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The Star and Stripes Bag is a crochet patriotic tote bag free pattern. It is also customizable so you can choose your own colors and make it the size you wish.
He brandished his wand proudly. “And I can even do this!” He threw a spell at her bag. Immediately, the pattern and colors shifted and changed.
“Seriously? I liked it a lot better before. Change it back.”
He laughed jovially. “No problem,” he said and threw the spell at the bag again, intending to revert it to its original design.
Again, the bag colors shifted but this time to a new design.
Everyone stared at the bag. The spell had clearly failed.
“Um…just give me a sec…” He tried again. New colors and patterns appeared again.
She folded her arms and gave him a cross look.
“Woah, woah. Before you do anything drastic, know I will get this fixed.” He hurriedly wracked his brain for the solution. He’d fix this mess if it was the last thing he did!
For your very own customizable crochet patriotic tote bag, please follow the pattern below. The color, size, and theme possibilities are endless.
Table of contents
Patriotic Crochet Stars and Stripes Tote Bag Design
This Stars and Stripes Bag is a super easy crochet patriotic tote bag to make. It is very special as you can change its size and colors as you wish. I have marked and commented below on how to do just that.
I used my absolute favorite yarn for this project which is the Premiers Anti-Pilling Yarn. It is super soft and easy to use. You could use Caron Simply Soft yarn, but the feel will be different.
Add the pattern to your Ravelry Favorites HERE
Furthermore, I used only 3 different crochet stitches, two of which you would need to know how to increase and decrease the stitches. But that is super easy.
Make sure you also check out my most popular crochet pattern for a bag, which is the Multipurpose Crochet Bag.
Now let’s get started and let me explain to you how you can change the colors and size of the crochet patriotic tote bag before I actually explain to you how to make the bag.
Crochet Tote Bag Color Combinations
I created this crochet patriotic tote bag by keeping in mind that crocheters could and even would change the colors of this bag to accommodate their current needs, whether it was for a special person you love, for Christmas, for people who love the rainbow (or unicorns :-D), or for any other event with any other color combination. It even would work for almost any country’s flag and their colors.
In order to make it easier for some to decide their color combination, I created some pictures with ideas below. I even added one blank one that you could use to create your own version.
I did make the picture ideas so you can see the parallelogram that would be made into a square later. But still added the extension on top. Of course, the bag will be a square in the end.
Again, these are just ideas. If you have your own version of color combinations and you would like to share it with me, please let me know in the comments below and I might also add your version as an example.
Furthermore, I created the crochet patriotic tote bag in a way that you could easily change the size of it. So, all you need to do is change the number marked in bold by either increasing or decreasing the number.
So here I will explain the pattern for the Stars and Strips Bag I created using this template for the 4th of July/ US Flag.
You will need (click on the item to see which ones I used):
- Premier Anti-Pilling Yarn in the colors Snow white, Royal Blue (may need a 2nd skein if you make the strap as long or longer than my version) and Really Red
- 5.0mm hook
- scissors
- tapestry needle
Gauge:
4 sc x 5 rows = 1 square inch
Stitches used (click on a stitch to see the tutorial):
- sc = single crochet (plus inc = increases and dec = decreases)
- wst = waistcoat stitch (plus increases and decreases which are made just like sc’s but in a different space) in a round and flat
- hdc = half double crochet
Final size of the crochet patriotic tote bag:
The bag itself is 10.5 (flat in width) x 11.5 (height) inches.
Crochet Patriotic Tote Bag Instructions:
Crochet Tote Bag
Start with Red
Row 1: ch 41, 1 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and the remaining chains, ch 1, turn (40 sts in total)
Row 2: 1 sc inc, 1 sc in every st until you have 2 remaining, 1 sc dec, change color to white during the last st (do not cut the yarn, just drop it to pick it up later again), ch 1, turn (40 sts)
Row 3: 1 sc in each st across, ch 1, turn (40 sts)
Row 4: 1 sc inc, 1 sc in every st until you have 2 remaining, 1 sc dec, change color to blue during the last st (do not cut the yarn, just drop it to pick it up later again), ch 1, turn (40 sts)
Row 5: Repeat row 3
Row 6: 1 sc inc, 1 sc in every st until you have 2 remaining, 1 sc dec, change color to red during the last st (do not cut the yarn, just drop it to pick it up later again), ch 1, turn (40 sts)
Row 7: Repeat row 3
Row 8-75: repeat rows 2 thru 7, ending with the blue yarn (not changing colors after doing row 4) (40 sts)
Fold the parallelogram so it makes a square (see pictures). Now using slip stitches, crochet the first row and the last row together.
Do not cut off the yarn for blue (cut the red and white though, leaving enough yarn for weaving in) as you continue with it. Turn the crochet patriotic tote bag right side out so the seam is inside.
Extension of Bag
Now you will work on extending the crochet patriotic tote bag with blue and using the waistcoat stitch.
Round 1: ch 1, 1 sc per row created for the colors red, white and blue (so 2 sc per color) all the way around which creates 75 sc’s
Use a stitch marker now, so you know which round you are in as these are now continues rounds with NO slip stitch
Round 2: 1 wst in each stitch all around
Round 3: 1 wst dec, 1 wst in every st until you have 2 remaining, 1 wst dec
Round 4: repeat round 2
Round 5: repeat round 3
Round 6 – 13: repeat round 2
Adding the strap
Now you will work on the strap
Row 1: 1 wst in the next 6 sts, ch 1, turn
Row 2 – 167: repeat row 1
Feel free to shorten or extend the strap as you need or like.
Firstly, using the wst, connect the strap to the exact opposite side of the bag having the seam on the inside of the bag.
Fasten off and weave in the end.
Closing the bags bottom
Firstly, add the blue yarn on the bottom (which is still open) of the crochet patriotic tote bag right on one of the “corners” when the bag is flattened out. Secondly, you will add one row of single crochets just like you did when you add the extension on the opening of the bag.
Round 1: ch 1, 1 sc per row created for the colors red, white and blue (so 2 sc per color) all the way around which creates 75 sc’s
Now flip the crochet patriotic tote bag inside out and close the bottom using single crochets. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Crochet Stars (make 5):
Round 1: Using the white yarn, make a magic ring, ch 1, * 2 sc, 1 ch, repeat from * 4 more times (5 in total), sl st to the first st
Round 2: *Ch 3, 1 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, sl st to the chain that was created after you made 2 sc’s in the 1st round, repeat from * 4 more times (total of 5)
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Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing the stars to the front of the bag where the blue extension was created. Sew them on about equal distance from each other.
If you prefer adding stars to the back of the bag also, feel free to do so.
Final Thoughts…
I hope you find this patriotic crochet tote bag tutorial helpful and will make your very own version. Choose colors and size you want!
If you love it, please use the social media share buttons above or below and share it with the world and your friends.
Do not forget to pin it to your Pinterest Board so you can easily find it later.
That way you will find it easily again when you need it and also provide the world and your friends with the ability to gain extra crochet knowledge.
And to top it off, you help me as it allows me to create more content that you love already and want to see more of – free crochet patterns and tutorials. So, thank you for sharing.
