This fox bag holder keeps grocery bags tidy and gives your kitchen a friendly face. The rust-orange body is an open grid mesh, so you can see how many bags are left. The solid head on top has cream cheeks, a black nose, round black eyes, and two pointed ears with cream centers.
The palette is warm and simple: rust, cream and a little black. The style is clean and graphic, with crisp square mesh below and smooth single crochet above. All terms are US crochet terms.
The finished holder measures 6 in (15.2 cm) wide when flat and 19 in (48.3 cm) long, not counting the hanging loop and drawstring ties.
You work the tube in one piece from the bottom up. Start with a short single crochet band, then 28 rounds of mesh, then 18 rounds of solid single crochet for the head. A round of crab stitch finishes the top and bottom edges. Then you sew on the ears, cheeks, nose, eyes and hanging strap. A chain drawstring gathers the bottom, and the bags pull out through that opening.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat × 19 in (48.3 cm) long
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 tubular body plus small appliqués (2 ears, 2 cheeks, 1 nose, 1 strap, 1 drawstring)
- Layout: Single item; no joining of motifs
- Body circumference: 48 sts = 12 in (30.5 cm); 24 sts per flat side
- Size before border: 6 in × 18.5 in (15.2 cm × 47.0 cm)
- Border depth: about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at the top and at the bottom
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton or cotton blend. It holds the mesh squares crisply and stands up to everyday kitchen use. Avoid splitty or fuzzy yarns, because they blur the grid.
- Rust (main color): 150 g, about 240 m (262 yd)
- Cream: 15 g, about 24 m (26 yd)
- Black: 5 g, about 8 m (9 yd)
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Two 9 mm black safety eyes (or black yarn to embroider the eyes)
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– Scissors
– Measuring tape
– Pins and a blocking mat
All quantities include a margin of about 15% for gauge swatches and tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – crab stitch (reverse sc): Working left to right (right-handed), insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through both loops on the hook.
Mesh square: One dc plus one ch-1 space. Each square is 2 stitches wide.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge:
– 16 sc × 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in rounds
– 4 mesh squares × 4 mesh rnds = 2 in (5.1 cm)
Test one small piece first. Make one ear, which takes about ten minutes. Each side of the finished ear should measure about 2.25 in (5.7 cm). If it does, your gauge works for the whole project.
Checkpoints:
– After Rnd 2: the band is 12 in (30.5 cm) around and 6 in (15.2 cm) wide when flat.
– After Rnd 10: the mesh section is 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
– After Rnd 30: the tube is about 14.5 in (36.8 cm) long.
– After Rnd 48: the tube is 18.5 in (47.0 cm) long.
– After the borders: the tube is 19 in (48.3 cm) long.
If your piece is too big, go down to a 4.5 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 5.5 mm hook. Don’t change the stitch counts, because the face pieces are sized to fit 24 stitches per side.
Body
Work in rust. Join every round with a sl st. Place a marker in the first stitch of each round. This beginning point is one side fold of the tube.
Foundation: Ch 48 and join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring, without twisting it.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around. (48 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around. (48 sc)
Checkpoint: the ring is 12 in (30.5 cm) around.
Rnd 3 (mesh set-up): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip next sc, *dc in next sc, ch 1, skip next sc; rep from * around. Join to the 3rd ch of the beg ch-4. (24 dc + 24 ch-1 sps = 24 mesh squares, 48 sts)
Rnds 4–30: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip ch-1 sp, *dc in next dc, ch 1, skip ch-1 sp; rep from * around. Join to the 3rd ch of the beg ch-4. (24 mesh squares each round)
That makes 28 mesh rounds in total, about 14 in (35.6 cm). Each dc sits directly on top of the dc below, which keeps the holes square.
Head
Rnd 31 (conversion round): Ch 1, sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp around. (24 sc in dc + 24 sc in sps = 48 sc; 0 added)
Rnds 32–48: Ch 1, sc in each sc around. (48 sc)
The head is 18 rounds, or 4 in (10.2 cm), tall. Don’t fasten off yet; the top border comes next.
Flatten the tube with the marker at one side fold. Stitches 1–24 are the front and stitches 25–48 are the back. Center front falls between st 12 and st 13.
Ears (Make 2)
Rnd 1 (cream): Magic ring, ch 1, (2 sc, ch 2) 3 times into the ring. Join. (6 sc + 3 corner ch-2 sps)
Rnd 2 (cream): Sl st into the next sc. Ch 1, sc in each sc to the corner, (sc, ch 2, sc) in each ch-2 sp. Join. (4 sc per side between corner sps; 12 sc + 3 corner sps)
Rnd 3 (rust): Change to rust. Work as in Rnd 2. (6 sc per side; 18 sc + 3 corner sps)
Rnd 4 (rust): Work as in Rnd 2. (8 sc per side; 24 sc + 3 corner sps)
Each side measures about 2.25 in (5.7 cm), corners included. Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail.
Cheeks (Make 2, Cream)
Each cheek is a right triangle. The straight bottom edge is the base, the outer edge is the tall side, and the sloped edge runs down to the center front.
Row 1: Ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (12 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc3tog, sc across. (10 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, sc across to the last 3 sts, sc3tog. (8 sts)
Row 4: Ch 1, turn, sc3tog, sc across. (6 sts)
Row 5: Ch 1, turn, sc across to the last 3 sts, sc3tog. (4 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, turn, sc3tog, sc in last st. (2 sts)
Row 7: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog. (1 st)
The decreases always fall on the same edge, which makes the slope. The base is 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and the outer side is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall. Fasten off and leave a long tail. Flip the second cheek over so the two are mirror images.
Nose (Black)
Row 1: Ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (4 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog twice. (2 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog. (1 st)
The nose is 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and about 0.7 in (1.8 cm) tall. Fasten off and leave a tail.
Hanging Strap (Rust)
Row 1: Ch 25, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (24 sc = 6 in / 15.2 cm)
Fasten off and leave a long tail.
Drawstring (Rust)
Ch 90, then sl st in the back bump of each ch back along the chain. (89 sl st)
The cord is about 20 in (50.8 cm) long. Tie a tight overhand knot near each end and trim close, which makes the small knotted tips.
Border
Border gauge: One crab stitch per existing stitch, at the same 16 sts = 4 in (10.2 cm) gauge.
Top border, Rnd 49: With rust still attached after Rnd 48, ch 1. Work 1 crab stitch in each sc around and join. (48 crab sts: 24 front + 24 back)
Bottom border: Join rust at the marker in the free loops of the foundation chain. Ch 1, work 1 crab stitch in each free loop around, and join. (48 crab sts: 24 front + 24 back)
Why the math works: The tube carries 24 stitches per flat side everywhere. That is 12 mesh squares × 2 stitches in the mesh, and 24 sc in the head. Working exactly one crab stitch per stitch keeps the edge at 6 in (15.2 cm) flat, with no flaring or puckering. Each border adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm), so the 18.5 in (47.0 cm) tube finishes at 19 in (48.3 cm).
Assembly
- Eyes: Insert the safety eyes between Rnds 39 and 40, one after st 8 and one after st 16, so 8 stitches sit between them. That spacing is 2 in (5.1 cm). Reach in through the open top to snap on the washers. If you prefer, embroider round eyes in black yarn.
- Cheeks: Pin each cheek so its 3 in (7.6 cm) base lies along Rnd 31. Put the tall outer side at a side fold and the point at center front. Whipstitch all edges.
- Nose: Pin the nose in the V where the cheeks meet. The point goes down to Rnd 31 and the flat edge goes up. Whipstitch it in place.
- Ears: Pin one ear at each top corner of the front, with one side lying flat along the top border. Let the ear overlap the head by 0.5 in (1.3 cm) so most of it stands above the rim. Whipstitch along the overlap.
- Strap: Sew one end 0.5 in (1.3 cm) inside the rim at center front. Sew the other end at center back. The loop rises about 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
- Drawstring: Starting at center front, weave the cord in and out through the 24 ch-1 spaces of Rnd 3. Pull until the bottom opening is about 2 in (5.1 cm) across. Tie a bow or a square knot and let the knotted tails hang about 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Final Blocking
- Lay the holder flat with the face centered. Leave the drawstring loose for now.
- Mist it lightly with water until it is evenly damp.
- Pin the tube to 6 in × 19 in (15.2 cm × 48.3 cm).
- Run a pin through each mesh column so the holes dry square.
- Pin the ears flat and pointed.
- Leave it to dry completely, then retie the drawstring.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Width is 6 in (15.2 cm) flat across the mesh and the head.
- Length is 19 in (48.3 cm) without the strap and ties.
- Every mesh round has 24 squares, and the columns line up straight.
- The head has 48 sc in every round.
- Each ear has 8 sc per side between corner spaces.
- The cheek bases meet at center front and line up with the side folds.
- The eyes are level and 2 in (5.1 cm) apart.
- The strap is centered and stitched securely.
- All tails are woven in.
Troubleshooting
- Mesh columns spiral: You missed a ch-1 or skipped a dc. Count to 24 squares each round.
- Holes look rectangular: Your dc stitches are too tall. Go down a hook size for the mesh only.
- The head flares: Rnd 31 has too many stitches. Recount to 48.
- Cheeks don’t reach the side folds: Your gauge is tight. Add one sc to the foundation (13) and keep the same decreases.
- Ears curl: Steam-block them, or work Rnd 4 a little more loosely.
- Bags fall out the bottom: Pull the drawstring tighter, to 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Care
Hand wash in cool water, or machine wash on a gentle cycle in a laundry bag. Reshape and lay flat to dry.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. Your gauge gives 24 stitches per side, which is 6 in (15.2 cm). The mesh section is 28 rounds, or 14 in (35.6 cm). The head adds 4 in (10.2 cm), for 18.5 in (47.0 cm) before the border, and the two crab-stitch edges bring the total to 19 in (48.3 cm). Check your measurements at each stage and the fox face will fit exactly.
Happy crocheting!