Beach Please Summer Tote – Free Crochet Pattern

The Beach Please Summer Tote is the perfect bag to carry everything you need for your summer adventures! I’ve already been using this one for a few trips to the zoo and the splash pad with the kiddos. It held bathing suits, extra clothes, some snacks, and even a couple towels very nicely! I’ll definitely be bringing this bag on my next beach vacation!  Whether you’re packing for a family adventure or just for you, this bag will hold the things you need!

To make this bag, I used the Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn! It was my first time using this yarn and I really enjoyed working with it! I can’t wait to plan more projects in the Home Dec yarn.

If you like to crochet on-the-go, this bag is big enough to hold a larger crochet project with some skeins of yarn!

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This pattern is available for FREE on this website. If you’d like an ad-free, printable PDF version, you may purchase it for a small fee from my Etsy or Ravelry shops. Thank you so much for supporting Loops & Love Crochet!

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Materials:

• Bulky Weight Yarn – Any bulky #5 weight yarn can be used for this project. Doubled strands of a lighter yarn like DK or a thinner #4 worsted-weight yarn will also work for this project. You’ll need a main color and one or two accent colors. The bag pictured was made with Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn in Clay, Aqua, and Woodberry.  Each skein of this yarn is 317yds/250g. This project took about ¾ of the skein of the main color (Clay) and then only a little bit of the other two accent colors. Check the gauge below to help you with your yarn substitutions so you aren’t surprised with a much smaller or larger bag.
• Crochet hook – 6mm size crochet hook
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends

Stitches Used:

• Ch – Chain
• Sl St – Slip Stitch
• SC – Single crochet
• DC – Double crochet
• BLO – Back Loops Only – work the stitches of this round in the back loop only.
• Criss Cross Stitch – Skip a stitch, double crochet in the next stitch and then go back and double crochet in the skipped stitch. I have a video tutorial that you can find here:

Gauge:

• 8 back loop SC stitches = 2 inches wide
• 7 rows of back loop SC stitches = 2 inches tall

Finished Size:

• When laying flat, this bag is approx. 16 inches wide and 12 inches tall, not including the handles.

Important Notes:

• Joined Rounds – This bag is worked in joined rounds. At the end of each round, you will be joining the last stitch of the round to the first stitch with a slip stitch.
• Starting Each Round – Start the first stitch of each round in the same stitch as the chain 1 or chain 2. Chain stitches do not count towards the stitch count of each round.
• Color Changes – Change colors at the end of the round before joining. Complete the last stitch of the round up until the last yarn over. Yarn over with new color and pull through the last step of the stitch you are making. So, if you are working a double crochet, it will go like this: Yarn over, insert hook into last the stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook, then yarn over with new color and pull through the last 2 loops on hook. Then join with a slip stitch to the first stitch of the round. This is shown briefly in the video mentioned below.
• Carrying Yarn – In working this bag, the main color yarn (grey) was left attached for the whole bag was just pulled it up when it was needed it again. This is slightly visible on the inside of the bag.  For the other two colors, after each color change, the yarn tail was worked over to secure it before cutting. You can leave the accent colors attached like the grey yarn, but because the colors rows are farther apart, there would be a longer way to pull the color up when you need it, making it quite a bit more noticeable on the inside of the bag.
• Video Tutorial – There is a video tutorial for this pattern to help with the stitches in the body of the bag. There are also a couple other videos on my YouTube Channel you might find helpful as well. Here they all are:  
  • How to Crochet the Beach Please Summer Tote
  • How to Crochet a Bag Base
  • How to Crochet: Quick and Easy Tote Bag Handles

The Pattern

* In reading this pattern, the colors are as follows. Color A = Grey (Clay), Color B = Turquoise (Aqua), and Color C = Coral (Woodberry). Start with color A (main bag color).

Bag Base

Check out this video tutorial if you need some help with working the rounds for base of the bag!

Row/Round 1: Ch 41, SC in 2^nd chain from hook and in each chain across, make 4 SC in the last chain. Now continue around so you are working on the other side of the chain. SC in each stitch across, make 3 SC in last stitch. Join with a sl st to first SC, ch 1. (84)

Round 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 38. 2 SC in each of the next 4 stitches, SC next 38, 2 SC in the last 3 stitches. Join, ch 1. (92)

Round 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 39. *2 SC in next stitch, 1 SC in next. Repeat from * three more times, then SC in next 38 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, 1 SC in next. Repeat from * two more times. Join, ch 1. (100)

Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 40 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * three more times. SC in next 38 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * two more times. Join, ch 1. (108)

Round 5: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 41 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * three more times. SC in next 38 stitches. *2 SC in next stitch, SC in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * two more times. Join, ch 1. (116)

*At this point, the bag base should measure approximately 15 inches long and 3 inches wide.  Next you will start working on the height/body of the bag.

*As you work the next rounds of SC, the sides of the bag will start to curl upwards. Make sure that you are keeping the right side of the stitches facing towards the outside of the bag (the backs of the stitches will be facing towards the inside of the bag. If you are ending up with the right sides of the stitches facing the inside, your bag is inside out. You’ll just need to flip it the right side out. You’ll know you are doing this correctly if the outside of the bag is facing you the whole time you are working and your back loop only single crochet stitches create the correct stitch texture (see photo below). When you change colors, you’ll be carrying the yarn up on the inside of the bag.

Here’s what the stitches should look like on the outside of the bag. You can compare you bag to make sure it’s facing the right way out.

Rounds 6-11: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)

*After round 11, chain 2 instead of chain 1. Change to color B at the end of round 11 before joining (see notes and video for help with when to make the color changes at the end of the round).

Round 12: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 13-14: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 14, chain 2 instead of chain 1. Change to color C at the end of round 14 before joining.

Round 15: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 16-17: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 17, chain 2 instead of chain 1.  Change to color B at the end of round 17 before joining.

Round 18: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 19-20: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 20, chain 2 instead of chain 1. Change to color C at the end of round 20 before joining.

Round 21: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 22-23: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 23, chain 2 instead of chain 1.  Change to color B at the end of round 23 before joining.

Round 24: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 25-26: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 26, chain 2 instead of chain 1.   Change to color C at the end of round 26 before joining.

Round 27: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 28-29: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 29, chain 2 instead of chain 1. Change to color B at the end of round 29 before joining.

Round 30: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 31-32: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)   

*after round 32, chain 2 instead of chain 1.  Change to color C at the end of round 32 before joining.

Round 33: Work criss cross stitches around: Skip first stitch, DC in next stitch, DC in skipped stitch. Repeat around, change to color A before joining, join, ch 2. (116)

Rounds 34-35: Work these rounds in the back loops only.  SC in each stitch around. Join, ch 1. (116)

In the last few rounds below, you will be adding the handle and then making it thicker by crocheting around the bag and around the handle a few times. *Note – If you’d like your bag to have longer handles, just add more chain stitches in round 36. Just make sure you make each chain the same length so that both the handles are the same. 😊

*If you need help working the rounds of the handle, check out this video for a tutorial on adding handles onto crochet tote bags using the same technique as for this pattern!

Round 36: SC in first 16, chain 50, skip 23 stitches, SC in next 34, chain 50, skip 23 stitches, SC in last 20, join, ch 1.

Round 37: SC in each stitch around and in each of the chain stitches (to form the handles), join, ch 1.

Rounds 38-39: SC in each stitch around, join, ch 1. *after round 39, do not chain 1. Fasten off and weave in ends.  

That’s it! You’re all done! I hope you love using your new bag!

If you’re like me and enjoy making smaller bags to keep things organized, check out these two zipper bags also on my blog.

Zig Zag Zipper Bag – A Tapestry Crochet Pattern (and Tutorial)

Crochet Zipper Pouch – Crochet Pattern and Tutorial

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**Please do not copy this pattern and share as your own, in part or in whole.  Instead, link back to the Loops and Love Crochet blog (especially when selling items you make from my patterns). Thank you!