How to Crochet Bags for Beginners | Simple First Project

A first crochet bag is the perfect project for learning something you’ll actually use. You need exactly one stitch — single crochet — and about an evening to finish it. The basic technique works the same whether you want a market tote, a small pouch, or a shoulder bag. Here’s the method that gets your first bag right, with the common beginner mistakes flagged before you make them.

What You Need Before Starting

A standard tote uses roughly 400g of yarn — about one full skein of medium-weight worsted yarn. That’s enough for a bag about 12 inches wide and 14 inches tall. You’ll also need a crochet hook sized to match your yarn (the yarn label will say which), a yarn needle for seaming, and scissors. Our tested roundup of the best crochet bags shows what a finished project can look like if you want inspiration first.

Step-by-Step: The Rectangle Bag Method

Foundation Chain and First Rows

Make a slip knot and place it on your hook. Chain 35 stitches for a shoulder bag or 50 for a wider tote. Row 1: insert your hook into the second chain from the hook (this is the chain beginners most often miss), yarn over, pull through — you’ve completed one single crochet. Work one single crochet into each chain across. Chain 1, turn your work. Repeat rows of single crochet until the rectangle is twice as tall as you want the finished bag to be (roughly 50 rows for a standard tote).

Folding and Seaming

Fold the rectangle in half width-wise with the wrong side facing out — the crease will become the bag’s bottom. Using a yarn needle and a whip stitch, sew up both side edges from the crease to the top, leaving the top edge open. Turn the bag right-side out: the seam lines are now inside the bag.

Adding Handles

Chain 80 stitches for medium-length straps. Work one row of single crochet back along the chain, fasten off, and repeat for a second strap. Using a yarn needle, attach each strap end to the inside or outside of the bag rim — pull the yarn “very, very tight” or the straps will loosen. Attach them about 4 inches apart for a balanced carry.

Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Skip Them)

Count your stitches every few rows; a missing stitch creates a lopsided bag you won’t notice until it’s finished. Folding with the right side out puts seams on the outside of the bag — wrong side out hides them. And a loose strap attachment is the most common failure point; test the tug before weaving in the ends.

Three Bag Styles From One Rectangle

The same rectangle technique makes different bags by changing the starting chain count and how you seam it. This table shows the structure:

Each starts with the same rectangle fold — only the proportions change. The Instructables beginner bag tutorial walks through the 35-chain version start to finish.

Finishing Touches

Weave all loose ends back into the stitches using a yarn needle — at least an inch in each direction. A fabric lining sewn to the inside keeps small items from slipping through the stitches. A snap button at the rim helps secure the top. These extras are optional; the bag works fine without them on its first trip to the store.