Santa’s bag and gifts crochet pattern

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This end of year is really special for everyone worldwide. Time is flying even faster, and Christmas is like…oh my god! Tomorrow!!! If you’re looking to make last minute Christmas decorations or stocking stuffer, the Santa’s bag and gifts crochet pattern is the ideal pattern for it. Beginner level with detailed instructions, step by step and tutorials, hard to believe you can make so much out of these little cute ornaments. 

No time right now? Pin this tutorial for later.

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If you prefer to purchase an inexpensive add-free pdf version of this pattern I’ve got you covered. The pdf version has all the step by step pictures, instructions, and it’s ready-to-print for you to carry around everywhere you can crochet and are not in front of a laptop. The santa’s bag and gifts crochet pattern is available in my shops on Etsy and Ravelry. 

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SANTA’S BAG AND GIFTS CROCHET PATTERN

Christmas decorations have always been a big thing in my family, especially at my grand-parents’ house. As far as I can remember, decorations were all over the place, in every corner, on every wall, little details on familiar objects… It was just magical for us as kids. And the Christmas tree, oh my, the Christmas tree… It was always a super big tree, with like a thousand small objects on it, and my grand-mother would tell you the story of every single one of them, brought back from her travels, or offered by friends and family. 

It’s often said that you shouldn’t get too attached to objects, not be too much of a materialist. But sometimes objects carry a story, memories, and I find it hard to let go. In her Christmas tree, there were tiny little red gifts with golden bows, and they were so pretty that as a kid I wanted to open them even though I new it was just for decoration, but they seemed so real. That’s what inspired this Christmas set, and I can’t wait to look into my son’s eyes when he discovers the Christmas tree this year… (too much pressure on him? Nooooo). 

BEFORE YOU START

Before you forget: 

• Purchase the inexpensive ad-free printable pdf on Etsy here.
• Add this Christmas pattern to your Ravelry queue here. 
• Pin this Christmas pattern to your Pinterest boards here.

MATERIAL

• 3.5mm / US E-4 crochet hook
• Yarn:
  • #3 / DK / light worsted yarn, 8ply, 80% cotton 20% Milk Fiber, in dark red for santa’s bag, any colour you like for the gifts  (I use a local shop yarn, that I find quite thick for a #3, an equivalent would be Paintbox Cotton Aran but keep the 3.5mm hook to obtain tight stitches and avoid gaps where the fiberfill shows) 
  • A small piece of fluffy white yarn like the Bernat Pipsqueak Whitey White
• Golden yarn or decorative string to tie the bow on the gift and embroider the bag (the one I use is Milford Metallic, but not sure it ships to the US. I’ve found this one from Clisil brand that seems really similar).
• Tapestry needle
• Fiberfill
• Stitch marker or a strand of thinner yarn

LEVEL

Beginner

GAUGE AND SIZE

With the above material: 5-round circle = 5cm (2″). Find out how to measure gauge for amigurumis in my tutorial here.

With the material mentioned above and when gauge is achieved:

• Santa’s bag is 6 cm (2,4″) high
• Gift is 3,5cm (1,4″) large and high

PATTERN NOTES AND SPECIAL TECHNIQUES

• The number before the abbreviation represents how many times to work one type of stitch into consecutive stitches from the previous round (unless stated otherwise). Ex: 3inc = work one increase into each of the next 3 stitches.
• This pattern is worked in continuous spiral rounds (i.e. without closing the rounds with a slip stitch). It may help to mark the first stitch of each round with a stitch marker.
• It’s a great pattern to learn basic crochet techniques, if you are a beginner you can find them all on this blog here:
  • Magic ring
  • Crocheting in the Back Loop Only (in BLO)
  • Single crochet 3 stitches together (sc3tog)

STITCHES AND ABBREVIATIONS (US CROCHET TERMS)

• st: stitch/es
• sc: single crochet
• inc: single crochet increase (work 2 sc into the same st)
• dec: single crochet decrease (single crochet two stitches together).
• [number]: total number of stitches of the round
• Rnd: round
• (…) x 2: repeat whatever is in between the parenthesis the number of times indicated
• in BLO: in the back loop only
• sc3tog: single crochet 3 stitches together

SANTA’S BAG AND GIFTS CROCHET PATTERN

SANTA’S BAG

With dark red yarn.

Rnd 1: Work 6sc into a magic ring. [6]
Rnd 2: inc in each st around. [12]
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6. [18]
Rnd 4: (2sc, inc) x 6. [24]
Rnd 5: (3sc, inc) x 6. [30]
Rnd 6: in BLO, sc in each st around. [30]

Rnd 7 – 11: sc around. [30]
Rnd 12: (3sc, dec) x 6. [24]
Rnd 13 – 16: sc in each st around. [24]

To change colour with white yarn, you can either use the invisible colour change technique (video tutorial here) or just fasten off, weave in the yarn tail, and simply start the new round with the white yarn by doing a slip knot on your hook and starting crocheting in the first stitch of the round. With the fluffy texture of the yarn, the colour change won’t be visible anyway.

Rnd 17: with the white yarn, sc in each st around. [24]
Fasten off and weave in end.

To make the drawstrings of the bag, take 2 small strands of the white fluffy yarn and sew them just below the last round. Hide the tails inside. With a thin golden strand of yarn, embroider stars or snowflakes on the sides or just leave it this way!

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

Rnd 1: Work 6sc into a magic ring. [6]
Rnd 2: inc in each st around. [12]
Rnd 3: sc, 3 sc in the next st, (2sc, 3 sc in the next st) x 3, sc in the last st. [20]
Rnd 4: in BLO, sc in each st around. [20]

Rnd 5 – 9: sc around (normal sc in both loops). [20]

Rnd 10: in BLO, sc, sc3tog, (2sc, sc3tog) x 3, sc in last st. [12]
Stuff with fiberfill, not too much to keep a nice square shape.

Rnd 11: dec 6 times. [6]
Fasten off and sew closed. (You’re not sure how to sew closed nicely? I got you covered, check this tutorial on my blog).

 

Congratulations ! Now the coolest part begins: playing with the colours and deciding where you’re gonna put them or hang them in your Christmas decor! 

Tip 1: if you want to hang them in your Christmas tree, sew a green sewing thread to the top.

Tip 2: if you want your Christmas gift to pop up from your Santa’s bag, fill the bag with fiberfill, then put the gift on top the way you like, and secure it with a few stitches of red yarn.

And you’re done! If you liked this pattern share it with your crochet friends ! I’d love to see your finished santa’s bag and Christmas gifts: don’t forget to share it on social media and tag me @octopucrochetdesign . I look forward to seeing it in your Christmas decor!!