Free Crochet Pattern: Adorable Child’s Purse

Craft fair crocheters are always looking for new products to sell at their events, as am I. I have done a good amount of fairs and have learned the ins and outs of what sells and what doesn't. From what I have experienced, people are usually just at fairs and farmer's markets to browse. They don't necessarily have the intent to buy. Coming to your event with only high-priced items is definitely not a smart move.

I've also learned that kids are the ones that tend to drive the sales. There are all these vendors that sell (albeit pretty) items that are not super exciting for kids. Then they walk by my booth, and I have colorful items galore! The kids get drawn in, and then so do the parents.

One of my biggest sellers are my animal purses. The kids just seem to eat them up, and since they are easy and quick enough to make, they are a reasonable price for the parents. Today I am writing up my basic purse pattern with a flower on it. The variations of this are endless. You can add stripes, other embellishments, change up the color schemes and more. You could even personalize these by sewing on the child's name (that gives me an idea!).

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn (I like Red Heart with Love, but any worsted will work)
• 5 mm / H crochet hook (or similar, just remember the bigger the hook, the bigger the holes)
• Crochet/yarn needle
• Small amount of thread
• Regular sewing needle

Abbreviations

• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• sc decrease – single crochet decrease: Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and draw through stitch, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and draw through stitch, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on the hook.
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet

Bag

Bag base & body

Ch 19.

Round 1: Sc in the first 17 ch, 3 sc in last stitch (as you are turning it). On the other side, sc in the next 16 ch, 2 sc in the last and join to the ch 1 (38)

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in the back loops only of each st, join (38)

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in next 18 st, 2 sc in next, sc in next 18, 2 sc in next, join (40)

Round 4: Ch 1, sc in next 19 st, 2 sc in next, sc in next 19, 2 sc in next, join (42)

Round 5: Ch 1, sc in next 20 st, 2 sc in next, sc in next 20, 2 sc in next, join (44)

Rounds 6–26: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join (44)

Round 27: Ch 1, sc dec, sc in next 20, sc dec, sc in next 20, join (42)

Round 28: Ch 1, sc in next 19, sc dec, sc in next 19, sc dec, join (40)

Tie off all ends.

Handle

• Cut 3 strands of yarn 80–100" long (whichever color you want on the handle). Fold them in half and tie them together at the top. Now that it's folded, you should have 2 strands of each color.
• Separate the colors (or, if all one color, separate into 3 groups of two), and braid them together. Tie it off at the end.
• Use thread and a sewing needle to sew it onto the bag. Sew through the knot a couple of times and then sew up about an inch on the handle to the inside of the bag on both sides.

Flower

Round 1: Magic ring, 10 sc, join to first (10)

Round 2: *In the first st: (sl st, ch 1, sc, dc). In the next st: (dc, sc, sl st).* Repeat this 5 times.

Round 3: *Ch 3, sl st in the back two posts between the next two petals on the back side.* Repeat 5 times.

Round 4: In each ch-3 space: (sl st, ch 1, 5 hdc, sl st).

Attach the flower onto the bag wherever you like it.

This is my attempt at trying to take a photo outside on a WINDY day! This was the best I could get!

**** If you would like to read some tips about taking pictures of your art, you can find that post here. ****

More Animal Purses

Here are some of my other animal purses that can be purchased at my Square Market Store, or you can click on the link under the picture for the patterns.

Owl

Ravelry

Elephant

Ravelry

Puppy

Ravelry

Mermaid

Ravelry

Shark

Ravelry

Buy all 5 purse patterns in my Ravelry store for only $10! Just enter them all in your cart and the discount will show up.