I’ve been looking for the perfect summer tote pattern for ages. You know the kind. Sturdy enough to haul farmers market produce, cute enough to get compliments, and interesting enough to keep your hands busy without making your brain hurt. This sunflower tote checks every single box, and I’m so excited to share it with you today.
The construction is straightforward single crochet worked in the round, which means no confusing seaming or complicated stitch patterns. But those three dimensional sunflower appliques? They take this bag from simple to stunning. Trust me when I say you’ll want to make this one immediately.
Whether you’re looking for a beach bag, a project tote, or a thoughtful handmade gift, this pattern delivers. Let’s get into it.
What You’re Making
This structured tote bag features a dense single crochet body worked in continuous rounds from the bottom up. The star of the show is the trio of three dimensional sunflower appliques stitched to the front panel, complete with layered petals, stems, and leaves. A pretty scallop edging finishes the top opening, and double stranded mustard yellow handles tie everything together.
The finished bag measures approximately 15 inches wide by 12 inches tall by 4 inches deep, not including handles. The handles add about 12 inches of drop, bringing your total height from base to top of handle to roughly 24 inches. This gives you plenty of room to carry groceries, books, beach towels, or your latest work in progress.
The flat rectangular base creates a boxy, self standing silhouette. Your bag won’t flop over when you set it down. The back panel stays plain, so all that sunflower goodness stays front and center.
Skill Level
This pattern is rated intermediate, but don’t let that scare you off. The bag body uses only single crochet worked in continuous rounds, which is absolutely beginner friendly territory.
The intermediate rating comes from a few extra skills you’ll need. You should be comfortable reading rounds without getting lost. You’ll need to know how to work the magic ring (sometimes called magic loop or adjustable loop). The sunflower appliques involve constructing three dimensional flowers with two petal layers, shaping crochet leaves, and neatly sewing everything together at the end.
If you’ve completed two or three smaller projects and feel confident changing colors and sewing pieces together, you can absolutely handle this. I’ll walk you through every step.
Time Estimate
Plan for 12 to 18 hours total to complete this bag. Here’s how that breaks down:
This makes a wonderful project to work on over a week or two of evening stitching sessions. Put on your favorite show and let those rows fly by.
Materials You’ll Need
Yarn
You’ll need worsted weight yarn (category 4) in five colors:
Yarn Suggestions:
Option 1: Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Ecru (MC), Goldenrod (CA and HC), Cafe au Lait (CB), and Fern (CC). This 100% mercerized cotton holds its shape exceptionally well and is machine washable.
Option 2: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK held double for the body to approximate worsted weight gauge, in Champagne White (MC), Daffodil Yellow (CA), Soft Fudge (CB), and Racing Green (CC).
Option 3: WeCrochet Swish Worsted in Bare (MC), Canary (CA), Toffee (CB), and Clover (CC). This superwash merino option gives a softer hand than cotton.
Important substitution note: Choose a yarn with low elasticity for the bag body. Cotton, cotton blends, linen blends, and jute cotton blends all work beautifully. High elasticity wools or acrylics will cause the bag to lose its structured, boxy shape over time. Always swatch first.
Hooks
Notions
Gauge
Getting gauge right matters here because it determines your finished bag dimensions.
With MC and G/6 (4.0 mm) hook: 18 sc and 20 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in single crochet worked in rounds
For handles with HC held double and H/8 (5.0 mm) hook: 14 sc and 16 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in single crochet
If your swatch is larger than 4 inches for 18 stitches, go down one hook size. If smaller, go up one hook size.
Abbreviations and Stitch Definitions
Let me define every stitch you’ll encounter. If you’re newer to crochet, bookmark this section.
Special Stitches
Scallop Stitch (used for top edging)
This creates those pretty shell shaped scallops you see along the top opening.
1. Skip 2 stitches
2. Work 5 dc into the next stitch
3. Skip 2 stitches
4. Slip stitch into the next stitch
Repeat steps 1 through 4 around. Each scallop uses 6 stitches.
Leaf Construction
1. With CC, chain 10
2. Starting in the second chain from hook, work: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, and 1 sl st into the last chain
3. Rotate work to work along the opposite side of the foundation chain. Work: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, and 1 sl st
4. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing
This creates one oval pointed leaf shape.
Pattern Instructions
Part 1: Bag Base
The base is worked flat in rows using MC. This creates the rectangular bottom that helps your bag stand upright.
Foundation chain: Chain 69.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in the second chain from hook and in each chain across. Turn. (68 sc)
Rows 2 through 18: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (68 sc each row)
After Row 18, do not turn and do not fasten off.
Checkpoint: Your base rectangle should measure approximately 15 inches along the long edge and 4 inches along the short edge. If your measurements differ significantly, recheck your gauge.
Part 2: Bag Body (Sides)
Now you’ll work continuously around all four edges of the base rectangle, building the sides upward.
Setup Round: Do not turn after Row 18. Working along the short end of the base, work 18 sc evenly across the end (approximately 1 sc per row end). Along the foundation chain edge at the bottom, work 68 sc across. Work 18 sc evenly across the other short end. You are now back at the long edge you just finished (Row 18 edge), which has 68 sts already counted. Place marker in the first stitch of this round to mark beginning of round. Join with sl st to first sc of the round. (172 sc total)
The 172 stitch circumference breaks down as: 68 (front) + 18 (right side) + 68 (back) + 18 (left side).
From this point, work in continuous rounds. No joining, no turning chains unless specified. Move your stitch marker up each round.
Rounds 1 through 60: Sc in each st around. (172 sc each round)
After Round 60, sl st to join the round. Do not fasten off. You will proceed to the scallop edging.
Checkpoint: After completing 60 rounds, the sides should measure approximately 12 inches tall from the base.
Part 3: Scallop Edging
The scallop edging requires a stitch count divisible by 6. You’ll adjust 172 down to 168 (which divides evenly into 28 scallops).
Adjustment Round: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch). Work as follows: sc 42, sc2tog, sc 42, sc2tog, sc 42, sc2tog, sc 42, sc2tog. Join with sl st. (168 sc)
Scallop Round: Continue with MC.
Ch 1. Working around the top opening: (Sk 2 sts, 5 dc in next st, sk 2 sts, sl st in next st) 28 times. Join with sl st to first sl st. (28 scallops)
Fasten off and weave in end.
Part 4: Handles (Make 2)
Each handle is worked as a flat sc strip using HC held double and the H/8 (5.0 mm) hook.
Foundation chain: With HC held double, chain 55.
Row 1: Sc in the second chain from hook and in each chain across. Turn. (54 sc)
Rows 2 through 6: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (54 sc each row)
Do not fasten off. Work a slip stitch edging along both long edges of the handle for a neat, rolled edge: sl st evenly along one long edge, across the short end, along the other long edge, and across the remaining short end. Join and fasten off.
Each handle measures approximately 12 inches in length and 1 inch in width.
Make 2 handles.
Handle placement: Position each handle so its ends are attached 4 inches from each side edge of the front and back panels, measured from the top edge. Each handle end overlaps approximately 2 inches down the inside of the bag. Using a yarn needle and HC, sew each handle end securely to the inside of the bag with a box stitch (stitch a rectangle, then stitch an X through it) for maximum strength.
Part 5: Sunflower Center Disk (Make 3)
Each sunflower starts with a center disk worked in CB (dark brown).
With CB and G/6 hook, make a magic ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, work 6 sc into the ring. Pull ring closed. Do not join; continue in continuous rounds. (6 sc)
Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)
Rnd 3: (Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. (18 sc)
Rnd 4: (Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. (24 sc)
Rnd 5: (Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. (30 sc)
Sl st to join at the end of Rnd 5. Do not fasten off. The disk should measure approximately 2 inches in diameter.
Part 5A: Inner Petal Round
Working into the front loops only of Round 3 of the center disk (the round with 18 stitches), join CA.
(Work sc in first FL, 2 dc in next FL, sc in next FL) 6 times. Sl st to join. (6 inner petals)
Fasten off CA.
Part 5B: Outer Petal Round
Join CA into the back loops only of Round 4 of the center disk (24 stitches).
(Sc in next BL, hdc in next BL, 3 dc in next BL, hdc in next BL, sc in next BL, sl st in next BL) 4 times. Join with sl st. (4 large outer petals)
Fasten off CA. Leave a long tail for sewing.
Make 3 sunflower heads total.
Part 6: Sunflower Stems (Make 3)
Each stem is a narrow crocheted strip worked in CC.
With CC and G/6 hook, chain 4.
Row 1: Sc in second chain from hook and in each chain across. Turn. (3 sc)
Rows 2 through 20: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (3 sc each row)
After Row 20, fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Each stem measures approximately 4 inches tall.
Make 3 stems.
Part 7: Leaves (Make 6)
Follow the Leaf special stitch instructions above. Make 6 leaves total (2 per sunflower).
Part 8: Assembly
Step 1: Block all sunflower pieces gently by dampening with water and pinning to shape. Allow to dry completely before sewing.
Step 2: Position the three stems on the front panel. Space the stems so the leftmost is approximately 3 inches from the left edge, the center stem is centered at approximately 7.5 inches from the left edge, and the rightmost stem is approximately 3 inches from the right edge. The bottom of each stem should rest approximately 1.5 inches from the bottom base seam. Pin in place.
Step 3: Sew each stem to the front panel using CC and a yarn needle with whip stitch along both long edges.
Step 4: Attach one leaf to each side of each stem at a slight diagonal, approximately halfway up the stem.
Step 5: Center one sunflower head over the top of each stem. The bottom of the flower head should overlap the top of the stem by approximately 0.5 inches. Pin and sew securely.
Step 6: Weave in all remaining ends on the bag body.
Finishing and Blocking
To block the bag body, fill the finished bag with crumpled tissue paper or a plastic bag stuffed with towels to hold the rectangular shape. Lightly mist the outside with water. Gently press and shape the sides and base to lie flat and square. Allow to dry completely. This step is crucial for achieving that beautiful self standing boxy structure.
Care Instructions
Hand wash in cool water with a gentle detergent. Do not wring. Press gently between two towels to remove excess water. Reshape and air dry flat. Do not tumble dry or iron directly on the appliques.
Tips for Success
A quick note if you’re feeling nervous about those sunflowers. Work one complete flower first before making all three. This lets you get comfortable with the petal rounds and see how everything comes together. You can always adjust your tension on the remaining flowers if needed.
Keep your stitch markers handy throughout the bag body construction. Sixty rounds of single crochet can blur together quickly, and losing your place is frustrating. Trust me on this one.
The box stitch for attaching handles is worth the extra effort. This bag can hold some weight, and you want those handles absolutely secure. Stitch that rectangle, then stitch the X through the middle. Your future self will thank you.
I really hope you love making this sunflower summer tote as much as I do. It’s the kind of project that feels productive and creative all at once. If you make one, I would absolutely love to see it. Tag me on Instagram or share a photo in my Facebook group.
Save this pattern to your Pinterest boards so you can find it when you’re ready to start, and drop a comment below if you give it a try. Happy stitching!
