Day 20: Drawstring bag with a bell - Free crochet pattern

This is the 20th free crochet pattern from my Christmas Tales collection: a round drawstring bag with a bell. It could be a present itself or you could put a small present inside. It would also look nice on your Christmas table. You can find other Christmas Tales collection patterns here.

The pattern includes a list of materials, abbreviations, notes, written pattern, color chart and detailed step-by-step photo instructions. This quick crochet project uses the tapestry crochet technique. Even if you haven’t tried this technique before, the photo tutorial will guide you along the way, and you will easily complete the project. If you would like to learn more about this technique, you can take a look at my tutorial here.

This post is part of the Nordic Hook Advent calendar, which includes 24 tapestry crochet patterns from the Christmas Tales collection.

Printable PDF

Join Nordic Hook Club and download the PDF pattern without ads for free! By joining the Club, you also get access to one of the largest crochet stitch libraries. There you will find hundreds of ad-free downloadable crochet stitch tutorials that include detailed step-by-step photo instructions, concise written patterns and member-exclusive charts. Plus, you can download all Nordic Hook patterns, stitches and e-books for free! Read more about all the membership benefits here and sign up today.

Drawstring bag with a bell

Materials

Yarn: I use Tencel 100% lyocell, 50 g = 141 m, colors: red (318291) and white (318290). However, any thin mercerized cotton yarn will work.
Hook: I use a 2.0 mm hook. If you are using a different yarn, choose the hook size that is recommended on your yarn label.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch: chain
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
msc: modified single crochet
prev: previous
st: stitch
rep **: repeat from * to *

Notes

The diameter of my drawstring bag is 6.0 cm and the height is 13.0 cm. You will be working in rounds. This pattern uses the tapestry crochet technique (you can find the tutorial here). The photo instructions below show the main steps how to make a bag. This pattern uses a modified single crochet: make a single crochet back loop only, just instead of yarning over for the last step, yarn under (see the tutorial here).

For this pattern you will work in continuous rounds, which means that in the end of a round you don’t join with a slip stitch, but instead continue making modified single crochets in the top of the first stitch of the round. Remember to use a marker showing the beginning of each round. Follow the color chart showing how you should change colors.

Pattern

The bag

Start by making an adjustable (magic) ring with red yarn.

Round 1: 8 sc in the adjustable ring. (8 st in total)

Introduce the white yarn.

Round 2: msc inc in every st. (16 st)

Round 3: *msc inc, 1 msc in the next st*, rep ** 8 times. (24 st)

Round 4: msc; *msc inc, 2 msc*, rep ** 7 times, msc inc, 1 msc. (32 st)

Round 5: 2 msc; *msc inc, 3 msc*, rep ** 7 times, msc inc, msc. (40 st)

Round 6: msc; *msc inc, 4 msc*, rep ** 7 times, msc inc, 3 msc. (48 st)

Round 7: 4 msc; *msc inc, 5 msc*, rep ** 7 times, msc inc, msc. (56 st)

Round 8-34: msc in every st of the prev round. (56 st)

Making the holes for the string:

Round 35: 1 msc, *ch 2, skip 2 st of the prev round, 2 msc*, rep ** 13 times, ch 2, skip 2 st of the prev round, 1 msc. (56 st)

Round 36: 1 msc, *2 msc in the ch2 space of the prev round (make sure to grab the loose yarn hanging in the ch2 space in the prev round too), 2 msc*, rep ** 13 times, 2 msc in the ch2 space of the prev round, 1 msc. (56 st)

Round 37-41: msc in every st of the prev round. (56 st)

In the end make 4 additional sl st in the next 4 st to even out the edge. Fasten off.

Making the string

Start by chaining with the red yarn. The length of the chain should be around 29 cm long. Make a row of slip stitches in the third loop of the chain as it is shown in photo instructions here.

Color chart

How to read the chart

Each square represents a stitch and its color. In each round you have 56 stitches (56 columns in the chart). Rows represent rounds (there are 41 rounds, however, the first 7 rounds are not shown in the color chart: they are all red and they are the round base of the bag). For each round you have to read the row in the chart from right to left.

You can find a more detailed tutorial explaining how to read a color chart and when and how to change yarn color here.

Photo instructions for the drawstring bag with a bell

Round 9

1. See general photo instructions showing how to make a round base here. The 20th stitch in round 9 is white, therefore, complete the 19th stitch with the white yarn.