The Pantry Loop Plastic Bag Holder is a tall, tidy cylinder that hangs on a cabinet knob or hook and keeps loose shopping bags out of sight. You stuff bags in at the open top and pull them out, one at a time, through a round opening in the base.
The design uses one natural oatmeal cotton yarn throughout. Dense single crochet gives it a firm, knit-like surface of stacked V-columns that holds its shape even when the holder is only half full. A thick covered ring at the top gives it a clean, finished look in a kitchen or laundry room.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures about 5 in (12.7 cm) across and 13.5 in (34.3 cm) tall. With the hanging ring, it is about 17 in (43.2 cm) long.
Construction is simple. You crochet a flat base ring around a chain opening, turn it up into a straight tube in joined rounds, and finish with a two-round top rim. Next you cover a plastic or metal ring with single crochet and work a short tab off it. Last, you sew the tab inside the back of the rim.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 5 in (12.7 cm) diameter x 13.5 in (34.3 cm) body height. Total hanging length is about 17 in (43.2 cm).
- Flattened width: 7.7 in (19.6 cm)
- Circumference: 15.4 in (39.1 cm)
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 holder, made as 2 parts (body plus ring with tab) and sewn together
- Layout: single vertical cylinder with the ring centered above the back of the rim
- Body height before border: 13 in (33.0 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm), 2 rounds
- Ring: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) ring core, about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across once covered
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton is firm, washable and does not stretch out much under the weight of the bags. Acrylic also works, but it gives a softer tube that may sag more.
- Oatmeal / natural beige: 250 g, about 475 m (519 yd)
Quantities include a margin of about 10–15% for your gauge swatch and small differences in tension.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- One 2.5 in (6.4 cm) plastic or metal ring (macramé or craft ring)
- 2 stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Pins (optional, for placing the tab)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- BLO – back loop only
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd(s) – round(s)
Special stitch – reverse sc (rev sc): Work from left to right (left-handers: right to left). Insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through both loops. This makes a rolled, corded edge.
Joined rounds: Unless stated otherwise, start each round with ch 1 (doesn’t count as a stitch) and join with a sl st to the first sc. Keep the joins in a straight line so they sit at the back of the holder.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sc x 16 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in the round. That works out to 3.5 sts and 4 rnds per inch (2.5 cm).
Test with the base first. The base is the first part you make and it sets the circumference of the whole tube, so it works as your gauge swatch.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 1: The center opening is about 2.2 in (5.6 cm) across.
- After Rnd 6: The flat base is about 5 in (12.7 cm) across and lies flat without ruffling or cupping.
- After Rnd 18: The tube’s circumference is 15.4 in (39.1 cm), measured around the outside, and it lies 7.7 in (19.6 cm) wide when flattened. The wall measures 3 in (7.6 cm) above the base ridge.
- After Rnd 58: The wall is 13 in (33.0 cm) tall above the base ridge.
- After the border: The body is 13.5 in (34.3 cm) tall.
If your base is too big: Change to a 4.5 mm hook. If your base is too small: Change to a 5.5 mm hook. If the base ruffles, your rounds are too short for the increases, so go up a hook size. If it cups, go down a size. Height is easy to adjust: if your rounds are taller or shorter, just work more or fewer wall rounds until you reach 13 in (33.0 cm).
Part 1: Base
The base is a flat ring that grows outward from a chain opening. This opening is where the bags come out.
Foundation: Ch 24 and join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring, taking care not to twist it. The ring is about 6.9 in (17.5 cm) around.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around, then join. (24 sts)
Check that the opening is about 2.2 in (5.6 cm) across. A bag needs this much room to slide through without catching.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in next 3 sts, inc in next st; repeat from * 6 times, then join. (30 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, inc, sc in next 4 sts, inc; repeat from * 4 more times, sc in last 2 sts, then join. (36 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in next 5 sts, inc; repeat from * 6 times, then join. (42 sts)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc in next 3 sts, inc, sc in next 6 sts, inc; repeat from * 4 more times, sc in last 3 sts, then join. (48 sts)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, sc in next 7 sts, inc; repeat from * 6 times, then join. (54 sts)
Rnds 3 and 5 offset the increases so the base stays round rather than hexagonal. Lay the base on a table. It should be flat and about 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
Part 2: Body Tube
Rnd 7 (turning round): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around, then join. (54 sts: 54 worked 1-per-stitch + 0 added)
The unused front loops make a neat ridge, and the work starts to turn up into a wall. Gently fold the edge up as you go.
Rnds 8–58: Ch 1, sc in each st around, then join. (54 sts each round)
That is 51 plain rounds. With Rnd 7 included, the wall has 52 rounds, or 13 in (33.0 cm) at 4 rnds per inch.
Check the tube at Rnd 18. It should measure 15.4 in (39.1 cm) around and 3 in (7.6 cm) above the ridge. Recount often: if the count drifts to 53 or 55, the tube will slowly narrow or flare. Placing a marker in the first sc of each round makes this easy to catch.
Don’t fasten off. Go straight on to the border.
Border (Top Rim)
Border gauge: Same as the body, 3.5 sts per inch (2.5 cm). The border adds no stitches, so the rim stays exactly the width of the tube.
For counting, think of the flattened tube as two sides. The front is 27 sts and the back is 27 sts, with the join at the center back.
Rnd 59 (Border Rnd 1): Ch 1, sc in each st around, then join. (54 sts: 54 worked 1-per-stitch + 0 added = 27 front + 27 back)
Rnd 60 (Border Rnd 2): Ch 1, rev sc in each st around, then join. (54 sts: 54 worked 1-per-stitch + 0 added = 27 front + 27 back)
Fasten off and weave in the end.
Why the math works: The tube has 54 sts on every round from Rnd 6 to Rnd 58. The border works exactly one stitch into each of them, with no increases or decreases, so the rim stays at 15.4 in (39.1 cm) and neither flares nor pulls in. Rev sc has about the same height as sc, so the 2 rounds add 0.5 in (1.3 cm). The body is 13 in (33.0 cm) + 0.5 in (1.3 cm) = 13.5 in (34.3 cm) tall.
Part 3: Hanging Ring and Tab
Ring cover: Make a slip knot on your hook. Holding the 2.5 in (6.4 cm) ring, insert the hook through the center of the ring, pull up a loop, and work 1 sc around the ring. Keep working sc around the ring, pushing the stitches together as you go, until the ring is completely covered. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (42 sts)
Ring cores vary in thickness. If 42 sts leave gaps, add stitches, and if they crowd and twist, remove some. Use 40–44 sts, and make sure the stitches don’t ride over the top of each other. The covered ring is about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across, with an opening of about 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
Tab: Turn the work so the stitch tops face outward.
Row 1: Ch 1, sc in next 5 sts on the ring, then turn. (5 sts)
Rows 2–4: Ch 1, sc in each st across, then turn. (5 sts each row)
The tab is 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide and 1 in (2.5 cm) long. Fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing.
Attaching the Ring
- Find the center back of the holder. This is where the round joins line up.
- Push the tab down inside the tube so 0.75 in (1.9 cm) of it overlaps the inside of the back wall. The covered ring should then sit 0.25 in (0.6 cm) above the rim.
- Pin the tab in place, centered over the join line.
- With the tail and a tapestry needle, whipstitch around all 4 edges of the overlapped part of the tab. Catch only the inside half of each body stitch so the stitching doesn’t show on the front.
- Make a second pass along the top edge of the rim through both the tab and the rim. This edge carries the most weight.
Total hanging length: 13.5 in (34.3 cm) body + 0.25 in (0.6 cm) neck + 3.25 in (8.3 cm) ring = 17 in (43.2 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends on the inside of the tube, then trim them.
- Lightly spray the holder with water until it’s damp but not soaking.
- Roll a towel or slide a 4–5 in (10.2–12.7 cm) cardboard tube or bottle inside to support the body.
- Smooth the columns so they run straight up from the base, and nudge any slanted round joins back in line.
- Press the base flat with your palm and gently round out the bag opening with your fingers.
- Lay the covered ring flat so it doesn’t dry twisted.
- Let it dry completely, standing upright, before taking out the form.
- Check that the body is 13.5 in (34.3 cm) tall and about 5 in (12.7 cm) across.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The base lies flat and the bag opening is about 2.2 in (5.6 cm) across.
- The base ridge from Rnd 7 runs evenly all the way around.
- Every round from Rnd 6 to Rnd 60 has 54 sts.
- The tube measures 15.4 in (39.1 cm) around from bottom to top, with no flare or narrowing.
- The wall is 13 in (33.0 cm) before the border and 13.5 in (34.3 cm) after.
- The round joins line up at the center back.
- The rim is an even, corded rev sc edge.
- The ring is fully covered, with no core showing.
- The tab is centered at the back, firmly sewn on all sides, with stitches that don’t show on the front.
- All ends are woven in on the inside.
Troubleshooting
The base ruffles. Your gauge is tight for the increase rate. Go up a hook size, or replace Rnd 6 with a plain round of 48 sts and then increase to 54 on the next round.
The base cups like a bowl. Your stitches are loose. Go down a hook size, or check that you didn’t skip an increase.
The tube slowly widens or narrows. You’re gaining or losing stitches at the join. Make sure the ch 1 isn’t counted as a stitch and that the joining sl st goes into the first sc, not the ch.
The round joins spiral across the front. Joined sc rounds drift naturally. Pull the joining sl st snug and gently straighten the line when blocking.
Bags fall out of the bottom on their own. The opening is too large. Work Rnd 1 into a 22-ch ring instead (22 sts). Rnd 2 is then sc in next 3 sts, inc repeated 4 times, followed by sc in next 2 sts, inc twice, for 30 sts, and you continue as written.
Bags won’t pull through. The opening is too small. Use a 26-ch ring (26 sts). Rnd 2 is then sc in next 3 sts, inc repeated 4 times, followed by sc in next 5 sts, inc, for 31 sts. Skip one increase in Rnd 3 to get back to 36 sts and continue as written.
The rim flares. The rev sc is too loose. Redo it with a hook one size smaller.
The ring tilts forward. The tab is sewn too low or off center. Re-pin it with the 0.75 in (1.9 cm) overlap and sew the top edge again.
Care
Hand wash or machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, then reshape and dry flat or upright over a form. Don’t tumble dry, because cotton can shrink and lose its crisp column texture.
Final Notes
The whole holder comes from one measurement chain. Gauge of 3.5 sts and 4 rnds per inch (2.5 cm) gives a 54-st base about 5 in (12.7 cm) across. The same 54 sts make a tube 15.4 in (39.1 cm) around. Fifty-two wall rounds make 13 in (33.0 cm), and the two-round border adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) for a 13.5 in (34.3 cm) body. With the 0.25 in (0.6 cm) neck and the 3.25 in (8.3 cm) ring on top, the holder hangs at 17 in (43.2 cm). Check each link as you go, and your holder will hang straight and dispense bags smoothly for years.
Happy crocheting!