Scrap Yarn Crochet Purse – Zero Waste Bag Pattern

If you’ve been crocheting for any length of time, you almost certainly have a stash of leftover yarn lurking somewhere. Maybe it’s a plastic bin under the bed, a tote bag stuffed into the closet, or a whole shelf dedicated to skeins that are just a little too small to start a new project but way too good to throw away. This scrap yarn crochet purse pattern is the answer to all of it. It’s a zero waste bag pattern that turns those colorful odds and ends into a beautiful, functional purse you’ll actually carry — and it works for beginners and seasoned crocheters alike.

Let’s dig in.

Why Scrap Yarn Crochet Is Worth Your Time

Before we get to the pattern itself, let’s talk about why scrap yarn projects deserve a permanent spot in your crochet rotation.

Yarn scraps are inevitable. Even the most organized crocheter ends up with partial skeins after finishing blankets, sweaters, or baby gifts. Tossing them feels wasteful, but they’re often too small or too varied to start something new with a single skein. That’s where scrap crochet comes in.

A scrap yarn bag is one of the most satisfying projects you can make because every single color change is a surprise. You’re essentially letting your stash make the design decisions, which takes a lot of the pressure off. There’s no wrong color combination when you’re working with scraps — the eclectic mix of hues is exactly the point. The result looks intentional, handmade, and genuinely one of a kind.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about working toward an empty yarn bin. Every stitch you crochet is one stitch closer to a tidier stash. And at the end, you have a purse. A real, usable purse that holds your wallet, your keys, your lip balm, and your crochet hook case. It’s a win from every angle.

What You’ll Need for This Zero Waste Bag Pattern

This pattern is intentionally flexible because the whole point is to use what you have. That said, here are some general guidelines to keep things consistent as you work.

Yarn: Worsted weight scraps work best for this pattern and give you a sturdy, structured bag. You can absolutely mix in some bulky or DK weight yarn — just know it will affect your gauge slightly and create texture variation, which honestly looks great in a scrap bag. Aim for scraps that are at least a few yards long, since very short lengths are tricky to work in and can leave you with a lot of ends to weave in on a tiny bag.

Hook: A 5mm or 5.5mm crochet hook works well for worsted weight scraps. If your tension runs loose, go down a half size. You want the fabric to feel dense and sturdy, not floppy.

Additional supplies: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, stitch markers, and two pieces of purse handles or a length of webbing or cord for straps. You can find bamboo purse handles, acrylic rings, or leather-look strap attachments at most craft stores or online. If you want to keep things truly zero waste, check thrift stores — old purses often have perfectly good hardware that just needs a new bag attached to it.

Optional: A fabric purse liner cut from a piece of scrap fabric, and a magnetic snap closure. Neither is required, but both make the finished bag feel extra polished.

Gauge and Sizing

For this pattern, your gauge is approximately 14 stitches and 16 rows to 4 inches in single crochet with a 5mm hook and worsted weight yarn.

The finished bag measures approximately 10 inches wide by 9 inches tall before the handles, with a 2-inch gusset at the base for depth. This is a generous everyday purse size — big enough for your essentials without being so enormous it becomes a tote.

If you want a smaller clutch, work fewer foundation stitches. If you want a bigger market bag or beach bag, add more. This pattern is forgiving.

Pattern Notes

This bag is worked in joined rounds from the bottom up. The base is a flat rectangle, and then you work the sides up in the round. The color changes happen whenever you want them to — that’s the beauty of scrap crochet. There are no rules. Switch colors at the end of a round when your current scrap runs out, or make deliberate stripe choices if you have larger quantities of certain yarns.

Abbreviations used in this pattern:
ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, sk = skip, st = stitch, sp = space, rnd = round, rep = repeat

The Pattern: Scrap Yarn Crochet Purse

Part One: The Base

The base of this bag is a flat rectangle worked in rows, then joined. This gives the bag a nice flat bottom so it sits upright on a table rather than flopping over.

Foundation row: Using your first scrap color and a 5mm hook, ch 33.

Row 1: Sc in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across. (32 sc) Ch 1, turn.

Row 2–10: Sc in each st across. Ch 1, turn.

After Row 10, do not turn. You are now going to work around the entire perimeter of the rectangle to set up for working in the round.

Joining round: Ch 1. Work 32 sc across the top edge. Then work 3 sc in the corner st. Work 10 sc evenly down the short side. Work 3 sc in the corner st. Work 32 sc across the bottom (working into the original foundation chain). Work 3 sc in the corner st. Work 10 sc evenly up the other short side. Work 3 sc in the final corner st. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (90 sts total)

Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round. Move it up as you work each new round.

Part Two: The Sides

Now you’ll work upward in joined rounds to build the body of the bag. This is where all your color changes happen.

Round 1: Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Join with a sl st. (90 sts)

Continue working Round 1 over and over, switching colors whenever you like or whenever a scrap runs out. To switch colors, pull up a loop of the new color in the last pull-through of the last stitch of a round, so the new color appears cleanly at the start of the next round.

Keep working in sc rounds until the body of the bag measures approximately 8 inches from the base, or until you’re happy with the height. Aim for somewhere between 7 and 10 inches depending on your preference.

Part Three: The Top Edge

The top edge gives the bag a clean, finished look and also reinforces the opening.

Top edge Round 1: Join a new color (or continue with whatever you’re using). Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch). Hdc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the top of the first hdc. (90 sts)

Top edge Round 2: Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Join with a sl st. (90 sts)

Top edge Round 3: Ch 1. Work a round of reverse single crochet (also called crab stitch) around the top edge. This adds a nice corded detail that feels finished. Join with a sl st. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Part Four: The Handle Attachments

If you’re using bamboo or acrylic purse handles, this step is simple.

Divide the top of the bag into quarters by placing markers. The two front markers and the two back markers will define where your handles attach.

On the front of the bag, fold approximately 2 inches of the top edge through one side of the purse handle and pin it in place. Using a length of sturdy yarn and a yarn needle, whipstitch the folded-over edge to the inside of the bag. Repeat on the back.

If you’re using cord or webbing, cut two lengths to your desired strap length, fold the ends over the top edge of the bag, and stitch them securely.

If you want to leave the top open without handles, you can finish at the top edge round and add a crochet button loop closure instead. To do this, chain 12, skip 12 stitches at the center back, and slip stitch to rejoin. This creates a loop for a large button sewn to the center front.

Part Five: Optional Lining

A fabric liner makes this bag feel substantial and keeps small items from slipping out through the stitches.

Cut two rectangles of fabric, each 11 inches wide by 10 inches tall. With right sides together, sew around three sides, leaving the top open. Press the seam allowance at the top edge down and slip the liner inside the bag with wrong sides together. Whipstitch the folded top edge of the liner to the inside of the bag just below the handles.

If you want a zipper, attach it to the top of the liner before inserting it into the bag.

Tips for Crocheting with Scrap Yarn

Scrap crochet has its own rhythm and there are a few things that make the process smoother.

Organize your scraps before you start. You don’t need to be rigid about the order, but loosely sorting your scraps by weight means you won’t accidentally introduce a fingering weight yarn alongside a chunky one and end up with an unexpected hole in the fabric. Pull out all your worsted weight odds and ends and pile them up together.

Wind your scraps into small butterflies. Loose tangles of yarn make it harder to grab the next color when you need it. A few minutes spent winding your scraps into small butterflies or around a piece of cardboard makes the whole process less frustrating.

Don’t stress about weaving in ends. With scrap crochet, ends are going to happen. A lot of them. It can feel tedious, but weaving them in properly is what keeps your bag looking clean. Take breaks from crocheting to weave in the ends from the last few rounds — don’t let them pile up.

Leave tails of at least 6 inches. When you cut and change colors, leave yourself a generous tail to work with. A tiny tail is almost impossible to secure well inside the dense sc fabric.

Embrace the mismatch. The beauty of this pattern is that it doesn’t need to match. Let the colors clash. Let a hot pink sit next to a mustard yellow. Let the stripes be uneven. That’s not a mistake — that’s the design.

Ways to Customize Your Scrap Yarn Purse

Once you understand the basic structure of this pattern, you can customize it in all kinds of directions.

You could work the sides in a textured stitch instead of plain single crochet. Half double crochet gives a slightly taller fabric and a softer drape. A moss stitch or linen stitch creates beautiful texture and still works well with color changes. Even just adding the occasional row of front post or back post double crochets creates a subtle ribbed texture that looks intentional and professional.

If you have a large amount of one scrap color, you can use it as a background color and introduce accent colors every few rounds for a more controlled stripe sequence. This is a great way to use up a big skein of a neutral like beige or grey while using up smaller bits of bright accent colors.

You can also experiment with size. A smaller version of this bag made with DK weight yarn and a 4mm hook makes a beautiful coin purse or card holder. A larger version worked in two strands of worsted held together becomes a sturdy market tote.

Adding an exterior pocket is another great way to customize. Work a small rectangle separately, about 5 inches wide by 4 inches tall, and single crochet it onto the outside of the bag on three sides before you add the liner, leaving the top open.

Finishing Touches and Styling

One of the most satisfying parts of this project is the finishing. Because the bag is made from scraps, every single one is going to look completely different, and that’s exactly what makes them so wonderful to share.

Block your finished bag lightly by spritzing it with water and letting it dry flat. This evens out any uneven tension from switching yarns and gives the finished piece a more polished look.

If the bag feels too floppy, you can add a piece of stiff interfacing or a cut piece of plastic canvas to the bottom before inserting the liner. This is especially helpful if you’re going to be carrying heavier items.

Carry this bag to the farmers market, to work, or just around the neighborhood. It’s sturdy enough for everyday use and colorful enough that people will ask you about it constantly. When you tell them it’s made from yarn scraps, you’re going to feel very good about yourself.

Share Your Make

If you make this scrap yarn crochet purse, we’d absolutely love to see it. The whole point of this zero waste bag pattern is that no two bags will ever look the same, and seeing the incredible variety of color combinations that come out of different people’s stashes is one of the most delightful things about the Make and Do Crew community.

Tag your finished bag on Instagram, share it in the Make and Do Crew community, and leave a note below telling us what scraps you used. Did you have a theme going? A completely chaotic mix? All neutrals? We want to know.

Happy crocheting — and happy cleaning out that stash.