Beach Bag Crochet Pattern

This is a crochet straw beach bag (drawstring type) I designed and made with raffia yarn recently. The raffia yarn is thin and flat like plastic strips, softer than raffia twine. It is easy to crochet and the result is surprisingly soft and gentle to touch.

This shoulder beach bag is made by a double layer crochet technique. The 1st layer is single crochet (back loops only) from bottom to top, then you work upside down for the second layer, just slip stitch on the front loops for each and every stitch. As simple as that!

Remember to crochet 12 holes for the eyelets. Used a long fat white elastic band ( I bought it from hair accessories shop) and sew a fabric to the ends as the ribbon ties. The elastic drawstring closure in this beach bag is superbly convenient, now you don’t have to pull-to-tie and untie-to-release the opening when taking things in and out. Didn’t summer supposed to be easy and relax?

Beach Bag Crochet Pattern

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
bl = back loop
sc = single crochet
sc2tog=single crochet 2 together
sk = skip
slst = slip stitch
st = stitch
fo = fasten off
mm = move marker

Materials:
1. Crochet raffia yarn, approximate quantity: Beige 180gram, brown 60 gram, dark brown 60 gram. Update: You may use Raffia With Passion, Ivory (#7620), Kraft (#7987) and Chocolate (#7619)
2. 3.5mm crochet hook
3. 15mm eyelet, 12 sets
4. Handles (20″) a pair
5. Strong sewing thread (preferably nylon thread)
6. Elastic band (20″) with 2 ribbons ties (2″ x 16″) at the ends

Tools:
1. Eyelet installation tool and hammer set
2. Strong sewing needle
3. Tapestry needle

Finished dimension:
Approx. 15″ (W) x 12″ (H) excluding handles
Tension: Approx 16 sts x 14 rows single crochet (4 inches square)
Directions:
1st layer – work from bottom to top, crochet on back loops only.

Crochet Pattern
Round Base

With Dark Brown Raffia
beg sl knot, ch3, join with slst to the first ch to make a circle
r1: ch1 sc8, mm (8 st)
r2 – r14: increase 8 sts evenly for each round, mm (112 sts)

Body

r15 – 16: sc into each st around, mm
r17: increase 8 sts evenly, mm (120 sts)
r18 – r19: sc into each st around, mm
r20 – r23: repeat r17 – r19, then r17 again (136 sts)
With Brown Raffia
r24 – r25: sc into each st around, mm
r26 – r29: repeat r17 – r19, then r17 again (152 sts)
r30 – r40: sc into each st around, mm
With Beige Raffia
r41 – r53: sc into each st around, mm
r54: “ch1 sk 1 st, 1 sc in next 11 st”, *ch1 sk 1 st, 1 sc in next 12 st* repeat 4 times, repeat ” 2 times, repeat * 4 times, repeat ” 1 time (to create 12 holes)
r55 – r56: sc into each st around, slst.

2nd layer – work from top to bottom, crochet on front loops only
turn your bag upside down, so that the last row of 1st layer becomes the first row (view the pictures below to visualize)
**slst in each st around**

5 rounds of Beige
1 round of brown
1 round of dark brown
1 round of brown
4 rounds of beige
4 rounds of dark brown
6 rounds of brown
5 rounds of beige
6 rounds of brown
23 rounds of dark brown
fo and hide all ends.

If you are wondering what raffia/raffia yarn is? This is it. Don’t get confuse with raffia straw, they are different in texture. Raffia is thin and soft, modern raffia is made of plastic or paper.
I haven’t tried out plastic yarn – plarn, that you can recycle from your grocery plastic bag but I think it should be feasible in making this bag. If you have tried it out, please let me know the result.

Follow the crochet pattern above and get it done until the last row last stitch for the 1st layer. Only work on back loops as we need to use the front loops to crochet the 2nd layer.

Turn the bag upside down, the last row of the 1st layer is now the first row of the 2nd layer. Slip stitch into every front loops of the stitch. Work as the pattern and colors indicated.
Follow the 1st layer’s tension or else you might encounter some “shrinkage” in size. Use a bigger hook if needed to achieve the same tension.
Hide all ends.

I used ready made thick twill tape / nylon handles with matching color. You can either sew it now or after the installation of eyelets. I did it later.

12 of eyelets with their back plates. 15 mm diameter eyelet is just nice to fit into the hole/space we accounted.

Insert the eyelet to the hole, push it through until the eyelet shaft get to the other side.

Place the back plate onto the other side. Line up nicely with the eyelet.

Place them onto the eyelet hammer tool plate. Insert the post tool into it vertically ** important**, make sure they are aligned nicely. Hammer and whack it a few times.

The eyelet shaft rolled and locked the back plate in place.

The front view. Repeat 12 times to get 12 eyelets installed.

If you haven’t get the handles sewn, you can do it now. If you can’t find the twill handles, you can crochet it with the raffia yarn or sew one.
Pass the elastic band with ribbon ends through the eyelets and tie.
~~DONE!!!~~