The Garden Blossom Plastic Bag Holder is a tall, airy tube that stores grocery bags and lets you pull them out one at a time. The bag goes in through the top, and you pull it out through an oval hole near the bottom. The open square mesh body lets you see how many bags are left. The solid bands at the top and bottom keep the shape crisp.
The pattern comes in two colorways. Colorway A is all cream with a cluster of dusty rose and blush coiled roses. Colorway B has a sage-green mesh body with cream bands and two clusters of cream daisies with sunny yellow centers. Make one of each to get the pair shown.
The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout. The finished holder is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide laid flat, 12 in (30.5 cm) around and 18 in (45.7 cm) tall, plus a strap that hangs about 3 in (7.6 cm) below the wooden ring.
You work from the bottom up in joined rounds. First you make a flat single crochet circle for the base, then a solid band with a dispenser hole worked in turned rows, then the mesh body, then a solid top cuff. A short tapered strap is worked off the back of the cuff and folded around a ring. The flowers are made separately and sewn on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat × 18 in (45.7 cm) tall body
- Skill level: Intermediate (rounds, turned rows, simple shaping)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8) for the body; 4.0 mm (G-6) for the flowers
- Number of pieces: 1 body tube (base, walls, cuff and strap in one piece), plus sewn-on flowers and leaves
- Layout: Vertical tube; dispenser hole at the center front, strap at the center back
- Base diameter: about 3.75 in (9.5 cm)
- Bottom band: 2.7 in (6.9 cm)
- Mesh body: 13.5 in (34.3 cm)
- Top cuff (border): 1.8 in (4.6 cm) deep
- Dispenser hole: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide × 1.1 in (2.8 cm) tall before edging
Materials
Use a smooth worsted cotton or cotton blend, about 190 m per 100 g. Cotton holds the mesh squares open and doesn’t stretch much under the weight of the bags.
Colorway A (cream with roses)
– Cream: 110 g (209 m)
– Dusty Rose: 8 g (15 m)
– Blush: 6 g (11 m)
– Leaf Green: 5 g (10 m)
Colorway B (sage with daisies)
– Cream: 35 g (67 m)
– Sage: 80 g (152 m)
– Yellow: 3 g (6 m)
– Leaf Green: 5 g (10 m)
Tools
– 5.0 mm (H-8) and 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hooks
– One wooden ring, 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across
– Stitch markers (4)
– Tapestry needle
– Measuring tape
– Pins and a blocking mat
– A rolled towel or a 4 in (10.2 cm) wide cardboard tube for blocking
All quantities include about a 15% margin for swatching and weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- BLO – back loop only
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitches
– Mesh square: 1 dc plus 1 ch-1 sp. In this pattern each mesh square counts as 2 sts.
– V-st: (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch.
– Bud cluster: Yarn over, insert the hook in the ring and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Repeat 3 more times (5 loops on the hook), then yarn over and pull through all 5.
Gauge and Checkpoints
With the 5.0 mm hook:
– Single crochet: 16 sc × 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) square
– Mesh: 8 mesh squares × 8 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) square
These two gauges are designed to match. Both give 4 stitches per inch, so 48 sc and 24 mesh squares both measure 12 in (30.5 cm) around. If your mesh gauge is looser than your sc gauge, the tube will flare above the bottom band.
Work the base and bottom band first and treat them as your test swatch. Check your size at each stage:
- After Rnd 8: The base measures about 3.75 in (9.5 cm) across and lies flat.
- After Rnd 12: The tube measures 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat, and the wall is 0.9 in (2.3 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 20: The bottom band is 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 30 (10 mesh rnds): The mesh section is 5 in (12.7 cm) tall and still 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat.
- After Rnd 55: The body is 18 in (45.7 cm) tall.
If your work is too big, go down a hook size. If it’s too small, go up a hook size. If only the mesh is off, change the hook just for the mesh rounds rather than changing the stitch counts.
Body
For Colorway A, use Cream throughout the body. For Colorway B, use Cream for Rnds 1–11, Sage for Rnds 12–47, Cream for Rnds 48–55, and Sage for the strap.
Join every round with a sl st to the first st. The ch 1 at the start of each sc round does not count as a stitch.
Base
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring, ch 1, and work 6 sc in the ring. Join. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st. Join. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc 1, 2 sc in next st; repeat from * around. Join. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc 2, 2 sc in next st; repeat around. Join. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc 3, 2 sc in next st; repeat around. Join. (30 sts)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, sc 4, 2 sc in next st; repeat around. Join. (36 sts)
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc 5, 2 sc in next st; repeat around. Join. (42 sts)
Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc 6, 2 sc in next st; repeat around. Join. (48 sts)
Checkpoint: the base should be about 3.75 in (9.5 cm) across and flat.
Bottom Band and Dispenser Hole
Rnd 9: Ch 1, sc in the BLO of each st. Join. (48 sts) This round creates the crisp fold between the base and the wall.
Rnds 10–12: Ch 1, sc in each st. Join. (48 sts)
Colorway B: change to Sage when you join Rnd 11.
Place markers in sts 17 and 18 of Rnd 12. They mark the center back, where the strap will go. The hole will be centered on sts 35–48, directly opposite.
Row 13 (RS): Ch 1, sc in the next 34 sts. Leave the last 14 sts unworked and turn. (34 sts)
Rows 14–17: Ch 1, sc in each of the 34 sts, turn. Do not turn at the end of Row 17. (34 sts)
The rows leave a gap 14 sts wide and 5 rows tall, about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) × 1.1 in (2.8 cm).
Rnd 18 (closing round): Ch 14. Join with a sl st to the first sc of Row 17 to bridge the gap. Ch 1, then sc in each of the 34 sts and sc in each of the 14 ch. Join. 34 sc worked into existing sts + 14 sc worked into the chain = 48 sts.
Rnds 19–20: Ch 1, sc in each st. Join. (48 sts)
Checkpoint: the bottom band (Rnds 9–20) is 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall.
Mesh Body
Rnd 21 (conversion round): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip the next st, dc in the next st, ch 1, skip the next st; repeat from * around. Join to the 3rd ch of the starting ch-4. You get 24 dc + 24 ch-1 sps = 24 mesh squares (48 sts).
Rnds 22–47: Sl st into the ch-1 sp, then sl st into the next dc. Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in the next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around. Join to the 3rd ch of the ch-4. (24 mesh squares)
Placing each dc on top of the dc below stacks the squares into straight columns. That makes 27 mesh rounds in total, 13.5 in (34.3 cm) tall.
Border: Top Cuff and Strap
Border gauge: 16 sc × 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm). Treat the cuff as two sides, front and back, with 24 sts each. Colorway B: change to Cream for Rnd 48.
Rnd 48 (conversion round): Ch 1, sc in each dc and in each ch-1 sp around. Join. You get 24 sc in dc + 24 sc in sps = 48 sts, which is 24 sts per side.
Rnds 49–55: Ch 1, sc in each st. Join. (48 sts, 24 per side) Fasten off.
The cuff is 8 rounds deep, which is 1.8 in (4.6 cm).
Why the math works: Every section has 48 sts: the base ends with 48, the bottom band and the hole closing round have 48, the mesh has 24 squares × 2 sts, and the cuff has 48. Because each stage has the same count, the tube keeps a straight 12 in (30.5 cm) circumference from bottom to top. Since 48 ÷ 2 = 24 sts per side, the tube lies at exactly 6 in (15.2 cm) wide when flattened.
Strap
Colorway B: join Sage. Find the center back on Rnd 55 by lining it up with your markers. Count 6 sts to the right of the center and join in the next st. The strap is worked over 12 sts, 6 on each side of the center.
Row 1 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each of the next 12 sts, turn. (12 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 8, sc2tog, turn. (10 sts)
Rows 3–4: Ch 1, sc in each st, turn. (10 sts)
Row 5: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 6, sc2tog, turn. (8 sts)
Rows 6–7: Ch 1, sc in each st, turn. (8 sts)
Row 8: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 4, sc2tog, turn. (6 sts)
Rows 9–18: Ch 1, sc in each st, turn. (6 sts)
Fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. The strap is 4.0 in (10.2 cm) long and tapers from 3 in (7.6 cm) to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide.
Fold Rows 14–18 (about 1.1 in / 2.8 cm) over the wooden ring toward the wrong side. Whipstitch the last row to Row 13. About 3 in (7.6 cm) of strap stays visible.
Dispenser Hole Edging
Join the body color at the bottom right corner of the hole. Colorway B uses Sage.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, then:
– 1 sc in each of the 14 skipped sts of Rnd 12
– 4 sc evenly along the side (row ends)
– 1 sc in each free loop of the ch-14
– 4 sc along the other side
Join. (14 + 4 + 14 + 4 = 36 sts)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, [sc2tog, sc 10, sc2tog, sc 4] twice. Join. (32 sts)
The decreases round off the four corners and turn the rectangle into an oval. Fasten off.
Flowers and Leaves (4.0 mm hook)
Large coiled rose (Colorway A, make 2: 1 Dusty Rose, 1 Blush):
– Ch 25.
– Row 1: V-st in the 5th ch from the hook, skip 1 ch, V-st in the next ch; repeat 9 more times. (11 V-sts) Turn.
– Row 2: Ch 3, 6 dc in the first V-st ch-1 sp, sl st between V-sts, 6 dc in the next ch-1 sp; repeat across. (11 petals)
– Fasten off with a long tail. Roll the strip from the first petal so it forms a spiral, then stitch through the base to hold it. It measures about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.
Small coiled rose (Colorway A, make 2: 1 Dusty Rose, 1 Blush):
– Ch 17. Work as for the large rose, with 6 repeats in Row 1. (7 V-sts, 7 petals)
– It measures about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across.
Daisy (Colorway B, make 5):
– With Yellow, make a magic ring, ch 1, and work 8 sc in the ring. Join and fasten off.
– Join Cream in any st. (Sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) in the same st, move to the next st; repeat around. (8 petals)
– It measures about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across.
Bud (Colorway B, make 4):
– With Cream, make a magic ring, ch 2, and work 1 bud cluster in the ring. Ch 1 and pull the ring closed.
– It measures about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across.
Leaf (Leaf Green; make 4 for Colorway A, 7 for Colorway B):
– Ch 7. Working into the back bumps from the 2nd ch from the hook: sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc.
– Work 3 sc in the end ch. Working down the other side of the chain: sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc. Sl st to the first sc.
– It measures about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long.
Placement
Colorway A: Pin the cluster on the left front, starting 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the cuff. Stack the 2 large roses diagonally, tuck the 2 small roses below and beside them, and slip the leaves out from under the edges.
Colorway B:
– Upper left: Place 2 daisies, 1 bud and 3 leaves just below the cuff.
– Lower right: Place 3 daisies, 3 buds and 4 leaves about 1 in (2.5 cm) above the bottom band.
Sew each flower through its base into the mesh dc posts so no stitches show through the open squares.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends inside the tube, along the sc bands rather than the mesh.
- Soak the holder in cool water for 10 minutes, then press out the water in a towel. Don’t wring it.
- Slide a rolled towel or a 4 in (10.2 cm) wide tube inside the holder.
- Straighten the mesh columns so each square sits upright, about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on each side.
- Shape the dispenser hole into a smooth oval with your fingers.
- Check that the holder is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat and 18 in (45.7 cm) tall. Let it dry completely.
- Fluff the rose petals and daisy petals once dry.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every round from 8 to 55 has 48 sts, or 24 mesh squares in the mesh section.
- The mesh columns run straight up with no spiral.
- The hole is centered at the front, opposite the strap.
- The base lies flat and has a clean fold at Rnd 9.
- The cuff is 1.8 in (4.6 cm) deep and not ruffled.
- The strap hangs at the center back with the ring secure.
- The flowers are firmly sewn and no tails show.
- The overall length is about 21 in (53.3 cm) from the base to where the strap meets the ring.
Troubleshooting
- The mesh flares above the band: Your dc gauge is loose. Use a 4.5 mm hook for Rnds 21–47.
- The mesh columns slant: Make sure you work each dc into the dc below, not into the ch-1 sp.
- The base cups or ruffles: Re-check that Rnds 1–8 have 6 increases per round. If it ruffles, go down a hook size for the base.
- The hole is too tight: Add one more row (an even number of rows keeps the RS direction right), or skip 16 sts instead of 14 and chain 16 to match.
- The strap stretches: Use a smaller hook for the strap, or reinforce its back with a line of sl sts.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat or hang to dry over a tube. Avoid the dryer, because heat can stretch the mesh and flatten the roses.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple:
– 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), so 48 sts make a 12 in (30.5 cm) circle and a 6 in (15.2 cm) flat width.
– Rnds 9–20 make a 2.7 in (6.9 cm) bottom band.
– 27 mesh rounds add 13.5 in (34.3 cm).
– An 8-round cuff adds 1.8 in (4.6 cm), for an 18 in (45.7 cm) body.
If your checkpoints match at the base, after the band and after 10 mesh rounds, the finished holder will come out at the right size. Choose roses or daisies, hang it from a hook, and fill it up.
Happy crocheting!