Seaside Drift Jellyfish Bag Holder Crochet Pattern

Meet a jellyfish that keeps your plastic grocery bags tidy. The Seaside Drift holder has:

• a solid aqua dome cap
• a lavender scalloped ruffle around the cap’s lower edge
• an open aqua mesh body
• eight curly corkscrew tentacles in alternating lavender and aqua

You push bags in through the mesh and pull them out one at a time through the narrow, firm opening at the bottom.

The colors are soft and beachy. Aqua is used for the cap, body, bottom rim, hanging loop and half the tentacles. Lavender is used for the ruffle and the other half of the tentacles. The same pattern works in any two-color pairing. Peach and cream, for example, gives a warm sunset version.

This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures about 12 in (30.5 cm) around the body and about 10.25 in (26.0 cm) tall from crown to bottom rim, not counting the hanging loop. The tentacles hang about 9 in (22.9 cm) long, and the ruffle spans about 5.25 in (13.3 cm) across.

Construction is simple:

• The cap is crocheted top-down in joined single crochet rounds.
• The mesh body is worked into the back loops of the last cap round, then it narrows into a single crochet rim.
• The ruffle goes into the front loops of that same cap round.
• The tentacles are made separately and sewn on, and the hanging loop is added last.

Finished Size and Construction

• Finished size: 12 in (30.5 cm) around; 10.25 in (26.0 cm) tall without the loop
• Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
• Terminology: US
• Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
• Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
• Number of pieces: One main holder (cap, body and rim in one piece) plus 8 corkscrew tentacles sewn on
• Layout: A single hanging piece, with the 8 tentacles evenly spaced below the ruffle
• Cap size: 3 in (7.6 cm) across after the increase rounds. About 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide and 3 in (7.6 cm) tall when finished.
• Size before the ruffle: 12 in (30.5 cm) around at Cap Round 13
• Ruffle depth: 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
• Bottom rim: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) deep and 6 in (15.2 cm) around

Materials

Choose a smooth, firm worsted cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds the mesh open, keeps the corkscrews springy, and won’t stretch much under a full load of bags. Avoid fuzzy or very soft acrylics. They blur the mesh, and the tentacles tend to go limp.

• Color A, Aqua: 60 g, about 94 m (cap, body, rim, loop and 4 tentacles)
• Color B, Lavender: 35 g, about 55 m (ruffle and 4 tentacles)

These quantities include a margin of about 25%, so you have extra for a gauge swatch or one more tentacle.

Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 2 stitch markers
– Scissors
– Measuring tape
– Rustproof pins
– Spray bottle for blocking

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• dc – double crochet
• inc – increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
• BLO / FLO – back loop only / front loop only
• MR – magic ring
• sp – space
• st(s) – stitch(es)

Special stitch – Scallop: 7 dc worked into the same stitch.

Join every round with a sl st to the first stitch. The starting ch-1 does not count as a stitch unless the pattern says otherwise.

Gauge and Checkpoints

• Single crochet: 16 sc and 16 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
• Mesh: 5 mesh rounds = 2 in (5.1 cm), and 16 dc columns around = 12 in (30.5 cm)

Use the cap as your gauge test. Stop after Round 6, lay the circle flat without stretching it, and measure across the middle.

To check the mesh, measure straight down one dc column from the cap edge, not along a slanted line.

Checkpoints:
– Checkpoint 1 (Cap Round 6): the flat circle is 3 in (7.6 cm) across.
– Checkpoint 2 (Cap Round 13): the cap is 12 in (30.5 cm) around.
– Checkpoint 3 (Body Round 5): the body is 2 in (5.1 cm) deep from the cap edge.
– Checkpoint 4 (Body Round 15): the mesh is 6 in (15.2 cm) deep.
– Checkpoint 5 (Rim Round 5): the opening is 6 in (15.2 cm) around.

If your piece is too big, try a 4.5 mm hook. If it’s too small, try a 5.5 mm hook.

If only the mesh is off, change hooks for the body rounds only. Keep the rim snug, because it controls how bags come out. A loose rim lets bags fall out, and a tight rim tears them.

Cap

Use Color A.

Round 1: MR, ch 1, 8 sc in ring, join. (8 sts)

Round 2: Ch 1, inc in each st around, join. (16 sts)

Round 3: Ch 1, (sc 1, inc) 8 times, join. (24 sts)

Round 4: Ch 1, (sc 2, inc) 8 times, join. (32 sts)

Round 5: Ch 1, (sc 3, inc) 8 times, join. (40 sts)

Round 6: Ch 1, (sc 4, inc) 8 times, join. (48 sts)

Checkpoint 1: 3 in (7.6 cm) across.

Rounds 7–13: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sts in each round)

With no more increases, the cap curves down into a dome. The 7 straight rounds add 1.75 in (4.4 cm) of side. Checkpoint 2: 12 in (30.5 cm) around.

Joined rounds give the cap a level lower edge, so the ruffle sits straight later. Keep the joining seam at the back of the cap, which will become the back of the holder. Do not fasten off.

Mesh Body

Keep using Color A. Work Body Round 1 into the back loops of Cap Round 13, and leave the front loops free for the ruffle.

Round 1 (BLO): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), skip 2 sts, (dc in next st, ch 2, skip 2 sts) 15 times. Join with a sl st in the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-5. (16 dc + 16 ch-2 sps = 48 sts)

Rounds 2–12: Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), (dc in next dc, ch 2) 15 times, join in the 3rd ch of the ch-5. (16 dc + 16 ch-2 sps = 48 sts in each round)

Work each dc into the top of the dc directly below it. This stacking makes straight vertical bars and open square windows. Each round’s beginning ch-5 lands on the previous round’s joining chain, so the seam stays in one column at the back. Checkpoint 3 comes at Round 5.

Round 13 (taper): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), (dc in next dc, ch 1) 15 times, join in the 3rd ch of the ch-4. (16 dc + 16 ch-1 sps = 32 sts)

Rounds 14–15: Repeat Round 13. (32 sts in each round)

Shortening the chains from 2 to 1 pulls the body in from 12 in (30.5 cm) to about 8 in (20.3 cm) around, and all 16 columns stay in place. Checkpoint 4: the mesh is 6 in (15.2 cm) deep.

Bottom Rim

Keep using Color A.

Round 1 (conversion): Ch 1, sc in each dc and 1 sc in each ch-1 sp around, join. (16 + 16 = 32 sts: one stitch worked into each existing stitch or space, with 0 added)

Round 2: Ch 1, (sc 2, sc2tog) 8 times, join. (24 sts)

Rounds 3–5: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (24 sts in each round)

Fasten off and weave in the end. Checkpoint 5: the opening is 6 in (15.2 cm) around, about 1.9 in (4.8 cm) across, and 1.25 in (3.2 cm) deep.

Tentacles (Make 8)

Make 4 tentacles in Color A and 4 in Color B.

Row 1: Ch 51. Work 3 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and 3 sc in each remaining ch. (50 ch × 3 = 150 sts)

As the stitches crowd together, the strip twists into a tight corkscrew. Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing.

Run your fingers down each tentacle to even out the twists. It relaxes to about 9 in (22.9 cm) long, so it hangs about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) below the rim.

Ruffle and Finishing (Border)

On this piece, the ruffle is the border. It’s worked into the free front loops of Cap Round 13.

Border gauge: Each 7-dc scallop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide along its outer curve and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) deep.

Turn the holder so the cap faces up. Join Color B in any free front loop of Cap Round 13.

Ruffle Round 1 (FLO): Ch 1, sc in each free front loop around, join. (48 sts: one stitch worked into each existing stitch, with 0 added)

Ruffle Round 2: Ch 1, (sc in next st, skip 2 sts, Scallop in next st, skip 2 sts) 8 times, join to the first sc. (8 sc + 56 dc = 64 sts, worked over the 48 base sts)

Fasten off and weave in the end.

Counts per repeat: Each repeat uses exactly 6 base stitches: 1 for the sc, 2 skipped, 1 for the Scallop and 2 skipped. Each repeat makes 1 sc + 7 dc = 8 stitches.

Why the math works: 48 ÷ 6 = 8 even scallops with nothing left over. The body has 16 mesh columns, and 16 ÷ 8 = 2, so there is one scallop for every 2 columns. The 8 sc between the scallops also mark the 8 tentacle positions, so the ruffle, body and tentacles all line up.

Attaching the tentacles: Find the spot directly below each between-scallop sc, where Cap Round 13 meets Body Round 1. Sew one tentacle at each spot, alternating colors: B, A, B, A and so on around. Stitch through the top 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of each tentacle, passing through the sc fabric twice, so it hangs straight down outside the mesh. Weave in the tails on the inside.

Hanging loop: Join Color A in any st of Cap Round 2. Ch 20, skip 7 sts, and sl st in the 8th st, which is directly opposite. Turn, work 28 sc into the loop, sl st to the starting point, and fasten off. The loop stands about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.

Loading the holder: Fold each bag flat into thirds lengthwise. Push the bags in through the mesh windows, tucking each new one in so its handles point down toward the rim. Pull the first bag’s end through the opening. As you pull one bag out, the next one follows.

Final Blocking

1. Lightly mist the whole holder with water until it’s damp but not soaked.
2. Stuff the cap and body loosely with a rolled towel to hold the round shape.
3. Smooth the dome, and line up the mesh windows so the columns run straight.
4. Pin each of the 8 scallops outward and slightly down so they flare evenly to 0.75 in (1.9 cm).
5. Gently twist each tentacle in its natural direction and let it hang freely.
6. Let everything dry completely, then remove the towel.
7. Measure again: 12 in (30.5 cm) around the body and 10.25 in (26.0 cm) tall.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

• The cap is a smooth dome with 48 sts at Round 13.
• The body shows 16 straight columns through all 15 mesh rounds.
• The rim opening is 6 in (15.2 cm) around and firm.
• The ruffle has exactly 8 evenly spaced scallops.
• The 8 tentacles alternate colors and sit every 2 columns.
• Each tentacle stays put when you give it a firm tug.
• The hanging loop is centered on the crown and sturdy.
• All yarn ends are woven in and hidden.

Troubleshooting

• The cap ruffles instead of forming a dome: Your increase rounds are too loose. Go down a hook size for Rounds 1–6.
• The cap is pointed: Your increase rounds are too tight. Go up a hook size for Rounds 1–6.
• The mesh columns spiral: Make sure each dc goes into the top of the dc below it, not into the chain space.
• The scallop count is wrong: Recount Ruffle Round 1. It must have exactly 48 sts.
• The tentacles are too straight: Pack the 3 sc tightly, or use a 4.5 mm hook just for the tentacles.
• The tentacles are too short: Add 6 chains at a time. Each extra chain adds 3 sc.
• Bags pull out in bunches: Add 1 extra rim round of 24 sc, or go down a hook size for the rim.
• The holder sags when full: Use a firmer cotton and don’t overfill it. About 20–30 bags is plenty.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Reshape the body and twist the tentacles back into curls, then lay flat or hang to dry.

Final Notes

Here is the measurement chain:

1. A 3 in (7.6 cm) crown at Round 6 leads to a 48-stitch cap edge of 12 in (30.5 cm).
2. That edge carries 16 mesh columns for 6 in (15.2 cm).
3. The columns taper to 32 sts and then to a 24-stitch rim that is 6 in (15.2 cm) around.
4. The same 48 cap stitches give exactly 8 scallops and 8 tentacle points.

If each checkpoint matches, your finished jellyfish will match too.

Happy crocheting!