Crochet Heart Tote Bag Tutorial

Hey there, it's Crystal Everdeen, and today I'm going to share with you how to crochet this heart tote bag. So for this project I'm just using two colors, one white and one pink, and they're both 100% acrylic and size 4. Of course you could use whatever colors that you want to. I'm just doing a pink and white bag, so I'm just using pink and white. Now there are two different kinds of squares that I'm going to be making, one with a white background and a pink heart, and another one with a pink background and a white heart, but the steps are exactly the same. So let's get into it. Starting with the background color, so I'll make the background pink and then the heart white. So I'm going to grab my background color, which is the pink, and I'm going to make a slip knot. Also I'm using a size 5mm hook, and I will link both the yarn and the hook in the description box below via my Amazon Affiliate links if you want to shop similar yarn to what I'm using. So anywho, you create a slip knot, and then for mine I'm going to chain 21 chains. Now I am going to go a bit fast in this tutorial because I actually have a dedicated tutorial on how to make these hearts up on my channel already, so if this is too fast for you, go ahead and check that out. It's again a dedicated video specifically on how to make these hearts, and I go slower and in more detail. I also have a link to the pattern in the description box of that video, so go ahead and check it out if you need extra help. But yeah, after I've chained my 21 chains, I'm going to go back on that chain with a half double crochet, which is yarn over, through the stitch, yarn over, back through the stitch, yarn over, through the last three loops. Now of course you can use whatever stitch that you like, but I just prefer the half double crochet. It's nice and kind of full coverage, not too many holes in between, but also not too tight like a single crochet, but if you prefer single crochet or something more loose, then go ahead. For me, I'm using a half double crochet, so I'm going to go do my half double crochet until I get to the end of the row. So now that I'm at the end of the row, I'm going to make sure that I go into the very last stitch of the row, and then I'm going to chain one, flip the project over, then go into the very first stitch of the new row, and create another full row of half double crochet. So right now we're just building the base of the square, and then we're going to start making the actual heart shape, but for now, again, it's just two rows of half double crochet, and I will meet you at the end of the row. Okay so I'm at the end of the row, I went ahead and chained one and flipped the project over, so your project should look something like this, and it's essentially just the bottom right here, where the heart hasn't started yet, but now, in this third row, we're going to start the heart. So we're going to crochet to the middle, and once we reach the middle stitch, that's when we're going to change colors and create one stitch with the heart color. For my case, that is the color white, so I'm going to go ahead and go to this middle stitch right here, so this is the middle stitch, right? But right before I complete the last half double crochet, right before that stitch I want to go into, I'm going to switch the color, complete the half double crochet, and then I'm going to make a full half double crochet with the white yarn, then switch back to the pink yarn, and then complete the rest of the row. And this little bit right here is going to be the beginning, or like the bottom part of the heart, right here, and then we're just going to build on top of it. And again, I do go in much more detail in my dedicated video, and it also has an actual written pattern in the description box of that video, so go ahead and check it out, the link is in the description box of this video. So hopefully it can help you out a little bit more, because I am going to go a little bit faster than I have been. So anywho, I went ahead and completed that row, chain one, flipped it over, and for this row we're going to be making four stitches with the heart color, so in my case, white. So I'm going to approach the center stitch right here, and then right here is the stitch that I want to go into, because I'm going to be making four, I'm going to make one, two, three, and four stitches right here in the middle, then I'm going to switch back to the background color, which is pink for me, and then I'm going to continue on finishing the rest of the row, and this is what the project looks like so far. So it's just that one, and then it's four, and so for the next row we're going to be making seven stitches, so right before, the stitch right before it turns white, you're going to add the white color, or whatever color you want your heart to be, and you're going to make seven stitches, so one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven total stitches, so your project looks something like this, and then you're going to switch back to the background color, and complete the row, then for the next row, we're going to be making ten stitches, this is what the project looks like so far, okay, so I went ahead and came up to where the heart is, and the stitch before where the previous row starts, you're going to change color, and from here, we're going to chain ten for this row, so switch to color, and then chain ten, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and nine, and ten, okay, then you're going to switch back to the background color, you're going to complete the row, and then start the new row, this is what the project looks like so far, so you're just building it until you get to a certain point, and then we're going to make the actual heart shape, so let's go on to the next row, okay, so for this row, you're going to create twelve stitches with the heart color, so change the color to your heart color, and then make twelve, so that's two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve, and then you're going to switch to the background color, and complete the row, get ready for the next row, so this is what the project looks like so far, and for this next row, you're going to crochet fourteen, so switch the color to the heart color, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, you're going to switch the color, finish the row, and then head on over to the next row, and for this one, we're going to crochet sixteen, so switch the color, and crochet sixteen stitches for the heart, so that was one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen, the project looks something like this, that is the most number of stitches that we're going to do, we're actually going to repeat sixteen for the next row, but we're going to go ahead and switch on over to the background color, complete the rest of this row, then head on over to the next row, so this time we're going to add the color right on top of the previous rows, whereas before we would add the color a stitch before the previous rows, heart stitches, but now it's like right on top of the color, does that make sense? I hope it does, basically we're no longer widening the heart, it's just going to be the same size now, so just build on top of the previous rows color, as opposed to a stitch before the previous rows color, so yeah, add your heart color, and then crochet another sixteen rows on top of the previous sixteen rows, and then once you reach the end, you're going to switch back to the background color, and complete the rest of the row, to start the next row, which is where we're going to start making the actual heart shape on the top, so this is what the project looks like so far, and we're no longer extending it, it's pretty much going to be as wide as this, and now we're just going to make the heart shape, so complete this, switch back to the background color, okay so for this row, you're going to do the same thing where you add the color once you reach the previous rows heart, so from here, you're going to crochet eight, so that was one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven, but you're not going to complete the seventh stitch, you're going to add the background color, and then complete the seventh stitch, then you're going to make one half double crochet with just the background color, and then you're going to switch back to the heart color, and then complete the rest of the heart with the heart color, so for me, I'm completing the heart with the white yarn, so like that, and I'm just going to complete the rest of the heart, and then once I reach the end of the row, I'll show you what to do for the next row. This is what the project looks like so far, we're building that little heart shape, and we're almost done, so just finish off with the heart color, then finish off with the background color, then I'll meet you back in the next row. Okay this time around, we're going to go one stitch into the heart, so you're going to make the background color into one stitch of the heart color, but not fully, because before you complete that stitch, you're going to switch to the heart color, and then you're going to crochet one, two, three, four, and almost five, then you're going to switch back to the background color, you're going to complete that fifth stitch with the background color, and then crochet one, two, three, and four, then you're going to switch back to the heart color, and crochet your way to the rest of the heart, stopping right before that last stitch of the heart, then you're going to add that background color, and then complete the rest of the row, and that's just going to help make the heart look a little bit more rounded out here, and then you're going to complete the row. And for this last row, you're just going to add the heart color on top of the previous row's heart color, and you're just going to make the exact same amount for each, so once you reach the background color in the middle, you're going to switch to the background color, and then once you reach the heart color, you're going to switch to the heart color, so completing that, now I'm approaching the heart color, so I'm going to switch back to the heart color, which is white for me, and then I'm going to complete the heart, then I'm going to switch back to the background color, and then I could essentially cut the yarn from the yarn ball already for the white, because I'm done with the heart, and I'm just going to make two more rows of half double crochet with just the background color, and after you finish the two rows of half double crochet on top, your project should look something like this, and now that you know how to make one of these, you just got to make 17 more for a total of 18. Now for me, I wanted to alternate between a pink background with a white heart, and a white background with a pink heart, so I went ahead and switched up the colors, but they're the exact same steps, and again, if that was way too fast for you, or you prefer a written pattern, I do have that available for you. The link to the slower, more beginner-friendly-ish video will be linked in the description box below, so check that out, and hopefully that helps you, and if you need more help, I do have that written pattern as well as like a chart drawing kind of thing to help you out, so yeah, make a total of 18 of these heart squares, and then I'll show you how to put it all together, and then make the straps, and then we'll have a tote bag, and after you have completed all 18 of your heart squares, you are ready to attach them all together, and start making the actual tote bag, so again, I followed the same steps that I showed you, and I just switched up the color, instead of having a pink background, and a white heart, I switched it to a white background, and a pink heart with, again, the same exact pattern, and I made a total of 18 all together, and I arranged them so that they are alternating, and that's how I want it to look like in the tote bag, so what I'm going to do is show you how to attach them, and it's super duper easy, all it is is a slip stitch, so you're going to grab two pieces, and you're going to face them right sides together, which is essentially the pretty sides together, the pretty side, the ugly side, so you're going to have them go together like this, and then where you want to attach them to, you're going to align them, you're going to stick your hook through one side, and then the adjacent other side, where you want it to be attached to, and you're going to grab your yarn, I'm using white yarn, but you can use whatever yarn you like, then you're going to bring your yarn onto your hook, and then bring them through both of the squares, like so, and now they're nice and attached, then you're going to make sure that they are aligned the way that you want them to be stitched together, and from here, you're just going to slip stitch all along where you want them to be attached to, and that's it, and then you're going to repeat it for the rest of them, you're just going to attach everything together the way that you want them to be attached, so from here, I'm just going to continue on this row by going into the stitches, then slip stitching, so going through the stitches, making sure that it's nice and aligned, and then slip stitching through both of the squares, and then doing the exact same thing on the other side, so go through one stitch, go through the other stitch, yarn over, go through both, go through one stitch, go through the other on the other square, then yarn over, and slip stitch, and it should look something like this on one side, and then something like this on the other side, and they're nice and attached, and I just realized that I made a mistake, I do not want them attached like this, I want them both facing the other way, but essentially that is how you attach them together, so I'm going to do the same thing, I'm going to put the pretty sides together, attach them like this, slip stitch right here, and then they'll be attached like this, the way I want them to be, and then you're just going to do that throughout the entire tote bag, so again you just need to align them, figure out how you want to attach them, like I want to attach here, and here, and here, and stuff like that, so yeah that's how you do it, and I will get back to you once everything is nice and attached. Okay so I have attached one panel, so I've attached all of these together, so this is what it looks like when it's attached, and then when it's not attached yet, and this is what it looks like on the back, you can see the slip stitch stitching all along these sides of the squares, and now I just need to do the exact same thing to this side, and then once they're two of them that are all attached, I'm going to attach those two together, and then we're going to do the straps, and then be done with the project. Okay so now that I've attached two different sides together, so I have attached nine here, as well as nine here, I'm now going to attach both of them to each other, and I'm going to do it the exact same way, so I'm going to put the right sides together, and the ugly sides facing out, and I'm going to slip stitch all along here, the bottom, then up top again, leaving this open, because of course we want to have it open for the bag portion, and then after that, we're going to turn it inside out, and then we're going to make the straps, and be done with the project. So go ahead and slip stitch all along the bag right there. Okay so I went ahead and slip stitch all along the corners and the bottom here, and now both of the pieces are attached, so I'm going to bring it right side in, inside out from where it was, and oh that's actually kind of a cute shape for a bag, maybe in the future I'll make one of those, but for now I want a regular square tote bag made up of a bunch of heart squares, and this is what it looks like. So this is the actual bag itself, and I think it turned out really really cute. Now it's time to make the straps. Now for the straps, it's really easy. I am essentially going to attach the yarn where I want the strap to be, which is about right here, right in the center of this heart, and then I'm going to chain probably like 100 chains. I'll let you know how many chains I end up making for the strap, but I'm just going to figure out how long I want the strap to be, and then I'm going to attach it with a slip stitch on this side, and then once it's attached and it's just a chain attached from here to here, I'm going to go back on that chain with a single crochet probably like five to seven times, so it's like an inch thick, and then I'll be done with that strap, and then I'll just do the exact same thing on the other side, and yeah so that's essentially what I'm going to do. It is getting quite dark and quite loud here, so I'm just going to do it off camera. Okay I'll just show you this a little bit. So again I'm going to attach it right here, and just grab my yarn. I want my strap to be pink, so I'm going to bring it through with my hook, and then just start my chain from here, and then just chain however many chains I want until I'm happy with the size of the strap, and have it reach across to this part of the project, and then just attach it right here, and then go back and forth with a single crochet until it is as thick as I'd like, and yeah that's pretty much all you need to do. Just do that again on the other side, and then you'll be done. So I will catch you once I am completely done with the tote bag. Okay so I made a total of 82 chains for the strap. I know it's very specific, but that's exactly the length I love. So 82 chains, and then I went back on that chain with a single crochet for a couple rows, maybe like seven rows, five to seven rows of single crochet, and I was happy with the thickness of the strap. So I just ended it there, and then I did the exact same thing on the other side, and voila! I'm done with the tote bag, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. I really love the way that it turned out, and I hope that you also love the way that your heart tote bag turns out. I hope you enjoyed this video. If you found it interesting, entertaining, or helpful, please give it a big thumbs up before you go, and check out the rest of my channel. I have so many crochet related videos on there, ranging from beginner friendly tutorials, to more advanced projects, and you know, styling crochet, and all that stuff. It's a great time. So go ahead and check out the rest of my channel for more crochet, and don't forget to click that red subscribe button if you have not already, so I can see you next time. Bye, and have a magical day! let's hope they last forever