1 of 6

Write now Article Tools

Want a hip new shoulder bag or tote? Try crocheting a "bohemian bag." If you know how to make a chain and how to do a single (sc) crochet stitch you can have this bag done in no time!
Even seasoned veterans will love this pattern! The actual pattern is easy and material cost is low. Use leftovers, scraps, reclaimed and recycled fibers What do you have in your stash? What can you find that can be reclaimed? Do you have any old sweaters or T-shirts you don't wear anymore? Do you have tons of fabric scraps?

You need:
H or I crochet hook for the bag body
Q or S crochet hook for the strap
Yarn needle
Assortment of beads, charms and/or found objects.

Preparation:
Gather all your likely suspects together. Be sure to include old sweaters, T-shirts, twine, yarn, fabric scraps Once you have everything together, decide on which are your dominant colors. What will you keep for this project, and what will you send back to the closet/stash? If you will be using a lot of print fabrics and/or multi-color yarns, then you will want to limit your other choices to colors that coordinate and compliment them.

Since blue jeans are a popular item, the example provided here will incorporate jeans, and other compatible fabric scraps, denim-colored yarn, navy blue twine and various odds and ends of lavender, blue and teal yarns. Cut an old lavender sweater (Just cut across the very bottom!), unravel and the wind the resulting yarn into a ball. Cut an old blue T-shirt into 3/4" wide strips, starting at the bottom. (Don't go out and get a lavender sweater, just use what you have; unravel an old sweater of afghan; tear up and old T-shirt!) Also, cut an old pair of jeans open at the leg seams, then cut 1/2" strips, using as much of the jeans as possible, to make long strips. Cut any other fabric scraps in strips somewhere between 1/2" and 3/4" inches wide.

Key to bohemian bag design:
You will be working with two or three different strands held together through out the body of the handbag. The strap will be formed by one large chain made from at least four strands worked together. None of the strands have to be the same length. Before you run out of any one strand, overlap it with a new strand (of your choice), leaving a 2 to 3 inch tail of each strand behind. Mix your sizes, textures and colors as much as possible when you change strands. This is the rationale behind the bohemian bag you will be breaking and/or disregarding some of the traditional crocheting techniques.

Fabric strips can also be

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How to do a shoulder bag pattern?
We want to hear your view. Write now!