This tulip bag holder turns a pile of plastic grocery bags into a tidy piece of wall decor. It looks like a single closed tulip bud. The body is dusty pink, sage-green leaves wrap around the base, and a small green cuff at the bottom lets you pull out one bag at a time.
The petals and leaves are separate appliqués with a raised center line. They are stitched onto a plain single-crochet tube, so the shaping looks detailed while the body itself is easy to work. The petal tips rise above the rim and give the top a soft scalloped edge.
The finished holder measures about 10.75 in (27.3 cm) tall and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide when flat, not counting the strap. The bottom opening is about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across. This pattern uses US crochet terms.
You work the body from the bottom up in joined rounds: a green cuff, a short increase section, and then a straight pink tube. Next you make four petals, four leaves and one strap, then sew everything on. Short edgings finish the top and bottom openings.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 10.75 in (27.3 cm) tall × 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide flat, without the strap
- Skill level: Intermediate (easy stitches, careful assembly)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 10 (1 body tube, 4 petals, 4 leaves, 1 strap), sewn into one holder
- Layout: Petals and leaves are centered at four evenly spaced points around the body
- Body size before edging: 10 in (25.4 cm) tall × 5.5 in (14.0 cm) flat
- Petal size: 6.75 in (17.1 cm) long × 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide
- Leaf size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long × 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide
- Edging depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) at the top, 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at the bottom
Materials
Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton keeps its shape, clearly shows the stitch texture and raised petal lines, and won’t stretch much when the holder is packed with bags. Acrylic also works, but the tube will be a little stretchier.
- Pink (body, petals, strap): 130 g / 247 m
- Sage green (cuff, base, leaves): 50 g / 95 m
These amounts are based on a yarn with about 190 m per 100 g. They include a margin of about 15% for your gauge swatch and for sewing tails.
Tools:
- 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Rust-proof pins
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- A rolled towel or a 5 in (12.7 cm) wide bottle for blocking
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
Special stitch – reverse single crochet (rev sc): Working from left to right (right to left if you crochet left-handed), insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops. This makes a firm, rope-like edge.
Surface slip stitch: Hold the yarn behind the piece. Insert the hook from front to back between stitches, pull up a loop and draw it through the loop on your hook. Repeat to make a raised line of chain-like stitches.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc × 18 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in joined rounds.
That works out to 4 stitches and 4.5 rounds per inch. Rather than a flat swatch, work the cuff (Rounds 1–4) first and use it as your test piece, since tube gauge is often tighter than flat gauge.
Checkpoints:
- After Round 4: the cuff measures 4 in (10.2 cm) flat and about 0.9 in (2.3 cm) tall.
- After Round 10: the body measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) flat and 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall.
- After Round 45: the body measures 10 in (25.4 cm) tall.
- After the edgings: the body measures 10.75 in (27.3 cm) tall.
If your cuff is bigger than 4 in (10.2 cm) flat, go down 0.5 mm in hook size. If it is smaller, go up 0.5 mm. Don’t add or remove stitches to fix gauge, because the petal and leaf spacing depends on the 44-stitch body.
Body
Work in joined rounds. Do not turn. Start each round with ch 1, which does not count as a stitch, and join each round with a sl st to the first sc. Put a marker in the first stitch of Round 1 and move it up each round. This marker shows the side of the body, where the joins line up.
Foundation (green): Ch 32. Join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring, making sure the chain is not twisted.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around, join. (32 sts)
Rnds 2–4: Ch 1, sc BLO in each st around, join. (32 sts)
The back-loop rounds make the horizontal ridges on the cuff. Check the 4 in (10.2 cm) flat measurement now.
Rnd 5: Ch 1, working through both loops, sc in next 3 sts, inc in next st; repeat from * 8 times, join. (40 sts)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (40 sts)
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in next 9 sts, inc in next st; repeat from * 4 times, join. (44 sts)
Rnds 8–10: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (44 sts) On the final join of Round 10, pull pink through and cut the green, leaving a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail.
The body should now measure 5.5 in (14.0 cm) flat and 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall.
Rnds 11–45 (pink): Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (44 sts) That is 35 pink rounds in total.
Fasten off after Round 45 and weave in the green tail on the inside. The tube now measures 10 in (25.4 cm) tall.
Placement markers: On Round 45, number the stitches starting from the marked stitch. Place markers in stitches 1, 12, 23 and 34. These four points are exactly 11 stitches, or 2.75 in (7.0 cm), apart. They are the centerlines for the petals and leaves. Stitches 1 and 23 are the two sides, where the strap will go. Stitch 12 is the front and stitch 34 is the back.
Petals (Make 4, Pink)
Each petal is worked around both sides of a foundation chain. This gives a pointed almond shape that is tall in the middle and tapered at both ends.
Ch 26.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 ch, hdc in next 4 ch, dc in next 10 ch, hdc in next 4 ch, sc in next 3 ch (24 sts). Work 3 sc in the last ch to turn the tip. Rotate the piece and work along the free loops of the chain: sc in next 3 ch, hdc in next 4 ch, dc in next 10 ch, hdc in next 4 ch, sc in next 3 ch (24 sts). Join. (51 sts: 24 + 3 + 24)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each of next 24 sts, sc in first tip sc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in center tip sc, sc in last tip sc, sc in each of next 24 sts, join. (52 sc + one ch-2 tip sp)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in each of next 26 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp, sc in each of next 26 sts, join. (54 sc + one ch-2 tip sp)
Fasten off, leaving a 20 in (50.8 cm) tail for sewing.
Center line: With pink, work surface slip stitches along the line of the foundation chain, from the base to just below the tip. This adds the raised center line.
Each petal measures 6.75 in (17.1 cm) long and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) at its widest point. Lay all four petals on top of each other. They should match within 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Leaves (Make 4, Green)
The leaves use the same construction as the petals, on a smaller scale.
Ch 18.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, hdc in next 3 ch, dc in next 6 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, sc in next 2 ch (16 sts). Work 3 sc in the last ch. Along the free loops: sc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, dc in next 6 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, sc in next 2 ch (16 sts). Join. (35 sts: 16 + 3 + 16)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each of next 16 sts, sc in first tip sc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in center tip sc, sc in last tip sc, sc in each of next 16 sts, join. (36 sc + one ch-2 tip sp)
Fasten off, leaving a 16 in (40.6 cm) tail. Work a green surface slip stitch vein along the foundation chain.
Each leaf measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long and 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide.
Strap (Pink)
Ch 4.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch. (3 sts)
Rows 2–45: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (3 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail at each end. The strap measures 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide and 10 in (25.4 cm) long.
Assembly
Petals: Pin each petal with its center line on one of the marked columns (stitches 1, 12, 23 and 34). The base point goes on Round 20, about 4.7 in (11.9 cm) above the bottom of the finished holder. The tip extends above the rim. Whipstitch around the sides of each petal, stopping 1.5 in (3.8 cm) below the tip so the top stays free. Neighboring petals should meet or overlap slightly at their widest point.
Leaves: Pin one leaf directly below each petal. The leaf base goes just above the cuff at Round 5, and the tip points upward over the petal base. Each leaf overlaps its petal by about 1 in (2.5 cm). Whipstitch the full outline except the top 1 in (2.5 cm), which stays loose for a natural lift.
Strap: Sew each strap end to the inside of the body at stitches 1 and 23 (the two sides). Overlap 1 in (2.5 cm) of strap below the rim and sew a box shape through both layers. Wait until after the top edging is done so the edging does not catch the strap.
Border
The top and bottom openings each get a short edging. The border gauge is the body gauge: 4 sts per inch around. A round of sc adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of height, and a round of rev sc adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Top edging (pink): Join pink in the marked side stitch of Round 45.
- Border Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (44 sts: 44 worked 1-per-existing-stitch + 0 added)
- Border Rnd 2: Ch 1, rev sc in each st around, join. (44 sts: 44 worked 1-per-existing-stitch + 0 added)
Fasten off. The top edging adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Bottom edging (green): Hold the holder upside down and join green in any free loop of the foundation chain.
- Border Rnd 1: Ch 1, rev sc in each free loop around, join. (32 sts: 32 worked 1-per-existing-stitch + 0 added)
Fasten off. The bottom edging adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Why the math works: Each edging is worked one stitch into each existing stitch, with no increases or decreases. The top stays at 44 sts, or 11 in (27.9 cm) around, and the cuff stays at 32 sts, or 8 in (20.3 cm) around. Because of that, the rim does not flare and the opening does not tighten. Total height: 10 in (25.4 cm) + 0.5 in (1.3 cm) + 0.25 in (0.6 cm) = 10.75 in (27.3 cm). The petal tips sit about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) above the finished rim.
Final Blocking
- Lightly spray the whole holder with water until it is damp but not soaked.
- Slide the holder over a rolled towel or a bottle about 5 in (12.7 cm) wide so the tube is round.
- Smooth the petals flat against the body and press the center lines so they stand up.
- Shape the free petal tips so they curve slightly outward.
- Pin the leaf tips in place and roll the cuff ridges so they sit evenly.
- Check that the body is 10.75 in (27.3 cm) tall and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) flat.
- Let it dry completely before you remove the form.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body rounds hold 32, 40 and then 44 sts as written.
- All four petals match in size and sit on stitches 1, 12, 23 and 34.
- Petal tips rise about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) above the rim.
- Leaves cover the petal bases by about 1 in (2.5 cm).
- The strap is sewn at both sides and the holder hangs straight.
- The bottom opening lets one bag pull through easily.
- All tails are woven in on the inside.
Troubleshooting
The tube leans or spirals: You may be skipping the join or working into the joining sl st. Make sure each round starts in the first sc.
Petals curl: Your Round 1 dc tension is tight. Block them flat, or go up 0.5 mm in hook size for the petals only.
Gaps between petals: Pin all four petals before sewing so you can spread any gap evenly.
Bags won’t come out: The cuff is too tight. Rework it with a looser foundation chain.
The holder hangs crooked: The strap ends are not directly opposite each other. Re-sew them at stitches 1 and 23.
Care
Hand wash cool, press out the water in a towel and dry flat over a form. Don’t tumble dry, which can shrink cotton and distort the petals.
Final Notes
Everything starts with the gauge of 16 sc × 18 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm). That gauge gives a 32-stitch cuff 4 in (10.2 cm) flat and a 44-stitch body 5.5 in (14.0 cm) flat. With 45 rounds, the body is 10 in (25.4 cm) tall, and the edgings bring it to 10.75 in (27.3 cm). The 11-stitch spacing places the four 6.75 in (17.1 cm) petals and the four 4.5 in (11.4 cm) leaves evenly around the body. Check each measurement as you go, and the tulip will come together cleanly.
Happy crocheting!