These crochet lavender bags are perfect handmade gifts for so many reasons! They are quick and easy to make, they are a great way to use up leftover yarn, and best of all they smell amazing!
Perfect Handmade Gifts!
These crochet lavender bags are fantastic last-minute gifts for Mother’s Day, for teachers, or even for new home-owners; the possibilities are endless. And they are so quick to work up, I bet you’ll want to make a few for yourself too :-). I have kept a few for myself and they are currently adding a little fragrance to my sock drawer!
Alternatively, if you would like to make a festive-smelling bag, you could easily substitute some cinnamon and cloves for the lavender. Or simply use dried rice and your favorite essential oil! These little crochet bags offer so many delicious-smelling options.
How to get this pattern:
Option 1: Scroll on down to get this pattern for free!
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Materials for your Crochet Lavender Bags
This pattern will work with pretty much any yarn and fiber. I recommend either a #3/Lightweight or #4/Worsted weight yarn as these will give you a light and compact little bag.
I used Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK for my crochet lavender bags, as it is a lovely, lightweight yarn that allows the lavender scent to shine.
Cotton also has really good stitch definition so you can really see the cross stitch effect on the bags.
Whichever yarn weight you choose, I would suggest using a slightly smaller hook than you normally would with your chosen yarn. This will ensure you have tight stitches and no holes for those lavender leaves to peek through!
Alternatively, you could make your own inserts from a muslin or linen cloth and pop these into your lavender bags.
If you have some spare ribbon lying around, I think that adding a ribbon loop is a lovely little touch. I added my ribbon as I was seaming the top edges so it didn’t require any additional work 🙂
Drying the Lavender
If you are lucky enough to have your own lavender plant, then you’ll need to pick some stalks just before the flowers turn really, really purple. I confess, I was a little late picking mine and they are not as fragrant as they could be.
Next comes the drying step, and there are a few options for this:
• Hang your lavender upside down (somewhere like a linen closet) for a few days.
• Place the lavender on an oven tray and leave it in the oven at the lowest setting for 10 minutes. (I was a bit impatient and this is what I did – it turned out great! Once the 10 minutes were up, I turned off the oven and left the lavender in there for another little while.)
Once it is completely dry, the flowers and leaves should feel brittle and should come away from the stalk easily.
You can also buy bags of dried lavender if you don’t have access to your own plant.
More Crochet Patterns
If you like these crochet lavender bags, you might also enjoy these other gift ideas:
Notes
Skill level:
Construction
- The bag is worked in the round to form a tube.
- You will then seam the bottom edges, before filling with dried lavender flowers (or alternatively, rice plus a few drops of lavender essential oil).
- Finally, fold the top edges together (perpendicular to the bottom seam), and seam the top edges.
Additional Notes
- The bag is worked in continuous rounds, without joining at the end of each round.
- Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch in each round.
- Stitch count is given in [ ] at the end of each round.
Photo Tutorials
Please see Appendix: Photo Tutorials for step-by-step instructions on how to:
- crochet the “cross stitch single crochet”.
- start/finish each round.
Finished Measurements
Approx. 3.25” / 8cm measured along any edge of the pyramid.
Note: This measurement is based on #3/Lightweight/DK yarn;, if you use a worsted weight yarn, your lavender bag will be a little larger.
Gauge
15 sts x 17 rows = 3.25” x 3.25” / 8cm x 8cm measured over cross stitch single crochet (xsc).
Note: This measurement is based on #3/Lightweight/DK yarn. Gauge is not critical for this project.
Materials
Hook
- 3.5mm (E-4) if using #3/Lightweight/DK yarn.
- 4mm (G-6) if using #4/Medium/Worsted yarn.
Note: You will want to choose a slightly smaller crochet hook than normal to keep your stitches tight.
Yarn
Any #3/Lightweight/DK or #4/Medium/Worsted yarn.
The amount given here is for Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK (137 yds (125m) per 50g skein; #3/Lightweight; 100% Cotton)
One bag: 30 yds /27 m (11g)
Misc.
- Dried lavender flowers (approx. 25g/1 oz per bag). Alternatively, you can use dried rice plus a few drops of lavender essential oil.
- Yarn needle for seaming.
Special Stitch
Cross Stitch Single Crochet (xsc)
- Insert hook into indicated stitch.
- Yarn under and pull through.
- Yarn over and pull through both loops to complete xsc.
Written Pattern (Us Terms)
Abbreviations
ch = chain
st = stitch
sl st = slip stitch
xsc = cross stitch single crochet
pm = place marker
Chain: Leaving a long tail (for seaming), ch 30, sl st to first ch to form a circle (being careful not to twist the chain).
Round 1: xsc in first ch and each ch around, do not join. [30]
Round 2: xsc in first st (pm in st just made), xsc in each st around, do not join. [30]
Repeat Round 2 until your tube is a perfect square i.e. it has the same width and height. At the end of the final round, sl st to the first st. Cut yarn and fasten off.
Note: your measurements do not need to be exactly the same as mine; simply repeat Round 2 until you have a square.
Finishing
- Turn tube inside out and seam bottom edges using the long tail from your foundation chain.
- Turn bag the right way around, and fill with dried lavender (or rice plus a few drops of lavender essential oil). Fill to about 0.5” / 1.25cm from the top.
- Fold top edges together, perpendicular to the bottom seam. Using a new strand of yarn, seam top edges.
Optional: If you wish to add a little ribbon to hang the bag, insert the ends of the folded ribbon into the bag just before you finish seaming. Continue to seam to the end, sewing the ribbon in place at the same time.
- Hide the remaining tail inside the bag.
All done!
Appendix: Photo Tutorials
Round 1
- Ch 30 and sl st to first ch to form a circle.
- Insert hook into first ch (i.e. the same ch as the sl st just made). Yarn under and pull through.
- Yarn over and pull through to complete first xsc.
Repeat b) and c) in each chain around, do not join to first xsc.
Rounds 2 – n
Xsc in each st around, marking the first st in each round with a stitch marker.
If you wish, you can purchase an inexpensive, ad-free PDF version of this pattern through Ravelry, Etsy or LoveCrafts.
I hope you have enjoyed this pattern, if you have questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact me. And be sure to tag your finished project on Instagram or Facebook using @nedandmimi or #nedandmimi!
Happy crocheting!
Sarah