This Crochet Cotton Rope Clutch Bag DIY Will Carry All Your Essentials
- Words by Peppermint
If you’re looking for a fun and funky weekend project, then look no further. Created by Emma Wright, a freelance knit and crochet designer based in the UK, this crochet bag is a great addition to your #MeMade wardrobe and can easily be adapted by changing the colours to ones that will match your favourite go-to outfit!
This project is an edited extract from CIY: Crochet-It-Yourself by Emma Wright, published by Quadrille / Hardie Grant. With 15 beautiful designs, this book takes you through all the steps and techniques needed to master and refine your crochet skills. Master the basics, build on your technique and enter the wonderful world of crochet, whether you are new to the craft or already have a couple of projects under your belt.
CIY: Crochet-It-Yourself is available in stores nationally or online at Hardie Grant. Grab your crochet hook and get making!
photos KIM LIGHTBODY
MAE Cotton Rope Clutch
Size
One size
Width 10 ⅝ in 27 cm
Height 10 ⅝ in 27 cm
Yarn
Super bulky (super chunky)
Sample made in:
Bobbiny Braided Cord 5 mm (100% recycled cotton, 109 yd/100 m per 17. oz/500 g skein/hank)
1 skein of Golden Natural (A)
1 skein of Black (B)
Hook and Equipment
US 15 (10 mm) crochet hook
Stitch marker
Yarn needle
Gauge (Tension)
6.5 sts x 8 rounds to 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm) working single crochet, using US 15 (10 mm) crochet hook or size to obtain stated gauge.
Bag Face (make 2)
Using A, ch 3, sl st into first ch to create ring.
Round 1: 5 sc into ring, Work in a continuous spiral.
Round 2: 2 sc in every st. 10 sts
Round 3: *1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end. 15 sts
Round 4: *1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end. 20 sts
Round 5: *1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end. 25 sts
Round 6: *1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end, turn. 30 sts
Beg working in rows.
Next row: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 5 sts] 4 times, 2 sc in last st, turn. 30 sts
Next row: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 6 sts] 4 times, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in last st, turn. 35 sts
Ch 5, 1 sc in first st after gap/handle, [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 7 sts] 4 times, 2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of 5 ch, 1 sc in first st after gap.
Beg work in rounds again, PM to indicate beg/end of each round.
Next round: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 8 sts] 5 times, sl st in first sc of round to join.
Fasten off.
Side panel
Using B, ch 5.
Row 1: 1 sc in second ch from hook (skipped ch does not count as a st), 1 sc in next 3 ch, turn. 4 sts
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), 1 sc in every st, turn.
Rep Row 2 until work measures approx. 18½in (47 cm), ending with RS facing.
Fasten off.
Making up
Using A and a single crochet seam, join the side panel to the first bag face then repeat to add the second bag face to the other side of side panel, leaving the top of bag open across the handles.
Weave in any loose ends. Press/block garment referring to ball band for instructions.
Enjoy!
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
Have you made the Viola Quilted Jacket yet? This pattern hits the sweet spot for both established sewists keen to learn a new skill (quilting!),…
Hang out with us on Instagram
“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
