How to Crochet a Drawstring Pouch
Learn to crochet a beginner-friendly drawstring pouch using a magic ring, expanding circular base, straight body rounds, eyelet holes, and woven cord ties.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Crochet hook (4.0 mm / G-6 or 5.0 mm / H-8)
- ✓ Tapestry/yarn needle
- ✓ Embroidery scissors
- ✓ Locking stitch marker
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Worsted weight cotton or acrylic yarn (50g)
- ✓ Contrasting scrap yarn (optional, for drawstring)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Keep scissors placed flat on the table when not cutting to prevent accidental drops or punctures.
- • Maintain relaxed hand tension and take short breaks to avoid repetitive strain in the wrists and fingers.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Create Magic Ring and Base Round
Form a loop around two fingers with the tail end facing down and draw up a loop through the ring. Chain 1, then work 6 single crochet (sc) stitches directly into the center ring. Pull the tail strand firmly until the center hole closes completely, and place a stitch marker in the 6th stitch.
- • A tight, flat mini-disc with 6 clearly visible 'V' shapes along the outer rim.
- • The center hole is completely closed with no gap.
- • A stitch marker is hooked under both loops of the final stitch.
- • Pulling the wrong yarn strand and jamming the sliding ring.
- • Crocheting over only one loop of the magic ring instead of both strands.
Crochet the Expanding Base Rounds
Work round 2 by placing 2 single crochets into every stitch (12 sts total). For round 3, alternate 1 sc in the first stitch and 2 sc in the next stitch (18 sts total). For round 4, work [1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the next] around (24 sts total), moving the marker to the last stitch of each completed round.
- • A flat circular fabric disc measuring roughly 3 inches across without ruffling.
- • Even spacing between stitch groups with 24 total top 'V' loops.
- • Forgetting to move the stitch marker, losing track of round starts.
- • Accidentally skipping increase stitches, causing the disc to cup inward prematurely.
Build the Vertical Pouch Walls
Work 1 single crochet into every stitch around continuously without adding any increases. Move the stitch marker to the end of each completed round, repeating for 10 to 14 rounds until the pouch walls reach your desired height.
- • Vertical, straight cylinder walls rising evenly from the flat circular base.
- • Uniform stitch texture with consistent 24-stitch circumference throughout the cylinder.
- • Adding accidental increases at round transitions, making the pouch flare out.
- • Crocheting through back loops only instead of both loops.
Crochet the Eyelet Drawstring Holes
To create the eyelet row, chain 1, then repeat the pattern: single crochet in the first stitch, chain 1, skip the next stitch, and single crochet into the following stitch. Continue this [sc 1, ch 1, skip 1] pattern all the way around the rim, finishing with a slip stitch into the starting stitch.
- • A series of evenly spaced rectangular gap windows circling the entire upper rim.
- • Exactly 12 open window holes around the pouch top.
- • Forgetting to chain 1 after skipping a stitch, which shrinks the opening.
- • Skipping two stitches instead of one, creating oversized holes.
Finish the Top Border and Weave Ends
Work 1 single crochet into every single crochet and 1 single crochet into each chain space around for one final trim round. Slip stitch into the first stitch, cut working yarn leaving a 4-inch tail, pull the loop through, and weave all yarn tails inside the pouch using a tapestry needle.
- • A smooth, sturdy finished top edge with eyelet holes clearly visible below it.
- • All yarn tails woven invisibly into the interior stitches with zero loose ends hanging.
- • Cutting the yarn tail too close to the knot before weaving, causing stitches to unravel.
- • Weaving yarn in only one direction, allowing the tail to slip out over time.
Create and Thread the Drawstrings
Chain 55 stitches to make a cord roughly 12-14 inches long, fasten off, and repeat to make a second identical cord. Use your tapestry needle to weave the first cord in and out of the eyelets starting from the left side, and the second cord starting from the right side, then tie the paired ends in simple overhand knots.
- • Two braided cords emerging from opposite sides of the pouch eyelets.
- • Pouch mouth cinches tightly and opens smoothly when pulling the opposing knotted cord ends.
- • Weaving both cords in the same direction, preventing the two-way cinch action.
- • Threading cords through random gaps instead of matching eyelet holes.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by lilthings ♡ — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Locking stitch marker? Bobby pin, safety pin, or contrasting scrap yarn looped through the stitch
- No Tapestry/yarn needle? Smaller crochet hook to pull tail ends beneath existing stitches