Free Crochet Remote Control Caddy Pattern with Pockets
If you’ve ever spent ten minutes hunting for the television remote only to find it wedged between couch cushions, this project is about to change your life. A crochet remote control caddy with pockets is one of those brilliantly practical makes that solves a real everyday problem while giving you an excuse to pick up your hook and work with beautiful yarn. Whether you drape it over the arm of your sofa, hang it from the side of your recliner, or toss it over the back of a chair, this caddy keeps everything organized and within arm’s reach.
This free pattern is written for intermediate beginners, meaning you should be comfortable with basic stitches like single crochet, double crochet, and slip stitch. If you can work in rows and join new yarn, you’ll have no trouble following along. The finished piece includes multiple pockets to hold your remotes, reading glasses, a phone, a small book, or anything else you like to keep close during movie night.
Let’s dive in.
Why You’ll Love This Project
Before we get into the actual pattern, it’s worth talking about why a crochet remote caddy is such a satisfying make. For starters, it works up relatively quickly compared to larger projects like blankets or garments. Depending on your pace, you can finish this in a weekend, or spread it across a few evenings of relaxed television watching (with your remote neatly in its caddy, naturally).
It also makes an exceptional gift. Practically everyone with a living room can use one. It’s personal without being overly intimate, useful without being boring, and handmade without requiring months of effort. Pair it with a skein of nice yarn in someone’s favorite color and you have a thoughtful housewarming or holiday gift that stands out from anything you’d find in a store.
From a design perspective, crochet fabric is ideal for this kind of caddy because it’s flexible enough to stretch slightly over a chair arm, sturdy enough to hold its shape, and textured enough to grip surfaces without sliding around. Unlike a sewn fabric caddy, the crochet version has natural give and breathability, and you can customize the pocket sizes to fit whatever you want to store.
Materials You’ll Need
Getting your supplies together before you start is always a good idea. Here’s what this pattern calls for:
Yarn: Approximately 200 to 250 yards of worsted weight yarn (size 4). Cotton or a cotton-blend yarn works beautifully for this project because it’s sturdy and holds its shape well over time. That said, acrylic yarn is a perfectly fine choice, especially if you want a wider color range or are working on a budget. You can use one color throughout, or pick two or three colors for the pockets if you want a more playful look.
Hook: A 5.0mm (H/8) crochet hook works well with most worsted weight yarns, but always check your gauge and adjust if needed.
Notions: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and stitch markers if you like to use them. Optional but helpful: a measuring tape.
Gauge: For this project, gauge doesn’t need to be exact, but as a general reference, 14 single crochets and 16 rows should measure approximately 4 inches by 4 inches in single crochet with worsted weight yarn on a 5.0mm hook. A slightly looser or tighter gauge will affect the finished dimensions but won’t ruin the functionality of the piece.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
ch — chain
sl st — slip stitch
sc — single crochet
dc — double crochet
hdc — half double crochet
st — stitch
sts — stitches
sp — space
rep — repeat
RS — right side
WS — wrong side
blo — back loop only
Finished Dimensions
The finished caddy measures approximately 14 inches wide and 22 inches long (before folding). Once folded and with pockets attached, the main body panel is about 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall, with a flap that hangs over the chair arm measuring approximately 14 inches wide and 12 inches long. Pocket dimensions are listed in their respective sections below.
These measurements are based on worsted weight cotton yarn and a 5.0mm hook. Adjust as needed for your furniture.
Pattern Notes
Read through the entire pattern before starting. This helps you understand how the pieces fit together and prevents surprises midway through.
The caddy is made in three main parts: the main body panel (which is one long rectangle that folds over the chair arm), two or three pockets sewn or joined onto the front panel, and optional decorative edging. If you’re making this for a wider chair arm, simply add more foundation chains to increase the width.
When you’re working the pockets, make them slightly wider than the items you intend to store. A remote control pocket, for example, works best when it’s about an inch or two wider than the remote itself so you can easily slip it in and out.
The Main Body Panel
Foundation Chain: Chain 51. (This gives you a working width of approximately 14 inches. For a wider or narrower caddy, adjust in multiples of 2 stitches.)
Row 1 (RS): Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (50 sc) Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in blo of each st across. (50 sc) Turn.
Repeat Row 2 until your piece measures 22 inches from the foundation chain. The back loop only texture creates a subtle ribbed effect that adds both visual interest and structure to the fabric.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Fold the panel so that approximately 10 inches sits at the front (pocket side) and 12 inches hangs as the flap that goes over the chair arm. You don’t need to stitch the fold — the pockets and any finishing edging will hold it in place.
Pocket One: Large Remote Pocket
This pocket is sized to hold a standard television remote or a smartphone.
Foundation Chain: Chain 31. (Approximately 8.5 inches wide.)
Row 1: Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (30 sc) Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in blo of each st across. Turn.
Repeat Row 2 until the pocket measures 7 inches tall from the foundation chain.
Top Edging Row: Ch 1, sc across the top of the pocket, working one sc in each st. Sl st to join if desired, or simply fasten off for a flat edge.
Do not fasten off yet if you’d like to add a decorative shell stitch edging to the top. See the Edging section below for instructions.
Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Placement: Center this pocket on the lower half of the front panel, about half an inch up from the bottom edge. Pin it in place and then sew around the bottom and sides using your yarn needle and a whip stitch or mattress stitch. Leave the top open, of course.
Pocket Two: Medium Pocket
This second pocket is great for a television guide, a small notebook, or reading glasses.
Foundation Chain: Chain 25. (Approximately 6.5 inches wide.)
Row 1: Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (24 sc) Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in blo of each st across. Turn.
Repeat Row 2 until the pocket measures 5.5 inches tall.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Placement: Position this pocket to the side of or directly above the large remote pocket, depending on your preference and the dimensions of your caddy. If you’re centering the large pocket, try placing this medium pocket slightly to the right or left. Sew it down along the bottom and sides.
Pocket Three: Small Accent Pocket
This little pocket is perfect for a TV remote for a secondary device, a pen, lip balm, or your reading glasses.
Foundation Chain: Chain 17. (Approximately 4.5 inches wide.)
Row 1: Sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. (16 sc) Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in blo of each st across. Turn.
Repeat Row 2 until the pocket measures 4 inches tall.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Placement: Tuck this smaller pocket next to the medium pocket or cluster all three pockets across the front panel in whatever arrangement makes sense for your needs. The beauty of this pattern is its flexibility — there’s no single right layout, just whatever works best for your household.
Decorative Edging (Optional but Lovely)
Once all your pockets are attached and your main panel is assembled, you can work a decorative edging around the entire caddy and along the top edges of the pockets. This is purely cosmetic, but it gives the finished piece a polished, professional look that makes it feel like something you’d find in a boutique rather than something you whipped up on the couch.
Shell Stitch Edging:
Join yarn at any corner of the caddy with a sl st.
Ch 3, skip 2 sts, work 5 dc in the next st (shell made), skip 2 sts, sc in the next st. Repeat from to all the way around the caddy, working 3 dc in each corner to help the edging turn neatly. Sl st to join at the end, fasten off, and weave in ends.
If you prefer something simpler, a single row of sc all the way around the caddy gives it a tidy border without any extra complexity.
Assembling the Caddy
Once all pieces are made and the pockets are sewn on, give everything a gentle blocking. For cotton yarn, wet blocking works wonderfully — simply dampen the piece, pat it into shape, and let it dry flat. For acrylic, you can steam block lightly or simply let the yarn relax naturally.
To use the caddy, fold it over the arm of your sofa or chair so the pocket side faces outward and the flap hangs down the back or inside of the arm. The weight of the items in the pockets helps keep it in place, and the slightly grippy texture of crochet fabric prevents it from sliding around.
If you find the caddy shifts too much on a particularly slick chair surface, you can sew a few small pieces of non-slip rug liner to the inside of the flap. This is a common trick for keeping crochet items in place on leather or microfiber furniture.
Customization Ideas
One of the best things about having a free base pattern is that it becomes a starting point for your own creativity. Here are some ideas to make this caddy entirely your own.
Change up the texture. Swap the back-loop-only single crochet for a moss stitch, a linen stitch, or a herringbone half double crochet for a completely different look and feel. These stitches all work at a similar gauge and create a lovely denser fabric.
Add a divider to the large pocket. If you have multiple remotes you want to keep separate, simply sew a vertical line of stitching down the center of the large pocket to divide it into two compartments.
Use a self-striping or variegated yarn. If you want a colorful look without having to manage multiple yarn balls, a gradient or variegated worsted weight yarn does all the color work for you. The subtle texture of the back-loop-only stitch lets the color changes take center stage.
Make it longer. If your chair arm is particularly thick, simply continue working your main panel to 24 or 26 inches instead of 22. The same principle applies in reverse if you need a shorter caddy.
Add a button closure to a pocket. For the smaller pocket in particular, a simple button-and-loop closure keeps items from falling out if the caddy shifts. Sew a button to the front of the pocket near the top, and work a small chain loop on the top edge of the pocket flap that will slip over the button.
Yarn Substitution Notes
If you can’t find the exact yarn you want, here are a few substitution guidelines. Stay within the worsted weight range (size 4) to keep the finished dimensions close to the pattern. Cotton and cotton blends are ideal for durability and structure. Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, Paintbox Simply DK (though this is a slightly lighter weight — adjust your hook to compensate), Drops Paris, and Paintbox Simply Worsted are all popular choices that work beautifully for home accessories like this caddy.
Avoid very fuzzy or textured novelty yarns for this project — they tend to make stitch definition hard to see, which can be frustrating for a structural piece where you’re counting stitches and rows. Save the fuzz for softer, more decorative projects.
Caring for Your Remote Caddy
If you used cotton yarn, your caddy is machine washable on a gentle cycle in cool water. Reshape it while damp and lay flat to dry. Avoid wringing or twisting the piece. For acrylic, machine wash on gentle and tumble dry on low, or air dry if you’re cautious.
A good rule of thumb: wash the caddy every few months to remove dust and keep it looking fresh. Since it lives in the living room and handles daily use, a regular wash keeps it in great condition.
A Few Final Thoughts
Crochet has a wonderful way of turning the practical into the beautiful. A remote control caddy might seem like a humble project, but when you make it by hand, choose colors that complement your living room, and add little details like a shell stitch edging or a button closure, it becomes something genuinely special. Guests notice it. Family members actually put the remotes back where they belong (or at least that’s the dream). And you have the quiet satisfaction of knowing that something useful and lovely in your home came from your own hands.
If you make this caddy, consider sharing your finished project in crochet communities online. Seeing the same pattern interpreted in dozens of different yarn colors and textures is one of the joys of the crafting community, and your version might inspire someone else to pick up their hook for the first time.
Happy crocheting, and may you never lose your remote control again.
