This wine bottle bag looks like a gingerbread cookie made from yarn. A warm cinnamon-brown V-stitch lattice wraps the bottle. A cream shell ruffle frames the neck, and a small cream heart with a burgundy bow sits on the front like a gift tag.
The colors are cinnamon brown, soft cream and deep burgundy. The style is cozy and rustic, so the bag suits a holiday table, a hostess gift or a winter birthday. The open lattice lets the glass show through, so the bottle still looks like part of the gift.
All instructions use US crochet terms. The finished bag measures 10.25 in (26.0 cm) tall and 10.7 in (27.2 cm) around. It fits a standard 750 ml bottle about 3 in (7.6 cm) across and 12 in (30.5 cm) tall.
You start with a flat circle for the base and turn it into a tube with one back-loop round. You work the body in joined rounds of V-stitches. A cream eyelet round and a shell round finish the top. Then you make two chain drawstrings, a heart and a small bow, and sew them on. The bag is one seamless piece with no joining.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 10.25 in (26.0 cm) tall x 10.7 in (27.2 cm) around; 5.3 in (13.5 cm) wide when flat
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (#3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.0 mm (US G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 main bag, plus 1 heart appliqué, 1 bow and 2 drawstrings
- Layout: One piece worked bottom-up in joined rounds, with no seams
- Base diameter: 3.4 in (8.6 cm)
- Size before border: 9 in (22.9 cm) tall x 10.7 in (27.2 cm) around
- Border depth: 1.25 in (3.2 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth DK cotton or cotton blend. Cotton gives crisp V-stitches and clear triangle openings. Acrylic also works, but it stretches more, so check the size on the bottle often.
- Color A, cinnamon brown: 70 g, about 161 m (base, body and drawstrings)
- Color B, cream: 15 g, about 35 m (eyelet band, shells and heart)
- Color C, burgundy: 2 g, about 5 m (bow)
All quantities include a small safety margin.
Tools:
- 4.0 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- A 750 ml wine bottle for fitting
- Pins and a spray bottle for blocking
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
Special stitches:
- V-stitch (V-st): (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch or space.
- Shell: 7 dc in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 18 dc and 8 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm) with a 4.0 mm hook.
Use the base as your gauge test. Work Rounds 1–4 and measure before you go on. If the base matches, the body will match too, because every later round keeps the same 48-stitch count.
Checkpoints:
- After Round 1: 1 in (2.5 cm) across
- After Round 2: 1.8 in (4.6 cm) across
- After Round 3: 2.6 in (6.6 cm) across
- After Round 4: 3.4 in (8.6 cm) across
- From Round 6 on: each V-st round adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of height
- After Round 23: 9 in (22.9 cm) tall from the base edge
- After Round 25: 10.25 in (26.0 cm) tall
If your base is too big: go down to a 3.75 mm (US F-5) hook.
If your base is too small: go up to a 4.5 mm (US 7) hook.
Don’t change the stitch counts. The V-st and shell repeats only work with 48 stitches.
Base
Work with Color A. Join each round with a sl st to the top of the beginning chain. The beginning ch 3 counts as a dc.
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3, 11 dc in ring. Pull the ring tight. Join. (12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around. Join. (24 dc)
Round 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st; rep from * around. Join. (36 dc)
Round 4: Ch 3, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc in each of next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * around. Join. (48 dc)
Check the base now. It should lie flat and measure 3.4 in (8.6 cm) across. If the edge ruffles, the base is too loose. If it cups, it’s too tight.
Body
Round 5 (turning round): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around. Join to first sc. (48 sc)
The unworked front loops make a neat ridge around the base, and the work now turns upward into a tube. This round adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of height.
Round 6 (V-st setup): Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), dc in same st as join (first V-st made), sk 2 sts, V-st in next st; rep from * 14 more times, sk last 2 sts. Join to 3rd ch of beginning ch 4. (16 V-sts = 32 dc + 16 ch-1 sps, 48 sts)
Round 7: Sl st into first ch-1 sp. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), dc in same sp, V-st in ch-1 sp of next V-st; rep from * 14 more times. Join to 3rd ch of beginning ch 4. (16 V-sts, 48 sts)
Rounds 8–22: Rep Round 7. (16 V-sts, 48 sts in each round)
Each V-st sits right on top of the one below, so the V-sts form straight vertical columns. The open gaps between the columns make the triangle lattice. You now have 17 V-st rounds (Rounds 6–22), which add 8.5 in (21.6 cm).
Tension tip: Keep your chain-1 at the center of each V-st loose enough to fit the hook easily. If it’s too tight, the next round is hard to work and the columns lean. Every few rounds, slide the bag onto the bottle so you can see that the columns stay straight.
Round 23 (conversion round): Ch 1, sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp around. Join to first sc. (48 sc = 48 sts worked one in each existing st + 0 added)
Body checkpoint: The bag should measure 9 in (22.9 cm) tall from the base edge and 10.7 in (27.2 cm) around. Slide it onto the bottle. The top should sit where the bottle starts to narrow into the neck. Fasten off Color A.
Border: Eyelet Band and Shell Ruffle
Border gauge: One shell repeat covers 4 sts of Round 23, about 0.9 in (2.3 cm). The finished border is 1.25 in (3.2 cm) deep.
Round 24 (eyelet round): Join Color B in any sc. Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), sk next st, dc in next st, ch 1, sk next st; rep from * around. Join to 3rd ch of beginning ch 4. (24 dc + 24 ch-1 sps = 48 sts; 24 eyelets)
This round adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm). The ch-1 spaces are the eyelets for the drawstrings.
Round 25 (shells): Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sk ch-1 sp, shell (7 dc) in next dc, sk ch-1 sp, sc in next dc; rep from * around, ending with a shell in the last dc, then sk the last ch-1 sp. Join to first sc. (12 sc + 12 shells of 7 dc = 96 sts)
This round adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Why the math works: Round 23 has 48 sts. Round 24 uses them in pairs (dc, ch 1), so it has 24 dc and 24 ch-1 sps. Round 25 works only into the 24 dc, alternating sc and shell, so you get 12 sc and 12 shells with nothing left over. Because the shells sit in the dc and not in the spaces, every eyelet stays open for the drawstrings.
Drawstrings (Make 2)
With Color A, ch 88. Sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (87 sl sts) Fasten off.
Each cord should be about 16 in (40.6 cm) long. If yours is shorter or longer, add or remove chains.
Threading: Start Cord 1 at the right side of the bag. Weave it over and under through all 24 eyelets and bring it out next to where it went in. Start Cord 2 on the opposite side, 12 eyelets away, and weave it all the way around the same way. Tie an overhand knot 0.5 in (1.3 cm) from each cord end and trim the tails close.
Pull both pairs of ends at the same time to gather the shells into a ruffle around the neck.
Heart Appliqué
Work with Color B.
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3, 3 tr, 3 dc, ch 1, tr, ch 1, 3 dc, 3 tr, ch 3, sl st in ring. Pull the ring tight to close the dip at the top of the heart. The heart should measure about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide.
Round 2 (edging): Ch 1. Working around Round 1: sc in each of 3 ch, 2 sc in each of next 3 tr, sc in each of next 3 dc, sc in ch-1 sp, (sc, ch 1, sc) in point tr, sc in ch-1 sp, sc in each of next 3 dc, 2 sc in each of next 3 tr, sc in each of 3 ch. Sl st in center ring. (28 sc + 1 ch-1 point)
The extra sc on the curves give the lobes a smooth outline and a slightly raised edge. The finished heart is 2 in (5.1 cm) wide x 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall. Leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing.
Bow
With Color C, ch 40, about 7 in (17.8 cm) long. Fasten off. Tie the chain into a small bow about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and trim the tails to 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Assembly
- Pin the heart to the center front, with its top 1 in (2.5 cm) below Round 23.
- Whipstitch around the edge of Round 2, catching the V-st dc behind it. Pass the needle behind the work across the open gaps so the sewing doesn’t show through.
- Sew the bow to the center of the heart with Color C, using 3–4 small stitches through the knot.
- Weave in all the ends.
Final Blocking
- Lightly spray the bag until it’s damp, not soaked.
- Slide it over the bottle or a rolled towel 3 in (7.6 cm) across.
- Smooth the V-st columns so they run straight up and down.
- Ease each shell into an even fan.
- Lay the heart flat and pin the point and both lobes.
- Let everything dry completely before you take it off.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The base is flat and measures 3.4 in (8.6 cm) across
- Every V-st round has 16 V-sts
- The body measures 9 in (22.9 cm) before the border
- The eyelet round has 24 even eyelets
- There are 12 shells, all the same size
- The finished height is 10.25 in (26.0 cm)
- Both drawstrings are 16 in (40.6 cm) long with knotted ends
- The heart is centered and the bow is secure
- All ends are woven in
Troubleshooting
The V-st columns twist around the bag: Make sure each round starts with a sl st into the ch-1 sp, not into the dc.
The base ruffles: Your tension is loose. Try a smaller hook or recount your increases.
The base cups: Your tension is tight, or you missed an increase. Recount to 48.
The bag is too short: Add one V-st round. Each one adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
The bag is too loose on the bottle: Pull the drawstrings tighter, or go down a hook size and work the body again.
The shells look crowded: Check that you skipped both ch-1 spaces next to each shell.
The heart point is blunt: Make sure you worked (sc, ch 1, sc) into the point tr.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry. Reshape the shells and the heart while they’re damp.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain. The 48-stitch base is 3.4 in (8.6 cm) across and becomes a tube of 16 V-sts, 10.7 in (27.2 cm) around. Seventeen V-st rounds take the bag to 9 in (22.9 cm). The 24 eyelets and 12 shells finish it at 10.25 in (26.0 cm). If you check each step, the bag will fit a standard bottle snugly and look festive on any table.
Happy crocheting!