How to Attach a Handle to a Crochet Bag + Easy Bag Handle Pattern

Are you looking to add a unique touch to your handmade bags or purses?

Consider adding a crochet cord handle using this easy-to-follow pattern and video tutorial.

Crochet cord handles can add a beautiful and functional element to any bag, and with just a few simple steps, you’ll have the perfect finishing touch for your project.

Table Of Contents

Crochet Cord Handle Pattern Video Tutorial
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How to Attach a Handle to a Crochet Bag

Making the handle is the easy part. Joining it to the bag so it carries a full load and still looks neat is where most bags go wrong. Here are the five methods that actually work, when to use each one, and the two mistakes that cause handles to pull away.

First, mark where the handles go

Lay the bag flat and measure in from each side seam. On most totes the handles sit about a quarter to a third of the way in from each edge, which puts them over the middle of your hand when you carry it. Mark both points on both sides with stitch markers or safety pins before you sew anything, then lift the bag by the handle and check it hangs straight. Moving a pin is a great deal easier than unpicking a seam.

Method 1: Whip stitch, the all-purpose join

Use this one if you are not sure which to pick. Thread a yarn needle with a long tail of the same yarn you used for the bag. Overlap the end of the handle onto the inside of the bag by about one and a half inches (4 cm) and pin it. Bring the needle up through both layers, take it over the edge, and come up again a short space along, making small even stitches, roughly one per stitch of the bag. Work right across the overlap, then come back the other way over the same stitches so every point is caught twice. Fasten off on the inside and weave the tail in for at least two inches.

Method 2: Slip stitch join, no sewing

This is for when the handle is still on your hook and the bag is finished. Hold the last row of the handle against the bag edge with the right side facing you. Insert the hook through one stitch of the handle and the matching stitch of the bag at the same time, yarn over, and pull through both loops and the loop on your hook. Repeat all the way across. The join comes out flat and firm with no seam to sew in afterwards.

Method 3: Single crochet seam, the strongest

Hold the handle and the bag with wrong sides together and work a row of single crochet through both layers across the join. This gives the most secure hold of anything here and leaves a small ridge on the outside. Work it in a contrast colour and the ridge reads as a deliberate detail rather than a seam.

Method 4: Button and loop, for handles you can take off

Finish each end of the handle with a chain loop long enough to slip over a button, then sew a sturdy flat button to the bag at each marked point. You can swap handles between bags, take them off to wash the bag flat, or change a short strap for a long one. Use a button with a shank, or sew a small backing button on the inside, so the weight cannot pull the button through the fabric.

Method 5: D-rings or swivel clips, for heavy bags

If the bag will carry books or shopping, or you are using a bought leather or chain strap, let hardware take the strain. Crochet a short tab, fold it around a D-ring, and whip stitch the tab firmly to the bag. Clip the strap to the ring. The pull then goes into the ring and the tab instead of into a handful of stitches, which is what usually gives way first.

Two things that make a join last

Sew through a whole stitch of the bag, never just the top loop. Catching only the loop looks tidy at first and then tears away the moment the bag is full. And for anything you plan to load up, back the attachment point on the inside with a small square of felt or sturdy fabric before you sew. It spreads the weight across several stitches instead of concentrating it on two or three.

Prefer to watch? Three makers show it

These short videos each show one way to do it, from the makers who show it best.

Crochet a ring handle on as you work the top row

Video by Katieree on YouTube.

Work D-rings into the top edge and clip on a strap

Video by Loops and Love Crochet on YouTube.

Sew handles or rings on by hand

Video by Crochet with Patricia on YouTube.

Want a different handle to attach? Try the braided strap tutorial or the spiral cord purse handle. Starting from scratch? How to Make a Crochet Bag: Easy Beginner Tutorial walks through the bag itself, the Spring Creamy Yellow Phone Bag Crochet Pattern finishes with a slim strap sewn in place, and 13 Free Crochet Bag Patterns includes bags with handles worked into the body and straps added at the end.

Want to make the handle yourself first? The cord handle pattern and video are just below.

To start, gather your materials.

You’ll need some yarn in your desired color, a crochet hook (size will depend on the thickness of your yarn), scissors, and a tapestry needle.

You may also want to have some stitch markers handy to help keep track of your progress.

Next, follow the steps below:

What You’ll Need

Check the pattern for the exact yarn weight and hook size – here is what to have on hand before you start.

You’ll also need: a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers and scissors.

Shop the supplies: worsted weight yarn · ergonomic crochet hook set · tapestry needles · locking stitch markers · small craft scissors

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Crochet Cord Handle Pattern Video Tutorial

To learn more about this pattern please visit Örgü Diyarı KNİTTİNG

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Thanks to Örgü Diyarı KNİTTİNG for the article’s inspiration and featured image.

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How to Attach a Handle to a Crochet Bag + Easy Crochet Bag Handle Pattern