any paper bag. The eyelet round looks fancy but is just chains and skipped stitches.

Materials

• Worsted-weight (#4) cotton yarn in sage green, about 50 g
• Contrasting cotton cord or yarn for the drawstrings (natural/cream), about 2 m total — or crochet the cords from the same yarn
• 5.0 mm crochet hook
• Two 12–15 mm wooden beads (optional but adorable)
• Tapestry needle, scissors, stitch marker

Size & gauge

• Finished size: about 12 cm (5 in) wide × 11 cm (4.5 in) tall.
• Gauge: 14 sc = 10 cm (4 in). Not critical — a slightly bigger pouch still cinches shut.
• Skill level: confident beginner. Magic ring, single crochet in the round, chains.

Abbreviations — US terms

Pattern

Work in continuous spirals; move your stitch marker up each round.

• R1: MR, 6 sc (6).
• R2: 2 sc in each st (12).
• R3: [sc, 2 sc in next st] × 6 (18).
• R4: [2 sc, 2 sc in next st] × 6 (24).
• R5: [3 sc, 2 sc in next st] × 6 (30).
• R6: [4 sc, 2 sc in next st] × 6 (36).
• R7: [8 sc, 2 sc in next st] × 4 (40).
• Rounds 8–20: sc in each st around (40) — 13 rounds even.
• R21 (eyelet round): ch 1, [ch 2, sk 2 sts, 3 sc]; rep from * 8 times total (40 sts + 8 ch-2 spaces). Join with a sl st in the first sc.
• R22: ch 1, sc in each st and 2 sc in each ch-2 space around (56). Join.
• Rounds 23–24: ch 1, sc in each st around (56). Join. FO and weave in.

Drawstrings (make 2):

• Ch 100. Sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (99). FO.
• Thread the first cord through the eyelets, starting at one side seam and weaving in and out all the way around. Thread the second cord the same way but starting from the opposite side, so the two cords run in opposite directions.

Finishing

Thread a wooden bead onto each cord end and tie a firm overhand knot below it so the bead can't slip off. Pull one cord from each side and the pouch cinches shut — pulling both cords on the same side opens it back up. Tuck the starting tail inside and trim.

Tips

• If the drawstring sticks instead of sliding, your eyelet round is too tight. Work R21 with relaxed tension, or go up half a hook size for that round only.
• This pouch is a great stash-buster: Rounds 1–7 in one color and 8–24 in another gives you a two-tone pouch with zero extra effort.
• Make it gift-sized by stopping the body at R16 (9 even rounds) — perfect for jewelry.

If this little pouch got you hooked on small quick projects, our easy beginner crochet patterns roundup has more one-evening wins at the same skill level.

Bag 3: Cream crossbody bag

The everyday bag. Two plain rectangles joined together, a flap with a wooden button, and a long strap you wear across your body. It fits a phone, a card wallet, keys, and lip balm — everything you need for a day out, nothing you don't.

Materials

• Worsted-weight (#4) cotton yarn in cream/natural, about 150 g
• 5.0 mm crochet hook
• One 25 mm wooden button
• Tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers

Size & gauge

• Finished size: about 25 cm (10 in) wide × 19 cm (7.5 in) tall; strap about 100 cm (40 in) long.
• Gauge: 14 sc × 16 rows = 10 cm (4 in).
• Skill level: advanced beginner. Rectangles only — if you can crochet a dishcloth, you can crochet this bag.

Abbreviations — US terms

Pattern

Front and back panels (make 2):

• Ch 41. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (40).
• Rows 2–31: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (40) — 30 rows total. FO on the front panel; do not fasten off the back panel.

Flap (worked onto the top of the back panel):

• Rows 1–12: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (40).
• Row 13 (buttonhole row): 18 sc, ch 2, sk 2 sts, 18 sc (36 sts + ch-2 space).
• Row 14: ch 1, turn, sc in each st and 2 sc in the ch-2 space (40).
• Row 15: ch 1, turn, dec, 36 sc, dec (38).
• Row 16: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (38).
• Row 17: ch 1, turn, dec, 34 sc, dec (36).
• Row 18: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (36).
• Row 19: ch 1, turn, dec, 32 sc, dec (34). FO and weave in.

Strap:

• Ch 161. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (160). Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (160). FO, leaving long tails.

Finishing

1. Place the front and back panels wrong sides together. Join yarn at one top corner and sc through both layers down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side (about 30 + 40 + 30 = 100 sts). FO and weave in. The top stays open.
2. Fold the flap down over the front and mark where the buttonhole lands. Sew the wooden button firmly to the front panel at that spot — sew through it at least six times.
3. Attach one strap end to each top side edge, about 5 cm (2 in) below the top. Sew a 4 cm (1.5 in) overlap using a box with an X through it, twice over. This is the stress point of the whole bag — don't skimp.

Tips

• If your flap gapes open at the sides, your button sits too high. Move it down 1 cm and the flap will lie flat.
• A strap that twists is a strap worked too loosely. Keep your chain snug, or work the strap in slip stitches instead of single crochet for a firmer, narrower strap (ch 201, sl st back).
• Want a pop of color? Sew a bloom from our free crochet flower pattern onto the flap corner — it takes ten minutes and looks boutique-bought.

Troubleshooting tips

• The tote's mesh is curling at the top. Totally normal for chain mesh — the top band (rounds 20–22) flattens it. If it still curls after the band, your mesh tension is too tight; block the bag by dampening it and pinning it flat to dry.
• The bag stretches out of shape. You probably used acrylic or a soft wool. Cotton is non-negotiable for bags that carry weight. For extra insurance on the tote, work the base rounds with two strands held together.
• The handles twist. Lay each handle flat and steam it (or wet-block it) before sewing it on. A twisted handle stays twisted forever once it's sewn.
• The drawstring won't slide. The eyelet round was worked too tightly. Frog back to R21 and redo it with a 5.5 mm hook, keeping the chains loose.
• The crossbody flap won't stay closed. The buttonhole stretched. Move the button 1 cm lower, or sew a second button inside as a hidden anchor.
• My bag came out a different size. Check your gauge against the pattern — but honestly, for bags, close enough is fine. A tote that's 12 inches wide instead of 11 still carries groceries.
• The bottom of the tote sags. The base panel is only one layer. Crochet a second base panel and stitch it inside as a lining — it doubles the stiffness.

Frequently asked questions

Are these crochet bag patterns really free?

Yes — all three complete patterns are above, free, with no email signup and no PDF to buy. If you make one, saving this post on Pinterest is the best thank-you.

What skill level do I need?

The drawstring pouch is a confident-beginner project (magic ring + single crochet). The tote and crossbody are advanced beginner — still only basic stitches, just bigger pieces and a little assembly. If you've finished a scarf or a dishcloth, you're ready.

What's the best yarn for crochet bags?

Worsted-weight (#4) cotton or a cotton blend. Cotton is strong, barely stretches, and washes well — everything a bag needs. Avoid 100% acrylic for totes; it elongates under weight. T-shirt yarn is a fun alternative for an extra-sturdy market tote.

Do I need to line my crochet bag?

Not for these three. The tote's solid base, the pouch's dense single crochet, and the crossbody's double-layer panels are all sturdy enough unlined for everyday use. If you want to carry tiny items (pens, coins) in the tote's mesh, a simple fabric lining sewn in is a nice upgrade — but it's optional.

How long does each bag take?

The drawstring pouch: one evening, about 2–3 hours. The crossbody: a weekend, about 6–8 hours. The market tote: a weekend, about 8–10 hours, since the mesh rounds are meditative but many.

Can I sell bags made from these patterns?

Yes! You may sell finished bags in small batches (craft fairs, Etsy, gifts) — please credit Little Loop Finds as the pattern designer with a link back to this page. The pattern text and photos themselves may not be redistributed, republished, or sold.

More free patterns to try

Keep the hook moving with these reader favorites: the free crochet hat pattern makes a perfect festival set with the crossbody bag, crochet scarf patterns for beginners uses the same cotton yarn for cozy accessories, and the autumn acorn granny square is a great stash-buster for practicing tension between bigger projects like the tote.

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