This cheerful bee hangs on a hook and holds a whole stash of plastic grocery bags. You stuff bags in through the top opening before closing the strap area, or simply push them up through the stretchy bottom cuff, and pull them out one at a time from below.
The design uses mustard yellow and charcoal for the body, cream for the wings, and a touch of soft pink for the cheeks. The face area is smooth single crochet. The striped lower body uses an offset puff honeycomb texture that gives a bouncy, quilted look.
The pattern is written in US crochet terms. The finished holder measures about 15 in (38.1 cm) tall and 9 in (22.9 cm) wide when laid flat, not counting the hanging loop.
Construction is top-down and seamless. You work a domed charcoal crown in the round, continue into the yellow face, work six honeycomb stripes, then finish with a decrease section and a ribbed cuff. The antennae, wings, cheeks and strap are made separately and sewn on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 15 in (38.1 cm) tall × 9 in (22.9 cm) wide, flat
- Skill level: Easy–Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 body plus small attached pieces: 2 antenna stalks, 2 antenna balls, 2 large wings, 2 small wings, 2 cheeks and 1 strap
- Layout: one vertical tube with an open bottom; wings on the sides, antennae and strap on the crown
- Body circumference: 64 sts, about 18.25 in (46.4 cm)
- Size before border: about 12.5 in (31.8 cm) tall × 9 in (22.9 cm) wide
- Border (cuff) depth: about 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted cotton or acrylic. Cotton holds its shape well, and acrylic gives a softer, stretchier cuff. The amounts below assume about 170 m per 100 g.
- Mustard yellow: 90 g (about 153 m)
- Charcoal: 95 g (about 162 m)
- Cream: 15 g (about 26 m)
- Soft pink: 3 g (about 5 m)
- Black: 2 m of yarn or embroidery floss for the smile
Tools:
- 5 mm (H-8) hook
- Two 12 mm black safety eyes
- A small handful of fiberfill
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Pins
- Spray bottle
All quantities include a margin of about 15%.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- FPdc / BPdc – front post / back post double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- MR – magic ring
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Puff stitch: (yarn over, insert hook in the stitch, pull up a loop) 3 times, then yarn over and pull through all 7 loops on the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Single crochet gauge: 14 sc × 16 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Honeycomb gauge: one 4-round repeat = about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall
Test with the crown first. The body is one piece, so the crown is your gauge swatch.
- After Rnd 8: the crown has 64 sts and measures about 5.75 in (14.6 cm) across when pressed flat. It will cup into a gentle dome, and that is intended.
- After Rnd 10: the tube flattens to about 9 in (22.9 cm) wide.
- After Rnd 50: the body measures about 12.5 in (31.8 cm) from the top of the dome.
If the piece is too big, go down a half-size hook. If it is too small, go up. Do not change the stitch counts, because the 64-stitch total drives the border math.
Body
Work in joined rounds: sl st to the first st, then ch 1 to start the next round. The ch 1 does not count as a stitch. To change color, complete the joining sl st of the old round with the new color.
Crown (charcoal):
- Rnd 1: 8 sc in MR. (8)
- Rnd 2: inc in each st. (16)
- Rnd 3: (sc 1, inc) 8 times. (24)
- Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) 8 times. (32)
- Rnd 5: (sc 3, inc) 8 times. (40)
- Rnd 6: (sc 4, inc) 8 times. (48)
- Rnd 7: (sc 5, inc) 8 times. (56)
- Rnd 8: (sc 6, inc) 8 times. (64)
- Rnds 9–10: sc in each st. (64)
Face (mustard yellow):
- Rnds 11–26: sc in each st. (64)
These 16 rounds measure about 4 in (10.2 cm).
Honeycomb repeat (4 rounds, 64 sts each):
- Rnd A: puff in next st, ch 1, skip next st 32 times. (32 puffs + 32 ch = 64)
- Rnd B: sc in each puff and in each ch-1 space. (64)
- Rnd C: ch 1, skip next st, puff in next st 32 times. (64)
This sets the puffs above the previous chain spaces, which makes the offset honeycomb cells.
– Rnd D: sc in each st and ch-1 space. (64)
Stripes: work one honeycomb repeat in each color as follows.
- Rnds 27–30: charcoal
- Rnds 31–34: yellow
- Rnds 35–38: charcoal
- Rnds 39–42: yellow
- Rnds 43–46: charcoal
- Rnds 47–50: yellow
The striped section is about 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall. Keep the yellow yarn attached and switch to charcoal for the border.
Antennae (make 2)
Stalk (charcoal):
- Rnd 1: 5 sc in MR. (5)
- Rnds 2–8: sc in each st. (5)
The stalk is about 2 in (5.1 cm) long. Fasten off and leave a tail.
Ball (yellow):
- Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
- Rnd 2: inc in each st. (12)
- Rnds 3–4: sc in each st. (12)
- Rnd 5: sc2tog 6 times. (6)
Stuff the ball and close it. Each ball is about 1 in (2.5 cm) across. Sew one ball to the top of each stalk.
Wings (make 2 large and 2 small, cream)
Every wing starts the same way.
Foundation: ch 9.
Rnd 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc 6, 3 sc in the last ch. Rotate and work along the other side of the chain: sc 6, then 2 sc in the first ch. (18)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in the first st, sc 6, 2 sc in each of the next 3 sts, sc 6, 2 sc in each of the last 2 sts. (24)
Small wing: sl st in BLO of each st around for the raised rim. (24 sl sts) Fasten off. The small wing is about 2.5 × 1.75 in (6.4 × 4.4 cm).
Large wing: work Rnd 3 before the rim.
- Rnd 3: sc 1, inc, sc 6, (inc, sc 1) 3 times, sc 6, (inc, sc 1) 2 times. (30)
- Rim: sl st in BLO of each st around. (30 sl sts)
Fasten off. The large wing is about 3.25 × 2.25 in (8.3 × 5.7 cm).
Cheeks (make 2, pink) and Strap (charcoal)
Cheeks: 8 sc in MR, then sl st to join. Each cheek is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
Strap: ch 41. Sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (40 sl sts) The strap is about 10 in (25.4 cm) long.
Face and Assembly
- Insert the safety eyes between Rnds 16 and 17, with 9 sts between them. Reach in through the open bottom to fit the backs.
- Embroider a smile 3 sts wide, two rounds below the eyes and centered.
- Sew a cheek just below and outside each eye.
- Sew the antennae on Rnds 8–9, about 3 in (7.6 cm) apart, angled slightly outward.
- Sew each strap end to Rnd 3 on opposite sides of the crown. The loop should rise about 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
- On each side, pin a large wing between Rnds 18 and 26. Tuck a small wing under its lower edge so it overlaps by about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) and reaches down to about Rnd 30. Sew the wings through the inner edges only, so the outer rims stand free.
Border: Bottom Dispensing Cuff
Border gauge: decrease rounds work up at 16 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm). Rib rounds are about 0.45 in (1.1 cm) each.
Work in charcoal:
- Rnd 51: (sc 6, sc2tog) 8 times. (56)
- Rnd 52: (sc 5, sc2tog) 8 times. (48)
- Rnd 53: (sc 4, sc2tog) 8 times. (40)
- Rnd 54: hdc in each st. (40)
- Rnds 55–57: (FPdc, BPdc) 20 times. (40)
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Why the math works: 64 divides evenly by 8, so each decrease round removes exactly 8 sts. These mirror the crown increases, which gives the bottom a matching rounded taper. The final count of 40 is even, so it fits 20 FP/BP pairs with no leftover stitch.
The cuff is about 11.5 in (29.2 cm) around and lies about 5.75 in (14.6 cm) wide when flat. The ribbing lets it stretch around a handful of bags and then spring back to grip them.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the whole holder with water.
- Stuff it with a rolled towel to shape the oval.
- Smooth each honeycomb band so the puffs sit evenly.
- Pin the wings flat, with the rims lifted.
- Pat the cuff into a round shape. Do not stretch it.
- Let the holder dry completely before you remove the towel.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The crown, the body and the cuff after Rnd 54 each have the correct count: 64, 64 and 40 sts.
- The finished holder measures about 15 in (38.1 cm) tall and 9 in (22.9 cm) wide.
- The eyes are level, and the smile is centered.
- The color-change seams are aligned at the back.
- The strap is sewn securely and the holder hangs straight.
- All ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
- Honeycomb cells look straight, not offset: Rnd C must start with ch 1 and skip, so each puff sits above a chain space.
- The tube flares at the stripes: your puffs are too loose. Pull the final loop snug, or drop a half-size hook for the puff rounds only.
- The crown is too flat or ruffles: check that you have 8 increases per round.
- The cuff is too tight: work the post stitches more loosely, or work Rnd 54 with a larger hook.
- The wings droop: add a few stitches near their top edges.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, reshaping it over a towel roll. Remove the safety eyes or spot-clean only if the holder will be machine washed.
Final Notes
Everything follows from the gauge:
- Gauge: 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm).
- Body: a 64-st round is about 18.25 in (46.4 cm) around, which flattens to 9 in (22.9 cm).
- Height: six honeycomb stripes of 1.25 in (3.2 cm) each, on top of the crown and face, bring the body to about 12.5 in (31.8 cm).
- Cuff: the 2.5 in (6.4 cm) cuff completes the 15 in (38.1 cm) bee.
Check each step and your bee will hang tidy and full.
Happy crocheting!