The Bluebell Heart Bag Holder keeps plastic shopping bags tidy. You stuff bags in through the wide top opening and pull them out one at a time through the small cuffed opening at the bottom. The light blue body bulges into a soft heart shape, and a white lace frill fans out behind it, so it looks good hanging on a kitchen wall.
The palette is light blue for the body and strap and crisp white for the frill and bottom cuff. Dense single crochet keeps the bags hidden, and the airy white mesh adds a vintage, cottage-kitchen touch.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished body measures about 9 in (22.9 cm) wide and 9.5 in (24.1 cm) tall at the side peaks. With the cuff, the total height is about 10.25 in (26.0 cm). With the frill, the full width is about 13 in (33.0 cm).
Construction is simple. You work the body bottom-up as a seamless tube, starting from a chained ring that becomes the dispensing opening. Increases at the two side folds widen it, and chevron shaping at the top makes the heart dip. A white cuff goes into the starting chain, a white mesh frill is worked off the side folds, and a separate strap is sewn inside the peaks.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished body size: 9 in (22.9 cm) wide x 9.5 in (24.1 cm) tall at the peaks
- Total height with cuff: about 10.25 in (26.0 cm)
- Width including frill: about 13 in (33.0 cm)
- Skill level: Easy+
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted / medium (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 body with attached cuff and frill, plus 1 strap sewn on
- Layout: Single item. The tube is flattened with the folds at the left and right sides.
- Bottom opening: 6 in (15.2 cm) around, about 1.9 in (4.8 cm) across
- Size before frill: 9 in (22.9 cm) x 9.5 in (24.1 cm)
- Frill depth: about 2 in (5.1 cm) beyond each side fold
Materials
Use a smooth cotton or cotton-blend worsted yarn. Cotton holds its shape, resists stretching under the weight of the bags, and washes well. Avoid very fuzzy yarn, because the mesh frill needs clear stitch definition.
- Light blue: about 100 g / 155 m (body and strap)
- White: about 50 g / 77 m (cuff and frill)
These quantities include a margin of roughly 15–20%.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– 4 locking stitch markers
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Measuring tape
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat or towel
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- rnd – round
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
- RS – right side
Special stitch – sc3tog: Insert the hook in the next st, yarn over and pull up a loop. Repeat in each of the next 2 sts (4 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. This decreases by 2 sts and leaves 1 st centered over the middle of the 3.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in the round. That is 4 sts and 4.5 rnds per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Treat the first 13 rounds of the body as your gauge test. They show quickly whether the final width will be right.
Checkpoints:
– After Rnd 1: The ring lies flat at about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide (6 in / 15.2 cm around).
– After Rnd 13: The flattened tube measures 9 in (22.9 cm) wide and about 2.9 in (7.4 cm) tall.
– After Rnd 34: The body is about 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall.
– After Rnd 42: The peaks are about 9.3 in (23.6 cm) tall, and the center dips are about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) lower.
If the body is too big: Your stitches are too loose. Go down to a 4.5 mm hook and restart.
If the body is too small: Your stitches are too tight. Go up to a 5.5 mm hook.
A difference of 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across the flat width changes the circumference by 1 in (2.5 cm). Fix the gauge rather than adding stitches, so the stitch counts below stay valid.
Body (Light Blue)
Work in joined rounds. The ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a stitch. Join each round with a sl st to the first sc. Do not turn.
Foundation: Ch 24. Without twisting the chain, join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1. Sc in each ch around and join. (24 sts)
Place marker A in the 1st sc and marker B in the 13th sc. These mark the two side folds, with 11 sts between them on each half.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 3 sc in the st with marker A, sc in the next 11 sts, 3 sc in the st with marker B, sc in the next 11 sts, join. (28 sts)
Move each marker to the center sc of its 3-sc group.
Rnds 3–13: Ch 1. Sc in each st to marker A, 3 sc in the marked st, sc in each st to marker B, 3 sc in the marked st, sc in each remaining st, join. Move each marker to the new center st every round.
Each round adds 4 sts:
– Rnd 3: 32
– Rnd 4: 36
– Rnd 5: 40
– Rnd 6: 44
– Rnd 7: 48
– Rnd 8: 52
– Rnd 9: 56
– Rnd 10: 60
– Rnd 11: 64
– Rnd 12: 68
– Rnd 13: 72
Because the increases sit only at the folds, the bottom flares quickly from the narrow opening into the round lower curve of the heart.
Rnds 14–34: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (72 sts each round, 21 rounds)
Keep the side markers in place by moving them up every few rounds.
Checkpoint: Flattened width 9 in (22.9 cm), height about 7.5 in (19.1 cm).
Set up the heart top. Lay the tube flat with the markers at the folds. Each half has 35 sts between the side markers. Count to the 18th of those sts on the front and place marker C there. Do the same on the back with marker D. There are now 17 sts between each side marker and each center marker.
Rnds 35–42 (chevron shaping): Ch 1. Work around as follows:
– sc to 1 st before a center marker, then sc3tog over that st, the marked st and the next st, and move the marker to the sc3tog
– sc to the next side marker, then 3 sc in the marked st, and move the marker to the center sc
– repeat around and join
Each round loses 4 sts at the centers and gains 4 at the peaks: 72 – 4 + 4 = 72 sts every round. Check it by sections: 2 peak sts + 2 valley sts + 4 sections of 17 sts = 72.
This works like a ripple. Decreases pull the centers down into the V, and increases push the sides up into the two rounded lobes.
Rnd 43 (top edge): Ch 1. Sl st loosely in each st around, join. (72 sl sts)
Fasten off and weave in the end.
Checkpoint: The peaks stand about 9.5 in (24.1 cm) tall, including the edge. Each V dips about 1.75 in (4.4 cm), so the center front height is about 7.75 in (19.7 cm).
Bottom Cuff (White)
Hold the body upside down, with the foundation ring on top.
Rnd 1: Join white in any free loop of the foundation chain. Ch 1, sc in each free loop around, join. (24 sts)
Rnds 2–3: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (24 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sl st in each st around, join. (24 sl sts)
Fasten off. The cuff stands about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall and rolls slightly outward, which makes a smooth, firm rim for pulling bags through.
Strap (Light Blue)
Foundation: Ch 49.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (48 sts)
Rows 2–3: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (48 sts)
Fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. The strap is 12 in (30.5 cm) long and about 0.7 in (1.8 cm) wide.
Lay each end 1 in (2.5 cm) down inside one side peak, centered on the fold. Whipstitch the end securely, going through both strap layers. The finished loop rises about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) above the peaks.
Border: White Lace Frill
The frill acts as the border. It is worked off the side folds, from the right peak, down and around behind the cuff, and up to the left peak. The top opening stays clear.
Border gauge: Along each fold you work 1 sc per body round. That is 4.5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm), matching the row gauge, so the frill sits flat without ruffling or cupping.
Foundation Row (RS): Lay the body flat with the front facing you.
– Right side: Join white at the right peak, in the fold st of Rnd 42. Work 1 sc into the fold st of each round, going down to Rnd 1. (42 sc)
– Bridge: Ch 7 across the back of the body, just above the cuff. (7 ch)
– Left side: Work 1 sc into the fold st of each round, from Rnd 1 up to Rnd 42. (42 sc)
Total: 42 + 7 + 42 = 91 sts. Treat each ch as a stitch.
Row 1: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first st, ch 5, skip 2 sts, sc in the next st. Repeat from * across.
(31 sc, 30 ch-5 loops)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first sc, ch 6, sc in the next ch-5 sp. Repeat from * across, then ch 6 and sc in the last sc.
(32 sc, 31 ch-6 loops)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first sc, ch 7, sc in the next ch-6 sp. Repeat from * across, then ch 7 and sc in the last sc.
(33 sc, 32 ch-7 loops)
Row 4 (scallops): Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first sc. Work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-7 loop across, then sc in the last sc.
(32 scallops of 7 sts + 2 end sc = 226 sts)
Fasten off.
Why the math works: The mesh repeat uses 3 sts, plus 1 st to finish. 91 = 1 + (3 x 30), so Row 1 comes out even, with no half-loops at the peaks. Each mesh row adds one loop, and the loops get longer, 5 to 6 to 7 ch. That lets the frill spread outward around the curve and lie flat in a fan. The depth builds as roughly 0.5 + 0.6 + 0.7 + 0.5 in, about 2 in (5.1 cm) in total.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends, hiding the white tails inside the frill and the blue tails inside the body.
- Soak the holder in cool water for 10 minutes, then press out the water in a towel. Do not wring it.
- Stuff the body lightly with a dry towel or plastic bags to round out the heart.
- Lay it flat with the folds exactly at the sides. Pin the peaks to 9 in (22.9 cm) apart.
- Spread the frill outward and pin each scallop so the frill extends 2 in (5.1 cm) beyond the folds.
- Pinch each center V into a sharp point.
- Let it dry completely, then unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body width is 9 in (22.9 cm), and peak height is about 9.5 in (24.1 cm).
- Stitch counts are 24 at Rnd 1, 72 at Rnd 13, and 72 in every round from 14 to 43.
- The front and back V dips sit centered and have the same depth.
- The cuff has 24 sts, is firm, and stays open about 1.9 in (4.8 cm) across.
- The frill foundation has 91 sts, and the scallop row has 32 scallops.
- Both strap ends are sewn securely inside the peaks.
- No ends are visible.
Troubleshooting
- The fold drifts diagonally. You are starting each round off-center. Always move the markers to the center sc of the 3-sc group.
- The V is off-center. Recount: there should be 17 sts between each side marker and each center marker before Rnd 35.
- The frill ruffles. You worked more than 1 sc per round on the fold. Redo the foundation row with exactly 42 sc per side.
- The frill cups. Your tension is too tight. Loosen your chains or go up half a hook size for the frill only.
- The bottom opening is too tight for bags. Work the cuff more loosely. Do not add stitches, or the cuff will flare.
- The strap stretches. Add a fourth row, or use a stiffer cotton yarn.
Care
Hand wash or machine wash on a gentle cool cycle inside a mesh bag. Reshape it and dry it flat.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple:
– The 24-st ring makes the 6 in (15.2 cm) dispensing opening.
– Twelve increase rounds widen the body to 72 sts, 9 in (22.9 cm) across.
– Twenty-one plain rounds and eight chevron rounds build the heart to about 9.5 in (24.1 cm).
– 91 frill foundation sts give the 2 in (5.1 cm) lace fan, for a full width of 13 in (33.0 cm).
If your gauge matches at Rnd 13, the rest of the pattern will fall into place. Happy crocheting!