6 Free Crochet Bag Patterns (Linked to Each Designer)

Each of these free crochet bag patterns is a real published pattern with written instructions, linked to the designer who wrote it. All six are totes or market bags, and between them they cover open mesh, dense double-stranded fabric and flat-panel construction.

The difference between a bag that carries shopping and one that sags into a tube after a month is not the stitch pattern — it is the yarn and where the straps attach. Both are worth checking before you start.

What you will need

Cotton is the right default: it barely stretches, so the bag keeps its shape under load. Several patterns below hold two strands together for extra density. Yardage varies more than you would expect, from about 220 yards for a mesh bag to 860 for a doubled tote.

Construction	Carries	Trade-off
Doubled worsted, worked solid	Groceries, books	Heaviest, most yarn
Solid base + mesh middle	Most things	Small items can slip through the mesh
Full open mesh	Bulky, light items	Stretches a lot; lemons escape
Two flat panels seamed	Light loads	Easiest to keep even; less structure

1. Easy Tote Bag

The sturdiest bag here, and the reason is simple: Jo holds two strands of worsted together throughout, which doubles the fabric density. On a 6.5 mm hook that gives a bag 16 inches long, 11 high and 4 deep — a genuine shopping bag rather than a decorative one — using about 860 yards in total. The straps are attached on the inside, which is what stops them tearing away under load. Rated easy. Free pattern: Easy Tote Bag.

2. The Coco Tote

Hannah Cross also holds the yarn double, but the interest here is the stitch: double crochets worked into deliberately skipped stitches produce a crossover texture that looks far more complicated than it is. Dishie cotton on a 5.5 mm hook, worked in joined rounds, finishing at 14 by 13 inches. Rated easy, and there is a video tutorial alongside the written pattern. Free pattern: The Coco Tote.

3. Ice Cream Market Tote

Lindsey uses linked double crochet across the base of the bag, which closes the gaps that normally appear between tall stitches — so small items cannot work their way out through the bottom. That one choice is what separates a bag that carries groceries from one that carries a scarf. Caron Cotton Cakes on a 5 mm hook, 260 yards, 12 inches wide and 15 tall with the handle arched. Free pattern: Ice Cream Crochet Market Tote Bag.

4. Crochet Market Bag (Handy Shopper)

The only bag here that is not worked in the round: Carmen Heffernan crochets two flat rectangular panels and joins them with single crochet around three sides. Flat panels are much easier to keep even than rounds, which is why she rates it as very basic. Worked fine — 4-ply cotton-linen on a 3 mm hook — to 12.5 by 14.5 inches with 18-inch straps. Expect it to take longer than the bulky options. Free pattern: Crochet Market Bag.

5. The Market Tote

Erin works an open mesh from chain spaces in Bernat Maker, a tube-style yarn with natural elasticity, so the bag stretches around whatever you put in it and springs back afterwards. About 220 yards on a 6.5 mm hook gives 12 inches wide and 13 tall, 19 with the handles. Rated advanced beginner — the mesh itself is simple, but keeping the chain spaces even takes a little attention. Free pattern: How To Make A Crochet Market Bag.

6. Easy Crochet Market Tote Bag

Jennifer’s version is worked in the round with a stretchy mesh section through the middle made from double crochet and chain spaces, and solid sections top and bottom so the contents do not fall out. Medium weight cotton on a 6 mm hook, finishing at 14.5 inches tall with a 25-inch circumference and a 26-inch strap — long enough to carry over a shoulder rather than in the hand. Tagged beginner, with a video. Free pattern: Easy Crochet Market Tote Bag.

The 6 patterns compared

Pattern	Designer	Hook	Finished size	Yarn	Level
Easy Tote Bag	Jo to the World	6.5 mm	16″ × 11″ × 4″	Worsted, doubled	Easy
The Coco Tote	Hannah Cross	5.5 mm	14″ × 13″	Worsted cotton, doubled	Easy
Ice Cream Market Tote	Lindsey, Winding Road	5.0 mm	12″ × 15″	Cotton blend	Not stated
Crochet Market Bag	Carmen Heffernan	3.0 mm	12.5″ × 14.5″	4-ply cotton/linen	Beginner
The Market Tote	Simply Made by Erin	6.5 mm	12″ × 13″	Bulky tube yarn	Adv. beginner
Easy Market Tote Bag	Jennifer, Fiber Flux	6.0 mm	14.5″ tall	Medium cotton	Beginner

Frequently Asked Questions

Which yarn is best for a crochet bag?

Cotton, almost always. It has very little stretch, so a loaded bag keeps its shape instead of sagging into a long tube — which is exactly what acrylic does after a few shopping trips. Where a pattern here uses acrylic, it compensates by holding two strands together for density.

How do I stop my bag stretching out of shape?

Three things: use cotton, hold the yarn double or drop a hook size for a tighter fabric, and attach the straps to the inside of the bag rather than the top edge. The Easy Tote Bag does all three, which is why it is the most load-bearing pattern on this list.

Do mesh bags actually hold groceries?

Yes, and they carry more than they look like they will, because the mesh expands. The catch is small items — a lemon will find its way through an open mesh. The patterns that solve this work a solid base and keep the mesh to the middle section only.

How much yarn does a crochet bag take?

Between about 220 and 860 yards depending on size and whether the yarn is held double. A single-strand mesh market bag is at the low end; a dense double-stranded tote is at the high end. Buy for the pattern you have chosen rather than assuming a bag is a small project.

Pick by what the bag has to carry. For a weekly shop, the doubled-yarn totes are the ones that will last; for a beach or market bag where bulk matters more than weight, the mesh patterns are lighter and faster. Each link goes to the designer’s own page.