Crochet Gift Bags: Reusable Drawstring Sacks in Three Sizes

Wrapping paper is used once. A crocheted gift bag is part of the present: it gets untied, emptied and then kept for jewelry, game pieces or next year’s gift. These drawstring sacks are worked in the round from a flat circle, with no seams and one round of eyelets for a ribbon.

The pattern comes in three sizes, and the same recipe stretches to any size once the numbers behind it are clear.

Materials and gauge

• Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend. Expect to use roughly 35 yd (32 m) for the small bag, 60 yd (55 m) for the medium and 100 yd (91 m) for the large.
• US G-6 (4 mm) crochet hook
• Ribbon 0.25 in (6 mm) wide, or leftover yarn for a crocheted tie
• Stitch marker, yarn needle, scissors

Gauge: 16 single crochet (sc) and 18 rounds = 4 in (10 cm). Exact gauge is not critical here, but the fabric should be dense enough that the gift cannot be seen through it. A gift bag carries little weight, so yarn choice is freer than for a tote; the general rules are in the guide to the best yarn for crochet bags.

Stitches used: chain (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc).

The three sizes

As a rough guide, the small bag suits a ring box or a bundle of gift cards, the medium a candle jar or a pair of socks, and the large a mug or a paperback.

The circle base

Work in a continuous spiral without joining. Mark the first stitch of each round and move the marker up as the work grows.

1. 6 sc in a magic ring. (6 sc)
2. 2 sc in each stitch around. (12 sc)
3. *Sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (18 sc)
4. *Sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (24 sc)
5. *Sc in next 3 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (30 sc) The small base ends here.
6. *Sc in next 4 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (36 sc)
7. *Sc in next 5 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (42 sc) The medium base ends here.
8. *Sc in next 6 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (48 sc)
9. *Sc in next 7 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch; repeat from * around. (54 sc) The large base ends here.

The circle should lie flat. If it ruffles, switch to a smaller hook.

The sides

The stitch count now stays at 30 (42, 54) to the top of the bag.

1. Sc in the back loop only of each stitch around. This turns the fabric up from the base with a clean edge.
2. Sc in both loops of each stitch around.

Repeat the last round until the bag measures 3.5 in (5.5 in, 8 in), or 9 cm (14 cm, 20 cm), from the turning round. That is 1 in (2.5 cm) short of the finished height.

The eyelet round and top

1. Eyelet round: *sc in next 2 stitches, ch 1, skip next stitch; repeat from * around. (20 sc and 10 eyelets for small; 28 sc and 14 eyelets for medium; 36 sc and 18 eyelets for large)
2. Sc in each sc and in each ch-1 space around. (30, 42 or 54 sc)
3. Sc in each stitch around.
4. Repeat the last round twice more, sl st in the next stitch and fasten off. Weave in the ends on the inside.

The eyelet repeat uses 3 stitches, and all three stitch counts are multiples of 6. That gives an even number of eyelets, which is what lets both ends of the tie come out on the outside of the bag.

Ties: ribbon or crochet

Cut the tie to the distance around the bag plus about 12 in (30 cm) for the bow: roughly 20 in (51 cm) for small, 23 in (58 cm) for medium and 26 in (66 cm) for large.

• Ribbon: starting at the front, weave it in through one eyelet and out through the next all the way around, so both ends finish on the outside next to each other. Trim the ends at an angle to slow fraying.
• Crocheted tie: chain to the length needed, then sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch back to the start. The slip stitch row keeps the cord from stretching and curling. Knot each end.

One tie leaves a small opening at the top, which is fine for a gift. For a bag that has to close completely, two cords pulled from opposite sides work better, as in the drawstring pouch, and other ways to fasten a small bag are compared in the guide to crochet bag closures.

Holiday colors without motifs

Color alone is enough to make a plain sack look festive, and it keeps the stitch pattern simple.

• Classic solids: deep red, forest green or cream, each with a ribbon in one of the other two colors.
• Dipped base: work the base and the first few rounds of the sides in one color and the remainder in another.
• Stripes: change color every 2 rounds. Carry the unused yarn up the inside instead of cutting it. In spiral rounds each color change leaves a small step; hide it at the back of the bag. The striped tote pattern covers clean color changes in more detail.
• Contrast top: work everything from the eyelet round upward in a second color, so the gathered ruffle stands out.

Sizing a bag to a gift

For anything that does not match the three sizes, two measurements are enough.

1. Measure around the widest part of the gift and add 1 in (2.5 cm) of ease.
2. Multiply that number of inches by 4, the stitches per inch at this gauge, and round up to the next multiple of 6. That is the stitch count; divide it by 6 for the number of base rounds.
3. For the height, measure the gift and add 2 in (5 cm): one for ease and one for the ruffle above the eyelets.

For example, a jar that measures 9 in (23 cm) around needs 10 in, which is 40 stitches, rounded up to 42: the medium bag.