How to Crochet a Grocery Bag Holder: A Complete Pattern and Tutorial

If you’ve ever opened a cabinet door only to have a cascade of plastic grocery bags tumble out at you, you already know why a crocheted grocery bag holder is one of the most satisfying practical projects you can make. It keeps everything tidy, it looks charming hanging in your kitchen or pantry, and it’s the kind of gift that people genuinely use. Best of all, this is an approachable project for anyone who has mastered basic crochet stitches. Whether you’re a confident beginner or an experienced crafter looking for a quick weekend make, this tutorial will walk you through every step.

This pattern creates a tube-shaped holder with an open top where you stuff bags in and a gathered, elasticized bottom where you pull them out one at a time. It’s functional, durable, and can be customized with colors to match any kitchen décor.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Having everything on hand before you sit down makes the process much smoother. Here’s a full list of supplies.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (size 4) works best for this project because it creates a fabric that is sturdy enough to hold its shape but flexible enough to allow bags to slide in and out easily. Cotton yarn is a popular choice because it’s machine washable, holds its shape well, and feels pleasant to work with. You’ll need approximately 200 to 250 yards. A single skein of most worsted weight yarns will be more than enough.

Hook: A US size 5.0 mm (H/8) crochet hook is ideal for this pattern with worsted weight yarn. If your gauge is naturally tight, go up to a 5.5 mm hook. If your gauge is loose, try a 4.5 mm.

Elastic: You’ll need about 10 to 12 inches of 1/4-inch wide elastic for the bottom casing. This is what allows the bottom opening to gather and hold bags inside while still letting you pull them out easily.

Yarn Needle: A blunt-tipped tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming if necessary.

Scissors: A sharp pair for clean cuts.

Stitch Markers: Optional but helpful for marking the beginning of each round.

Measuring Tape: To check your gauge and dimensions as you go.

Safety Pin or Small Bodkin: To thread the elastic through the casing at the bottom.

Understanding the Gauge

Gauge matters more for wearables than for home goods, but it still affects the finished size of your bag holder. For this pattern, the target gauge is roughly 14 stitches and 16 rows per 4 inches in single crochet. If your swatch comes out larger than this, your holder will be bigger and looser. If it’s smaller, the holder will be tighter and shorter. Neither is a disaster for this type of project, but if you want it to match the finished measurements closely, take a few minutes to check your gauge before diving in.

Finished Dimensions

This pattern is designed to produce a holder that is approximately 14 to 15 inches tall and about 8 inches in diameter when laid flat. That’s a generous size that fits a large volume of plastic bags. If you want a slimmer, more compact holder, you can reduce the starting chain.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

Before jumping into the instructions, here’s a quick glossary of the abbreviations you’ll see throughout.

ch — chain

sl st — slip stitch

sc — single crochet

hdc — half double crochet

dc — double crochet

st — stitch

sts — stitches

rep — repeat

rnd — round

sp — space

BLO — back loop only

sk — skip

The Crochet Grocery Bag Holder Pattern

Setting Up: The Top Opening

The top of the bag holder is worked first. This is the open end where you stuff bags in, and it has a simple mesh-style design that stretches easily and looks decorative at the same time.

Foundation Chain: Chain 48. Without twisting the chain, join with a slip stitch to the first chain to form a ring.

Take a moment to make sure your chain isn’t twisted before you join. Lay it flat on your lap and check that all the chains are facing the same direction. A twisted foundation is one of the most common mistakes in projects worked in the round, and it’s much easier to fix before you’ve started than after several rounds.

Round 1: Chain 3 (counts as first dc), dc in each chain around. Join with sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3. (48 dc)

Round 2: Chain 1, sc in same stitch. *Ch 2, sk 2 sts, sc in next st*. Repeat from * to * around, ending with ch 2, sk 2 sts, join with sl st to first sc. (16 ch-2 spaces)

This round creates the mesh-like opening at the top. The chain-2 spaces also serve as decorative elements and they make the fabric stretchy, which is exactly what you want for stuffing in bags.

Round 3: Sl st into first ch-2 sp, ch 1, *(sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp*. Repeat from * to * in each ch-2 sp around. Join with sl st to first sc.

Round 4: Sl st into first ch-2 sp, ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in same sp, 2 dc in each ch-2 sp around. Join with sl st to top of beginning ch-3. (32 dc)

Building the Body

Now you’ll transition into the main body of the bag holder, which is worked in a simple, dense stitch pattern. Single crochet worked in the back loop only gives the fabric a lovely ridged texture and adds a bit of stretch so bags can be packed in tightly.

Round 5: Chain 1, sc in BLO of each stitch around. Join with sl st to first sc. (32 sc)

Rounds 6 through 30: Repeat Round 5. Continue working sc in BLO of each stitch for 25 more rounds.

As you work through the body rounds, the fabric will start to curl slightly inward at the top and bottom, which is completely normal for single crochet worked in the round. It will relax once you’ve finished and can be blocked or simply used as-is since the structure of the holder keeps it open.

If at any point your yarn runs low, this is the time to join a new color if you want to add stripes. Simply work to the last pull-through of a stitch, drop your current color, and pull the new color through to complete that stitch. Leave tails of at least 6 inches on both ends and weave them in securely when you’re done.

Creating the Bottom Casing

The bottom of the holder needs to have a casing that will hold your elastic in place. This is a simple fold-over section that you’ll stitch down, leaving a small gap to thread the elastic through.

Round 31: Chain 1, sc in both loops of each stitch around. Join with sl st to first sc. (32 sc)

Working in both loops here creates a visual ridge that marks the beginning of the casing section and helps the fold sit cleanly.

Round 32: Chain 1, sc in each stitch around. Join with sl st to first sc.

Round 33: Chain 1, sc in each stitch around. Join with sl st to first sc.

Round 34: Chain 1, sc in each stitch around. Join with sl st to first sc.

You now have four rounds of casing. This is enough depth to comfortably encase a 1/4-inch elastic.

Do not fasten off yet.

Closing the Bottom Casing

Fold the last four rounds up toward the inside of the tube, lining up Round 34 with the stitches of Round 30. Hold the two layers together and use your hook to slip stitch through both layers simultaneously, joining them together around the entire circumference. Leave a gap of about 1 to 1.5 inches unseamed so you have an opening to thread the elastic through.

Fasten off and weave in the end, but leave the gap open for now.

Adding the Elastic

Cut your elastic to approximately 10 to 11 inches. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and use it to thread the elastic through the casing you just created, working it all the way around the circumference until both ends come out through the same gap.

Overlap the two ends of the elastic by about half an inch and sew them together securely using a needle and thread or by sewing back and forth several times with your yarn needle and a length of yarn. Make sure the join is tight and flat so it doesn’t create a lump or bulge inside the casing.

Once the elastic ends are joined, gently tug the holder so the joined elastic end slips back inside the casing. Use your yarn needle and remaining tail to close the gap in the casing with a few slip stitches or whip stitches.

Adding a Hanging Loop

A hanging loop makes this holder even more functional. You can hang it on a hook inside a cabinet door, on a pantry wall, or anywhere convenient in your kitchen.

Using your yarn needle, attach your yarn to the top edge of the holder at any point.

Chain 20. Join with a sl st to the same stitch where you attached the yarn, or move a few stitches around the edge and join there to create a sturdy attachment at two points.

Fasten off and weave in the end securely. For extra durability, you can stitch back over the hanging loop a second time before fastening off, which creates a doubled cord that’s much stronger.

Finishing Touches

Weave in all remaining ends using your yarn needle, being sure to work the tails through several stitches in different directions so they don’t unravel over time. Trim the excess yarn close to the fabric.

Give the finished holder a light blocking if you’re using cotton yarn. Simply dampen it with cool water, gently squeeze out the excess (don’t wring), and reshape it on a flat surface or over a cylindrical object like a large jar or vase to help it hold its tubular shape while it dries. Cotton yarn responds beautifully to wet blocking and the finished piece will look much more polished.

Tips for Customizing Your Bag Holder

One of the best things about this pattern is how easy it is to make it your own.

Change the colors. A single-color holder is classic and clean, but a striped version is festive and fun. You can alternate colors every few rounds in the body section for a uniform stripe, or switch randomly for a scrappy look using up yarn leftovers from other projects.

Adjust the size. For a narrower holder, start with a chain of 36 or 40 instead of 48. For a wider one that fits extra-large shopping bags, start with 54 or 60. Just make sure your starting chain is divisible by 3 to keep the mesh pattern in Round 2 working out evenly.

Try a different stitch for the body. The back-loop-only single crochet gives a nice ridged texture, but you can substitute a simple half double crochet or even a moss stitch for a different look and feel. Keep in mind that different stitches create different densities and the finished length may vary.

Add a decorative border at the top. After completing the mesh rounds, add a round or two of reverse single crochet (also called crab stitch) around the very top edge for a tidy, polished finish that won’t curl.

Use a thicker yarn. If you want a sturdier, faster-to-work holder, try bulky weight yarn (size 5 or 6) with an appropriately larger hook. The finished piece will be thicker and more structured.

How to Use Your Grocery Bag Holder

Hang it on a hook inside your pantry door or under a kitchen cabinet. Stuff plastic grocery bags in through the top, one at a time, with a bit of loose packing so they don’t get jammed. When you need a bag, reach for the bottom and pull one out through the elastic opening. The gathered elastic holds the bags inside without letting them all fall out at once, so you can grab them one by one.

You can also store produce bags, bread bags, or any other lightweight plastic bags the same way. Some people keep one in the laundry room for small trash bags or in the garage for general storage.

Caring for Your Bag Holder

If you used cotton yarn, your bag holder is likely machine washable on a gentle cycle with cold water. Lay it flat or hang it to dry rather than putting it in the dryer, which can shrink cotton or cause it to warp. Acrylic yarn holders can typically be machine washed and dried on low heat, but check the yarn label to be sure.

A Note on Yarn Choices

Cotton is the classic choice for kitchen crochet projects for good reason. It’s sturdy, easy to clean, doesn’t stretch out of shape over time, and comes in a beautiful range of colors. Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, Paintbox Simply DK Cotton (held double), and Drops Paris are all excellent options.

That said, don’t feel locked into cotton. A washable acrylic like Red Heart Super Saver works perfectly well and is often more budget-friendly. If you want something a little more elevated, a cotton-acrylic blend gives you the best of both worlds — the natural feel of cotton with the resilience of acrylic.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your holder is too floppy and doesn’t hold its shape, try going down a hook size or switching to a denser stitch for the body rounds. If the bottom gathers too tightly and bags won’t come out easily, loosen the elastic slightly before seaming it, or use a slightly longer piece. If your starting chain twisted before you joined, the best fix is to start over — there’s no easy way to untwist a foundation chain once you’ve worked several rounds.

Final Thoughts

A crocheted grocery bag holder is one of those projects that sits at the intersection of craft and function in the most satisfying way. It takes only a few hours to complete, uses a minimal amount of yarn, and immediately makes a noticeable difference in how organized your kitchen feels. It’s also a wonderful project to bring to a craft night, since the stitch pattern is easy enough to work while holding a conversation, and it feels like progress is happening quickly.

If you make this pattern, consider sharing your finished holder with the hashtag #crochetgrocerybagHolder so others in the community can see your version. Every color combination and yarn choice gives this simple design a completely different personality, and there’s always something inspiring about seeing how other crafters put their own spin on the same pattern. Happy crocheting!