This hanging holder stacks three round mesh baskets in a vertical column, and each one holds a standard toilet paper roll. The whole column hangs from a natural wooden ring, so it fits on a towel hook, a door knob, or a small wall peg beside the tank.
The colors are warm and earthy. Each basket has a rust-orange open honeycomb mesh, a deep plum base and scalloped rim, and a cream five-petal flower with a plum center and two sage green leaves on the front. The open mesh keeps the baskets light, and the plum bands give each one a clean edge.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. Each basket measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across and 4 in (10.2 cm) tall, including the scalloped rim. From the top of the ring to the bottom of the lowest basket, the finished column is about 24 in (61.0 cm) long.
Each basket starts with a flat plum single crochet base, turns upward through the back loops, and changes to an orange chain mesh. It closes with a solid band and finishes with a plum scallop rim. You make the flowers and leaves separately and sew them on. Short orange straps link the baskets, and two longer straps wrap around the wooden ring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 24 in (61.0 cm) long overall
- Skill level: Intermediate (easy shaping, basic appliqué sewing)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: worsted weight (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 3 baskets, 3 flowers, 6 leaves, 6 straps, plus 1 purchased wooden ring
- Layout: 1 column of 3 baskets, hung from the ring
- Piece size: each basket 5.5 in (14.0 cm) diameter x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- Size before border: basket wall 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall before the scallop rim
- Border depth: scallop rim adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Materials
Choose a firm, smooth cotton. Cotton holds the basket shape, doesn’t stretch much under the weight of the rolls, and washes well in a bathroom. Avoid very soft acrylics, because the mesh will sag.
- Rust orange (main color, MC): 110 g / 176 m
- Plum (color A): 90 g / 144 m
- Cream (color B): 15 g / 24 m
- Sage green (color C): 10 g / 16 m
These amounts include about 15 percent extra for checking your gauge and for sewing tails.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- 1 wooden ring, 3 in (7.6 cm) outer diameter
- Stitch markers (at least 2)
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins for blocking
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
- BLO – back loop only
- MR – magic ring
- Rnd – round
Special stitch – Scallop: work 5 dc in the same stitch.
Mesh loop: ch 5, then sc in the next ch-5 space (or the stitch indicated).
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sc and 16 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc. Five mesh rounds = 2 in (5.1 cm) tall.
Make one complete basket before you start the others. That first basket is your gauge test, and every later measurement depends on it.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 10: the flat base measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across, give or take 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- After Rnd 14: the wall band stands 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 19: the wall measures 3 in (7.6 cm) from the base edge.
- After Rnd 21: the wall measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
- After Rnd 22: the total height is 4 in (10.2 cm).
If too big: go down 0.5 mm. If too small: go up 0.5 mm. If the base ruffles, your tension is loose, so try a smaller hook for the base only. If the base cups, use a larger hook.
Basket (Make 3)
Join every round with a sl st to the first st. Place a marker in the first st of Rnd 11. Keep the joins stacked so each round starts in the same spot on one side of the basket.
Base
With plum, make a MR.
Rnd 1: ch 1, 6 sc in MR. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: sc in next st, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (42 sts)
Rnd 8: sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (48 sts)
Rnd 9: sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (54 sts)
Rnd 10: sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st 6 times. (60 sts)
Checkpoint: the base lies flat and measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
Lower Wall Band
Rnd 11: ch 1, sc in BLO of each st. (60 sts) The unused front loops form a neat ridge where the base turns up into the wall.
Rnds 12–13: ch 1, sc in each st. (60 sts) Fasten off plum.
Rnd 14: Join orange in the marked st. ch 1, sc in each st. (60 sts)
Checkpoint: the wall stands 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
Mesh
Rnd 15 (setup): ch 1, sc in first st, ch 5, sk 3 sts, sc in next st 14 times, ch 2, sk last 3 sts, dc in first sc. (15 mesh loops) The ch 2 and dc make the 15th loop and leave your hook in the middle of it.
Rnds 16–19: ch 1, sc in the loop formed by the joining dc, ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp 14 times, ch 2, dc in first sc. (15 mesh loops each round)
Each round sits offset over the one below it, which creates the honeycomb look.
Checkpoint: the wall measures 3 in (7.6 cm) from the base edge.
Closing Band
Rnd 20: ch 1, 2 sc in the joining-dc loop, 4 sc in each of the next 14 ch-5 sps, 2 sc in the joining-dc loop again. (2 + 56 + 2 = 60 sts) Fasten off orange.
Rim (Border)
Work the scallop rim on each basket after the closing band.
Border gauge: one scallop repeat covers 4 base sts, which is about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) of rim.
Rnd 21 (conversion): Join plum in the first st of Rnd 20. ch 1, sc in next 14 sts, 2 sc in next st 4 times. (60 worked 1 per st + 4 extra = 64 sts)
Rnd 22 (scallops): ch 1, sc in next st, sk 1 st, Scallop in next st, sk 1 st 16 times. Join to first sc. (16 sc + 80 dc = 96 sts, 16 scallops) Fasten off and weave in ends.
Counts per side: the two strap points sit at st 1 and st 33 of Rnd 21. They split the rim into a front half and a back half of 32 sts each, and each half holds exactly 8 scallops (8 x 4 = 32).
Why the math works: each scallop repeat uses 4 sts, but 60 sts split into two halves of 30, and 30 / 4 = 7.5. The 4 extra sts in Rnd 21 bring the count to 64, which gives 16 repeats with an sc landing on st 1 and st 33. Those two sc points are where the straps attach, so the straps sit between scallops on both sides. The small increase also lets the rim flare gently outward.
Checkpoint: the basket measures 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
Flower (Make 3)
With plum, make a MR.
Rnd 1: ch 1, 10 sc in MR. Join. (10 sts) Fasten off plum.
Rnd 2: Join cream in any st. ch 1, sc in next st, ch 3, sk 1 st 5 times. Join. (5 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 3: In each ch-3 sp work (sc, hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sc). Join. (5 petals, 40 sts) Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
The flower measures about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across and has a solid plum center.
Leaf (Make 6)
With sage, ch 8.
Round: sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch, ch 2 for the tip. Rotate and work along the other side of the foundation chain: sc in first ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, sl st in last ch. Join to the first sl st. (14 sts plus ch-2 tip) Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail.
Each leaf is a pointed oval, about 2 in (5.1 cm) long and 0.9 in (2.3 cm) wide. The foundation chain forms a center vein.
Strap (Make 6)
With orange:
Short straps (make 4): ch 15. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. (14 sts) Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in each st. (14 sts) Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
Long straps (make 2): ch 29. Work Rows 1–2 as above. (28 sts per row)
Short straps measure 4 in (10.2 cm) and long straps measure 8 in (20.3 cm). Both are about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.
Make All Pieces
| Color | Pieces |
|---|---|
| Plum | 3 basket bases, bands, and rims; 3 flower centers |
| Orange | 3 basket mesh sections; 4 short straps; 2 long straps |
| Cream | 3 flower petal rounds |
| Sage | 6 leaves |
Layout grid (front view):
( RING )
/ \
[ BASKET 1 ]
| |
[ BASKET 2 ]
| |
[ BASKET 3 ]
Appliqué
On each basket, center the flower and leaves on the front half, below st 17 of Rnd 21 (halfway between st 1 and st 33). Sew the two leaves first, angled outward and slightly upward, with their wide ends meeting below where the flower center will go. Then sew the flower on top so the petals overlap the ends of the leaves. The flower center sits about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) above the base edge, over Rnd 14 and the lower mesh rounds. Stitch around the plum center and at each petal tip, catching the mesh strands and the solid band.
Joining
Method: whipstitch with the orange strap tails.
Basket to basket: Hold Basket 1 above Basket 2 with the round starts lined up.
- Sew the bottom 1 in (2.5 cm) of a short strap to the outside of Basket 2, covering Rnds 20–21 directly below st 1 of Rnd 21. The strap rises between two scallops.
- Sew the top 1 in (2.5 cm) of the same strap to the outside of Basket 1’s plum wall band (Rnds 11–14), at st 1 of Rnd 14.
- Repeat on the opposite side, at st 33 of Basket 2’s Rnd 21 and st 31 of Basket 1’s Rnd 14.
Each strap overlaps 1 in (2.5 cm) at each end, which leaves a 2 in (5.1 cm) gap between baskets. Join Basket 3 below Basket 2 the same way.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: the strap is 2 rows wide. Sew both long edges of the strap plus its end, working one whipstitch into each strap st and each wall st it covers.
Tension: pull each stitch snug but not tight. If it’s too loose, the strap shifts. If it’s too tight, the wall puckers.
Ring: Sew 1 in (2.5 cm) of each long strap to the outside of Basket 1 at st 1 and st 33 of Rnd 21, the same way as above. Wrap the free end around the wooden ring, fold back 1 in (2.5 cm), and sew it to itself. About 5 in (12.7 cm) of each strap stays visible below the ring.
Size checkpoint: lay the column flat. It should measure about 24 in (61.0 cm) from the top of the ring to the bottom of the lowest basket.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist each basket with water.
- Slip a toilet paper roll or a 5 in (12.7 cm) jar inside each basket.
- Shape the base flat and the walls straight.
- Pin each scallop so it points up and slightly outward.
- Pin the flower petals and leaf tips flat against the wall.
- Let everything dry completely, for at least 12 hours.
- Smooth the straps so they hang without twisting.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each base lies flat at 5.5 in (14.0 cm).
- Each wall is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall before the rim.
- Each basket has 15 mesh loops per round and 16 scallops.
- The flowers are centered on the front halves.
- The straps are on the same sides of all baskets.
- The gaps between baskets are even at 2 in (5.1 cm).
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
Base ruffles: tension is too loose. Use a smaller hook for the base.
Base cups upward: tension is too tight. Use a larger hook or recheck the increase counts.
Mesh spirals: place the joining dc the same way each round and confirm you have 15 loops.
Rim waves too much: use 4 dc per scallop instead of 5.
Basket tilts: the straps aren’t directly opposite each other. Recount to st 1 and st 33.
Mesh stretches under the roll: use a firmer cotton or a smaller hook.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, reshaping each basket over a roll. Do not tumble dry.
Final Notes
Here is how the measurements add up. A gauge of 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 60-st base of 5.5 in (14.0 cm). Four solid rounds add 1 in (2.5 cm), five mesh rounds add 2 in (5.1 cm), and two closing rounds add 0.5 in (1.3 cm), for a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wall. The scallop rim brings each basket to 4 in (10.2 cm). Three baskets, two 2 in (5.1 cm) gaps, the straps, and the ring give a column about 24 in (61.0 cm) long.
Happy crocheting!