💖How to Crochet Shoulder Bag Tutorial for Absolute Beginners

Welcome, crocheters! Are you ready to create a structured and utterly satisfying handbag? Inspired by the elegant and approachable design from SANG DEWI CRAFT, this “Starlight Rib” Tote pattern uses a continuous, two-row repeat featuring a tight base and a beautiful, dense puff stitch pattern that creates a gorgeous, ribbed texture.

This is a detailed, long pattern guide for creating a sturdy, two-toned shoulder bag. The pattern is worked in turned rounds for a seamless body, resulting in a finished bag approximately 25 cm wide by 17 cm high.

🧶 Materials & Key Tools

The recommended yarn is a durable cord (like nylon or polyester) to ensure the bag maintains its structured shape.

Icon	Item	Details
Hook	Crochet Hook	4.0 mm (or size needed to achieve very firm tension).
Yarn	Main Color (MC)	Approximately 150g of sturdy cord yarn (Nylon or Polyester cord).
Yarn	Contrast Color (CC)	Approximately 50g of the same yarn type (e.g., a natural color for contrast).
Hardware	D-Rings (2)	1.5 cm size, integrated into the top border.
Hardware	Straps	One short handle (approx. 33 cm) and one long adjustable strap (approx. 100 cm). Requires snap hooks (1.0 cm).
Notions	Markers & Needle	Stitch Markers (especially for reduction and D-ring placement), Scissors, and a Yarn Needle.
Size	Finished Bag	Approx. 25 cm (Length) x 17 cm (Height) x 7 cm (Depth).
Weight	Finished Weight	Approx. 200 grams.

📝 Abbreviations & Special Stitches (U.S. Terms)

Familiarize yourself with these terms. Note that the entire body uses turned rounds.

Abbreviation	U.S. Terminology	Description
ch	Chain
sl st	Slip Stitch
sc	Single Crochet
st(s)	Stitch(es)
rep	Repeat
MC	Main Color
CC	Contrast Color

Special Stitch: Puff Stitch (Puff)

A full puff stitch made by drawing up three yarn-overs in the same space.

Yo, insert hook into st/space, pu a lp (pull up a loop to the height of a DC).
[ Yo, insert hook into the same st/space, pu a lp ] Repeat two more times (7 loops on hook).
Yo, pull through all 7 loops to close the puff.
Ch 1 (to secure the puff and complete the stitch unit).

📐 Part 1: The Rigid Foundation Base

We start with a flat, firm base worked in rows of Single Crochet, then edged in the round to set up the body’s stitch count (a multiple of 3).

Initial Chain (MC):

Make a slip knot and ch 40. Chain 1 more for turning.

Rows 1 – 14 (Base Core):

Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, and sc in each ch across. (40 sc).
Ch 1 (does not count as st), turn. Sc in the first st and in each st across. (40 sc).
Repeat Row 2 until you have completed a total of 14 rows.

Edging (SC in the Round):

After Row 14, do not turn. We work SC around the entire perimeter. The final stitch count must be a multiple of 3.

Work a smooth edge by placing 2 sc in the corners and 1 sc per row end along the sides. The base is approx. 20 cm x 7 cm.
Count & Adjust: Count your total stitches. The final count must be a multiple of 3 (e.g., approx. 114 sts). If needed, evenly distribute increases on one side to meet the multiple of 3.
Sl st to the first sc to join.

🌟 Part 2: The Ribbed Puff Stitch Body Motif

The body is created by alternating open SC rounds with the dense, textured Double Puff Stitch round.

Round 1 (SC Setup – MC):

Ch 1, turn the work. Sc in the same st. Sc in the next st.
*Ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in the next 2 sts*.
Repeat from * to * around the entire round.
Sl st to the first sc to join.

Round 2 (Double Puff Cluster – MC):

Ch 1, turn. Sl st twice to move the starting point to the first ch-1 space.
Ch 1 (does not count as st). Pull up a loop to a DC height.
1st Puff: Work a Puff into the ch-1 space. Ch 1 (securing chain).
2nd Puff: Work a Puff into the same ch-1 space. Ch 1 (securing chain).
*Sl st into the next ch-1 space. 1st Puff in same space, Ch 1. 2nd Puff in same space, Ch 1*.
Repeat from * to * around.
Sl st to the top of the first Puff to join.

Round 3 (CC Transition – CC):

Join CC to the top of the first Puff stitch from R2.

Ch 1, turn. Sc in the same st (the first Puff top).
Sc in the next ch-1 space (between the puffs). Sc in the top of the next Puff.
*Sc in the top of the next Puff. Sc in the next ch-1 space. Sc in the top of the next Puff*.
Repeat from * to * around. (Working 3 SC over each cluster).
Sl st to the first sc to join. Fasten off CC.

Round 4 (MC Puff Cluster – MC):

Join MC to the first sc from R3.

Ch 1, turn. Sl st twice to move the starting point to the second SC (the center of the 3-SC group).
Double Puff Cluster: Work a Puff, Ch 1, Puff, Ch 1 into the same st (the center SC).
*Sk 2 sts, work Double Puff Cluster (Puff, Ch 1, Puff, Ch 1) into the next st (the center SC of the next group)*.
Repeat from * to * around.
Sl st to the top of the first Puff to join.

Motif Repetition:

Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 until you have worked a total of 10 rounds of the motif (approximately 5 sets of the two-round repeat).

Color Accent Rounds (CC):

Follow the same pattern logic as R4, but with the CC yarn.

Repeat R4’s structure using CC for 3 rounds.
Fasten off CC.

⛓️ Part 3: Shaping, Top Border, & Hardware

This section tapers the bag slightly and creates a secure top border with D-rings for the strap.

Reduction Round (MC):

Ch 1, turn. Sc in the same st.
Identify four evenly spaced reduction points (one on each side). Place stitch markers at these points, ideally 2 cm apart from each other.
Work SC around until you reach a marker. At the marker, SC2TOG (Single Crochet Two Together).
Continue SC until the next marked reduction point. Repeat SC2TOG at all four marked areas.
Sl st to the first sc to join.

SC Border Rounds (MC):

Ch 1, turn. Sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to join.
Repeat Round 1 for a total of 4 rounds of single crochet. This creates a sturdy, finished edge.

Round 5 (D-Ring Integration):

Before starting the 5th SC round, locate the center of both narrow ends (sides) of the bag.

Continue the SC round until you reach the center side.
D-Ring Attachment: Place the D-ring (1.5 cm) flat against the top edge. Work 4 SC over the metal ring, ensuring the ring is secured tightly.
Continue SC across the top.
Repeat the D-Ring Attachment process on the opposite narrow end of the bag.
Sl st to join. Fasten off and weave in ends.

The Straps:

The pattern includes two straps (a short tote handle and a long shoulder strap) made using a flat single crochet technique in the back loop and bottom stitch.

Strap Foundation (MC): Ch 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and across. (3 sc).
Strap Rows: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the Back Loop of the first st. Sc in the Back Loop of the next st. For the final st, insert the hook into the bottom loop of the previous row (this creates the braided cord effect).
Repeat the Strap Rows until the desired length is achieved (33 cm for short handle, 100 cm for long strap).
Fasten off and attach the snap hooks (1.0 cm) to the strap ends.

Video Tutorial:

✅ Finishing Touches & Dimensions

Weave in Ends: Use your yarn needle to securely weave in all remaining yarn tails.
Strap Attachment: Use the snap hooks to attach the finished straps to the integrated D-rings.
Lining (Recommended): The video emphasizes the benefit of adding a custom fabric lining and zipper for a polished, functional finish and to prevent stretching.

Your finished “Starlight Rib” Tote should measure: