This hanging holder stacks three round baskets on two slim side straps. Spare toilet rolls stay off the floor and within easy reach. Each basket has a lattice of butter-yellow popcorn bobbles on a cornflower-blue single crochet wall, and the rim is finished with a neat corded edge.
The look is simple and cottage-style: one main color, one accent, and a texture you can see clearly from across the room. The popcorns form two outlined diamonds on the front of every basket, each with a single bobble in its center. The back shows the same two diamonds, so the holder looks finished from any angle.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder is about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide and about 20 in (50.8 cm) tall including the ring. Each basket is 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across and 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall.
Here is how it’s built. You crochet three identical baskets from the base up in joined rounds and make two flat straps in rows. Then you finish the rims and strap edges, sew the straps to plain “side zones” on each basket, and loop the strap tops through a wooden ring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide x 20 in (50.8 cm) tall, hanging
- Skill level: Intermediate (color changes and popcorns)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 5 (3 baskets, 2 straps)
- Layout: 3 baskets stacked vertically, 1 in (2.5 cm) apart
- Basket size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) diameter x 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall
- Wall height before rim: 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Rim (border) depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm)
- Strap size: 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide x 19 in (48.3 cm) long
Materials
Choose a firm worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds the basket shape, handles bathroom humidity, and makes popcorns that stay round. Avoid very soft acrylics, because the walls will slump.
- Color A, cornflower blue: 200 g / 312 m (341 yd)
- Color B, butter yellow: 50 g / 78 m (85 yd)
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- One wooden ring, 3 in (7.6 cm) outer diameter
- Tapestry needle
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Scissors and a measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins and a toilet roll or straight-sided container for blocking
These amounts include about 10 percent extra for swatching and weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- BLO – back loop only
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch), worked left to right
- pc – popcorn (see below)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- A / B – Color A / Color B
Popcorn (pc): With B, work 4 dc in the same stitch. Take the hook out of the loop, insert it from front to back into the top of the first dc, pick up the dropped loop and pull it through. Yarn over with A and pull through to close. The popcorn counts as 1 stitch and pushes out to the right side.
Color change into a popcorn: Work the sc before the popcorn until 2 loops remain on the hook, then yarn over with B and pull through. Carry the unused color along the top of the round and work over it, so it stays hidden inside the wall.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sc x 16 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in joined rounds.
Make one complete basket before starting the others. It is your real gauge swatch, and it shows whether a roll will fit.
- After Round 5 (30 sts): base measures 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across.
- After Round 10 (60 sts): base measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
- After Round 23: wall measures 3.25 in (8.3 cm) above the base edge.
- After Round 24 (rim): wall measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm); total basket height 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
If the base is too big, go down half a hook size. If it’s too small, go up half a size. Check the base rather than the wall, because the wall circumference is fixed at 60 stitches. A standard roll is about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) across, so the base needs to be at least 5 in (12.7 cm) for an easy fit.
Basket (Make 3)
Work in joined rounds and do not turn. Join each round with a sl st to the first sc, then ch 1 (the ch 1 does not count as a stitch). Keep the join in the same place every round. It then sits inside Side Zone A, where a strap will cover it.
Base
With A, make a magic ring.
Round 1: 6 sc in ring. Join. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. Join. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] 6 times. Join. (18 sts)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] 6 times. Join. (24 sts)
Round 5: [Sc 3, inc] 6 times. Join. (30 sts)
Round 6: [Sc 4, inc] 6 times. Join. (36 sts)
Round 7: [Sc 5, inc] 6 times. Join. (42 sts)
Round 8: [Sc 6, inc] 6 times. Join. (48 sts)
Round 9: [Sc 7, inc] 6 times. Join. (54 sts)
Round 10: [Sc 8, inc] 6 times. Join. (60 sts)
The base should lie flat and measure 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
Wall Layout
Every wall round has 60 stitches, divided into four zones:
- Sts 1–5: Side Zone A (always plain sc)
- Sts 6–30: Front Panel (25 sts)
- Sts 31–35: Side Zone B (always plain sc)
- Sts 36–60: Back Panel (25 sts)
On Round 11, place a marker in stitch 6 and in stitch 31, and move them up as you work.
Each panel holds two diamonds centered on panel stitches 7 and 19. The two diamonds share a side point at panel stitch 13, and their outer points fall on panel stitches 1 and 25.
Wall
Round 11 (turning round): Sc in BLO of each st around. Join. (60 worked 1-per-stitch + 0 added = 60 sts)
The unused front loops form a crisp ridge that turns the wall upward.
Round 12: Sc around. Join. (60 sts)
Join B on Round 13 and carry it inside along the round.
Round 13 (Popcorn Row 1): Sc 5 (Side A). Panel: sc 6, pc, sc 11, pc, sc 6. Sc 5 (Side B). Repeat panel once. Join. (60 sts; 4 pc)
Round 14: With A, sc around. Join. (60 sts)
On the plain rounds, leave B hanging inside and bring it up loosely at the next popcorn round. Before each popcorn round, check that the yellow float is long enough to lie flat without pulling the fabric.
Round 15 (Popcorn Row 2): Sc 5. Panel: sc 3, pc, [sc 5, pc] 3 times, sc 3. Sc 5. Repeat panel once. Join. (60 sts; 8 pc)
Round 16: Sc around. Join. (60 sts)
Round 17 (Popcorn Row 3): Sc 5. Panel: pc, [sc 5, pc] 4 times. Sc 5. Repeat panel once. Join. (60 sts; 10 pc)
This round places the outer side points, the shared point, and the two center bobbles.
Round 18: Sc around. Join. (60 sts)
Round 19 (Popcorn Row 4): Work as Round 15. (60 sts; 8 pc)
Round 20: Sc around. Join. (60 sts)
Round 21 (Popcorn Row 5): Work as Round 13. (60 sts; 4 pc)
Cut B, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail inside.
Rounds 22–23: Sc around. Join. (60 sts each)
Checkpoint: the wall measures 3.25 in (8.3 cm) above the base ridge, and the basket has 34 popcorns in total.
Straps (Make 2)
With A, ch 6.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (5 sts)
Rows 2–76: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (5 sts)
Do not fasten off; go straight on to the strap edging in the Border section.
Checkpoint: the strap measures 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide and 19 in (48.3 cm) long. Count rows in groups of ten with a marker. The joining step depends on exact row numbers.
Make All Pieces
- Baskets: 3, each using A for all sc and B for 34 popcorns (102 popcorns total)
- Straps: 2, A only
Layout, viewed from the front:
[ ring ]
/ \
strap strap
[S]-[ Basket 1 (top) ]-[S]
| 1 in gap |
[S]-[ Basket 2 (middle) ]-[S]
| 1 in gap |
[S]-[ Basket 3 (bottom) ]-[S]
[S] marks where a strap is sewn over a Side Zone.
Border
The border has two parts: the basket rim and the strap edging. Border gauge matches body gauge: one border stitch per existing stitch or row end.
Basket Rim
Round 24: With A, ch 1, rev sc in each st around. Join. Fasten off. (60 sts)
One rev sc in each of the 60 stitches keeps the rim the same size as the wall, so it doesn’t flare or pull in. The rim adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm), bringing the wall to 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Strap Edging
At the end of Row 76, ch 1 and work loose sl sts around the strap:
- Long side 1: 76 sl sts, one per row end
- Short end (Row 1): 5 sl sts, one per foundation ch
- Long side 2: 76 sl sts, one per row end
- Short end (Row 76): 5 sl sts, one per st
Join and fasten off. (162 sl sts)
Each side count already includes its own end stitches, so you add nothing at the corners. The edging firms up the strap so it won’t stretch under the weight of three rolls.
Joining
Lay out all the pieces as shown in the layout grid. Sew with A and a tapestry needle, using whipstitch.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Each strap’s 5 stitches sit directly over the 5 stitches of one Side Zone. One strap row end matches one row of basket height. The base edge plus wall Rounds 11–24 make 15 rows of height, matching 15 strap rows, or 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
- Bottom basket: Line up strap Row 1 with the base edge. Sew Rows 1–15 over Side Zone A, whipstitching both long edges through each round. Repeat with the second strap on Side Zone B.
- Gap: Leave Rows 16–19 free (1 in / 2.5 cm).
- Middle basket: Sew Rows 20–34 the same way.
- Gap: Leave Rows 35–38 free.
- Top basket: Sew Rows 39–53.
- Ring: Rows 54–76 (5.75 in / 14.6 cm) stay free. Pass each strap end through the ring from front to back, fold Rows 71–76 down onto Rows 65–70, and whipstitch around three sides.
Keep your tension snug but not tight; the strap should lie flat without puckering the basket wall. Make sure the round joins on all three baskets sit under the same strap.
Size checkpoint: Hanging, the holder measures about 20 in (50.8 cm) from the base to the top of the ring. Each free strap section between the ring and the top basket is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) long and rises about 3.6 in (9.1 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends inside the baskets, hiding each one in fabric of its own color.
- Soak the whole holder in cool water for 10 minutes. Press the water out in a towel; do not wring.
- Slide each basket over a toilet roll wrapped in a plastic bag, or over a straight-sided container about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
- Shape the rims round and push each popcorn outward with a fingertip.
- Pin the free strap sections straight on a flat surface.
- Let everything dry completely, about 24 hours, before hanging.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each base measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) and lies flat.
- Each wall round has 60 stitches.
- Each basket shows 34 popcorns: two diamonds on the front, two on the back.
- All round joins sit under one strap.
- Rims measure 3.5 in (8.9 cm) above the base ridge.
- Straps are 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide with smooth edging.
- Both gaps between baskets are 1 in (2.5 cm).
- The ring hangs centered and the holder hangs straight.
Troubleshooting
Popcorns sink to the inside: Insert the hook from front to back when closing, and close with A.
Yellow shows through the blue: Carry B tightly along the top of the stitches and work over it completely.
Diamond lines look crooked: Recount the panel stitches; each panel must have exactly 25.
Wall flares outward: Your wall tension is looser than the base. Go down half a hook size from Round 11.
Rim ruffles: Work exactly one rev sc per stitch and keep the loops short.
Holder tilts: Check that both straps are sewn at the same row numbers on each basket.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and dry flat, reshaping the baskets over a roll. Do not tumble dry, because heat can shrink cotton and distort the popcorns.
Final Notes
Here is how the measurements fit together. 60 base stitches make a 5.5 in (14.0 cm) basket. 13 wall rounds give 3.25 in (8.3 cm), and the rim brings the wall to 3.5 in (8.9 cm). 15 strap rows match each 3.75 in (9.5 cm) basket. With two 1 in (2.5 cm) gaps and the ring loop, the finished holder hangs about 20 in (50.8 cm) tall.
Check the first basket carefully, and the other two will follow the same numbers.
Happy crocheting!