This hanging toilet paper holder has three cream pockets, one above the other, on two slim straps that loop over a wooden dowel. Navy scallops trim the top and bottom of each pocket, and a small navy bow sits in the center of each front. The look is tidy, nautical, and a little bit sweet. It fits well in a small bathroom where floor space is short.
The pocket walls use the griddle stitch, which alternates single and double crochet to make a firm, nubby fabric that holds its shape. The navy trim and bows stand out clearly against the cream. All instructions use US crochet terms.
The finished holder hangs about 20 in (50.8 cm) from the dowel. Each pocket measures 5.1 in (13.0 cm) wide, 4 in (10.2 cm) deep, and 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall before the scallops. Each pocket holds one standard roll lying on its side.
You start each pocket with a flat single crochet base and then work the walls upward in joined rounds. Next come the navy trims and the bow. Finally, you sew all three pockets to two edged straps and fold the strap tops over the dowel.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide at the scallops × 20 in (50.8 cm) hanging length
- Skill level: Easy–Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hooks: 5.0 mm (H-8) for pockets and straps; 4.0 mm (G-6) for bows
- Number of pieces: 8 main pieces (3 pockets, 3 bows, 2 straps). Each bow is made of 3 small parts.
- Layout: 1 column of 3 pockets on 2 vertical straps
- Pocket size: 5.1 in × 4 in base (13.0 × 10.2 cm), 3.75 in (9.5 cm) solid wall height
- Size before border: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wall height before navy trim
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) navy sc plus 0.25 in (0.6 cm) scallop at the top; 0.25 in (0.6 cm) scallop at the bottom
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton or cotton-blend worsted yarn with about 200 m per 100 g. Cotton keeps the pockets crisp and handles bathroom humidity well.
- Cream: 90 g / 180 m
- Navy: 40 g / 80 m
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) and 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hooks
– Tapestry needle
– 6 stitch markers
– Rust-proof pins
– Wooden dowel, 8 in (20.3 cm) long × 0.5 in (1.3 cm) diameter
– Scissors
These quantities include a margin of about 25% for your gauge swatch and seaming tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- BLO / FLO: back loop only / front loop only
- st(s): stitch(es)
- rnd: round
Special stitches:
– Griddle pattern: On an odd round, work sc in next st, dc in next st around. On an even round, work dc in next st, sc in next st around. This places a sc on top of every dc and a dc on top of every sc.
– Scallop: sl st in next st, 3 hdc in next st. Each scallop covers 2 stitches.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Sc with 5.0 mm hook: 14 sts × 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Griddle pattern with 5.0 mm hook: 14 sts × 12 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Sc with 4.0 mm hook: 18 sts × 20 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
Make one complete pocket before you start the others. Measure at these points:
- Base: 5.1 in × 4 in (13.0 × 10.2 cm)
- After Rnd 11: walls 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- After Rnd 12: walls 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall
If your base is too big, go down half a hook size. If it is too small, go up half a size. Gauge matters most for the strap match: 1 sc round must equal 1 strap row, and 3 griddle rounds must equal 4 strap rows.
Pocket (make 3)
Base
Use cream and the 5.0 mm hook.
Ch 19.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (18 sc)
Rows 2–16: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (18 sc)
The base should measure 5.1 in × 4 in (13.0 × 10.2 cm).
Walls
Rnd 1 (base edging): Ch 1, do not turn.
– Sc in each st across Row 16. (18 sc)
– Sc 14 times evenly along the row ends, skipping 2 row ends spread out along the edge. (14 sc)
– Sc in each st across the opposite side of the foundation chain. (18 sc)
– Sc 14 times evenly along the remaining row ends. (14 sc)
– Join with a sl st to the first sc.
That gives 64 sc. The side you began on is the back wall. Place a marker at each corner.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around, join. (64 sc)
Working in the back loops folds the fabric upward to form the walls. It also leaves a ring of free front loops for the bottom trim later.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in next st, dc in next st 32 times, join. (64 sts: 32 sc, 32 dc)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, dc in next st, sc in next st 32 times, join. (64 sts)
Rnds 5–11: Repeat Rnds 3 and 4 alternately, ending with a Rnd 3 repeat. (64 sts each round)
That makes 9 griddle rounds in total, about 3 in (7.6 cm). Your walls should now be 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall. Fasten off the cream.
The joins line up at the back right corner, where a strap will cover them later.
Bow (make 3)
Use navy and the 4.0 mm hook.
Bow body
Ch 11.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (10 sc)
Rows 2–6: Ch 1, turn, sc across. (10 sc)
The body measures 2.2 in × 1.2 in (5.6 × 3.0 cm). Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. Wrap this tail tightly 4 times around the center of the body to pinch it into two loops.
Tails
Ch 13.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (12 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc across. (12 sc)
The strip measures 2.7 in × 0.4 in (6.9 × 1.0 cm). Fold it in half into an upside-down V and stitch the fold to the back of the pinched center. Each tail hangs about 1.3 in (3.3 cm) long.
Center wrap
Ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (6 sc)
The wrap is 1.3 in (3.3 cm) long. Wrap it around the pinch and sew the ends together at the back.
The finished bow is about 2.2 in (5.6 cm) wide × 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall.
Straps (make 2)
Use cream and the 5.0 mm hook.
Ch 5.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (4 sc)
Rows 2–88: Ch 1, turn, sc across. (4 sc)
The strap measures 1.1 in × 22 in (2.8 × 55.9 cm). Fasten off.
Make All Pieces
Cream:
– 3 pocket bases and walls
– 2 straps
Navy:
– Trims on all 3 pockets and both straps
– 3 bows, each with a body, a tail strip, and a wrap
Layout (front view, top to bottom):
[strap]=======[dowel]=======[strap]
| |
| [ POCKET 3 + bow ] |
| gap |
| [ POCKET 2 + bow ] |
| gap |
| [ POCKET 1 + bow ] |
Border
All borders use navy and the 5.0 mm hook. The border gauge is the same as the sc gauge: 14 sts and 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). Stitch counts below are given per side, and each count already includes that side’s corner stitches.
Top trim (each pocket)
Join navy at the back right corner.
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (64 sc: back 18, side 14, front 18, side 14)
Rnd 13: Work a scallop 32 times, starting at the corner. Join to the first sl st.
That is 64 stitches worked 1 per existing stitch, plus 64 extra hdc, for a total of 128 sts (32 sl st and 96 hdc). This makes 9 scallops on the back, 7 on one side, 9 on the front, and 7 on the other side. Fasten off.
Bottom trim (each pocket)
Join navy in the free front loop of Rnd 1 at the back right corner.
Rnd B: Work a scallop in the FLO 32 times around, join.
Again, that is 64 stitches worked 1 per existing loop, plus 64 extra hdc, for a total of 128 sts (32 scallops: 9/7/9/7 per side). Fasten off.
Strap edging (each strap)
Row 1: Join navy at one corner of a long edge. Sc 1 in each row end along that edge. (88 sc: 88 worked 1 per row end, plus 0 extra)
Fasten off. Repeat on the opposite long edge, also 88 sc. Leave the short ends plain. Each strap is now 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide.
Why the math works
Each scallop covers exactly 2 stitches, so every side needs an even count. The sides have 18, 14, 18, and 14 stitches, which are all even. That gives exactly 9, 7, 9, and 7 scallops, so a scallop always begins at a corner and no half-repeat ends up stuck in a corner. The strap edging places 1 sc per row end, which is 4 sc per inch, so the edged strap lies flat without ruffling.
Attach the bows
Center each bow on a pocket front, with its pinch between front stitches 9 and 10. Place it over griddle Rnds 6–8, so it sits about 1.45 in (3.7 cm) in from each side. Sew around the wrap and the loop edges.
Joining
Method: Whipstitch with cream yarn through both the navy edge sc of the strap and the wall stitch directly beneath it.
Position: Lay both straps vertically with row 1 at the bottom. Set each pocket’s back wall against the straps, with each strap’s outer edge flush with a back corner. The space between the two straps is about 1.9 in (4.8 cm).
Strap rows for each pocket:
– Pocket 1: rows 1–15
– Gap: rows 16–21, 6 rows = 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
– Pocket 2: rows 22–36
– Gap: rows 37–42
– Pocket 3: rows 43–57
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Each pocket uses exactly 15 strap rows:
– Rnd 1 matches row 1.
– Rnd 2 matches row 2.
– The 9 griddle rounds match 12 rows, at 3 rounds to 4 rows.
– Rnd 12 matches row 15.
The Rnd 13 scallops stay free above the strap. Pin these matching points first, then sew between them.
Tension: Make each whipstitch snug but not tight. Pull too hard and the back wall will pucker. Leave stitches loose and the pocket will droop away from the straps.
Loop:
– Rows 58–76, 4.75 in (12.1 cm), stay free above Pocket 3.
– Fold rows 77–84, 2 in (5.1 cm), over the dowel.
– Sew rows 85–88, 1 in (2.5 cm), to the back of rows 73–76.
Size checkpoint: From the dowel to the bottom scallop should be about 20 in (50.8 cm). The visible strap between pockets should be about 1 in (2.5 cm).
Final Blocking
- Mist each pocket lightly with water.
- Stuff each pocket with a roll or a 4 in (10.2 cm) box. Square the corners.
- Pin the scallops flat and even, and fluff the bow loops.
- Lay the holder flat with the straps straight and parallel.
- Let it dry completely, at least 12 hours.
- Slide the dowel through the loops and hang.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each base measures 5.1 in × 4 in (13.0 × 10.2 cm)
- Each wall has 64 sts on every round from Rnd 1 to Rnd 12
- Each pocket has 32 scallops at the top and 32 at the bottom, with 9/7/9/7 per side
- Each strap has 88 rows and 88 edge sc per long side
- The bows are centered and level on all three pockets
- The pockets are evenly spaced, with 6 strap rows between them
- The round joins are hidden under the straps
- All ends are woven in securely
Troubleshooting
- Walls lean outward: Your tension is too loose. Go down half a hook size for the walls.
- Griddle texture looks striped instead of staggered: You have lost the alternation. Make sure each sc sits on a dc.
- A scallop is squeezed at a corner: A side count is off. Recount to 18 and 14 per side.
- Strap ruffles: You worked extra edge sc. Use exactly 1 per row end.
- Pocket sags forward: Add whipstitches at Rnd 12, close to the top edge.
- Bow tilts: Add a tacking stitch at the tip of each tail.
Care
Remove the dowel and hand-wash the holder in cool water with mild soap. Reshape it with a roll in each pocket and dry it flat.
Final Notes
Here is the full measurement chain:
– An 18 × 16 sc base measures 5.1 in × 4 in (13.0 × 10.2 cm).
– A 64-stitch wall rises to 3.5 in (8.9 cm), then 3.75 in (9.5 cm) after the navy sc round.
– Each pocket matches 15 rows of an 88-row strap.
– Three pockets with 1.5 in (3.8 cm) gaps and a dowel loop give a holder about 20 in (50.8 cm) long.
If your gauge matches at each checkpoint, every piece will line up exactly when you assemble it.
Happy crocheting!