A free video tutorial is available to guide you through every step of making this gorgeous Crochet Cross Body Bag, so you never have to guess your way through the construction! The slip stitch strap technique used here creates a beautifully braided, rope-like cord that looks professionally finished and utterly handmade at the same time!
The Cross Body Bag
This Crochet Cross Body Bag is the kind of piece that quietly becomes your most-reached-for accessory, the one you grab without thinking because it holds just enough and sits just right against your hip. Made in a deep burgundy cotton cord, it carries a richness that feels both modern and nostalgic, like something you might find tucked inside a vintage market stall but made entirely by your own hands. The dense, even texture created by working in continuous rounds gives the bag a structured body that holds its shape beautifully, firm enough to protect your essentials yet soft enough to move naturally with you. It is made for the woman who wants her accessories to mean something.
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Burgundy is the color shown in the tutorial, and it is an inspired choice, effortlessly pairing with earth tones, cream, rust, and even soft black. But this bag translates just as warmly in forest green, dusty mauve, or a warm off-white for a more relaxed, sunlit look. Because the silhouette is clean and compact, the color you choose does most of the styling work for you.
Materials and Tools
To make this Crochet Cross Body Bag, you will want to work with a 3mm or 4mm cotton macrame cord or a tightly twisted cotton rope yarn, which gives the bag its airy yet structured quality and that satisfying raised texture you can see in each stitch. A 5mm or 6mm crochet hook works beautifully with this type of cotton cord, giving you a firm enough gauge to maintain the bag’s shape without pulling the work too tight. Cotton is the ideal fiber here because it is strong, washable, and has just enough grip to keep your stitches even and consistent as you work in the round. A set of stitch markers, like small locking plastic clips, will save you from losing your place as you progress through the rounds, and a large blunt tapestry needle will help you weave in ends cleanly at the finish.
Stitch by Stitch
This Crochet Cross Body Bag is built on a small, confident collection of stitches that even a beginner can settle into quickly.
BULLET:SC (Single Crochet) This is the foundation stitch of the bag body, worked in continuous rounds to create that dense, even fabric you see covering the entire surface.
BULLET:SL ST (Slip Stitch) Used to create the braided strap, this stitch produces a tight, rope-like cord that is surprisingly strong and looks beautifully refined.
BULLET:CH (Chain) The initial chain sets up your foundation row and also forms the starting length for the strap before it is worked back over itself.
BULLET:INC (Increase) Single crochet increases are used at the base corners to shape the flat bottom of the bag, gently expanding the fabric outward before the sides begin to rise.
Once you find the meditative rhythm of working SC in continuous rounds, watching the bag grow steadily beneath your hook, you will not want to put it down.
Construction
The bag begins with a flat oval or rectangular base, shaped using chain stitches and increases at each short end, before the sides are worked upward in continuous rounds of SC to form the body. Because there are no seams to sew along the sides, the construction feels natural and uninterrupted, making it an approachable build for anyone who has crocheted a granny square but wants to try something more wearable. The strap is worked separately using slip stitches over a foundation chain, which creates the distinctive braided texture visible in the reference images, and then attached to the bag body using small D-rings or lobster clasps for a polished, adjustable finish. If you want to make a larger version, simply work a longer starting chain and add a few extra rounds to the body before beginning the top edge.
Wearing Your Cross Body Bag
Sling your finished Crochet Cross Body Bag across a linen shirt and wide-leg trousers for an effortlessly put-together weekend look, or wear it cross-body over a summer dress for a market morning that feels both casual and considered. It is the ideal size for a phone, a small wallet, a lip balm, and a set of keys, which means it is genuinely practical without being bulky. The moment you tuck in the last end and clip on the strap, you will already be mentally planning the next colorway.
Keeping Your Crochet Cross Body Bag Looking Its Best
Because this bag is worked in cotton cord, it responds beautifully to a gentle hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, and it dries quickly when laid flat on a clean towel. If the bag loses a little of its shape after washing, a light blocking session, simply pinning it to its original dimensions while damp, will restore the structure within a few hours. Avoid machine washing on a high spin cycle, as the cord can twist and distort under that kind of stress. Store the bag hanging or laid flat rather than folded, so the body keeps its clean rectangular silhouette between wears.
Every Crochet Cross Body Bag you make carries the particular care and attention that only a handmade thing can hold, and that is something no shop shelf can replicate. Save this to your Pinterest boards and share your finished bag with the hashtag so the community can cheer you on.
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Tutorial and photos of this cross body bag by: MirrymasCrafts.
