Raffia-Style Drawstring Bag【Video】【Chart PDF】crochet tutorial
- Jul 24, 2025
- 7 min read
This pattern includes a tutorial video,
and you can scroll down to see the chart!
↓↓↓Here is the PDF file.↓↓↓(You can print it from here)
Hello! I'm Kaitlin.
Today, I'm sharing how to crochet this stylish summer drawstring bag with a unique mix of textures.
The combination of cotton yarn and paper yarn gives it a raffia-style look that's perfect for warm weather.
The base is worked from a ready-made leather bottom,
and the cotton section is crocheted with a core thread inside,
so the bag holds its shape beautifully and feels sturdy.
Try changing the base color to make a version that suits your own style!
Main Body – Part 1
Rnd 1
Attach the yarn to the leather base. Use Cotton Neat yarn.
Insert the hook into one of the holes in the round bag base,
yarn over, and pull up a loop.
Yarn over again and pull through the loop on the hook. ( = 1 turning chain.)
*1 sc, 2 sc in the next hole* repeat ** 23 more times. ( 72 sts total)
Tip: Place a stitch marker in the first single crochet to mark the beginning of the round.
For every new round, move the marker to the first stitch you make.
After completing 72 sc, remove the hook and leave the stitches on hold.
Crocheting the Core strand
Using another ball of Cotton Neat,
create the core strand.Make a chain until it measures about 60 cm in length. (The exact number of chains doesn’t matter.)
Do not cut the yarn—leave it attached for now.
Rnd 2
Insert the hook back into the last stitch of the main body.
Make sure the direction of the loop is correct, with no twisting,
and that the front strand of the loop moves freely in the correct direction. ( Video 04:35)
Insert the hook into the first sc of Rnd 1,
then into the first chain stitch of the core strand as well.
Yarn over, pull through both sts,
and complete a sc to secure the core strand. (No turning ch)
In the next stitch, insert the hook, place the core yarn over the hook,
and continue working sc while encasing the core strand inside the stitches.
Repeat this process for all remaining sts. ( 72 sts total)
Rnd 3
72 sc, encasing the core strand as you go.
If the core strand starts to run short,
remove the hook from the main body,
insert it into the last chain of the core,
and add more chains to extend it.
Then, return to working on the main body.
Rnds 4–9
Repeat the same process as in Rnd 3.
Rnd 10
72 sc encasing the core, 1 slip stitch to join
Rnd 11
ch 1 as turning chain, 72 sc encasing the core, 1 sl st to join
Rnd 12
ch 1 as turning chain, 72 sc encasing the core,
1 sc while inserting the hook through the center of a suitable ch st in the core strand to secure it.
Once you’ve finished the last stitch of Rnd 12,
leave a 10 cm yarn tail, cut the yarn,
and pull the end through the final stitch to fasten off.
To finish the core strand,
insert your hook into the chain stitch two stitches after the one you just worked through,
then unravel any remaining chains beyond that point.
Leave a 10 cm tail, cut the yarn,
and pull it through the chain using your hook.
Weaving in the Yarn End
Thread the yarn end (from the single crochet section you just cut) onto a tapestry needle.
Insert the needle from front to back through the top of the first stitch of Round 12.
Then, insert the needle through the center of the top of the final stitch—
where the yarn is currently coming out—
and pull it through to the back of the fabric.
On the wrong side,
weave in the needle through the stitches in a way that doesn’t show on the front.
Then go one stitch back and make a U-turn,
weaving the yarn in the opposite direction to secure it.
Repeat this process to weave in the remaining yarn ends as well.
Main Body – Part 2
Continue working the body using Amian.
Amian – Rnd 1(Total Rnd 13)
Join the yarn to the first stitch of Round 12.
ch 1 as turning chain, 72 sc, 1 sl st to join
Amian – Rnd 2(Total Rnd 14)
ch 1 as turning chain, 72 sc
Amian – Rnds 3–24(Total Rnds 15–36)
72 sc (Do not make a turning chain.)
Tip: Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round to keep track.
Amian – Rnd 25(Total Rnd 37)
4 sc, ch 2 (loosely),
*6 sc, ch 2 (loosely), 8 sc, ch 2 (loosely)* repeat ** 2 more times,
6 sc, ch 2 (loosely), 4 sc ( 72 sts total)
Amian – Rnd 26(Total Rnd 38)
72 sc (When working into the chain-2 spaces from the previous round,
insert the hook directly into the space and work 2 sc into the chain space.) 1 sl st to join
Amian – Rnds 27–28(Total Rnds 39–40)
ch 1 as turning chain, 72 sc, 1 sl st to join
Amian – Rnd 29(Total Rnd 41)
ch 1 as turning chain, 72 reverse sc (crab stitch)
Once you reach the final stitch,
leave a yarn tail of about 10 cm, cut the yarn,
and pull it through the last stitch to fasten off.
Weaving in the Yarn End
Thread the yarn onto a tapestry needle.
Insert the needle under the two strands coming out of the starting ch at the beginning of the rnd (Video23:10).
Next, insert the needle under the slanted four-strand bundle at the end of the round,
and bring the needle to the back of the fabric.
As with the Cotton Neat section,
weave in the yarn on the WS in a way that doesn’t show through to the front.
Steam Blocking
Once the main body is finished,
hold a steam iron above the fabric
and apply steam evenly over the entire piece to help it relax and shape properly. (Video 23:52)
Thread Cord – Handle
Now we’ll crochet the thread cord for the handle.
Leave a yarn tail of approximately 220 cm,
and prepare to begin the chain stitches. (Video 24:09)
*Wrap the yarn tail (non-working end) over the hook from front to back.Then yarn over with the working yarn and pull through both loops on the hook.*
Repeat the steps above until the cord reaches a length of about 67 cm.
(The st count does not need to be exact.)
To finish, chain 1,
then cut the working yarn leaving a tail of about 10 cm,
and pull it through the last chain.
If the starting tail is too long,
trim it to about 10 cm as well.
Weave in each yarn end separately through the back bumps or nearby stitches,
so they remain hidden.
Make a second cord in the same way.
Apply plenty of steam to both cords to shape and smooth them.
Thread Cord – Handle
Pass the crocheted cord through the main body.
For the first cord, begin at the starting point of the body
and insert it through every hole starting from the third hole to the left. (Video 26:10)
When you reach the sections with 8 single crochets,
the cord should pass in front of the fabric;
in the sections with 6 single crochets,
the cord should go behind the fabric.
Tie the two ends of the cord together.
For the second cord,
start from the second hole to the right of the beginning point
and follow the same weaving pattern: (Video 26:50)
over the 8-sc sections (front side), under the 6-sc sections (back side).
Tie the ends of this cord together as well.
Pom-Pom
Prepare a U-shaped piece of cardboard approximately 6.5 cm wide and tall. (Video 27:37)
Cut a 20 cm length of Cotton Neat to use as a tie.
Hold one strand of Cotton Neat and one strand of Amian together,
and wrap them around the cardboard 50 times.
Take the 20 cm yarn and wrap it tightly around the center of the bundle several times,
then knot it securely.
Cut through the loops and trim to shape the pom-pom.
Tassel
Now we’ll make a tassel. (Video 28:56)
Cut two lengths of Cotton Neat yarn:
one 30 cm and one 20 cm.These will be used to tie the tassel.
Next, fold a length of Cotton Neat back and forth 20 times to create a bundle that’s about 20 cm wide,
then cut the yarn.
Do the same with Amian,
folding it 20 times to make a 30 cm wide bundle, and cut the yarn.
Align the centers of both bundles (Cotton Neat and Amian).
Use the 30 cm Cotton Neat strand to tightly tie the center of the bundles several times.
Fold the tied bundle in half.
Then take the 20 cm Cotton Neat strand and wrap it tightly around the tassel,
about 2 cm down from the top, and tie it securely.
Thread the two ends of the 20 cm strand onto a tapestry needle.
Insert the needle downward through the wrapped section to hide the knot,
and let the remaining yarn ends blend into the tassel strands. (Video 29:59)
Cut the loops at the bottom of the tassel and trim to shape.
Apply steam to smooth and neaten the tassel.
Cut a new yarn strand to about 15 cm,
and use it to tie the center of the pom-pom to the top of the tassel where it was secured earlier. (Video 30:18)
Adjust the position of the knot to achieve a balanced look.
In the same way,
use another yarn strand to tie the center of the pom-pom to the handle cord. (Video 30:36)
Trim yarn ends to match the length of the pom-pom strands.
All finished—great job!
This bag is easy enough for beginners,
so I hope you'll give it a try.
I also share other crochet patterns on this blog,
so feel free to check out my other posts,
YouTube channel, Instagram, and LINE stickers!
Thank you so much for reading to the end! ☻
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