The cute crossbody purse I made in 3 days as a beginner crocheter

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

In the midst of a baby blanket fiasco, I decided I’m going to start ANOTHER project. I rationalized with myself that I needed to “do something quick to feel accomplished.”

You know what? I DID finish it quickly. (In my humble beginner crocheter opinion) And I DID feel accomplished.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

I’ll link all the materials I used here, in case you’re intested:

I obviously thought I was some kind of professional starting my second project, because I had a vision in my head of exactly what I wanted and I thought for a second I would just wing it.

I started out knitting the bag, but it was taking FOREVER and I somehow kept adding stitches in each row.

I came back to reality and realized I can piece this together using resources from people that actually know what they’re doing.

So I start my research. I wanted a crossbody bag that was big enough to fit 2 diapers, a small pack of wipes, and other essentials like my phone, wallet and car keys. This was going to be my “mom bag.”

I found a tutorial on youtube that was exactly what I was looking for. It was for a book sleeve, but I just measured my toddlers pull up so I knew what size I needed.

As you can see, I switched to my crocket hooks, because my hands just cannot grasp the concept of knitting. This was a great decision, because I started flying through this bag!

Here is the tutorial I used in case you’re curious and want to try it out!

I finished the main portion of the bag and realized…this tutorial is for a book sleeve, not a purse. So then I was brainstorming how do I crochet a strap??

Well, I obviously got cocky because I just started crocheting a strap and measured the chain against my body. Newbie mistake. Double crochet makes the strap a little longer, so it unfortunately ended up being an awkward length.

I used it for one day and realized I needed to add a lining because the yarn was stretching with all of my stuff in it.

So I called my mom up and asked for her sewing kit. I had leftover fabric from my Goodwill Bear Lamp flip so I was able to get started on a lining immediately!

This is my first ever crochet project that I completed. I love the color of yarn I chose. I love the way it looks sitting on our entryway table…but I honestly haven’t used it since I completed it.

I’ll give it another go soon and see how it works out. I think I’m not the biggest fan of where it sits on me. The strap has stretched even more from when I didn’t have the lining.

Either way, I’m proud of myself for completing it!