This adorable little crochet pouch is the perfect reusable gift bag to stitch up before the holidays.
I love simple, small crochet projects for beginners. When I was hunting for easy patterns for tiny projects, I stumbled across the fantastic reusable gift bags from Little Doolally. I was smitten with the soft holiday colors and whimsical designs on each pouch but still a bit nervous that they might be too tricky for me.
Her tutorial is written so clearly and her photos were so sweet, I just couldn’t help myself. I had to order the exact same yarn she used and give it a go. You can check out the entire pattern and how-to pictures here.
I tend to get intimidated by starting new projects, so the pretty materials sat in my basket for months. I finally finished two of the gift bags just in time for Advent to use for my girls. They ended up so pretty I just had to share with you.
How to make an easy crochet pouch before Christmas!:
Gather your materials, print out the free crochet pattern here, and turn on your favorite holiday movie! You’ll have a sweet and personal reusable gift bag in no time.
Materials needed for a simple crochet pouch:
- Yarn: I used Scheepjes Secret Garden in Herb Garden and Secluded Lake. Otherwise 60g of DK yarn will do.
- Hook: I used my Clover hook, size G/4mm
- Finishing needle: To sew up the sides and close the bag, you’ll need a simple yarn needle like this
- Ribbon: I tied the bags closed using holiday ribbon from Michael’s
How to tweak the pattern for beginners:
The original pattern has a snowflake, reindeer, or Christmas tree design on each of the gift bags. It requires using two colors of yarn and following the pattern a lot more closely to switch back and forth between the colors.
I crochet for stress relief and don’t enjoy following complicated patterns. I look for projects with monotonous, repetitive stitches so I can just relax and concentrate on the movie we are watching as a family.
I decided to skip the adorable designs and just stitch up the bags in plain single colors. I think they turned out simply adorable. The benefit of skipping the design is that now my reusable gift bags can be used for practically any gift-giving occasion.
The crochet stitches you need to know to make this project:
Chain (ch): The chain stitch is how you start the project and turn the rows. Check out this tutorial to see the stitch.
Double crochet (dc): This is the body of the bags and the stitch you’ll use the most in this project. Check out this tutorial to see the stitch.
Treble crochet (tc): This is the longer stitch that creates the open spaces for you to weave the ribbon through and make it a tie-close top. Check out this tutorial to see the stitch.
What kind of gifts will fit inside the crochet gift bags?
I made two gift bags, one for each of my girls. We’ve been using our homemade Advent calendar forever but this year I have been giving them holiday socks that didn’t fit inside the tiny wooden doors. Every morning they wake up to find a new pair of socks hiding in their gift bag.
The little bag is just the right size for small gifts like these:
- Jewelry: Wrap it in a bit of tissue paper inside the bag first
- A few cookies or treats: Would be a sweet way to present a homemade treat for a teacher gift
- Make-up: new lipgloss or Chapsticks, nail polish kit, or other small cosmetic items
- Small card games: A deck of cards-sized game would fit perfectly inside
- Pocket-sized books: Little notebooks and tiny pens/pencils, or pocket-sized editions of favorite books
- Marbles, Jacks, and other classic childhood games with small pieces
- Holiday socks
- A new collection of scrunchies or hairbands
- Gift cards
How long did it take to crochet a pouch?
I worked on each crochet gift bag for a few stitching sessions sporadically over this last summer. I would say even beginners could do it in just a lazy weekend. You absolutely still have time to make them before this Christmas.
Looking for more simple crafty ideas for beginners?
I love trying out new hobbies but I don’t have a lot of time. Here are some of my favorite EASY things to learn and try next:
- Sweet and whimsical travel themed patterns for getting started with cross stitch
- Silhouette Cameo getting started: save your sanity AND your budget!
- Bedazzle your Christmas tree like a magic unicorn princess {VIDEO}
- Warm and fuzzy felt balls wreath ornaments that make you want to cuddle your Christmas tree
- Real Handmade Ornaments for your Real Christmas Tree {VIDEO}
- The cutest homemade ornaments for kids to make for your tree
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