Crochet Bag Closures: How to Choose and Attach the Right One

A closure does two jobs: it keeps things inside the bag, and it decides how quickly a hand can get in. Those jobs pull against each other, so the right choice depends on what the bag carries and how often it is opened, not on which fastening looks neatest.

Crochet adds a complication of its own: the fabric stretches and is full of small gaps, so anything sewn or clamped to it needs a firm anchor.

Closures at a glance

Closure	How secure	What it takes	Suits
Button and chain loop	Medium	Crochet plus one sewn button	Flap bags, pouches, totes with one center fastening
Toggle and loop	Medium	Crochet plus one sewn toggle	Bulky yarn, chunky bags
Magnetic snap	Medium; holds shut but pulls open easily	A little hand sewing and a patch	Totes and shoulder bags, ideally lined
Zipper	High	Careful hand sewing	Pouches, coin purses, firm fabric
Drawstring	Medium to high; slow to open	Crochet only	Bucket bags, pouches, gift bags
Flap	Low on its own	Crochet only	Crossbody bags, envelope purses
Tab with button or twist lock	Medium	Crochet, plus a patch for a lock	Open-top totes, phone bags

Button and chain loop

Sew the button on first, then make the loop to fit it, never the other way around.

1. Join the yarn with a slip stitch (sl st) at the center of the back top edge, or at the tip of the flap.
2. Chain (ch) until the chain, pulled lightly, just reaches around the button. The button should need a small push to pass through.
3. Sl st into the stitch next to the one where the chain began, so the loop has a base two stitches wide.
4. For a loop that keeps its size, turn and work single crochet (sc) around the chain, as many as fit without crowding, then fasten off and weave both ends into the edge.

A loop always loosens with use, so err on the snug side. Sew the button through a backing on the inside of the bag, either a small flat button or a square of felt, so the thread pulls on the backing and not on one stitch. Wrap the thread a few times under the button to form a short shank. The flap of the flat crossbody bag closes exactly this way.

Toggle instead of a button

A toggle uses the same loop, made as long as the toggle itself: it goes through end first, then turns to lie across the loop. Sew it on with a longer thread shank so it can swivel.

Magnetic snap

Magnetic snaps come in two kinds: sew-on snaps with holes around the rim, and pronged snaps whose two metal legs pass through the fabric and fold over a washer. Either kind pulls on a coin-sized spot every time the bag is opened, so it needs a reinforcing patch.

1. Cut two patches of felt or firm woven fabric, about 1.5 in (4 cm) square.
2. For a pronged snap, mark and cut two short slits in the patch, push the prongs through, add the washer and fold the prongs flat. For a sew-on snap, stitch it to the center of the patch through every hole.
3. Pin each patch to the inside of the bag, centered on the width and 0.75 to 1 in (2 to 2.5 cm) below the top edge. Fold the bag flat to check that both halves meet.
4. Sew around all four sides of the patch with sewing thread, catching the backs of the crochet stitches without coming through to the right side.

If the bag is going to be lined, mount the snap on the lining before the lining goes in; the fabric holds it far better than yarn does. The steps are in the guide on lining a crochet bag.

Zipper

A zipper is the only closure here that shuts the opening completely. Choose one the same length as the opening or slightly shorter, never stretch the crochet to fit a longer one, and backstitch the tape by hand with sewing thread, keeping the teeth just clear of the edge. The full method is in the zipper pouch tutorial. Zippers behave best in firm, flat fabric; in a slouchy tote the top edge ripples.

Drawstring through eyelets

A drawstring needs one round of holes and a cord. Place the eyelet round 1 to 1.5 in (2.5 to 4 cm) below the top edge so a small ruffle stands above it when the bag is closed.

• Small eyelets, for thin cord or ribbon: *sc in next 2 stitches, ch 1, skip next stitch; repeat from * around. This needs a multiple of 3 stitches.
• Larger eyelets, for thick cord: *sc in next 2 stitches, ch 2, skip next 2 stitches; repeat from * around. This needs a multiple of 4 stitches.

On the following round, work 1 sc in every sc and every chain, and the stitch count is back where it started. Aim for an even number of eyelets, so that a cord woven in and out ends with both tails on the outside; a total that divides by 6 for the small version, or by 8 for the large one, gives that automatically.

One cord leaves a small gap at the top. Two cords pulled from opposite sides close it properly, which is how the drawstring pouch is built. Stiff fabric resists gathering, so drawstrings suit softer bags.

Flap and tab closures

A flap is the back panel carried on over the opening. On its own it only covers the contents, so make it reach at least a third of the way down the front and add a button, toggle or snap.

A tab is a narrow strip that crosses an open top and fastens on the front. To crochet one, join the yarn at the center back edge and work over 5 stitches:

1. Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), sc in each of 5 stitches, turn. (5 sc)
2. Repeat that row until the tab reaches across the opening and about 1.5 in (4 cm) down the front.
3. Buttonhole row: ch 1, sc in 2 stitches, ch 1, skip 1 stitch, sc in 2 stitches, turn.
4. Ch 1, sc in each sc and in the chain space, turn. (5 sc) Work 2 more rows of 5 sc and fasten off.

A metal twist lock can replace the button. Treat both of its parts like a magnetic snap and back each one with a patch.

Placing any closure

• Fill the bag before marking positions. A loaded bag hangs differently from an empty one.
• Find the center by counting stitches, not by eye.
• Attach to the firmest part of the bag, usually a top band of tight single crochet.
• Sew with doubled sewing thread in a matching color when the yarn is too thick for the button holes.