Day 21: Drawstring bag with a Christmas flower

This is the 21st free crochet pattern from my Christmas Tales collection: a flat drawstring bag with a Christmas flower. It could be a present itself or you could put a small present inside. Moreover, it would 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.

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Drawstring bag with a Christmas flower

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 size of my drawstring bag is 7.5 x 12.5 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 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 chaining 24 with red yarn.

Round 1: To make the first round, you will be working down the chain, then turn and work in the other side of the chain. Make sc in every st of the chain starting from the second chain from your hook. Turn. 1 sc in the end of the chain, make sc in every st (starting with the one you have just worked into; now that st has 3 sc in total) until you come back to the beginning of the chain. 1 sc in the end of the chain. In total you should have 48 st. Don’t join with a sl st, instead continue with the next round.

Now add the white yarn and follow the color chart for all rounds until the end.

Round 2-24: msc in every st of the prev round.

Making the holes for the string:

Round 25: msc, *ch2, skip 2 st of the prev round, 2 msc*, rep ** 11 times, ch 2, skip 2 st of the prev round, msc.

Round 26: 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 ** 11 times. 2 msc in the ch2 space of the prev round, msc.

Round 27-31: msc in every st of the prev round.

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 red yarn. The length of the chain should be around 26 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 48 stitches (48 columns in the chart). Rows represent rounds (there are 31 rounds). 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 Christmas flower

Round 2

1. See general photo instructions showing how to start a bag here and how to introduce yarn here. The first stitch in round 3 is white, therefore don’t complete the last stitch in round 2, stop when you have 2 loops on your hook.

2. Then move the white yarn up and yarn under.

3. Pull the yarn through. Now the white yarn is ready to be used.

Round 3

4. Make the first stitch in round 3 with the white yarn.

Round 5

5. The 34th stitch in round 5 should be red. So Make 32 mscs with the white yarn, start making the 33rd, but stop when you have two loops on your hook.