Mint-green crocheted alligator with large googly eyes and cheerful smile on neutral beige linen fabric.

Lily Pad Frog Plastic Bag Holder Crochet Pattern

by

This frog bag holder turns a pile of loose grocery bags into a cheerful kitchen accessory. It has a long mint-green mesh tube with a grid of open squares, a rounded frog head on top, big googly eyes, pink cheeks and a stitched smile. Four little three-toed limbs sit at the sides: two arms under the head and two feet at the gathered bottom.

The colors are simple: mint green for the body, white and black for the eyes, soft pink for the cheeks and black for the smile. It hangs from a door knob or cabinet hook by a long crocheted loop.

All instructions use US crochet terms. The finished holder is about 6 in (15.2 cm) wide laid flat and 18 in (45.7 cm) long from the top of the head to the bottom edge, not counting the loop.

You work the tube from the top down in joined rounds: a short single crochet band, a filet-style mesh, then a bottom band that decreases to form the opening you pull bags from. The head is a dome worked in a spiral. You sew it to the back half of the tube only, so the front lifts like a lid when you stuff bags in. The eyes, cheeks, limbs and loop are small pieces you sew on at the end.

Finished Size and Construction

  • Finished size: about 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat x 18 in (45.7 cm) long, plus a 3.75 in (9.5 cm) hanging loop
  • Skill level: Easy to intermediate
  • Terminology: US crochet terms
  • Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
  • Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
  • Number of pieces: 1 finished item made from 13 components: 1 tube, 1 head, 2 eye cups, 2 eye discs, 2 cheeks, 4 limbs, 1 loop
  • Layout: Head on top, mesh tube below, arms at the upper sides, feet at the lower sides, loop at the top of the head
  • Tube circumference: 48 sts = 12 in (30.5 cm), or 6 in (15.2 cm) flat
  • Tube size before border: 12 in (30.5 cm) around x 13.6 in (34.5 cm) long
  • Border depth: 5 rounds, about 1.1 in (2.8 cm)

Materials

Choose a smooth cotton or cotton blend in worsted weight. Cotton keeps the mesh grid crisp and doesn’t stretch out under the weight of the bags. The amounts below assume a yarn of about 50 g / 95 m (104 yd).

  • Mint green: 130 g, about 247 m (270 yd)
  • White: 10 g, about 19 m (21 yd)
  • Black: 5 g, about 10 m (11 yd)
  • Pink: 3 g, about 6 m (7 yd)

These quantities include a margin of about 15 percent for gauge differences and swatching.

Tools:

  • 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
  • Tapestry needle
  • Stitch markers
  • Scissors
  • A pinch of fiberfill for the eyes
  • Pins or clips
  • Tape measure

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • ch chain
  • sl st slip stitch
  • sc single crochet
  • hdc half double crochet
  • dc double crochet
  • sc2tog single crochet 2 together (pull up a loop in each of the next 2 sts, yarn over, draw through all 3 loops)
  • inc 2 sc in the same stitch
  • MR magic ring
  • sp space
  • st(s) stitch(es)
  • rnd round

Special stitch – mesh square: one dc plus the ch-2 space beside it. Each mesh square uses 3 stitch positions (1 dc + 2 ch).

Gauge and Checkpoints

  • Single crochet: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
  • Mesh: 4 mesh squares = 3 in (7.6 cm) wide; 5 mesh rnds = 3 in (7.6 cm) tall

Each mesh square is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide and 0.6 in (1.5 cm) tall.

Test one piece first. Make the head before anything else, because it also works as your sc gauge swatch. After Rnd 8 the flat circle should measure about 3.8 in (9.7 cm) across.

Checkpoints:

  1. Head after Rnd 8: 3.8 in (9.7 cm) across.
  2. Finished head: 12 in (30.5 cm) around the open edge, about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
  3. Tube after Rnd 2: 12 in (30.5 cm) around.
  4. Tube after Rnd 7 (5 mesh rnds): mesh section 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
  5. Tube after Rnd 24: 13.6 in (34.5 cm) long.
  6. Tube after border: 14.7 in (37.3 cm) long.

If your piece is too big, go down to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook. If it’s too small, go up to a 4.5 mm (7) hook. Change the hook, not the stitch counts, so the head still matches the tube.

Crocheted mint-green frog amigurumi with prominent googly eyes, pink rosy cheeks, and friendly embroidered smile.

Head

Work in a continuous spiral with mint green. Mark the first stitch of each round.

  • Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6)
  • Rnd 2: inc in each st. (12)
  • Rnd 3: sc 1, inc 6 times. (18)
  • Rnd 4: sc 2, inc 6 times. (24)
  • Rnd 5: sc 3, inc 6 times. (30)
  • Rnd 6: sc 4, inc 6 times. (36)
  • Rnd 7: sc 5, inc 6 times. (42)
  • Rnd 8: sc 6, inc 6 times. (48)
  • Rnds 9–18: sc in each st. (48)

Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 24 in (61.0 cm) tail. The head is a rounded cap 12 in (30.5 cm) around and about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. Don’t stuff it.

Eyes (make 2)

Eye cup (mint green):

  • Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc. (6)
  • Rnd 2: inc in each st. (12)
  • Rnd 3: sc 1, inc 6 times. (18)
  • Rnd 4: sc 2, inc 6 times. (24)
  • Rnds 5–6: sc in each st. (24)

Fasten off with a long tail. This makes a shallow cup about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across.

Eye disc (black and white):

  • Rnd 1: With black, MR, 6 sc, join with sl st. Change to white. (6)
  • Rnd 2: With white, inc in each st. (12)
  • Rnd 3: sc 1, inc 6 times. (18)

Sl st to join and fasten off. The disc is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across: a black pupil framed by a white ring.

Sew the disc into the opening of the cup, leaving a narrow green rim showing around the white. Add a pinch of fiberfill before closing so the eye domes forward.

Cheeks (make 2)

With pink, MR, 6 sc, sl st to join. (6) Pull the ring tight and fasten off. Each cheek is about 0.6 in (1.5 cm) across.

Limbs (make 4: 2 arms, 2 feet)

All four limbs are identical flat pieces, each with three toes and a short stem.

  • Rnd 1: With mint green, MR, 6 sc, join with sl st. (6)
  • Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st, join. (12)
  • Rnd 3 (toes and stem): Sl st in next st, ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next 2 ch, sl st in next 2 palm sts 3 times. Sl st in next 2 palm sts, ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 5 ch, sl st in next palm st.

Count check for Rnd 3: 1 sl st + (3 toes x 2 palm sts) + 2 sl sts + 1 sl st for the stem = 10 palm sts used. The last 2 palm sts stay unworked behind the stem.

Fasten off with a long tail. Each limb is about 2.75 in (7.0 cm) long: a 1 in (2.5 cm) palm with toes, plus a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) stem.

Hanging Loop

With mint green, ch 31, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (30)

Fasten off with a long tail. The strip is about 7.5 in (19.1 cm) long. Folded in half, it makes a 3.75 in (9.5 cm) loop.

Mesh Tube

Work from the top down in joined rounds with mint green. Don’t turn.

  • Foundation: Ch 48, sl st to the first ch to form a ring, making sure the chain isn’t twisted.
  • Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch, join with sl st to first sc. (48)
  • Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st, join. (48)

Checkpoint: 12 in (30.5 cm) around.

  • Rnd 3 (mesh setup): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), skip 2 sts, dc in next st, ch 2, skip 2 sts 15 times. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (16 dc, 16 ch-2 sps)

Stitch check: 16 squares x 3 positions = 48, which matches Rnd 2.

  • Rnd 4: Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), dc in next dc, ch 2 15 times. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (16 dc, 16 ch-2 sps)
  • Rnds 5–24: Repeat Rnd 4. (16 dc, 16 ch-2 sps each rnd)

You now have 22 mesh rounds (Rnds 3–24). The dc posts stack straight up to form the vertical bars of the grid, and the ch-2s form the horizontal bars.

Checkpoint: the mesh section is 22 x 0.6 in = 13.2 in (33.5 cm). Adding the 0.4 in (1.0 cm) sc band gives 13.6 in (34.5 cm). Don’t fasten off. Continue to the border.

Border (Bottom Band)

Border gauge: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm). Each round adds about 0.22 in (0.6 cm).

Counts are given for the whole round and for each side when the tube is flattened (front and back).

  • Rnd 25 (conversion): Ch 1, sc in the same st, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp 15 times, join. Count: 16 (1 per dc) + 32 (2 in each of 16 sps) = 48. (24 per side)
  • Rnd 26: Ch 1, sc in each st, join. (48; 24 per side)
  • Rnd 27: Ch 1, sc 2, sc2tog 12 times, join. (36; 18 per side)
  • Rnd 28: Ch 1, sc 1, sc2tog 12 times, join. (24; 12 per side)
  • Rnd 29: Ch 1, sc in each st, join. (24; 12 per side)

Fasten off and weave in the end.

Why the math works: The conversion round puts exactly 3 sc into each 3-position mesh square. That means the band starts with the same 48 sts as the top band, so the tube doesn’t flare or pucker. Each decrease round removes 12 sts (6 per side), taking the bottom from 48 to 24 sts, exactly half the circumference. The opening is 6 in (15.2 cm) around, or 3 in (7.6 cm) flat. That’s snug enough to hold the bags and wide enough to pull one out.

Checkpoint: 13.6 in + 1.1 in = 14.7 in (37.3 cm).

Assembly

  1. Eyes: Pin the eyes to the top of the head between Rnds 4 and 8, about 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. Whipstitch around each green cup.
  2. Smile: With black, backstitch a curved smile about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide, centered across Rnds 11–12.
  3. Cheeks: Sew a pink cheek at each end of the smile.
  4. Head to tube: Slide the head over the top of the tube so its lower edge sits about 0.7 in (1.8 cm) below the tube’s top edge. Sew the back 24 sts of the head’s last round to the back 24 sts of tube Rnd 2. Leave the front 24 sts free so the head lifts like a lid.
  5. Loop: Fold the strip in half and sew both ends to the top center of the head.
  6. Arms: Sew two limbs by their stems to the sides of the tube at mesh Rnd 4, toes pointing outward.
  7. Feet: Sew the other two limbs to the sides across border Rnds 26–28, toes pointing down and out.

Finished length: head 4 in + tube 14.7 in − 0.7 in overlap = 18 in (45.7 cm).

Final Blocking

  1. Weave in all remaining ends.
  2. Mist the tube lightly until it’s damp, not soaked.
  3. Slide a 6 in (15.2 cm) wide strip of cardboard inside the tube.
  4. Straighten the mesh so every column of squares runs vertically.
  5. Pin the limbs flat and spread the toes.
  6. Shape the head over a small bowl.
  7. Let everything dry completely before hanging.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

  • The tube is 12 in (30.5 cm) around and 14.7 in (37.3 cm) long.
  • Every mesh round has 16 dc and 16 ch-2 spaces.
  • The dc columns run straight.
  • The bottom opening has 24 sts.
  • The head is sewn along the back only, and the front lifts freely.
  • The eyes are level and the smile is centered.
  • The limbs and loop are firmly attached.
  • All ends are woven in.

Troubleshooting

Mesh columns drift sideways. Work each dc into the top of the dc below, not into the ch-2 space.

Mesh squares look narrow. Your chains are too tight. Loosen them so each square is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide.

Bottom band flares. Recount Rnd 25. It must have exactly 48 sts.

Head is smaller than the tube. Make the head again with a hook one size larger.

Bags fall out of the bottom. Add one round of sc 1, sc2tog to bring it down to 16 sts.

Eyes look flat. Add more fiberfill before closing the disc into the cup.

Care

Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, reshaping the head and mesh while damp. Don’t use the dryer, which can shrink cotton and distort the grid.

Smiling mint-green crocheted frog with pink cheeks serving as a tissue holder on wooden kitchen cabinets.

Final Notes

Everything starts from one gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), which gives a 48-st circumference of 12 in (30.5 cm). The head increases to the same 48 sts so it fits over the tube. The mesh keeps 48 stitch positions as 16 squares of 3 sts each, and the border turns those back into 48 sc before decreasing to 24. Check your gauge on the head and measure the tube at each checkpoint. The finished frog will be 6 in (15.2 cm) wide and 18 in (45.7 cm) long.

Happy crocheting!

Leave a Comment