The Diamond Gem Bag is a tapestry crochet bag that is eye-catching no matter the color combination you choose! Have fun working up this crochet pattern!
The inspiration for the Diamond Gem Bag came about when my 10 year old daughter picked out some rainbow yarn in my stash and asked if I could crochet her a purse. I wanted to make her something a little more “grown-up” looking with an interesting pattern so I automatically started thinking tapestry crochet. We picked out the turquoise color and white to balance out the two brighter yarns and I went to work on creating a fun graph. She is so thrilled with how it turned out, as I am too! I have to admit, it was a little hard to pass it over to her when it was finished because I loved it so much too!
This Diamond Gem Bag is a smaller purse size, approximately 7″ x 6.5″ in dimensions, which makes it perfect for a little one, also a good size for a small bag for an adult. To make this bag larger is also super easy with a repeating tapestry crochet design. I have included instructions in the pattern notes below for increasing the size of the bag easily with stitch counts already figured out for you! Your bag will look great in any size or color combination!
This crochet bag is worked from the bottom up following a graph for the color changes for the tapestry crochet design. You’ll then have the option to add D Rings and a strap or crochet a strap. This bag also has a zipper and a lining added, but these are optional depending on your preferences!
Have fun working up your Diamond Gem Bag!
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The Diamond Gem Bag Crochet 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!
Materials:
- Worsted Weight Yarn (#4) – Any worsted weight yarn will work for this bag, however, cotton yarn is recommended. The bag pictured is worked up in I Love This Cotton yarn in Turquoise, White, and Brights Print. Approximately 150 yards are needed in total for this project. This works out to about 70 yards of the main color (turquoise), and 40 yards of each of the accent colors (white and rainbow).
- 4 mm crochet hook
- Yarn needle to weave in ends
- Zipper (optional) – 7” zipper, or a longer one to trim as needed (depending on your finished bag size).
- Optional purse strap materials (or you can crochet the strap and sew it onto the bag):
- Two “D rings” for attaching bag strap – 0.75” size was used for the bag pictured
- Purse strap with clips on the ends
Stitches Used:
- Ch – chain
- Sl St – slip stitch
- SC – single crochet
- BLO SC – single crochet in the back loops only
Finished Size:
- When finished, this bag measures approximately 7” wide x 6.5” tall.
Gauge:
- Gauge is not critical to this pattern turning out, however, for reference, two square inches is approximately 9 rows of 10 SC stitches.
Important Notes:
- Joined Rounds–At the end of each round, you will be joining the last stitch of the round to the first one with a slip stitch. Then you will chain 1 and start the next round in the same stitch. This will create a more hidden seam. To make your seam less noticeable, pull your slip stitch join and the ch 1 following it nice and tight. Chain 1 stitches do not count towards stitch count.
- Color Changes – Since you will be working most of this bag in tapestry crochet, you will be changing colors often and carrying the colors you are not using along with you under your stitches. To change colors, complete the last single crochet stitch in the first color up until the last yarn over. Yarn over with the new color and pull through last step of the single crochet stitch. So, your SC will go like this: insert hook into last stitch in the first color, pull up a loop, yarn over with the new color, pull through all loops on hook. Now you will be working in the new color until you change colors again.
- Tapestry Crochet Tips – You will be carrying the inactive yarn colors behind the active yarn you are using. Try to keep your tension a little on the tighter side to help keep the stitches tightly together and hide the yarn you are carrying from showing between the stitches. See the video tutorials below to help with the tapestry crochet and changing colors.
- Adjusting Bag Size – To make your bag larger, you can easily make your bag wider and taller by extending the graph horizontally and vertically.
- Bag height – To make your bag taller, repeat as many rows of the graph again starting at row 2 until you are at your desired bag height. It is recommended that you add 8 rows at a time so the pattern looks even and complete. Extra rows of the solid color can also be added at the top and bottom of the bag to increase the height in small amounts.
- Bag width – The bag pictured in this pattern is 72 stitches around. For the same graph to work out with the new bag size, you’ll need to have a stitch count that is a multiple of 12 (12, 24, 36, etc.) after round 2. Don’t worry though, I’ve done the math for you! To have the stitch count to be a multiple of 12 after round 2, you’ll just need to add 6 stitches to the starting chain for each set of 12 stitches you’d like to increase the bag width by. Here is what this looks like:
- A starting chain of 37 will give you 84 stitches after round 2.
- A starting chain of 43 will give you 96 stitches after round 2.
- A starting chain of 49 will give you 108stitches after round 2.
- Video Tutorials – While there is not a video tutorial made specifically for this pattern, you might find the following videos helpful in working up this bag.
- How to Crochet a Bag Base
- How to Change Colors in Tapestry Crochet
- How to Add a Zipper to a Crochet Bag (Quick and Easy)
- How to Add Lining to a Crochet Bag
- How to add a Strap to a Crochet Bag using D-Rings – This is an alternative to crocheting the handles in the last few rounds at the top of the bag.
The Pattern
**For the bag pictured, color A is turquoise, color B is white, and color C is rainbow variegated.
Bag Base
Row 1: Ch 31, 2 SC in 2nd chain from hook, SC in each chain across, make 4 SC in the last chain. Continue around so you are working on the other side of the chain. SC the next stitch and in each stitch across, make 2 SC in last stitch (this will be the other side of the same stitch as the first 2 SC of the round). Join with a sl st to first SC, ch 1. (64)
To keep your bag seam less noticeable and from traveling too much, pull your slip stitch joins and ch 1 tight at the end of each round.
Round 2: 2 SC in first 2 sts, SC in next 28 sts, 2 SC in each of the next 4 stitches (these are the ones at the end of the chain), SC next 28 sts, 2 SC in each of the last 2 stitches. Join, ch 1. (72)
Bag Body/Height:
The rest of the rounds for this bag are worked in the back loops only (BLO). The round count will start at 1 again so it matches up with the graph.
Rounds 1-25: BLO SC in each stitch around, join, ch 1. (72)
For these rounds, you’ll need to follow the tapestry crochet graph or the written instructions for the color changes. Written instructions for the color changes are provided below, if you prefer it over reading the graph.
Graph Notes:
- Each box represents one BLO SC stitch.
- Sl st join and chain 1 after each row.
- Inactive yarn colors are carried along with you under your stitches.
- This design has a repeat multiple of 12. These stitches have been marked off so you can see the repeated section easier.
- The graph is 24 stitches wide; however, the bag is 72 stitches around. The graph will need to be repeated two more times.
- To read the graph, start at the bottom right and move from right to left, bottom to top (left to right if you are left-handed).
- After row 25 of the graph, continue to the top of bag instructions.
Written Instructions for Graph
Row 1: A24, repeat from * around (72)
Row 2: A24, repeat from * around (72)
Row 3: A24, repeat from * around (72)
Row 4: A24, repeat from * around (72)
Row 5: *A, B2, C7, B2, A, B2, C7, B2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 6: *A2, B2, C5, B2, A3, B2, C5, B2, A, repeat from * around (72)
Row 7: *A3, B2, C3, B2, A5, B2, C3, B2, A2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 8: *B, A3, B2, C, B2, A3, B, A3, B2, C, B2, A3, repeat from * around (72)
Row 9: *B2, A3, B3, A3, B3, A3, B3, A3, B, repeat from * around (72)
Row 10: *C, B2, A3, B, A3, B2, C, B2, A3, B, , repeat from * around (72)A3, B2
Row 11: *C2, B2, A5, B2, C3, B2, A5, B2, C, repeat from * around (72)
Row 12: *C3, B2, A3, B2, C5, B2, A3, B2, C2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 13: *C4, B2, A, B2, C7, B2, A, B2, C3, repeat from * around (72)
Row 14: *C3, B2, A3, B2, C5, B2, A3, B2, C2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 15: *C2, B2, A5, B2, C3, B2, A5, B2, C, repeat from * around (72)
Row 16: *C, B2, A3, B, A3, B2, C, B2, A3, B, A3, B2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 17: *B2, A3, B3, A3, B3, A3, B3, A3, B, repeat from * around (72)
Row 18: *B, A3, B2, C, B2, A3, B, A3, B2, C, B2, A3, repeat from * around (72)
Row 19: *A3, B2, C3, B2, A5, B2, C3, B2, A2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 20: *A2, B2, C5, B2, A3, B2, C5, B2, A, repeat from * around (72)
Row 21: *A, B2, C7, B2, A, B2, C7, B2, repeat from * around (72)
Row 22: *A24, repeat from * around (72)
Row 23: *A24, repeat from * around (72)
Row 24: *A24, repeat from * around (72)
Join and chain 1. Then move to the Top of Bag instructions below.
Top of Bag
For the last round of the bag, the D-rings will be added for the clip-on bag strap. If you are not using D rings or are crocheting the strap instead, you can just add the last round of BLO SC and disregard the instructions about adding the rings.
Start by laying the bag flat and use stitch markers to mark the 3 stitches on each side of the bag. This is so your strap is lined up correctly. Your marked off stitches should be about the width of the stitch marker, so if you are using a different size of D ring, adjust the number of stitches accordingly. Next, you’ll complete a round of BLO SC stitches, but you will work over the D rings for the marked off stitches. This will hold the D rings in place when you clip the strap to them. See the photos below to help with this step. When you are finished the round, join to the first SC and fasten off. Weave in the yarn tail and cut leftover yarn.
If you need a visual of working the D rings into the round of SC stitches, this video tutorial will show the steps for adding D rings to a similar bag.
Once your D rings are attached to the bag, you can clip the ends of your bag strap to the rings. You’re all done!
Adding a zipper and/or a lining to your bag is optional. If need a visual on sewing in a zipper and lining, please see the links in the important notes section above for all the video links. Once the zipper and/or lining are added, the bag strap can be clipped on.
You’re all done! I hope you love your new bag! I’d love to see it! Remember to tag @loopsandlovecrochet on Facebook or Instagram if you’re sharing your new project!
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