Free Christmas Crochet Bag Pattern
Plaid Christmas crochet bag pattern
You’ll love this drawstring crochet bag for wrapping your small to medium Christmas gifts this year! Since this tapestry crochet bag is reusable, it’s a gift all on its own too! The free crochet pattern is below!
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Table of Contents
Why make & use a crochet gift bag?
Admittedly, this crochet drawstring bag is a lot more work than picking up a gift bag at the store. So why bother making it?
First up, this crochet bag is reusable! Unlike paper bags which are easily crumpled and torn, this Christmas crochet bag can be used over and over and over for lifetimes without being ruined. It can even go through the washer and dryer to clean it if it gets dirty.
Also, the bag itself is a gift! Handmade always shows the recipient how much love and care went into the gift. They can reuse it as gift wrapping, but they can also continue to use it themselves to hold their treasures!
What is tapestry crochet?
This crochet bag is a tapestry crochet project. Tapestry crochet uses two or more colors to create a picture, words, or a geometric pattern within one piece of crochet fabric.
In tapestry crochet, each stitch is made with just one strand of yarn, while the unused colors are carried either behind or inside of the stitches. I prefer to carry unused colors behind the stitches because sometimes the will show through if carried inside the stitches.
If you really want to dive into tapestry crochet, I have a couple of other fun tapestry projects to choose from!
Where can I get this Christmas crochet bag pattern?
This pattern is free right here in this post. Just scroll down for the free, ad-supported version!
If you decide to use the free version, please bookmark this page and come back to it when you work on your project rather than trying to print or screenshot the page. Your time on this page helps me get paid for my work, so thank you!
You also have the option to purchase an ad-free PDF perfect for downloading and printing if you prefer that.
Plaid Christmas Gift Bag, a crochet pattern
By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio
(C)2025 April Garwood. As with all my patterns, please do not make paper or digital copies for others. Instead, please direct them to my website to get their own. Thank you!
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Finished Measurements: 8 inches wide x 10 1/2 inches tall
Yarn: We Crochet Brava Worsted (100% Premium Acrylic; 218 yds; 100 g; yarn weight category 4/Medium/Worsted): Red (R) and White (W)
Shop We Crochet Brava Worsted!
Yardage: 135 yds Red and 45 yds White
Crochet Hook: J (6 mm), or size needed to match gauge
I use and recommend Furl’s Streamline Metal crochet hooks!
Notions:
Gauge: 14 sts x 16 rows = 4 inches in single crochet
Notes
This pattern uses standard US terms. For help with abbreviations, get my free, printable crochet abbreviations list here.
See this tutorial post for help with basic crochet stitches.
This crochet bag is a rectangular piece that is then folded in half and seamed along the bottom edge and one side. A drawstring is added to close the bag.
This rectangle is made using tapestry crochet techniques.
To change colors, work the last stitch before the change up to the final yarn over. Yarn over with the new color and pull that through the last 2 loops to finish the stitch, then complete the next stitch with the new color. Always leave yarn ends and working yarn to the wrong side of the piece when not in use.
Most of the time, you will carry the unused color across the back of the piece, leaving a strand of yarn traveling from one stitch and another. Sometimes that would require having a long strand of yarn all the way across the piece. In these instances, I suggest you cut the yarn, leaving a 6 inch tail, and start again at the new stitch.
You can use the line by line written instructions or you can use the chart for color placement. When reading the chart, right side, or odd-numbered rows, are read from right to left. Wrong side, or even-numbered rows, are read from left to right.
In the line by line instructions, you will see either the letter R or W followed by a number. R refers to stitches in red and W refers to stitches in white. You will work the number of red or white stitches indicated by the number before changing colors.
Video Tutorial
Click the image below to view a full video tutorial for this Christmas crochet bag pattern!
Bag
With color R, ch 57.
Row 1(RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each remaining ch, turn – 56 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across, following the colorwork instructions below or the chart for color placement, turn.
Repeat Row 2 for pattern.
Work in pattern for a total of 41 rows. Fasten off.
Colorwork Instructions
Row 1: R56
Row 2: W1, R1, W1, R4, W1, R2, W1, R4, W1, R1, W4, R1, W2, R1, W4, R1, W1, R4, W1, R2, W1, R4, W1, R1, W4, R1, W2, R1, W3.
Rows 3-6: Repeat Row 1.
Row 7: W3, R1, W2, R1, W4, R1, W1, R4, W1, R2, W1, R4, W1, R1, W4, R1, W2, R1, W4, R1, W1, R4, W1, R2, W1, R4, W1, R1, W1.
Row 8: Repeat Row 1.
Rows 9-12: Alternate repeating Row 7 and Row 2.
Row 13: Repeat Row 1.
Rows 14-15: Alternate repeating Row 2 and Row 7.
Row 16: Repeat Row 1.
Rows 17-20: Alternate repeating Row 7 and Row 2.
Row 21: Repeat Row 1.
Row 22: Repeat Row 2.
Rows 23-26: Repeat Row 1.
Row 27: Repeat Row 7.
Rows 28-29: Repeat Row 1.
Row 30: Repeat Row 2.
Rows 31-34: Repeat Row 1.
Row 35: Repeat Row 7.
Row 36: Repeat Row 1.
Rows 37-40: Alternate repeating Row 7 and Row 2.
Row 41: Repeat row 1.
Seaming
Fold the rectangle in half, bringing the short edges even, RS facing each other. With Red and a tapestry needle, whipstitch the bottom and side edges, leaving the top edge open.
Drawstring
Cut 2 strands of White and 1 strand of Red all 29 inches long. With ends even, knot the strands together about an inch from one end. Tape this end down to a flat surface or place under something heavy to hold it. Braid the strands together and then knot about an inch from the other end.
You will place the drawstring through the holes of the stitches about 2 inches below the open top edge. Using your crochet hook, pull the drawstring to the inside of the bag just left of center on one side of the bag. Leave about 4 inches of the drawstring hanging out on the RS of the bag. 2 sts to the left, pull the drawstring to the outside of the bag, *3 stitches to the left, pull the drawstring to the inside of the bag, 3 stitches to the left, pull the drawstring to the outside of the bag, repeat around, pulling the drawstring back to the outside of the bag for the final time 2 sts to the left of where you last pulled it to the inside. This should also be 2 sts to the right of where the first end hangs out.
Pull two drawstring ends and tie in a bow to close the bag. Finished!
Chart
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That finishes this crochet gift bag pattern!
I would love to see photos of your finished projects! You can share them on Instagram and tag me, or you can join my friendly Facebook group and share them there.
Happy crocheting!
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