The Buttercup Star Bag Holder is a tall, slim plastic bag dispenser that hangs from a cabinet knob or hook. The middle is a band of open lace stars, so you can see the stored bags through the openings. The top and bottom are bands of solid single crochet that hold the shape.
The holder in the photos is made in a soft butter yellow cotton. The same design is also shown in natural cream. Each holder uses only one color, so it takes a bit more than one skein of worsted cotton. The look is farmhouse kitchen: warm, simple and practical.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures 7 in (17.8 cm) wide laid flat, which is a 14 in (35.6 cm) circumference. It’s about 19.25 in (48.9 cm) long, not counting the hanging loop. The loop adds about 3 in (7.6 cm).
The holder is a single seamless tube, worked top-down in joined rounds. You start at the top opening and work a solid band. Then you switch to the star lace, work a solid bottom band, and decrease to a small opening for pulling bags out. To finish, you add a slip stitch edge at each end and a single crochet hanging loop. Bags go in at the top and come out one at a time at the bottom.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 7 in (17.8 cm) wide flat x 19.25 in (48.9 cm) long, plus a 3 in (7.6 cm) loop
- Circumference: 14 in (35.6 cm) through the body
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4 medium) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 (the hanging loop is worked directly onto the body)
- Layout: One vertical tube with a top band, a lace middle, a bottom band and a tapered bottom
- Body size: 56 stitches around
- Size before edging: 19 in (48.3 cm) long
- Edging depth: about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) at each end, 0.25 in (0.6 cm) in total
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds its shape, doesn’t stretch much when the holder is full, and gives the stars clear outlines. Acrylic also works, but the tube will stretch a little longer.
- Main color (Butter Yellow, or Cream for the alternate version): 130 g, about 221 m (242 yd), based on a yarn with 170 m (186 yd) per 100 g
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- 1 stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins and a towel for blocking
The yarn amount includes a margin of about 15 percent to cover your gauge check and small differences in tension.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- rep – repeat
- rnd – round
Special stitches:
- Shell: 7 dc in the same stitch.
- dc7tog (cluster): (Yarn over, insert hook in the next st, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops) 7 times, leaving 8 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 8 loops. One cluster counts as 1 st.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Single crochet: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Star lace: one 8-st repeat = 2 in (5.1 cm) wide; 4 lace rnds = 2 in (5.1 cm) tall
Check your gauge by working the top band first. It’s only 9 rounds, and it tells you more about your sizing than any other part of the holder.
Checkpoint 1: After Rnd 9, flatten the tube. It should be 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 2 in (5.1 cm) tall.
Checkpoint 2: After Rnd 13, the lace should be 2 in (5.1 cm) tall, measured from the top of Rnd 9. Each star repeat should measure 2 in (5.1 cm) across.
Checkpoint 3: After Rnd 37, the holder should be 16 in (40.6 cm) long.
Checkpoint 4: After Rnd 46, it should be 18 in (45.7 cm) long.
If your tube is wider than 7 in (17.8 cm) flat, go down half a hook size. If it’s narrower, go up half a size. Don’t change the stitch count: the lace needs exactly 56 sts to fit 7 repeats.
Keep your double crochet relaxed so the shells stand up straight. Tight dc make the lace shorter and squash the stars. If the width is right but the lace is short, add one extra shell-and-cluster pair (2 rnds) for every 1 in (2.5 cm) you’re missing.
Pattern
Top Band
Foundation: Ch 48 and join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring. Be careful not to twist the chain.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around, join with a sl st to the first sc. (48 sts)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * 7 more times, join. (56 sts)*
Rnds 3–9: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (56 sts)
Place a marker in the first st of each round and move it up as you go. Because Rnd 1 has fewer stitches, the top pulls in slightly, which gives it the soft dome you see in the photos.
Star Lace
The lace alternates between two kinds of round. Shell rounds (even numbers) make fans of 7 dc. Cluster rounds (odd numbers) pull 7 stitches together between the fans. Each cluster, together with the shell worked on top of it, makes one star. Every new shell round shifts the stars half a repeat to the side, which gives the offset, brick-like layout.
Rnd 10 (first shell rnd): Ch 1, sc in first st, skip next 3 sts, shell in next st, skip next 3 sts, sc in next st; rep from * 6 more times, ending the last rep at . Join to the first sc. (7 shells + 7 sc = 56 sts)*
Rnd 11 (cluster rnd): Sl st in each of the next 4 dc, so you end up in the center dc of the first shell. Ch 1, sc in the same dc, ch 3, dc7tog over the next 7 sts (the last 3 dc of this shell, the sc, and the first 3 dc of the next shell), ch 3, sc in the center dc of the next shell; rep from * 6 more times, ending the last rep at *. Join to the first sc.
For the last cluster, the first 3 dc of the first shell already have slip stitches on top. Work into the tops of those dc, underneath the slip stitches. (7 sc + 7 clusters + 14 ch-3 sps, which equals 56 sts: 1 + 3 + 1 + 3 per repeat)
Rnd 12 (shell rnd): Ch 1, sc in the same sc, skip ch-3 sp, shell in the top of the next cluster, skip ch-3 sp, sc in the next sc; rep from * 6 more times, ending at . Join to the first sc. (7 shells + 7 sc = 56 sts)*
Rnd 13: Work as for Rnd 11. (7 sc + 7 clusters + 14 ch-3 sps)
Rnds 14–37: Rep Rnds 12–13 twelve more times, ending with a cluster round.
That’s 28 lace rounds in all (Rnds 10–37), for 14 in (35.6 cm) of lace. You’ll have 14 rows of stars set in offset columns.
Bottom Band
Rnd 38 (conversion rnd): Ch 1, sc in the same sc, 3 sc in the next ch-3 sp, sc in the next cluster, 3 sc in the next ch-3 sp, sc in the next sc; rep from * 6 more times, ending at *. Join.
Count: 14 sts worked 1-per-stitch (7 sc + 7 clusters) + 42 sc worked into the 14 ch-3 sps = 56 sts.
Rnds 39–46: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (56 sts)
Rnds 38–46 make a solid band 2 in (5.1 cm) deep, the same as the top band.
Tapered Bottom
Rnd 47: Ch 1, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog; rep from * 7 more times, join. (48 sts)*
Rnd 48: Ch 1, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog; rep from * 7 more times, join. (40 sts)*
Rnd 49: Ch 1, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog; rep from * 7 more times, join. (32 sts)*
Rnd 50: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (32 sts)
Rnd 51: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog; rep from * 7 more times, join. (24 sts)*
The bottom opening is now 6 in (15.2 cm) around, or 3 in (7.6 cm) flat. That’s small enough to keep the bags in and big enough to pull one out. The taper adds about 1 in (2.5 cm), so the holder is now about 19 in (48.3 cm) long.
Edging and Hanging Loop
The edging follows the single crochet gauge: 4 sts = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Bottom edge, Rnd 52: Ch 1, sl st loosely in each st around, join. (24 sts: 12 on the front half and 12 on the back half when flattened)
Fasten off and weave in the end.
Top edge: Turn the holder upside down. Join the yarn with a sl st in a free loop of the foundation chain at the center back of the holder.
Rnd T1: Ch 1, sl st loosely in each of the 48 free loops of the foundation chain, join. (48 sts: 24 on the front half and 24 on the back half)
Don’t fasten off.
Hanging loop: Ch 25. Skip the next 3 sts of the top edge and sl st in the 4th st. Turn. Work 32 sc into the ch-25 loop so the chain is completely covered, then sl st in the st where the loop started. Fasten off.
Why the math works: Rnd 1 has 48 sts, so the foundation chain has 48 free loops. The ch-25 loop is about 6 in (15.2 cm) around. Packing 32 sc over it makes a firm, rope-like strap that stands about 3 in (7.6 cm) tall. Each slip stitch edge adds about 0.125 in (0.3 cm), which takes the length from 19 in (48.3 cm) to about 19.25 in (48.9 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends inside the solid bands, where they won’t show through the lace.
- Dampen the holder with cool water and press out the extra water in a towel. Don’t wring it.
- Roll a towel to about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) across and slide it inside the tube to keep it round.
- Lay the holder flat and gently ease it to 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 19.25 in (48.9 cm) long.
- Use your fingers to open each star so the 7 dc of each shell fan out evenly.
- Pin the hanging loop straight up so it dries upright.
- Let it dry completely before hanging.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The body measures 7 in (17.8 cm) wide flat.
- The length is about 19.25 in (48.9 cm), not counting the loop.
- The top and bottom solid bands each measure 2 in (5.1 cm).
- There are 14 rows of stars, with 7 stars in each round, offset like bricks.
- Every shell has 7 dc, and every cluster closes neatly.
- The bottom opening is about 3 in (7.6 cm) flat.
- The hanging loop is firm, centered at the back, and about 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
- All ends are hidden in the solid bands.
Troubleshooting
The stars line up in straight columns instead of being offset. You probably worked the shells into the sc instead of the clusters. On shell rounds, always work each shell into the top of a cluster.
The tube twists into a spiral. Joined rounds can drift. Make sure every round starts in the same stitch as the join, not the stitch after it.
The clusters look loose or gappy. Pull each dc part snug before starting the next one, and keep the ch-3 spaces at an even tension.
A cluster round has a stitch left over. Recount the shells. Each one needs exactly 7 dc, and each cluster covers 3 dc, 1 sc and 3 dc.
Too few stitches after Rnd 38. Check that you worked exactly 3 sc into every ch-3 space. Missing one space leaves 53 sts instead of 56.
The top band flares instead of curving in. Your foundation chain is too loose. Chain it again with a hook half a size smaller, keeping Rnd 1 at 48 sts.
The bottom opening is too tight for the bags. Skip Rnd 51 and work the edging over 32 sts. This gives a 4 in (10.2 cm) flat opening.
The holder stretches when it’s full. This is common with acrylic. Switch to cotton, or go down half a hook size for the solid bands.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, or machine wash on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag. Reshape while damp and dry flat.
Final Notes
The measurements build up in a simple chain. You start with 56 sts, which gives a flat width of 7 in (17.8 cm). The top band (Rnds 1–9) is 2 in (5.1 cm). The 28 lace rounds add 14 in (35.6 cm), bringing the length to 16 in (40.6 cm). The 2 in (5.1 cm) bottom band takes it to 18 in (45.7 cm). The taper adds 1 in (2.5 cm) and the edging adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm), for a finished length of 19.25 in (48.9 cm).
If you check your gauge after the top band and again after the first four lace rounds, the rest of the measurements will follow.
Happy crocheting!