Free Crochet Circular Coin Purse Pattern for Loose Change

If you’ve been looking for a quick, satisfying crochet project that actually gets used every single day, you’ve found it. This free crochet circular coin purse pattern is one of those projects that feels almost too simple once you get going, yet the finished result looks polished, intentional, and surprisingly professional. Whether you’re a beginner who just learned the basics or an experienced crocheter looking for a fun weekend make, this little purse is worth adding to your queue.

The beauty of a round coin purse is in its geometry. Unlike rectangular pouches that can feel boxy and stiff, a circular design sits naturally in your hand, tucks easily into a bag, and uses every stitch to maximum effect. There’s no awkward shaping, no complicated increases to track around corners, and no fiddly finishing work along straight edges. You simply work in the round, build up the body, and attach a zipper when you’re done. The result is a neat little pouch that holds your loose change, transit cards, lip balm, earbuds, or anything else small enough to lose at the bottom of a bag.

This pattern is completely free and includes all the notes you need to customize it for your own style and yarn stash. You’ll also find tips at the end for troubleshooting common issues and ideas for turning this pattern into gift-worthy creations.

What You’ll Need

Before you start, gather your materials. This pattern works best with a smooth, medium-weight yarn that shows stitch definition clearly, but it’s forgiving enough to accommodate a range of weights if you adjust your hook size accordingly.

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn (approximately 50–75 yards, any fiber content works well — cotton gives a structured finish, while acrylic is easier to care for and widely available), a 5.0mm crochet hook (adjust up or down as needed based on your gauge and the yarn you’re using), a 6-inch or 7-inch zipper in a coordinating or contrasting color, a yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and straight pins or sewing clips to hold the zipper in place while you attach it.

Optional: A small piece of stiff interfacing cut to the circle’s diameter can give your coin purse a little extra body if you’re using a lighter yarn. A sewing needle and thread in a matching color will make zipper attachment easier, though many crocheters attach their zipper using a yarn needle and the same working yarn.

Gauge: Approximately 14 stitches and 8 rows equals 4 inches in half double crochet with a 5.0mm hook. Gauge is less critical for this project than it would be for garments, but it does affect your finished size. If your purse comes out smaller or larger than you’d like, simply change hook size and swatch again.

Abbreviations and Stitch Key

This pattern uses standard US crochet terminology.

ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
hdc — half double crochet
dc — double crochet
st(s) — stitch(es)
MR — magic ring (also called magic circle or adjustable ring)
BLO — back loop only
FLO — front loop only
rnd — round

Finished Size

When made with worsted weight yarn and a 5.0mm hook following standard gauge, each circle measures approximately 4.5 inches in diameter, giving you a finished coin purse that’s the perfect size for holding coins, folded bills, and a few small essentials. If you want a larger purse, add one or two extra rounds to each circle before finishing and choose a longer zipper to match.

Pattern Notes

You’ll be making two identical circles and joining them with a zipper. Most of the magic in this pattern comes from the simple increase formula used in flat circular crochet — adding six stitches evenly per round keeps the fabric lying flat and creates that satisfying smooth curve.

You can work both circles in the same color for a classic, understated look, or use a different color for each side to give the purse a fun pop of contrast when it sits in your palm. Variegated or self-striping yarns look especially beautiful in a project this size because you complete the color cycle quickly enough to actually see the shifts.

All rounds are joined with a slip stitch to the top of the first stitch unless noted otherwise. You can also work these as continuous spirals and use a stitch marker to track your rounds, which eliminates the visible join line — both methods work, so go with whatever feels more comfortable.

The Pattern

First Circle

Round 1: Begin with a magic ring. Work 6 hdc into the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring, then join with a sl st to the first hdc. (6 sts)

Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 hdc into each st around. Join with sl st to first hdc. (12 sts)

Round 3: Ch 1, [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st] 6 times. Join with sl st to first hdc. (18 sts)

Round 4: Ch 1, [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts] 6 times. Join with sl st to first hdc. (24 sts)

Round 5: Ch 1, [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts] 6 times. Join with sl st to first hdc. (30 sts)

Round 6: Ch 1, [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts] 6 times. Join with sl st to first hdc. (36 sts)

Round 7: Ch 1, [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 5 sts] 6 times. Join with sl st to first hdc. (42 sts)

Round 8: Ch 1, [2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 6 sts] 6 times. Join with sl st to first hdc. (48 sts)

At this point, your circle should measure approximately 4.5 inches across. If you want it larger, continue the pattern by adding one stitch in the repeat each round (9 sts per repeat for a round 9, then 10, and so on) and add 6 stitches total each round until you reach the desired diameter.

Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Second Circle

Repeat all instructions for the first circle. You’ll have two identical flat circles when you’re finished.

Finishing the Purse

This is where the project comes together, and it’s honestly more satisfying than it sounds.

Step 1: Block your circles. Lay both circles flat and spritz them with water, then let them dry completely. Blocking is especially helpful with cotton yarn, which can be a little stiff until it relaxes. Acrylic doesn’t need wet blocking, but a light steaming with an iron held a few inches away can help even out any uneven stitches.

Step 2: Prepare your zipper. Take your 6-inch or 7-inch zipper and measure it against the diameter of your circles. The zipper tape should span roughly half the circumference of the circle — this is what allows you to open the purse wide enough to reach inside comfortably. If your zipper is too long, you can carefully trim the excess tape and seal the end with a few stitches or a drop of fabric glue. Work the zipper pull to roughly the center position so it’s easier to handle while you attach it.

Step 3: Pin the zipper to the first circle. Hold your first circle with the wrong side facing you. Lay the zipper tape along the edge, positioning the zipper so that it runs across a straight diameter of the circle (imagine a clock face — the zipper would run from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock). Fold the zipper tape slightly inward so that only the teeth and a small margin of tape extend beyond the edge of the crochet. Pin or clip it in place.

Step 4: Sew the zipper to the first circle. Using a yarn needle and a length of the same yarn, or a sewing needle and coordinating thread, whipstitch the zipper tape to the edge of the crochet. Work through both the zipper tape and the edge stitches of the circle, keeping your stitches close and even. Don’t pull too tight or you’ll distort the shape of the circle. Remove pins as you go.

Step 5: Attach the second circle. Lay the second circle on top of the first circle with wrong sides together. The zipper will now be sandwiched between the two circles along one edge. Align the edges of both circles carefully, then pin or clip them together around the entire perimeter, making sure the zipper ends are neatly tucked between the layers.

Step 6: Join the circles. Working around the outer edge, join your yarn to any stitch not near the zipper ends. Work a round of single crochet through both layers simultaneously, inserting your hook through the corresponding stitch on each circle and working them together as one. This joins the two circles, seals the edges, and adds a clean finishing border all at once. When you reach the zipper ends, work the crochet carefully over the zipper tape, enclosing the raw ends neatly within the border. Join with a sl st when you return to your starting stitch.

Step 7: Fasten off and weave in all remaining ends securely so nothing unravels with regular use.

Open the zipper and turn the purse over a few times to admire your work. The two circles should lie flat against each other with a neat, even border all around and a fully functional zipper running cleanly across the top.

Tips and Troubleshooting

My circles aren’t lying flat. This almost always means your tension is too tight or you haven’t increased enough per round. Check that you’re working exactly 6 increases per round, evenly spaced. If the circle is doming upward (like a bowl), add a few more stitches per round on the next attempt. If it’s ruffling at the edges, try a smaller hook or tighter tension.

My circles are different sizes. This can happen if your tension shifted between the two circles, which is very common. Block both pieces before assembling — wet blocking can help ease a slightly smaller circle into alignment with a larger one. In the future, try to work both circles in the same session so your tension is consistent.

The zipper puckers when I attach it. This usually means the zipper is slightly too long or too short for the diameter of the circle. Ease the fabric gently as you pin before sewing. A zipper that’s slightly shorter than the diameter will actually lie flatter once attached; a zipper that’s too long needs trimming.

My border round doesn’t line up perfectly. Work slowly when joining the two circles together. It helps to count out the stitches on both circles before you begin the border round and place a stitch marker every 12 stitches so you can pair them up evenly as you go.

Customization Ideas

One of the best things about a project this small is how quickly you can experiment. Here are a few ways to make this pattern your own.

Use a different stitch for texture. The pattern as written uses half double crochet, which gives a dense, slightly textured fabric that holds its shape beautifully. But you could substitute single crochet for an even denser fabric, or use front post and back post alternating stitches on the later rounds to create a subtle ribbed effect around the outer edge.

Add a wrist loop. Before closing the border round, chain 15 to 20 at one side, skip a few stitches, and slip stitch back into the border to create a small loop. Thread a ring, a small carabiner, or a decorative charm through the loop for easy carrying.

Make it in tapestry crochet. If you’re comfortable carrying multiple yarn colors, you can work a simple repeated motif into the body of each circle using tapestry crochet. Polka dots, simple chevrons, and geometric star patterns all look beautiful in a small circle and give the purse a completely handcrafted, artisan feel.

Try different yarn weights. Fingering weight yarn worked with a 2.5mm or 3mm hook will produce a daintier, more refined purse that’s lovely for holding jewelry or tiny keepsakes. Bulky yarn with a 6mm or larger hook makes a chunkier version that could double as a small cosmetics bag.

Make a set as gifts. These purses work up so quickly that you can easily make several in an evening using coordinating colorways. A set of three or four in complementary colors makes a thoughtful handmade gift, especially for people who like to organize by category — one for coins, one for hair ties and pins, one for headphones, and so on.

Why Crochet Coin Purses Make Such Good Projects

There’s something deeply satisfying about small crochet projects, and coin purses occupy a particularly sweet spot. They’re small enough to finish in a single sitting, useful enough that you’ll actually carry them, and skill-building enough that you come away from each one having practiced something — whether that’s your tension consistency, your finishing technique, or your confidence with increasing in the round.

They’re also one of the best stash-busting projects you can make. Nearly every crocheter has odd bits of yarn left over from larger projects, and a coin purse uses just enough of a skein to actually make a dent without requiring you to buy anything new. Cotton dishcloth yarn, leftover scraps from baby blankets, the last of a skein of sock yarn — all of it becomes something lovely and functional.

If you’re building a portfolio of handmade gifts or stocking a craft fair table, circular coin purses are a natural choice. They’re quick to produce, easy to display, and appeal to a wide range of buyers because virtually everyone has loose change, lip balm, or earbuds that need a home.

Final Thoughts

This free crochet circular coin purse pattern proves that you don’t need a complicated design to make something genuinely beautiful and useful. Two simple circles, a handful of yarn, and a zipper come together to create a finished object that people will actually ask where you got it. Once you’ve made one, you’ll likely want to make several — and with projects this size, you absolutely can.

Feel free to share your finished purses online, experiment with the colors and textures, and pass this pattern along to anyone in your crochet circle who’s looking for a fast, satisfying make. Happy hooking.