How to make the Citrus Grove Tote Bag – a free crochet pattern by Emily Hall of Crochet Aweigh
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Summer is my favorite time of year. I love going to the Beach, or to the Florida Springs, and the Citrus Grove Tote bag is the perfect companion! This delightful bag will keep all of your Summertime necessities safe from the sun, while being practical as it is machine washable! Wash all that beach sand right out! The Citrus Grove Tote Bag is the perfect compliment to the Citrus Grove Bucket Hat. Below you will find the free pattern. However if you would like to help support my rapidly growing fiber dreams you can purchase the pattern from Ravelry or Etsy for $3.50.
I’m so excited to be participating in the Fun & Fruity Blog hop hosted by Yarn Crafts & Coffee! This blog hop runs from June 1st, 2026 through June 10th 2026. We will be featuring fruit-themed projects of all kinds!
The Citrus Grove Bucket Hat is Day 4’s featured project! You can download a FREE copy of the PDF pattern from Ravelry using coupon code “Citrus2026“. This code will be active from June 6th at midnight EST through June 10th at 11:59pm EST.
Click the “Free Pattern” image to the right to go to Ravelry.
Check back to the blog hop page each day through June 10th for more fruity inspiration! Thanks for participating in the Fun & Fruity Blog Hop!
Make sure to check out these other blogs by my friends for more Summer Tote Bags!
Sassy Ocean Bag Pattern Review by Kami Jones for Cre8tion Crochet
A Round up by Yarn Crafts & Coffee of Tote Bags
The Criss Cross Tote Bag from T and C Crafters
Materials
- Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton: Yardages listed are for the larger version of the bag. 2 skeins of white, 1 skein of tangerine, 1 skein of goldenrod, 1 skein of grass. You can also use scrap yarn. I used about 300 yards of white, about 170 yards of tangerine, 136 yards of goldenrod, and 80 yards of grass.
- Size G/4.00mm Crochet Hook – I used this only for the leaves
- Size H/5.00mm Crochet Hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Optional: 1 yard of Cotton Fabric for Lining – I used this one from Spoonflower
- Optional: Toggle or Frog Closure
Gauge
Using the H/5.00 mm hook, once completing the 6th row the motif should measure about 5.5″.
Gauge here is not crucial since this is a bag rather than a garment. You can make it whichever size you’d like to. If you prefer working with a larger or smaller hook, please feel free to do so! You are welcome to exclude the 6th row of the motif if you want a smaller bag. In the below photos you can see the difference between the bag (before joining together) with only having 5 rows on the motifs and 6. The 5 row motifs comes to about 13.5″wide and the 6 row motifs come to about 16.5″. I personally love big bags since I love to work on big crochet projects.
Abbreviations
- CH – Chain
- Sl St – Slip Stitch
- Sc – Single Crochet
- Hdc – Half Double Crochet
- Dc – Double Crochet
- Tr – Treble Crochet
- BLO – Back Loop Only
- Sk – skip
- Sts – Stitches
- Ls – Leaf Stitch
Special Stitches
The Leaf Stitch : Attach with a sl st where indicated. Ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in next, dc in next, (hdc, sl st) in last ch, sl st to original stitch.
Pattern Notes:
- The hat is constructed of 3 parts: The motifs, the sides, and the strap.
- Ch 3 at the beginning of a row does count as the first stitch.
- 9 motifs per side. 5 oranges, and 4 lemons per side.
- I recommend crocheting over as many ends as possible to avoid weaving in as many once the hat is completed.
Orange Motif: Make 10
With Tangerine, ch 4, sl st to form ring
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as Dc here and throughout), 11 Dc into ring, sl st to connect. 12 sts.
Round 2: Ch 3, 1 Dc into same st, 2 Dc into each st around, sl st to connect. 24 sts.
Round 3: Ch 3, dc in same st, 1 dc in next, (2 dc in next, 1 dc in next) around. Sl st to connect. Fasten off Tangerine. 36 sts.
Round 4: BLO. With White, attach in first st. 2 sc in first, sc in each of the next 2, (2 sc in next, sc in each of next 2) around. Sl st to connect. 48 sts.
Round 5: Ch 3, (1 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same st [first corner formed], (Dc in each of next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3, hdc in next 2, dc in next 2 {2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc} to make next corner). Repeat between ( ) 3 more times. Dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in last 2 sts. Sl st to top of original ch 3 to connect. There are 15 sts in between each ch 2 corner, 60 sts and 4 ch 2 spaces total.
You may fasten off if you want the smaller bag. If not, continue to round 6.
Round 6: Ch 3, Dc in each dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner space around. Sl st to the top of original ch 3 to connect. Fasten off. 76 sts and 4 ch 2 spaces total.
Lemon Motif: Make 8
With Goldenrod, ch 4, sl st to form ring.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as Dc here and throughout), 11 Dc into ring, sl st to connect. 12 sts.
Round 2: Ch 3, 1 Dc into same st, 2 Dc into each st around, sl st to connect. 24 sts.
Round 3: Ch 5 (counts as Tr and ch 1), Tr in same st, [(1 dc in next, 2 dc in next) twice, hdc in next, 2 hdc in next, (1 dc in next, 2 dc in next) twice, Dc in next], (Tr, ch 1, Tr) in next. Repeat from [ ] once. Sl st to the 4th chain, fasten off.
Round 4: BLO. Attach white to ch in between Treble crochets. 2 sc in same space, sc in next 2, (2 sc in next, sc in next 2) around until next Tr. Skip Tr. 2 sc in ch, sc in next 2, (2 sc in next, sc in next 2) around. sk last Tr. Sl st to connect.
Round 5: Ch 3, (1 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same st [first corner formed], (Dc in each of next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3, hdc in next 2, dc in next 2 {2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc} to make next corner). Repeat between ( ) 3 more times. Dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in last 2 sts. Sl st to top of original ch 3 to connect. There are 15 sts in between each ch 2 corner, 60 sts and 4 ch 2 spaces total.
You may fasten off if you want the smaller bag. If not, continue to round 6.
Round 6: Ch 3, Dc in each dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner space around. Sl st to the top of original ch 3 to connect. Fasten off. 76 sts and 4 ch 2 spaces total.
Leaves
Use the G/4mm hook for this section.
Leaves for the Orange: locate the top middle stitch of round 3. The fronts loops should be accessible. With Grass, attach with a sl st to the top stitch of round 3 of the orange motif. Ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in next, dc in next, hdc and sl st in next. sl st to original front loop of round 3. Repeat again for 2nd leaf in same st. Fasten off, but leave a tail.
Leaves for the Lemon: locate the front loop of the corner chain on round 3. With Grass, attach with a sl st to the front loop of the corner chain. Ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in next, dc in next, hdc and sl st in next. sl st to original front loop of round 3. Repeat again for 2nd leaf in same st. Fasten off, but leave a tail
Sew down the Leaves
Using the tail from fastening off and the tapestry needle, tack the leaves down however you prefer. I sewed the lemon leaves around the corner of the lemon. For the oranges I connected them as is they are sticking up off the top of the orange.
Connecting the Motifs
Sew the squares together in your desired method. I prefer to sc all edges together, but you could also sl st them, or use the tapestry needle to whipstitch them together. Whatever you are more comfortable with. Do this for both the front and back of the bag. Do not connect the sides yet, we need to add a few more rows before we do that.
Side edges
Now we are adding a panel to the sides and bottom of the bag so that it has a little more width. This is also flexible, if you want to skip this step to have a more narrow bag you can, or you can add more rows to each side to make the bag deeper. Only add these rows to one panel. Once we add these then we will stitch the front panel to the back panel.
With Right Side facing and H hook, attach to the top left corner.
Row 1: Ch 1 (does not count as sc here and throughout), sc in the corner space, sc in each space across. when you get to the seam, skip it and sc in the next corner. in each corner space only put 1 sc. At the end of the row put 1 sc in the last corner space. 82 sc. Turn.
Rows 2 – 5: Ch 1, sc in each st across.
Fasten off left side.
Repeat this same process for the bottom edge and the right edge. Do the Right Edge last. Do not fasten off after the right side panel.
Connecting the Front &Back Panels
After completing the right side panel, lay your front and back together with right sides facing each other. We are going to sc or sl st (whichever you prefer) through the sts of both panels to connect them. Stitch down the side until you get to the corner. At the corner, turn and stitch down into it. Imagine that you are building a box or cube, and this is the bottom corner of the box. We are trying to give depth to the bag. once that corner is connected, fasten off.
Now attach to the bottom edge and st the bottom edge to your other motif panel. Once you get to the corner, repeat as the first and st down into it 5 sts (or however many rows you have). Fasten off.
Attach to the bottom edge on the left and stitch up the left side. Do not fasten off.
Border & Strap
Border: Starting where we are already attached, flip the bag right side out. Ch 1, sc in each st around. Skip the seams. Sl st to connect and turn.
Strap: You want your strap to be as wide as your side panels. I had 5 rows, so I will have a strap that is 5 sts wide.
Row 1: Ch 1 (does not count as st) sc in same st and in next 4.
Row 2: ch 1, sc in each across. 5 sts.
Repeat row 2 until your strap has reached the desired length. Once complete, sl st your strap to the other side panel. Fasten off.
Weave in all ends.
Optional Lining:
So it’s confession time… My mom is the one who sewed this lining in! And the frog clasp! I am so devoted to crochet that I have never learned how to properly use a sewing machine! I can do some basics, but I’m still a long way from being able to do anything properly. Therefore I asked my mom if she would help to line this tote bag and she did! Thank you Mom <3 However I cannot provide incredibly detailed instructions for this lining since she was the one who did it. Below are the progress photos she took and some notes. Hopefully you are better with a sewing machine than I am!
First she measured the bag and determined that the lining should be 20″ wide by 36″ long folded, with a 3/4″ seam allowance and trimmed the excess fabric.
She pinned everything in place, and sewed the side seams. She then pressed them flat with an iron so that the seams would lay correctly inside.
Optional Toggle or Frog Closure
Again, something I cannot give full details on since Mom was kind enough to stitch this on, but if you want to add a closure of some kind, like this frog closure then feel free to do so! It adds a cute finishing touch!
You are done with your Citrus Grove Tote Bag! I hope you have enjoyed this free pattern. Please feel free to comment below with any questions about the pattern.
Make sure to check out these other blogs by my friends for more Summer Tote Bags!
Sassy Ocean Bag Pattern Review by Kami Jones for Cre8tion Crochet
You look so cute in this set! Love the finishing touches like the matching liner and closure.
Thanks so much!