Deep forest green, crisp cream diamonds, and a touch of chocolate brown—this tapestry tote looks like it walked straight out of a boutique. The geometric motif sits bold against that rich green background, and the braided handles with a matching tassel finish the whole thing off perfectly. If tapestry crochet has felt intimidating, this is the project that will change your mind. Let’s get those diamonds going.
What Makes This Tapestry Crochet Tote Special
This isn’t your average crochet bag. The tapestry single crochet technique creates a thick, structured fabric that holds its shape beautifully. Unlike regular colorwork where you might have loose strands on the back, tapestry crochet encases unused yarns inside each stitch. The result? A neat, padded fabric with no messy floats.
The Aztec-inspired diamond pattern covers the lower two-thirds of the bag, while the upper section stays solid green for a clean, modern finish. It’s the perfect balance of decorative and practical.
At approximately 16 inches wide by 14 inches tall by 5 inches deep, this tote fits everything. Laptop, water bottle, wallet, snacks, a paperback for the commute. The braided handles sit comfortably on your shoulder, and that little tassel adds a handcrafted touch that always gets compliments.
Skill Level and Time Commitment
I’ll be honest with you. This is an intermediate to advanced project. You should feel comfortable with:
- Working in continuous rounds
- Carrying multiple yarn strands simultaneously
- Maintaining consistent tension
- Reading row-by-row motif instructions
That said, if you’ve made a few projects and want to level up your skills, this is an excellent challenge. The techniques aren’t complicated individually. They just require attention and practice.
Time estimate: Plan for 20 to 28 hours of crochet time. The colorwork rounds move slower than plain single crochet because you’re managing three yarns. Handle construction and finishing add another 2 to 3 hours. Spread it over a few weeks and enjoy the process.
Materials You’ll Need
Yarn
You’ll need worsted weight (medium, weight 4) cotton or cotton-blend yarn with good stitch definition. Cotton works better than acrylic here because it creates a stiffer fabric that holds the bag’s shape.
- Color A (Forest Green): approximately 600 yards (550 meters)
- Color B (Cream/Off-White): approximately 180 yards (165 meters)
- Color C (Brown/Chocolate): approximately 120 yards (110 meters)
Recommended Yarn Options
- Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Grass, Ecru, and Coffee is my top pick. This 100-percent mercerized cotton has excellent stitch definition and holds its shape beautifully.
- WeCrochet Dishie Worsted in Fern, Cream, and Walnut works wonderfully too.
- Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK held double is another option if you prefer a slightly softer hand.
Avoid fuzzy or textured yarns. They’ll obscure your beautiful diamond motif.
Hook
US size G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook
This is slightly smaller than typical for worsted weight, and that’s intentional. The tighter gauge creates a firm, dense fabric that gives your bag structure.
Notions
- Tapestry needle for weaving ends
- At least 4 stitch markers
- Scissors
- Ruler or soft tape measure
- Optional but recommended: 1 piece of stiff plastic canvas or bag base insert cut to 16 inches by 5 inches
- Optional: 1 yard cotton lining fabric
Gauge
20 single crochet by 22 rows equals 4 inches by 4 inches (10 cm by 10 cm) worked in tapestry single crochet with two strands carried, using a US G-6 (4.0 mm) hook. Measure after blocking.
To check gauge: Chain 26 with Color A, carry Color B alongside without working it. Work single crochet flat for 26 rows. Fasten off, block, and measure the center 4-inch square.
If your swatch is too big, go down a hook size. Too small, go up. For this bag, erring toward firm is preferred.
Abbreviations
Let me break down every abbreviation you’ll see in this pattern:
- ch (chain): The foundation stitch that creates your starting row. Yarn over, pull through the loop on your hook.
- sc (single crochet): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through both loops.
- sl st (slip stitch): Insert hook, yarn over, pull through stitch and loop on hook in one motion.
- st/sts (stitch/stitches): Individual crochet stitches.
- BLO (back loop only): Work into only the back loop of the stitch, leaving the front loop unworked.
- FLO (front loop only): Work into only the front loop of the stitch.
- RS (right side): The public-facing side of your work.
- WS (wrong side): The inside or back of your work.
- pm (place marker): Put a stitch marker in the indicated stitch.
- sm (slip marker): Move your marker from the old stitch to the new one.
- rep (repeat): Do the instruction sequence again.
- rnd (round): One complete circuit when working in the round.
- tsc (tapestry single crochet): Single crochet while carrying unused yarn colors inside the stitch.
Special Techniques
Tapestry Single Crochet (tsc)
This is the star technique of this pattern. Don’t worry if it feels awkward at first. It becomes second nature quickly.
- Before beginning a section where you’ll carry a non-working color, lay the non-working yarn strand along the top of the row or round, pointing in the direction you’re working.
- Insert your hook into the next stitch as normal.
- As you draw up a loop, the non-working strand lies over the top of the stitch opening so it becomes encased.
- Complete the single crochet as usual. Yarn over with working color, draw through both loops.
- The non-working strand is now trapped inside the completed stitch. The working yarn forms the visible surface.
- To switch colors mid-round, work the last pull-through of the stitch BEFORE the color change with the NEW color.
- The old color becomes the carried yarn. The new color becomes the working yarn. They swap roles.
Important: Always carry all non-working strands throughout every stitch, even through long runs of a single color. This keeps tension consistent and prevents any strand from being loose inside the bag.
Braided Cord for Handles
- Cut 9 strands of Color A, each measuring 80 inches (203 cm).
- Hold all 9 strands together. Fold the bundle in half to find the midpoint.
- Use a slip knot or tied knot at one end to secure the 18 working ends together at the folded end.
- Divide the 18 strands into three groups of 6 strands each.
- Braid the three groups in a standard 3-strand braid, pulling firmly and evenly, until the braided section measures 28 inches (71 cm).
- Tie off the end firmly with a small length of yarn.
- Make two identical braided cords.
Keep your braid tension firm and consistent. Loose braiding creates a floppy strap that stretches under load.
Tassel
- Cut approximately 40 strands of Color A, each 10 inches (25.5 cm).
- Align all strands and fold the bundle in half.
- Cut one separate strand approximately 18 inches (46 cm) long.
- Fold the long strand in half to find its midpoint. Place the fold of the tassel bundle over this midpoint.
- Use the long strand to lash tightly around the neck of the tassel, approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the fold. Wrap 6 to 8 times and knot securely.
- Thread the two ends of the lashing strand onto a tapestry needle and pull them up through the center of the tassel head to form the hanging loop.
- Trim the tassel ends to an even length of approximately 4 inches (10 cm) below the neck wrap.
Pattern Notes Before You Begin
- The bag base is worked flat in rows. The bag body is worked in continuous rounds after picking up stitches around all four edges of the base. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round and move it up with each new round.
- The tapestry motif begins at Round 1 of the body and spans Rounds 1 through 60. Rounds 61 through 77 are worked in solid Color A only.
- Color B and Color C are carried throughout ALL rounds of the body section, even during the solid green upper rounds. This maintains consistent fabric thickness and tension. Do not cut these yarns at the end of the motif section.
- The total body circumference is 210 stitches. The front face is 80 stitches (exactly 4 repeats of the 20-stitch motif). The back face is 80 stitches. Each side panel is 25 stitches.
- Place your beginning-of-round marker at what will become the right side seam of the bag. This keeps any color-change jog at the side, least visible in wear.
The Base Instructions
Using Color A and a US G-6 (4.0 mm) hook, chain 81.
Row 1 (RS): Starting in the 2nd chain from hook, sc in each chain across. Turn. (80 sc)
Rows 2 through 27: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (80 sc each row)
Row 28: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Do not turn. Do not fasten off. (80 sc)
Checkpoint: The finished base should measure approximately 16 inches (40.5 cm) long and 5 inches (12.5 cm) wide.
Joining for the Round
Do not fasten off after Row 28. You’ll now pick up stitches around all four edges of the base to form the working circumference for the body.
Introduce Color B and Color C strands at your starting position. You’ll carry all three colors from this point forward throughout all body rounds, using tapestry single crochet (tsc) throughout.
Begin the pickup at the corner where Row 28 ends.
- Short end A (right side): Work 25 sc evenly spaced across the short end, one sc per row end edge. (25 sc)
- Long edge A (bottom): Work into the remaining loops of the foundation chain, sc in each loop across. (80 sc)
- Short end B (left side): Work 25 sc evenly spaced across the opposite short end. (25 sc)
- Long edge B (live stitches from Row 28): sc in each of the 80 live stitches. (80 sc)
Total pickup round: 25 + 80 + 25 + 80 = 210 sc
Place a stitch marker in the first stitch you worked on Short End A. This is your beginning-of-round marker. Move it up each round.
Checkpoint: You should have exactly 210 stitches in your working round.
Body Round Structure
Work in continuous rounds using tsc throughout. Carry Color B and Color C in every stitch of every round, even when they aren’t the active color.
The 210-stitch round breaks down as follows:
- Right side panel: stitches 1 to 25 (solid Color A)
- Front panel: stitches 26 to 105 (80 stitches, 4 motif repeats)
- Left side panel: stitches 106 to 130 (solid Color A)
- Back panel: stitches 131 to 210 (80 stitches, 4 motif repeats)
Place additional markers at stitch 26 (start of front panel), stitch 106 (start of left side panel), and stitch 131 (start of back panel).
The Tapestry Motif Chart
The motif pattern is written for one 20-stitch repeat. Work this repeat 4 times across each of the front and back panels per round.
Color key:
- A = Color A (Forest Green)
- B = Color B (Cream)
- C = Color C (Brown)
One vertical motif repeat equals 30 rounds. Work rounds 1 to 30 once, then work rounds 1 to 30 again (rounds 31 to 60) to complete two full vertical motif repeats. After that, continue in solid Color A for the upper section.
Keep tension even and carry every non-working strand in every stitch. Those clean diamonds depend on consistent fabric thickness.
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FAQ’s
Is tapestry crochet really that hard?
It feels awkward for the first few rounds, then it clicks. Once you get the rhythm of carrying the yarns and switching colors on the final yarn-over, it becomes almost meditative. This project is a great teacher.
Why do I have to carry the unused colors even in the solid green section?
Because the fabric thickness needs to stay consistent. Cutting the yarns creates thin spots and changes the drape. Carrying them keeps the whole bag firm and even. FYI, you’ll thank yourself when the bag stands up on its own.
Can I use acrylic yarn instead of cotton?
You can, but the bag will stretch more and lose that structured look over time. Cotton or a cotton blend gives the dense, boutique-quality fabric this design needs. IMO, the extra firmness is worth it.
How do I keep my diamonds looking crisp?
Work tightly, count every round, and mark the start of each motif repeat. Loose tension blurs the lines. A slightly smaller hook than usual helps a lot.
Do the braided handles stretch?
Not if you braid them firmly. Pull each section tight as you go and the finished cords stay strong even with a full load. Folding and stitching them for extra thickness is optional but recommended for heavy use.
Is a base insert necessary?
Optional but highly recommended. A simple piece of plastic canvas or firm fabric cut to size keeps the bottom flat and the bag standing tall. It takes five minutes and makes a huge difference.
Final Thoughts
This Forest Green Diamond Tapestry Tote rewards the focus it asks for. Those clean geometric diamonds against the deep green background look sharp from every angle, and the braided handles with the little tassel give it that finished, handmade touch.
Once you finish the first motif repeat you’ll settle into a comfortable rhythm. The upper solid section flies by, the handles come together quickly, and suddenly you have a bag that feels like it belongs on a high-end shelf. Grab your three colors, settle in, and start those diamonds. You’ll be carrying this one everywhere.
