Create Your Trendy Crochet Raffia Beach Bag – The Essential Summer Accessory

Looking for the perfect accessory for your beach days? Look no further than the Crochet Raffia Beach Bag! This trendy and stylish bag is not only practical for carrying your sunscreen and beach towel but also adds a touch of boho-chic to your beach look. With its durable raffia material and spacious design, you can pack everything you need for a day of sun and sand.

Size

Width: 15.5 in (40 cm)

Height: 13 in (33 cm)

Gauge

6 sts and 7 rounds in single crochet = 5 cm x 5 cm (2” x 2")

Supplies

• 2 rolls of Raffia paper yarn Raffia Paper Craft Ribbon Packing Paper Twine, 1/4 Inch by 218 Yards (200 meters) (From the second skein you will only need about a half.)
• 4.5 mm crochet hook
• 5 mm/H crochet hook
• 1 stitch marker
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• 2 bag straps (I have used two synthetic leather bag straps that are 2 cm (approx. 0.78 inch) wide and 60 cm (approx. 23.62 inches) long.)
• Sewing thread in corresponding color and sewing needle
• Sewing pins
• A bit of paper glue

Optional Supplies

• Fabric for lining (17’’ wide) Depending if you are sewing a pocket or not and how tall the pocket should be, you will need more or less fabric.

If you like, you can add a lining to your bag. You can sew the lining by hand, or with a sewing machine for faster work and a more professional look.

Sewing of lining through the crochet Raffia bag should be done by hand!

• Iron and ironing board (for ironing the lining)
• Zippers:
• 1 piece of 16 inch (40 cm) zipper (I have used golden metal zippers)
• 1 piece of 8 inch (20 cm) zipper for bag pocket, if you add a lining with a pocket to your bag
• For the charm/pendant, I have used 3 beads with larger holes (one small wooden bead and 2 acrylic beads; 3 small snap rings (2 cm in diameter) to insert the charm into the bag

Stitches, Terms (US) and Abbreviations

• ch: chain
• Back bump of chains (click on the link to open the page with my tutorial)
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• * to *: repeat the sequence of stitches between the stars
• sk: skip
• beg: beginning
• Invisible Finish Off: after working the last st of the last round, do not join into round with slst, instead cut yarn leaving a few inches tail; thread yarn needle with the yarn tail, insert the needle from back to front under both tops loops of the 2nd st at beg of round, pull through the stitch, then insert needle between the front and last loop of the last st and pull yarn though. Weave the yarn end in.

Special Stitches

Cross-over Cable Stitch: skip the next st, work 1 dc in each of the next 3 sts. Working over the 3 dc’s just made, yarn over and insert hook into skipped st. Pull up a loop to the height of the dc’s, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on hook to complete a long half double crochet (Lhdc)!

The 4 sts made will create a cross-over cable.

Notes

• The bag is started at the bottom and worked in spiral rounds, without slip stitching to join at the end of each round.
• To keep track of the rounds, place a stitch marker into the top of the first stitch of the round; move the stitch marker as you go, placing it always into the first stitch of each round.
• To join a new skein of Raffia, glue together the ends with a bit of paper glue. Wait a bit to dry then continue crocheting.
• CLEANING TIP: Do not wash directly with water, use a damp cloth to wipe, and then dry the bag in the sun.

Beach Bag Instructions

With hook size 4.5 mm start with ch 38.

Round 1

Work into the back bumps behind the chains 1sc in 2nd ch from hook and 1sc in each of the next 35 ch, work 3 sc in last ch; do not turn! Continue working along the other side of the foundation chain inserting the hook under both unworked loops of the chains (this way you will not have holes at the bottom of your bag!): 1 sc in each of the next 35 sc, 2 sc into 1st ch at the beg of round.

Do not join with slst! Continue working all the next rounds in spiral rounds without joining with slst! Don’t forget your stitch marker! (76 sts total)

Round 2

2 sc in 1st st, 1 sc in each of next 35 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 3 sts, continue working on the other side of the foundation chains 1 sc in each of the next 35 sts, 2 sc in each of next 2 sts. Do not join with slst! (82 sts total)

Round 3

2 sc in 1st st, 1 sc in each of next 36 sts, (2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st) x 3 times, 1 sc in each of next 35 sts, (2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st) x 2 times. (88 sts total)

Round 4

1 sc in each of next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 37 sts, (2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts) x 3 times, 1 sc in each of next 35 sts, (2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts) x 2 times. (94 sts total)

Round 5

2 sc in 1st st, 1 sc in each of next 38 sts, (2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts) x 3 times, 1 sc in each of next 35 sts, (2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts) x 2 times (100 sts total)

Here is how the bag bottom should look at this point:

It measures about 15 inches (38 cm) in width.

Round 6

1 sc in each st around (100 sts total)

Rounds 7-9

Change to 5 mm crochet hook and work the same as round 6. Continue working with the 5 mm crochet hook and continue all the next rounds in spiral, without joining!

Round 10 (Cross-over Cable Round)

*sk next sc, 1dc in each of the next 3 sc; going in front of the 3 dc just made work 1Lhdc back into skipped sc*, repeat from *to* around. (25 Cross-over Cable sts total)

Rounds 11 - 13: sc in each st around (100 sts total)

Rounds 14 - 21: Repeat the sequence from round 10 to round 13 two times more! (That means one round with the Cross-over Cable and 3 rows with the sc, then again one round with the Cross-over Cable and 3 rounds with the sc)

The next 3 rounds (rounds 22-24) will be made with the cross-over cable stitch!

Round 22

As round 10 (Cross-over Cable Round)

Rounds 23-24

(Cross-over Cable Rounds): *sk next dc, 1dc in each of next 3 sts; going in front of the 3 dc just made work 1Lhdc back into skipped dc*, repeat from *to* around (25 Cross-over Cable sts total)

Here is a close-up of the 3 cable rounds:

Rounds 25 - 27

sc in each st around (100 sts total)

Rounds 28 - 35

As Rounds 14 - 21: Repeat the sequence from round 10 to round 13 two times more!

Round 36

Work 1 slst in each st around. (Try to work the sts evenly!) Fasten off invisibly. Weave in all ends.

Adding the Handles

Place the first handle centered (having about 5 inches in between the 2 ends of the handle).

With a sewing needle and sewing thread, sew the handle to the straw bag with a simple back stitch. To make it sturdy, sew each stitch several times (3-4 times).

Do the same with the 2nd handle on the other side of the bag.

Optional

Add a charm to the bag, if you like!

I made mine by myself.

Add a fabric lining with zipper to the bag.