This little strawberry caddy hangs from the headrest posts on the back of a car seat. It holds tissues, snacks, wipes, or a small book within easy reach. The body is a deep berry red covered in cream seeds. A ring of soft sage leaves drapes over the top, and a small cream flower with a sunny center sits on the front.
The color palette is warm and cottage-style: brick red, sage green, cream, and a touch of golden yellow. Worsted-weight cotton keeps the stitches crisp and the bag sturdy enough to hold its shape when it’s full.
This pattern uses US crochet terms throughout. Hanging flat, the finished caddy measures about 10.25 in (26.0 cm) wide at its widest point, 8.5 in (21.6 cm) wide at the opening, and 9.5 in (24.1 cm) tall from the base to the top of the rim, not counting the straps.
You’ll start with a flat circle for the base. From there you work the sides in continuous rounds, shaping out to form the strawberry and then in again near the top. Next comes a green rim. The leaf collar is worked into front loops you left free earlier, so the leaves fold down over the red. Finally you add two straps with buttonholes, embroider the seeds, sew on the flower and leaves, and stitch in an optional fabric lining.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 10.25 in (26.0 cm) widest × 9.5 in (24.1 cm) tall, hanging flat
- Skill level: Advanced beginner
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 bag body with straps, plus 1 flower and 2 accent leaves sewn on
- Layout: Single piece; no motif grid or joining
- Base size: 5 in (12.7 cm) diameter
- Size before border: 8.5 in (21.6 cm) tall red body, 8.5 in (21.6 cm) wide at the top
- Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm) green rim, plus leaves that hang 1.5 in (3.8 cm) over the red
Materials
Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend, about 85 m per 50 g. Cotton holds the bag’s shape and won’t stretch much under weight. Avoid fuzzy or very elastic acrylic for the straps.
- Color A, brick red: 100 g (170 m)
- Color B, sage green: 60 g (102 m)
- Color C, cream: 10 g (17 m)
- Color D, golden yellow: 5 g (9 m)
Tools and notions:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Two 0.75 in (1.9 cm) buttons
- Beige cotton fabric, one fat quarter (optional lining)
- Sewing needle, matching thread, and pins
- Measuring tape
All yarn amounts include a safety margin of about 30 percent.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- BLO – back loop only
- FL – front loop
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd(s) – round(s)
Special technique, Seed Stitch (embroidery): Thread a tapestry needle with Color C. Bring it up at the base of a single sc and take it down at the top of that same stitch, so it covers one round vertically, about 0.25 in (0.6 cm). Repeat once through the same two holes. The two strands sit side by side and make a plump oval seed.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sc and 16 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in the round.
Test piece first: Work Rnds 1–10 of the base. This is your gauge swatch, and you’ll keep it as the start of the bag if it measures correctly.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 4 (24 sts): about 2 in (5.1 cm) across
- After Rnd 10 (60 sts): 5 in (12.7 cm) across, lying flat with no cupping or ruffling
- After Rnd 13 (72 sts): circumference about 20.5 in (52.1 cm)
- After Rnd 34: the red body hangs about 8.5 in (21.6 cm) tall; the opening (60 sts) is about 17 in (43.2 cm) around, or 8.5 in (21.6 cm) wide when flat
- After Rnd 38: total height is 9.5 in (24.1 cm)
If your base is larger than 5 in (12.7 cm): go down to a 4.5 mm hook. If it’s smaller: go up to a 5.5 mm hook. Anything within 0.25 in (0.6 cm) is fine.
Body Pattern
Work in continuous spiral rnds; don’t join or turn. Move a marker to the first st of each rnd as you go.
With Color A:
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) 6 times. (18)
Rnd 4: (Sc 2, inc) 6 times. (24)
Rnd 5: (Sc 3, inc) 6 times. (30)
Rnd 6: (Sc 4, inc) 6 times. (36)
Rnd 7: (Sc 5, inc) 6 times. (42)
Rnd 8: (Sc 6, inc) 6 times. (48)
Rnd 9: (Sc 7, inc) 6 times. (54)
Rnd 10: (Sc 8, inc) 6 times. (60)
Check: the base is 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
Rnd 11: (Sc 9, inc) 6 times. (66)
Rnd 12: Sc in each st around. (66)
Rnd 13: (Sc 10, inc) 6 times. (72)
The sides now begin to curve upward into the strawberry bulge.
Rnds 14–30 (17 rnds): Sc in each st around. (72)
Rnd 31: (Sc 10, sc2tog) 6 times. (66)
Rnd 32: Sc in each st around. (66)
Rnd 33: (Sc 9, sc2tog) 6 times. (60)
Rnd 34: Sc in each st around. (60) On the last st, change to Color B in the final yarn-over. Don’t cut Color A yet if you prefer to carry it inside; otherwise cut it and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Set the side markers: Flatten the bag so the start of the round sits on the left fold. Place a marker in st 1 and another in st 31. Sts 1–30 are the front and sts 31–60 are the back.
Red stitch total for Rnds 1–34: 2,010 sc.
Flower and Accent Leaves
Flower (make 1)
Rnd 1: With Color D, make a magic ring and work 5 sc into it. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (5)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, inc in each st around. Join with a sl st. Fasten off Color D. (10)
Rnd 3: Join Color C in any st. (Hdc, 2 dc, hdc) in the next st, sl st in the next st. Repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals)
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing. The flower measures about 2 in (5.1 cm) across.
Accent Leaves (make 2)
With Color B, ch 9.
Rnd 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc (7 sts across chs 2–8). Work 3 sc in the last ch. Now work along the other side of the foundation chain: sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st. (17)
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. Each leaf is about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long.
Border: Green Rim, Leaf Collar, and Straps
Border gauge: same as the body, 14 sts and 16 rnds/rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). Each leaf sits on 6 sts, which is about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide, and is 6 rows long, about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Green Rim
Rnd 35: With Color B, sc in the BLO of each st around. (60: 30 front + 30 back)
The front loops of Rnd 34 stay free on the outside of the bag. The leaves will be worked into them later.
Rnds 36–38: Sc in each st around. (60: 30 front + 30 back)
Sl st to the next st and fasten off. The rim is 1 in (2.5 cm) deep.
Leaf Collar (10 leaves)
Hold the bag top-up with the outside facing you. Each leaf is worked into 6 free front loops of Rnd 34. As you work, the leaf will stand up against the rim; it folds down once it’s finished.
Leaf (work 5 across the front, then 5 across the back):
Row 1: Join Color B with a sc in the FL of the first st of the group. Sc in the FL of the next 5 sts. (6)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc across. (6)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc 2, sc2tog. (4)
Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Sc across. (4)
Row 5: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog twice. (2)
Row 6: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog. (1)
Fasten off. Start the next leaf in the very next free front loop.
Front-loop math: 5 leaves × 6 sts = 30 sts per side, and 30 + 30 = 60. That matches Rnd 34 exactly, so the leaves touch edge to edge with no gaps and no overlap.
Leaf Outline Round
Fold all the leaves down over the red body. Join Color B at the right base corner of any leaf.
Outline Rnd: Work 5 sc evenly up the right edge (1 in each row end of Rows 1–5). Work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the tip st. Work 5 sc evenly down the left edge. Sl st in the gap between this leaf and the next at their base. Repeat from * around. Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off.
Counts: 12 sc, 1 ch-2 tip, and 1 sl st per leaf. That gives 60 sc, 5 tips, and 5 sl sts per side, for a total of 120 sc, 10 tips, and 10 sl sts.
This round gives each leaf its outlined, slightly raised look and helps the points hang flat.
Straps (make 2)
The straps are worked up from the back of Rnd 38. Count back sts 31–60 from the side marker at st 31. The first strap goes on sts 33–38 and the second on sts 53–58. Each strap sits 2 sts in from a side fold.
Row 1: Join Color B with a sc in the first strap st. Sc in the next 5 sts. (6)
Rows 2–40: Ch 1, turn. Sc across. (6)
At Row 40, the strap is 10 in (25.4 cm) long.
Row 41 (buttonhole): Ch 1, turn. Sc 2, ch 2, skip 2, sc 2. (4 sc + ch-2 space)
Row 42: Ch 1, turn. Sc 2, work 2 sc in the ch-2 space, sc 2. (6)
Rows 43–44: Ch 1, turn. Sc across. (6)
Fasten off. Each strap is 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide and 11 in (27.9 cm) long.
Buttons: Sew one button to the seat-facing side of each strap, centered on Row 4. To hang the caddy, pass each strap over a headrest post from front to back and button the end back onto its own base.
Seeds, Appliqués, and Lining
Seeds: Work Seed Stitches with Color C, spacing them every 6th st. Start in st 3 on Rnds 8, 16, and 24, and in st 6 on Rnds 12, 20, and 28. This staggers the rows of seeds.
Seeds per round:
- Rnd 8: 8
- Rnd 12: 11
- Rnds 16, 20, 24, and 28: 12 each
That’s 67 seeds in total. Leave the ends loose on the inside, then knot them in pairs and weave them in.
Appliqués: Pin the flower to the front rim, about 2 in (5.1 cm) in from the right side fold. Tuck one accent leaf under the flower so it points right and down past the side edge, and tuck the second under the left side of the flower. Sew them on with the yarn tails, catching only the back half of each stitch so the stitches don’t show on the front.
Lining (optional): From the fabric, cut one 5.5 in (14.0 cm) circle and one 18 × 7.75 in (45.7 × 19.7 cm) rectangle. Seam allowances are 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- Sew the short ends of the rectangle together to make a tube.
- Pin the tube to the circle, taking up the extra fabric with small, even pleats, then sew.
- Press a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) hem to the outside at the top edge.
- Slip the lining inside the bag and whipstitch the hem to the inside of Rnd 37.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends before blocking.
- Stuff the bag lightly with a towel so it holds a rounded strawberry shape, 10.25 in (26.0 cm) at its widest.
- Lightly mist the leaves and rim with water, or hover a steam iron over them without touching.
- Shape each leaf point downward and pin the tips flat against the body.
- Pin the straps flat to 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide and 11 in (27.9 cm) long.
- Let everything dry completely before removing the pins and towel.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The base is 5 in (12.7 cm) across and sits flat.
- The body is 8.5 in (21.6 cm) tall in red, and 9.5 in (24.1 cm) tall including the rim.
- The rim has 60 sts: 30 front and 30 back.
- There are 10 leaves, 5 per side, with outlined edges and points facing down.
- The straps are evenly spaced on the back, and their buttonholes fit the buttons snugly.
- There are 67 seeds in a staggered pattern, with none pulling the fabric.
- The flower and leaves are sewn securely.
- The lining sits smoothly inside.
Troubleshooting
The base cups: Your tension is too tight or you missed increases. Count each round, or go up a hook size for the base.
The base ruffles: You have extra stitches. Recount Rnds 5–10.
The bag is too wide: Check your gauge. 72 sts should equal about 20.5 in (52.1 cm) around.
The leaves flip up: Steam them down and pin. Make sure Rnd 35 was worked in the BLO so the front loops fold cleanly.
There are gaps between leaves: Check that each leaf used exactly 6 front loops.
The straps stretch: Rework them with a 4.5 mm hook, or line them with grosgrain ribbon.
The seeds pucker: Loosen the embroidery so the fabric lies flat under each seed.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water gently, reshape, and dry flat. If the caddy has a lining, spot clean it instead of soaking it.
Final Notes
The sizing comes down to a few checkpoints that build on each other:
- The gauge of 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 5 in (12.7 cm) base at 60 sts.
- The bulge widens to 72 sts, about 20.5 in (52.1 cm) around.
- The opening tapers back to 60 sts, 8.5 in (21.6 cm) wide.
- The 60-st rim takes ten 6-st leaves, 30 sts per side.
- The 6-st straps finish at 11 in (27.9 cm).
If each checkpoint matches, the finished caddy will measure 10.25 × 9.5 in (26.0 × 24.1 cm).
Happy crocheting!