This hanging holder stores six spare toilet rolls in a neat vertical column of small baskets. It’s useful in a small bathroom and looks soft and cheerful on the wall.
The baskets are pale butter yellow, and each rim has white shell scallops. The sides use an open V-stitch texture, so they stay light and quick to work. One long yellow strap holds the six baskets together and hangs from a wooden ring.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide and about 30 in (76.2 cm) long from the top of the ring to the bottom of the lowest basket. Each basket is 5 in (12.7 cm) across and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
Construction is simple. You make six baskets, each one worked in the round from the base up and finished with a white scallop round. Then you make one strap, worked in rows along a long chain. Last, you sew the strap up both sides of the stack and wrap its ends around the ring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide × 30 in (76.2 cm) long
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.5 mm (I-9)
- Number of pieces: 7 crocheted pieces (6 baskets + 1 strap), plus a wooden ring
- Layout: 6 baskets stacked in 1 vertical column
- Piece size (one basket): 5 in (12.7 cm) diameter × 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- Size before border: 5 in (12.7 cm) diameter × 3 in (7.6 cm) tall
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) white scallop round
- Strap: 67 in (170.2 cm) long × 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide
Materials
Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton. Cotton holds its shape, doesn’t stretch much under the weight of the rolls, and makes the scallops look crisp. Acrylic also works, but the baskets will be softer.
- Yellow (pale butter): 350 g, about 550 m
- White: 50 g, about 80 m
- 5.5 mm (I-9) crochet hook
- 1 wooden ring, 2 in (5.1 cm) diameter
- Stitch markers (at least 6)
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Pins or clips
These quantities include a margin of about 15 percent for your swatch, tails, and small tension differences.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- MR – magic ring
Special stitches
- V-st (V-stitch): (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same stitch or space.
- Shell: 5 dc in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 12 dc = 4 in (10.2 cm). Single crochet works out to the same width with this yarn and hook: 12 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). One V-stitch round is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall.
Make one complete basket before anything else. That basket is your real gauge test, and it shows you whether a roll fits.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 4: the base is flat and 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
- After Rnd 5: the base is still 5 in (12.7 cm), and the edge starts to turn up.
- After Rnd 10: the sides are 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall, measured from the base ridge.
- After Rnd 11: the sides are 3 in (7.6 cm) tall, and the circumference is about 16 in (40.6 cm).
- After the scallop round: the basket is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
If your basket is too big, use a 5 mm (H-8) hook. If it’s too small, or a roll won’t slide in easily, use a 6 mm (J-10) hook. If the base ruffles, your increases are too loose, so go down a hook size for Rnds 1–4 only. If the base cups, go up a hook size for the base.
Basket (make 6)
Work in joined rounds, and don’t turn. The beginning ch 3 counts as a dc throughout.
Base (yellow)
Rnd 1: MR, ch 3, 11 dc in ring, join with sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, join. (24 dc)
Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in same st, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc in next st; rep from * around, join. (36 dc)
Rnd 4: Ch 3, dc in same st, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts; rep from * around, join. (48 dc)
Check that the base is flat and 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
Rnd 5 (turning round): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around, join to first sc. (48 sc)
Working through the back loop only leaves a ridge of front loops on the outside. That ridge makes the crisp edge where the sides turn upward.
Sides (yellow)
Rnd 6: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in same st as join (first V-st made). Sk 2 sts, V-st in next st; rep from * 14 more times, sk 2 sts, then join with sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch-4. (16 V-sts)
Each V-st uses 3 sts of Rnd 5, and 16 × 3 = 48.
Rnds 7–10: Sl st into first ch-1 sp, ch 4, dc in same sp. V-st in each ch-1 sp around, then join to 3rd ch of beginning ch-4. (16 V-sts each round)
Working each V-st into the space of the V-st below stacks the V’s into straight vertical columns. After Rnd 10, the sides measure 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
Rnd 11 (conversion round): Ch 1, sc in each dc and 1 sc in each ch-1 sp around, join to first sc. Fasten off yellow.
(32 sc worked 1-per-dc + 16 sc in the ch-1 spaces = 48 sc)
This round closes up the openwork into a solid band under the trim. The sides now measure 3 in (7.6 cm).
Make All Pieces
Make the following:
- Baskets: 6, each with a yellow body (Rnds 1–11) and a white scallop round (see Border)
- Strap: 1, in yellow
- Ring: 1 wooden ring, not crocheted
Strap (yellow)
Ch 202.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (201 sc)
Rows 2–3: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (201 sc each row)
Fasten off. The strap measures 67 in (170.2 cm) × 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Lay it flat and number the stitches of Row 3 from 1 to 201. Then place markers using this map.
Strap map (stitch numbers):
LEFT SIDE (top to bottom) RIGHT SIDE (bottom to top)
1–6 ring wrap 109–117 Basket 6 body
7–21 leg 118–120 free
22–24 free (above Basket 1) 121–129 Basket 5 body
25–33 Basket 1 body 130–132 free
34–36 free 133–141 Basket 4 body
37–45 Basket 2 body 142–144 free
46–48 free 145–153 Basket 3 body
49–57 Basket 3 body 154–156 free
58–60 free 157–165 Basket 2 body
61–69 Basket 4 body 166–168 free
70–72 free 169–177 Basket 1 body
73–81 Basket 5 body 178–180 free (above Basket 1)
82–84 free 181–195 leg
85–93 Basket 6 body 196–201 ring wrap
94–108 under Basket 6 base (center st 101)
Here’s how the layout works. Each basket uses 12 strap sts, or 4 in (10.2 cm): 9 sts sewn to the 3 in (7.6 cm) body, and 3 free sts, or 1 in (2.5 cm), for the scallop and the gap. Each side uses 6 + 15 + (6 × 12) = 93 sts. Two sides plus the 15 sts under the base gives 93 + 93 + 15 = 201 sts.
Layout grid:
( O ) ring
/ \
[ Basket 1 ] top
[ Basket 2 ]
[ Basket 3 ]
[ Basket 4 ]
[ Basket 5 ]
[ Basket 6 ] bottom
\_______/ strap passes under
Joining
Method: whipstitch with yellow yarn and a tapestry needle.
1. Mark the baskets. On each basket, place a marker in V-st column 1 and another in V-st column 9. These columns sit exactly opposite each other, because 16 ÷ 2 = 8 columns apart.
2. Bottom basket first. Center strap st 101 under the middle of Basket 6’s base, lined up between the two markers. Strap sts 94–108 are 15 sts, or 5 in (12.7 cm), which matches the base diameter. Tack the strap to the base at st 94, st 101, and st 108.
3. Sew the sides. Sew strap sts 85–93 up the left marked column and sts 109–117 up the right marked column. Whipstitch both long edges of the strap to the basket. Match the stitches like this:
- Rnds 5–6 → 2 strap sts
- Rnds 7–8 → 3 strap sts
- Rnds 9–10 → 3 strap sts
- Rnd 11 → 1 strap st
That’s 9 strap sts per side. Stop below the white scallops so they stay free.
4. Work upward. Join Baskets 5 through 1 the same way, using the map. Leave the 3 free sts between baskets unsewn. Each basket’s base should sit about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) above the scallop tips of the basket below it.
5. Attach the ring. Fold sts 1–6 around the ring toward the back, then sew the end to the back of sts 7–9. Repeat with sts 196–201. The two legs angle in toward the ring.
Tension: Sew snugly but don’t pull. If the basket wall puckers around the strap, your stitches are too tight. Each strap segment should lie flat against the basket.
Size checkpoint: From the bottom of Basket 6 to the top of Basket 1’s body measures 23 in (58.4 cm), which is 5 × 4 in + 3 in. The full holder, including the leg and ring, is about 30 in (76.2 cm).
Border (White Scallop Round, on each basket)
Work the scallops on every basket before joining.
Border gauge: One shell plus one sc covers 4 sts of Rnd 11, which is 1.33 in (3.4 cm) of the rim. The shells stand 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall.
Rnd 12: Join white with sl st in any sc of Rnd 11. *Sc in same st… *
Work the round like this:
Rnd 12: Join white with sc in any st. Sk 1 st, shell in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, sk 1 st, shell in next st, sk 1 st, then join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off and weave in ends. (12 shells, 12 sc; 72 sts total = 60 dc + 12 sc)
Count per quarter: Each quarter of the rim has 12 sts of Rnd 11 and holds 3 shells.
Why the math works: Each repeat uses exactly 4 sts (sc, sk, shell, sk), and 48 ÷ 4 = 12 repeats with nothing left over. Because of that, the scallops close evenly at the join with no half-shell. The basket now measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the finished holder with water, or wet-block the baskets before joining.
- Put a toilet roll, or a rolled towel, inside each basket to set the cylinder shape.
- Pinch each white shell into an even rounded scallop.
- Press each strap segment flat with your fingers.
- Hang the holder from the ring, with the rolls inside, and let it dry completely.
- Remeasure: about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide and about 30 in (76.2 cm) long.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every base is flat and 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
- Every basket has 16 V-st columns and 12 shells.
- Every basket is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
- The strap has 201 sts and measures 67 in (170.2 cm).
- The strap is centered under Basket 6 at st 101.
- The strap runs straight up opposite columns 1 and 9 on every basket.
- The scallops are free and unsewn.
- The baskets are evenly spaced, with a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) gap.
- Both ring wraps are secure, and the legs are equal length.
- All ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
- The V-stitch columns twist. Always sl st into the first ch-1 sp before you start the round.
- The scallops come out uneven. Recount Rnd 11. It must have exactly 48 sc.
- The roll is tight. Go up a hook size for Rnds 1–11.
- A basket tilts forward. The strap isn’t on opposite columns. Unpick it and re-sew on columns 1 and 9.
- The baskets sag apart. The strap has stretched. Sew it more firmly, or add a 4th row of sc to the strap.
- The holder hangs crooked. Check that both legs are 15 sts long and that both ring wraps use 6 sts.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, then reshape and lay flat or hang to dry. Avoid the dryer, which can shrink cotton and flatten the scallops.
Final Notes
Here’s the measurement chain from start to finish:
- 12 dc = 4 in (10.2 cm), which gives a 48-st base 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
- The sides are 3 in (7.6 cm) tall after Rnd 11.
- The scallops add 0.5 in (1.3 cm), for a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) basket.
- Each basket uses 12 strap sts, or 4 in (10.2 cm), on each side.
- 201 strap sts give a 67 in (170.2 cm) strap.
- The assembled holder is about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) × 30 in (76.2 cm).
If every checkpoint matches, the finished holder will match too.
Happy crocheting!