This three-tier hanging basket keeps spare toilet rolls, washcloths or small bathroom supplies off the counter. Three matching baskets hang one above the other on two navy straps. The straps meet in a peak, so the whole organizer hangs from one wall peg.
Each basket has a solid navy single crochet base with rounded corners. The walls are a ring of ten navy squares, each with a cream four-petal cross at its center. A cream crab-stitch rim gives the top edge a neat rope texture. The navy and cream colors look calm and slightly nautical, and they go well with white tile, wood and brass.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. Each finished basket measures about 10.5 in (26.7 cm) long, 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. When hung, the organizer measures about 31.5 in (80.0 cm) from the bottom basket to the top of the peak.
You make three bases in rounds and thirty motif squares. For each basket, you join ten squares into a ring, crochet the ring onto a base and add the cream rim. Then you make two straps and sew them to the short ends of all three baskets.
Finished Size and Construction
- Basket size: 10.5 in (26.7 cm) x 7 in (17.8 cm) x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- Hanging height: about 31.5 in (80.0 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 3 bases, 30 motif squares, 2 straps
- Layout per basket: a ring of 10 squares: 3 on each long side and 2 on each short side
- Square size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm), 15 sts per side
- Wall height before rim: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Rim depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm), 2 rounds
Materials
Choose a smooth, firm worsted cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds its shape and handles bathroom humidity well. Avoid fuzzy or stretchy yarns, because the walls must stand up on their own. The amounts assume about 170 m per 100 g.
- Navy (Color A): 330 g, about 561 m, for the bases, square backgrounds, joining and straps
- Cream (Color B): 85 g, about 145 m, for the square centers and rims
These quantities include a margin of about 15% for swatching and differences in tension.
Tools:
- 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Tapestry needle and scissors
- Measuring tape
- Blocking mat, rust-proof pins and a spray bottle
- Optional: three plastic canvas pieces cut to 10 x 6.5 in (25.4 x 16.5 cm) to stiffen the bases
- One sturdy wall peg
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- dc: double crochet
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- rnd: round
- MR: magic ring
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
Special stitches
- 3-dc cluster (cl): *Yarn over, insert the hook in the ring, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops; repeat from * 2 more times. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops on the hook. For the first cluster, ch 3 and work only 2 repeats.
- Reverse sc: Working left to right (right-handed), insert the hook in the next st to the right, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Base gauge: 17 sc and 17 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm), worked firmly.
Square gauge: one finished square = 3.5 in (8.9 cm) per side.
Make one square first, steam it lightly and check it at each stage:
- After Rnd 1: about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
- After Rnd 2: about 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
- After Rnd 3: about 3 in (7.6 cm)
- After Rnd 4: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) per side
Checkpoints for the first base:
- After Rnd 5: about 6 x 2.5 in (15.2 x 6.4 cm)
- After Rnd 10: about 8.5 x 5 in (21.6 x 12.7 cm)
- After Rnd 15: about 10.5 x 7 in (26.7 x 17.8 cm)
If your square is too big, go down one hook size. If it is too small, go up one hook size. The base edge and the wall ring both have 150 sts and should both measure about 35 in (88.9 cm) around. If the base ruffles, tighten your tension. If it cups, loosen it a little.
Base (Make 3)
The base is a rounded rectangle worked in joined rnds around a foundation chain. Every rnd adds 8 sts by working 3 sc in each of the 4 corner sts. Keep a marker in each corner st, and move it up each rnd to the center sc of the new 3-sc group.
With Color A, ch 19.
Rnd 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 16 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Working along the opposite side of the chain, sc in next 16 ch; join with sl st to first sc. (38 sts)
Mark the 1st and 3rd sc of each 3-sc group as corner sts. Each long side has 16 sts, each short side has 1 st (the middle sc of each group), and there are 4 corner sts.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 3 sc in corner st, sc in each st to next corner st; repeat from * around; join. (46 sts)*
Rnds 3–15: Repeat Rnd 2. The totals are 54 sts in Rnd 3, 70 in Rnd 5, 110 in Rnd 10 and 150 sts in Rnd 15.
After Rnd 15, there are 44 sts on each long side and 29 on each short side, plus 4 corner sts. Check: (2 x 44) + (2 x 29) + 4 = 150. Leave the markers in. Fasten off with a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
Motif Square (Make 30)
The cream petals point toward the corners, which makes the cream “X” cross on the navy background.
Rnd 1: With Color B, make a MR. Ch 3, 2-dc cluster in ring (counts as first cl), ch 4, [3-dc cl in ring, ch 4] 3 times; join to top of first cl. Pull the ring tight. Fasten off. (4 cl, 4 ch-4 sps)
Rnd 2: Join Color A in any ch-4 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 4 dc in same sp, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in top of next cl, 5 dc in next ch-4 sp; repeat from * 2 more times, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in top of last cl; join to top of ch-3. (36 dc: 9 per side)*
Rnd 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next 6 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, dc in next 9 dc; repeat from * 2 more times, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in last ch-2 sp, dc in last 2 dc; join. (52 dc: 13 per side)*
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st and next 8 dc, (sc, ch 1, sc) in ch-2 sp, sc in next 13 dc; repeat from * 2 more times, (sc, ch 1, sc) in last ch-2 sp, sc in last 4 dc; join to first sc. (60 sc)*
Each side has 15 sc: 13 side sts plus the 2 corner sc on either side of the ch-1 sps. The ch-1 sps are not counted and are never worked into. Check: 4 x 15 = 60. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Make All Pieces
- Bases: 3 in Color A
- Squares: 30, with Rnd 1 in Color B and Rnds 2–4 in Color A
- Straps: 2 in Color A (see below)
Steam all the squares to 3.5 in (8.9 cm) before you join them.
Wall ring for one basket, shown opened out flat:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| long side | short | long side | short |
Square 10 joins back to Square 1 to close the ring.
Tier layout:
/\ strap peak on peg
/ \
|[T1]| top basket
|[T2]| middle basket
|[T3]| bottom basket
Joining
Squares into a ring: Hold two squares right sides together. With Color A, sl st through the back loops of both layers, one st to one st. Work the corner sc, the 13 side sts and the opposite corner sc: 15 sl sts per seam. Skip the ch-1 sps.
Join Squares 1–10 in a strip (9 seams), then join Square 10 to Square 1. Check that nothing is twisted.
Keep your sl sts as loose as the sc in Rnd 4. Tight seams pull the ring smaller than the base. The ring should measure about 35 in (88.9 cm) around.
Ring to base: Turn the ring right side out. Its bottom edge has 10 x 15 = 150 sts, which matches base Rnd 15. Starting at any corner marker, count the base sts from 1 to 150. Square 1 sits on sts 1–15, Square 2 on sts 16–30, and so on. With this layout, the base corners line up with the first st of Squares 1, 4, 6 and 9.
Rnd 16 (joining rnd): Hold the base and the ring’s bottom edge wrong sides together, with the base facing you. With Color A, sc through one base st and one square st together all the way around; join and fasten off. (150 sc)
Checkpoint: The walls should stand 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, and the top opening should measure 10.5 x 7 in (26.7 x 17.8 cm).
Border (Top Rim)
The rim has the same sc gauge as the square edges: 15 sts per 3.5 in (8.9 cm), or about 4.25 sts per inch.
Rnd 1: Join Color B in the first top st of Square 1. Ch 1, sc in each top st around, skipping the ch-1 sps at the seams. (150 sc)
- Each long side: 3 squares x 15 = 45 sc
- Each short side: 2 squares x 15 = 30 sc
- Check: 45 + 30 + 45 + 30 = 150
Rnd 2: Ch 1, rev sc in each sc around; join and fasten off. (150 rev sc)
Why the math works: The walls stand straight up, so the rim needs no corner increases. Each square’s 15 sts already include its own 2 corner sts, and the sl st seams add no new top sts. The rim therefore has the same 150 sts as the base, so the top opening matches the bottom and the walls stay straight instead of flaring out or pulling in.
Straps (Make 2)
With Color A, ch 146.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (145 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sl st in each sc across. (145 sl sts)
Fasten off. Each strap measures 34 in (86.4 cm) long and about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) wide.
Attaching: Each strap runs up the center seam of one short end of each basket. Measure from the bottom tip of the strap and mark these sections:
- 0–0.5 in (0–1.3 cm): tucked under the bottom base
- 0.5–4.5 in (1.3–11.4 cm): bottom basket wall
- 8.5–12.5 in (21.6–31.8 cm): middle basket wall
- 16.5–20.5 in (41.9–52.1 cm): top basket wall
- 20.5–33 in (52.1–83.8 cm): free strap for the peak
- 33–34 in (83.8–86.4 cm): overlap at the peak
This spacing leaves 4 in (10.2 cm) gaps between baskets. With navy yarn, whipstitch both long edges of each marked section to the wall. Overlap the top 1 in (2.5 cm) of the two straps and sew them together firmly.
Final Blocking
- Fill each basket with a folded towel or toilet roll.
- Mist the walls and rim lightly. Do not soak them.
- Shape the corners with your fingers and press the bases flat.
- Pin the rim straight wherever it waves.
- Let everything dry completely, about 24 hours.
- Hang the organizer and check that the tiers hang level. Adjust the strap stitching if they don’t.
- If you’re using them, slip the plastic canvas inserts into the bases.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- 30 squares, each 3.5 in (8.9 cm) with 60 sts
- Each ring has 10 squares and 150 bottom sts
- Each base has 150 sts after Rnd 15
- Base corners line up with Squares 1, 4, 6 and 9
- Each rim has 150 sc and 150 rev sc
- Baskets measure 10.5 x 7 x 4 in (26.7 x 17.8 x 10.2 cm)
- Straps are 34 in (86.4 cm) long with 4 in (10.2 cm) gaps between baskets
- All ends are woven in securely
Troubleshooting
- Base ruffles: Your stitches are too loose. Go down one hook size.
- Base cups: Your stitches are too tight. Go up one hook size for the base only.
- Ring is smaller than the base: The seams are too tight. Redo them more loosely.
- Walls lean outward: Work rim Rnd 1 with a smaller hook.
- Petals look flat: Pull the MR tight and push each cluster outward before Rnd 2.
- Tiers hang crooked: Measure the strap positions again and resew them so both sides match.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, roll in a towel to press out the water and dry flat with the baskets reshaped. Remove the plastic canvas inserts before washing.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. Each 3.5 in (8.9 cm) square has 15 sts per side. Ten squares make a 150-st ring that matches the 150-st base. The 150-st rim keeps the walls straight. The 34 in (86.4 cm) straps hold three 10.5 x 7 x 4 in (26.7 x 17.8 x 10.2 cm) baskets with 4 in (10.2 cm) gaps between them. Once your first square is the right size, everything else fits together.
Happy crocheting!