This bag holder looks like a soft mint pinecone. It is an egg-shaped tube covered in staggered shell “scales,” with a narrow cream ring at the bottom, a cream scalloped edge at the top, and a long cream strap for hanging it on a hook. Push plastic bags in at the top and pull them out one at a time through the bottom ring.
The sample uses mint for the body and cream for the trims and strap. The pattern works just as well in other colors. A peach body with the same cream trims makes a nice matching pair if you want two holders side by side.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. Laid flat, the finished holder measures 13.75 in (34.9 cm) tall and 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide at its widest point. The strap is 14 in (35.6 cm) long and forms a hanging loop above the opening.
You make it in one piece from the bottom up, in joined rounds. You start with a cream ring and work 14 rounds of mint shells, changing the shell size to make the egg shape: 5 double crochets per shell, then 7, then 9, and back down. Then you add a cream decrease round, a scalloped edge, and a strap worked straight onto the top. There is no sewing apart from weaving in ends.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 13.75 in (34.9 cm) tall × 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide, laid flat
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted / Aran (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 (the strap is worked directly onto the body)
- Layout: Single vertical tube, open at both ends, hung from a strap
- Piece size: circumference of 8 in (20.3 cm) at the bottom ring, 15 in (38.1 cm) at the widest round, 10 in (25.4 cm) at the top
- Size before border (bottom ring + shell body): 13 in (33.0 cm) tall
- Border depth (top cream edging): 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
Materials
Pick a smooth worsted-weight yarn. Cotton or a cotton blend shows the shell texture clearly and stays firm when the holder is full. Acrylic also works, but it stretches more under the weight of the bags. The amounts below are based on yarn with about 170 m per 100 g (186 yd per 100 g).
- Mint (main color): 180 g, about 306 m (335 yd)
- Cream (contrast color): 40 g, about 68 m (74 yd)
These amounts include a safety margin of about 15%. Shell stitch uses a lot of yarn, so make sure you have enough of the main color before you start.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- 2 stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- A balloon or a rolled towel, for blocking
- Spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd(s) – round(s)
Special stitch – Shell (N-dc shell): Work N dc into the same stitch. This pattern uses 5-dc, 7-dc, and 9-dc shells. The center dc is the middle dc of a shell: the 3rd dc of a 5-dc shell, the 4th of a 7-dc shell, and the 5th of a 9-dc shell.
Pattern repeat: Each shell round has 8 repeats of (1 sc + 1 shell). Each sc goes into the center dc of a shell from the round below, and each shell goes into an sc from the round below. This offsets every round by half a repeat, which gives the stacked scale look.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Single crochet gauge: 16 sc × 16 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Shell gauge:
- One repeat with a 9-dc shell (sc + shell) is 1.875 in (4.8 cm) wide.
- One repeat with a 7-dc shell is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide.
- One repeat with a 5-dc shell is 1.125 in (2.9 cm) wide.
- 4 shell rounds measure 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, so each round is 0.875 in (2.2 cm).
Because the holder is a single piece, the first few rounds are your gauge test. Work Rnds 1–5, then measure before you go further.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 3: the ring lies 4 in (10.2 cm) wide flat (8 in / 20.3 cm around). The opening is about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across. The ring is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 5: the piece lies 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide flat (9 in / 22.9 cm around).
- After Rnd 7: the piece lies 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat (12 in / 30.5 cm around).
- After Rnd 13: the piece lies 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide flat (15 in / 38.1 cm around).
- After Rnd 17: the piece is 13 in (33.0 cm) tall from the bottom edge.
- After Rnd 19: the piece is 13.75 in (34.9 cm) tall.
If it is too big: go down half a hook size, to 4.5 mm (7). Shells that come out too wide also make the egg shape too round.
If it is too small: go up to a 5.5 mm (I-9) hook. Do not add extra shells to make up the difference. The 8-repeat structure has to stay the same for the decrease math at the top to work.
Pattern
Bottom Ring (Cream)
Rnd 1: With cream, ch 32. Sl st to the first ch to make a ring, making sure the chain is not twisted. Ch 1 (does not count as a st here or in any later round). Sc in each ch around, then sl st to the first sc. (32 sc)
Rnds 2–3: Ch 1, sc in each st around, then sl st to the first sc. (32 sc)
Fasten off cream. Check that the ring is 4 in (10.2 cm) wide laid flat.
Shell Body (Mint)
Rnd 4 (first shell round): Join mint with a sl st in any st. Ch 1, then work [sc in the next st, sk 1, 5 dc in the next st, sk 1] 8 times. Sl st to the first sc.
(48 sts: 8 sc + 40 dc)
Each repeat uses 4 stitches of the ring, and 8 × 4 = 32, so the repeats fit the ring exactly.
How to start each pattern round (Rnds 5–17): Sl st into each dc of the first shell up to and including its center dc. That is 3 sl sts after a 5-dc round, 4 after a 7-dc round, and 5 after a 9-dc round. Ch 1, then sc in the same center dc.
Then work [shell in the next sc, sc in the center dc of the next shell] 7 times. Work the last shell in the sc at the base of your starting sl sts, and sl st to the first sc. Every round ends up with 8 sc and 8 shells.
Rnd 5: Work the pattern round with 5-dc shells. (48 sts: 8 sc + 40 dc)
Rnd 6 (growth round): Work the pattern round with 7-dc shells. (64 sts: 8 sc + 56 dc)
Rnd 7: Work the pattern round with 7-dc shells. (64 sts)
Checkpoint: the piece is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat.
Rnd 8 (growth round): Work the pattern round with 9-dc shells. (80 sts: 8 sc + 72 dc)
Rnds 9–13: Work the pattern round with 9-dc shells. (80 sts each round)
Checkpoint: the piece is 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide flat. This is the widest part of the egg.
Rnd 14 (shaping round): Work the pattern round with 7-dc shells. (64 sts: 8 sc + 56 dc)
Rnd 15: Work the pattern round with 7-dc shells. (64 sts)
Rnd 16 (shaping round): Work the pattern round with 5-dc shells. (48 sts: 8 sc + 40 dc)
Rnd 17: Work the pattern round with 5-dc shells. (48 sts)
Fasten off mint. There are 14 shell rounds (Rnds 4–17) at 0.875 in (2.2 cm) each, so the body is 12.25 in (31.1 cm) tall. Add the 0.75 in (1.9 cm) ring and the piece is 13 in (33.0 cm) tall at this point.
Border: Top Edging and Hanging Strap
The top edging works like a border on a flat piece. It finishes the edge and holds the opening steady. It is worked at the single crochet gauge: 4 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Rnd 18 (conversion round): Join cream with a sl st in the first sc of Rnd 17. Ch 1, then work [sc in each of the next 4 sts, sc2tog] 8 times. Sl st to the first sc.
(40 sc: 32 sc worked 1-per-st + 8 sc2tog, over the 48 sts of Rnd 17)
The opening is now 10 in (25.4 cm) around and 5 in (12.7 cm) wide laid flat.
Rnd 19 (scallop trim round): Ch 1, then work [sc in the next st, sk 1, 5 dc in the next st, sk 1] 10 times. Sl st to the first sc.
(60 sts: 10 sc + 50 dc, worked over the 40 sts of Rnd 18)
Do not fasten off.
Hanging strap: Number the 10 sc of Rnd 19 from 1 to 10, starting with the sc you just joined into. Mark sc #1 and sc #6. They sit directly opposite each other because 10 ÷ 2 = 5.
From sc #1, ch 56. Sl st into sc #6, making sure the chain is not twisted. Turn. Sc into the back bump of each of the 56 ch, then sl st into sc #1. Fasten off.
(Strap: 56 sc, 14 in / 35.6 cm long)
Why the math works:
- Rnd 17 has 48 sts, which divides evenly into 8 decrease repeats of 6 sts. Each repeat sits over one shell column, so the decreases stay balanced all the way around.
- 40 sts divide evenly into 10 scallop repeats of 4 sts each, so no stitches are left over at the join.
- 10 scallops is an even number, so the strap anchors sit exactly opposite each other and the holder hangs straight.
- 56 sc at 4 sc per inch gives the 14 in (35.6 cm) strap. Hung from a hook, the loop rises about 7 in (17.8 cm) above the opening.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends on the inside, sewing each one through at least 2 in (5.1 cm) of stitches.
- Blow up a balloon until it fills the body at 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide, or roll up a towel to the same width.
- Put the balloon or towel inside the holder. Line up the shell columns so they run straight from bottom to top.
- Mist the outside until it is damp. Do not soak it.
- Gently shape each scale with your fingers so the shell edges lie smooth and overlap neatly.
- Pull the bottom ring and the top scallops into even circles.
- Hang the strap straight down with no twist and let everything dry fully, about 24 hours.
- Remove the balloon or towel. Check the final size: 13.75 in (34.9 cm) tall and 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The bottom ring has 32 sc and lies 4 in (10.2 cm) wide flat.
- Every shell round has 8 sc and 8 shells.
- The shell sizes run 5, 5, 7, 7, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 7, 7, 5, 5 from Rnd 4 to Rnd 17.
- The widest round measures 7.5 in (19.1 cm) flat.
- Rnd 18 has 40 sc, and Rnd 19 has 10 even scallops.
- The strap anchors sit exactly opposite each other and the strap has no twist.
- All ends are woven in on the inside.
- A plastic bag pulls easily through the bottom ring.
Troubleshooting
The scales stack straight up instead of staggering. You probably worked a shell into a shell. Each shell has to go into an sc, and each sc has to go into the center dc of a shell.
The round’s join moves around the body. This is expected. Each round starts at the center of a shell, half a repeat over from the last start point. The traveling join blends into the shell pattern and keeps you from getting a visible seam.
The holder looks like a ball instead of an egg. The 9-dc section is probably too long, or your shells are too loose. Check that you worked exactly 6 rounds of 9-dc shells (Rnds 8–13). If the shells are still too wide, go down a hook size.
The top edge flares. Work Rnd 18 more tightly, or use a 4.5 mm (7) hook for Rnds 18–19 only.
Bags fall straight through the bottom. The ring has stretched. Work one extra round of 32 sc in cream, or tighten your tension on Rnds 1–3.
The strap stretches over time. Work a row of sl sts along the strap’s outer edge, or use cotton yarn, which stretches less.
Care
Hand wash in cool water. Press out the water without wringing, and dry flat over a rolled towel to keep the egg shape. Do not tumble dry, because the heat can stretch the shells.
Final Notes
Everything in this pattern follows one measurement chain. The 32-st ring is 8 in (20.3 cm) around. Eight shell repeats grow from 9 in (22.9 cm) to 12 in (30.5 cm) to 15 in (38.1 cm) around, then shrink back down. Fourteen shell rounds at 0.875 in (2.2 cm) each give 12.25 in (31.1 cm) of body. With the ring, that makes 13 in (33.0 cm). The 0.75 in (1.9 cm) cream edging brings the total to 13.75 in (34.9 cm), and a 14 in (35.6 cm) strap hangs it.
If your ring and your first shell rounds match the checkpoints, the rest will follow. Fill it with bags, hang it by the door, and enjoy how much tidier the cupboard looks.
Happy crocheting!