This plastic bag holder is a practical kitchen piece with a calm, Mediterranean look. A light lavender tube narrows toward the bottom, a dark plum scalloped edge finishes the top, and an olive branch with green leaves and plum olives sits on the front.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures 9 in (22.9 cm) wide when laid flat at the top, 4 in (10.2 cm) wide at the bottom, and 14.75 in (37.5 cm) tall, plus a 12 in (30.5 cm) cord handle.
You work the whole body in one piece from the bottom up, in joined rounds of single crochet. You start with the plum bag-opening band, then switch to lavender and increase slowly to the full top width. A plum round and a shell scallop finish the top. The olive branch is cross-stitched over the single crochet grid at the end, so you never carry several colors inside the tube.
Stuff bags in through the top and pull them out one at a time through the bottom opening.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 9 in (22.9 cm) wide flat at top x 14.75 in (37.5 cm) tall, excluding handle
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 body (worked in the round) + 1 cord handle
- Layout: Single tube, seam line at one side, motif centered on the front
- Piece size: Bottom 4 in (10.2 cm) flat, top 9 in (22.9 cm) flat
- Size before border: 9 in (22.9 cm) x 14 in (35.6 cm)
- Border depth: 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton or cotton blend in worsted weight, roughly 200 m per 100 g. Cotton holds its shape when the holder is full and does not stretch out over time.
- Color A, light lavender: 170 g (about 340 m)
- Color B, dark plum: 40 g (about 80 m), for the bottom band, top edge, handle and olives
- Color C, olive green: 10 g (about 20 m), for the leaves
- Color D, brown: 5 g (about 10 m), for the branch
Each amount includes a margin of about 15 percent for your gauge swatch and tension differences.
Tools:
- 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle with a blunt tip
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Short length of contrasting scrap yarn
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Pins and a spray bottle for blocking
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
Special stitch – Shell: 7 dc in the same stitch.
Romanian cord: Ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook. *Turn the work clockwise like a page, insert hook into the vertical loop now facing you on the left, and sc. Repeat from * to make a firm, twisted round cord.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in joined rounds.
That works out to 4 sts per inch and 4.5 rnds per inch. A firm gauge matters here because the holder has to carry weight without sagging.
Test first: work Rnds 1–9 of the body and check the stitch count and width before going further. These first rounds act as your swatch.
Checkpoints (measured flat):
- After Rnd 4: 32 sts, 4 in (10.2 cm) wide
- After Rnd 9: 48 sts, 6 in (15.2 cm) wide, about 2 in (5.1 cm) tall
- After Rnd 18: 56 sts, 7 in (17.8 cm) wide, 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- After Rnd 36: 72 sts, 9 in (22.9 cm) wide, 8 in (20.3 cm) tall
- After Rnd 54: 72 sts, 9 in (22.9 cm) wide, 12 in (30.5 cm) tall
- After Rnd 63: 72 sts, 9 in (22.9 cm) wide, 14 in (35.6 cm) tall
If your piece is too big: go down to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook. If it is too small: go up to a 4.5 mm (7) hook. Change hooks early, at the Rnd 9 check, rather than late.
Body
Every round is joined with a sl st to the first sc and begins with ch 1, which does not count as a stitch. Work the first sc of each round into the same st as the join. The joins form a faint line up one side. That line is the side edge, and later one end of the handle covers it.
To keep the increases from stacking into corners, you can shift the start of each repeat by one or two stitches on alternate increase rounds. The stitch counts stay the same.
Bottom Band (Color B)
Rnd 1: With B, ch 32, join with sl st to first ch to form a ring, taking care not to twist. Ch 1, sc in each ch around, join. (32 sts)
Rnds 2–4: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (32 sts)
This plum band becomes the bag opening, about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across. It rolls slightly outward as it settles, which gives the soft lip seen at the bottom.
Fasten off B.
Lower Body (Color A)
Rnd 5: Join A. Ch 1, [sc 3, inc] 8 times, join. (40 sts)
Rnds 6–7: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (40 sts)
Rnd 8: Ch 1, [sc 4, inc] 8 times, join. (48 sts)
Rnds 9–11: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sts)
Rnd 12: Ch 1, [sc 5, inc] 8 times, join. (56 sts)
Rnds 13–20: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (56 sts)
The quick increases in Rnds 5–12 make the rounded bottom curve. After that the taper becomes gradual.
Upper Body (Color A)
Rnd 21: Ch 1, [sc 6, inc] 8 times, join. (64 sts)
Rnds 22–35: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (64 sts)
Rnd 36: Ch 1, [sc 7, inc] 8 times, join. (72 sts)
Rnds 37–62: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (72 sts)
Fasten off A.
Top Round (Color B)
Rnd 63: Join B in the st at the join line. Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (72 sts)
Do not fasten off. Before the scallop, mark the handle points: place one marker in st 1 (at the join line) and one in st 37, directly opposite. Lay the tube flat with these markers at the two folds. The front now holds 36 sts and the back holds 36 sts.
Border: Shell Scallop
Border gauge: one scallop repeat uses 6 sts and spans 1.5 in (3.8 cm). The border is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) deep.
Rnd 64 (scallop): Ch 1, sc in first st, sk 2 sts, shell in next st, sk 2 sts, sc in next st. Repeat from * to * around, ending the last repeat with sk 2 sts, shell in next st, sk 2 sts, then join with sl st to the first sc. (12 shells, 12 sc)
Count per side: 36 sts per side ÷ 6 sts per repeat = 6 shells across the front and 6 across the back.
Why the math works: each repeat uses exactly 6 sts of Rnd 63: 1 sc, 2 skipped, 1 shell st, 2 skipped. 72 ÷ 6 = 12 repeats with nothing left over, so the last shell meets the first sc evenly. The 7 dc shells give each scallop enough height and width to curve without ruffling.
Fasten off and weave in the end.
Handle
With B, work a Romanian cord until it measures 12 in (30.5 cm). Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. Leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) starting tail as well.
Place one cord end on the inside of the tube at the marker in st 1, with 1 in (2.5 cm) of cord overlapping below Rnd 63. Sew it firmly through Rnds 61–63 with the tail. Repeat at the marker in st 37. The handle forms an arch about 5 in (12.7 cm) high above the scallops.
Sew through both layers of the cord and the body twice, because the handle carries the full weight of the bags.
Olive Branch Motif
The motif is worked in cross-stitch, one X over each sc. Use a single strand of yarn and a tapestry needle. Work each X from the front, and keep it loose enough that the sc beneath stays flat.
Mark the center: lay the tube flat with the side markers at the folds. Run a line of scrap yarn straight up the front center from Rnd 14 to Rnd 58. Call that column of stitches C. Columns to the right are R1, R2 and so on; columns to the left are L1, L2 and so on. Count rounds up from the bottom.
Branch (Color D): Start at Rnd 56, column R9. Work one X in each round down to Rnd 22, moving one column to the left every 2 rounds. That is 35 X’s ending at column L8.
Olive stems (Color D): from the branch at Rnds 50, 45, 40, 35 and 30, work 2 X’s going diagonally down and to the right, one round down and one column right each.
Olives (Color B, 5 total): hang one olive from the end of each stem. Each olive is 5 rnds tall, with widths of 2, 4, 4, 4, 2 X’s from top to bottom (16 X’s). Center each olive under its stem.
Leaves (Color C, 10 total): each leaf is 6 rnds tall, with widths of 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 X’s (10 X’s). Shift the leaf one column outward every 2 rounds so it angles away from the branch. Place 5 leaves on the left of the branch, starting at Rnds 54, 47, 40, 33 and 26. Place 3 on the right side, above the olives, at Rnds 56, 52 and 24. Place 2 more at the tip, one on each side of Rnd 22.
Remove the scrap yarn and weave all ends in on the inside.
Final Blocking
- Turn the holder right side out and check that the motif ends are secure inside.
- Lay it flat with the side markers at the folds, then remove the markers.
- Spray it lightly with water until it is damp but not wet.
- Pat the body to 9 in (22.9 cm) wide at the top and 14 in (35.6 cm) tall to the top of Rnd 63.
- Pin each scallop into a rounded shape, so the border reaches 14.75 in (37.5 cm) total height.
- Gently roll the bottom band outward with your fingers.
- Let it dry completely before hanging.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Stitch counts: 32, 40, 48, 56, 64 and 72 at the correct rounds
- Top flat width 9 in (22.9 cm), bottom 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Body height 14 in (35.6 cm), total 14.75 in (37.5 cm)
- 12 even scallops, 6 per side
- Handle sewn at exact opposite points, arch about 5 in (12.7 cm) high
- Branch runs diagonally from upper right to lower left
- 5 olives and 10 leaves, all X’s crossing in the same direction
- No loose ends on the outside
Troubleshooting
The tube is twisting. Joined rounds should prevent this. Check that you start each round in the same st as the join and not in the next stitch.
There are corners at the increases. Shift the starting point of the increase repeats on alternate increase rounds.
The scallops ruffle. Your shells are too loose. Go down to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook for Rnd 64 only.
The scallops pull in. Use a 4.5 mm (7) hook for the shell round.
Cross-stitches are puckering. Loosen each X, and do not pull the yarn across the back between distant areas. Fasten off and restart instead.
The handle is stretching. Sew it lower, through Rnds 60–63, and go through the cord twice.
Bags fall out of the bottom. Your gauge is too loose. Remake the bottom band with a smaller hook, or work one extra round of sc in B.
Care
Hand-wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, reshaping the scallops while damp. Avoid wringing, which can distort the cross-stitched motif.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. Gauge of 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 32-st bottom 4 in (10.2 cm) wide and a 72-st top 9 in (22.9 cm) wide. 63 rounds at 4.5 rnds per inch gives 14 in (35.6 cm). Twelve 6-st scallops add 0.75 in (1.9 cm), for 14.75 in (37.5 cm) total. Check at each stage and the finished holder will match.
Happy crocheting!