Lavender Dreams Flower Square Tote Free Crochet Pattern

You know that moment when an old notebook sketch finally gets its day? This lavender flower tote is exactly that. Soft purple squares packed with puffy daisies, sturdy bamboo handles, and a shape that actually stands up on its own. If you can handle puff stitches and work in the round, you can make this bag. Let’s get into it.

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Why This Flower Square Tote Feels So Special

This bag is built completely from flower granny squares. Each square has a raised puff-stitch daisy in the middle that sits up off the fabric. The flowers use two soft purple and pink shades against a solid lavender background. The finished tote measures about 13 inches wide, 11 inches tall, and 2.5 inches deep (not counting the handles).

It looks fancy, but the construction stays pretty straightforward. You make the squares, join them into panels, add side and bottom gussets for depth, finish the top edge, and attach the bamboo handles with D-rings. A zipper and simple fabric lining give it that polished, ready-to-carry feel.

Skill level sits at intermediate. You need to feel okay working in the round, making puff stitches, and doing basic finishing like sewing in a zipper. Plan on roughly 25 to 35 hours for an average intermediate crocheter, not counting blocking or lining time.

Materials You’ll Need for Your Lavender Tote

Grab these before you start so nothing slows you down.

Yarn

Color A (main body, square backgrounds, and border): about 550 yards of worsted weight cotton or cotton blend in medium lavender
Color B (flower petals): about 160 yards of worsted weight cotton or cotton blend in light pink lavender or soft mauve
Color C (flower center): about 45 yards of worsted weight cotton or cotton blend in dusty blue-purple or periwinkle

Good options that hold shape well:

Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Lavender, Dusty Pink, and Periwinkle
Paintbox Yarns Simply DK Cotton in Wisteria, Blush Pink, and Cornflower Blue
WeCrochet Dishie in Alfalfa, Begonia, and Sky

Pick yarn with low stretch and clear stitch definition. Cotton or cotton-linen blends work best for bags. Skip pure acrylic if you want the bag to keep its structured look.

Hook
US size G-6 / 4.0 mm crochet hook

Other supplies

One pair of bamboo bag handles with gold D-ring hardware (handle opening about 5–6 inches wide)
4 gold D-rings, 0.75 inch (19 mm)
14-inch nylon coil zipper in lavender or a matching color
Pre-cut cotton lining fabric: 2 pieces 14 inches wide by 12 inches tall, plus 1 strip 3 inches wide by 40 inches long for the gusset
Sewing needle and matching thread
At least 8 stitch markers
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Blocking mat and pins

Gauge and Why It Matters

One finished flower square should measure 3.25 inches by 3.25 inches after blocking, edge to edge.
Or check: 16 single crochet stitches by 20 rows equals 4 inches by 4 inches in Color A with the G-6 hook.

Gauge is not optional here. The bag size depends on those squares. If your square comes out bigger than 3.25 inches, drop half a hook size. If it comes out smaller, go up half a size. Make one test square first. Trust me on this.

Abbreviations and the Star Stitch: Puff Stitch

Here are the abbreviations you’ll see:

beg = beginning
ch = chain
ch-sp = chain space
dc = double crochet
MC = magic ring
ps = puff stitch
rnd = round
RS = right side
sc = single crochet
sk = skip
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
WS = wrong side
yo = yarn over

How to Make the Puff Stitch (ps)

This is what gives the flowers that soft, dimensional look.

Yarn over, insert hook into the indicated stitch or space.
Yarn over and pull up a loop about 0.5 inch tall. You now have 3 loops on the hook.
Yarn over, insert hook into the same place.
Yarn over and pull up another loop to the same height. Now 5 loops.
Yarn over, insert hook into the same place again.
Yarn over and pull up a third loop to the same height. Now 7 loops.
Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops.
Chain 1 to close the puff. That closing chain does not count as a stitch.

Keep the loops the same height and a little loose. Pull them tight and the puff disappears.

Standing Double Crochet

Use this when you start a new color without a starting chain.

Make a slip knot and place it on the hook.
Yarn over, insert hook into the stitch or space.
Yarn over and pull up a loop.
Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops.
Yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.

Quick Notes Before You Start the Squares

Work every flower square in the round with the right side always facing you. Never turn between rounds.
You need 35 squares total: 12 for the front, 12 for the back, 4 for the left gusset, 4 for the right gusset, and 3 for the bottom gusset.
Fasten off and weave in ends after each color change unless the pattern says otherwise.
Rounds start with a standing stitch or a starting chain that counts as the first stitch, just as written.

Flower Square Instructions (Make 35)

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Use Color C for Rounds 1 and 2.
Use Color B for Rounds 3 and 4.
Use Color A for Rounds 5 and 6.

Round 1 (Color C)

Make a magic ring.
Chain 1 (does not count as a stitch).
Work 6 sc into the magic ring.
Pull the ring closed.
Slip stitch to the first sc to join.
(6 sc)

Round 2 (Color C)

Chain 1.
Work 2 sc into each sc around.
Slip stitch to the first sc to join.
Fasten off Color C.
(12 sc)

Round 3 (Color B)

Join Color B with a standing dc into any sc.
Work 1 more dc into the same sc (2 dc in the first stitch).
[Work 2 dc into the next sc] 11 times.
Slip stitch to the first standing dc to join.
(24 dc)

Round 4 (Color B)

Chain 1.
Working in the front loops only for the whole round, [ps in the next stitch, slip stitch in the next stitch] 12 times.
You end up with 12 puff stitches and 12 slip stitches alternating.
Slip stitch to the base of the first puff stitch to join.
Fasten off Color B.
(12 ps, 12 sl sts)

Working in the front loops only leaves the back loops of Round 3 free. Round 5 goes into those back loops. That is what makes the flower sit up in front of the background.

Round 5 (Color A)

Join Color A with a standing sc into any back loop of Round 3 (behind the puffs).
Work 1 sc into each remaining back loop of Round 3 around.
Slip stitch to the first sc to join.
(24 sc)

Round 6 (Color A)

This round turns the circle into a square. Follow these steps carefully:

Slip stitch into the 2nd sc of Round 5 to get to a grouping center.
Chain 3 (counts as the first dc of a 3-dc group).
2 dc in the same stitch.
Chain 2 (first corner).
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Chain 2 (second corner).
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Chain 2 (third corner).
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Chain 2 (fourth corner).
Skip 2 stitches.
3 dc in the next stitch.
Skip 2 stitches.
Slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain-3 to join.

Fasten off Color A.
(36 dc, 4 ch-2 corner spaces)

After one square, it should lie flat and measure about 3.25 inches square when lightly blocked. The petals should stand up nicely. If it cups, you are working too tight. If it ruffles, you are working too loose.

Assembling the Panels and Building the Bag

Join all 35 squares with a flat slip-stitch seam on the wrong side using Color A.

Flat Seam Join Method

Hold two squares with wrong sides together, edges matched.
Join Color A with a slip stitch through both corner chain-2 spaces at once.
Chain 1.
[Insert the hook through both matching dc stitches, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops] all the way across the side.
Work 1 sc through both corner chain-2 spaces at the far end.
Fasten off.

Panel Layout

Front panel: 4 rows tall by 3 squares wide (12 squares)
Back panel: same as front (12 squares)
Left side gusset: 4 squares in one vertical column
Right side gusset: 4 squares in one vertical column
Bottom gusset: 3 squares in one horizontal row

Assembly order:

Join the front panel into 3 columns of 4, then join the columns together.
Do the same for the back panel.
Join the left gusset into one column of 4.
Join the right gusset the same way.
Join the bottom gusset into one row of 3.
Attach the left gusset to the left edge of the front panel.
Attach the bottom gusset to the bottom edge of the front panel.
Attach the right gusset to the right edge of the front panel.
Join the back panel to the remaining open edges of the gussets and bottom.

When you finish, the bag should stand up on its own.

Top Border, Handles, Zipper, and Lining

Top Border

Turn the bag right side out. Work the border around the entire top opening with Color A.

Round 1 (RS):
Join Color A at any top corner with a standing sc.

Work sc evenly around, placing 1 sc in each dc of the top edge squares, 1 sc in each joining seam, and 3 sc in each outer corner.
Join with a slip stitch to the first sc.
(about 90 sc)

Round 2 (RS):
Chain 1.
Sc in each sc around.
Slip stitch to the first sc.
(90 sc)

Round 3 (RS):
Chain 1.
Sc in each sc around.
Slip stitch to the first sc.
Fasten off.
(90 sc)

D-Ring Handle Tabs (Make 4)

With Color A and the G-6 hook:

Foundation: Chain 7.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd chain from the hook and in each chain across. Turn.
(6 sc)
Rows 2–6: Chain 1, sc in each sc across. Turn.
(6 sc each row)

After Row 6, do not fasten off. Fold the tab in half so Row 1 and Row 6 line up. Slide a D-ring onto the fold. Slip stitch through both Row 1 and Row 6 at the same time across all 6 stitches to close the tab and lock the D-ring inside.

Fasten off, leaving a 12-inch tail for sewing.

On the front top border, measure 3.5 inches in from each side seam. Place two tabs, spaced about 3 inches apart at the center, with the D-rings facing up. Do the same on the back.

Sew each tab securely to the inside of the top border with the long tail. Thread the bamboo handle hardware through the matching pair of D-rings on each side.

Zipper Installation

Pin the 14-inch zipper along the inside top edge so the pull sits centered and the tape sits just below the top border. Hand-sew the zipper tape to the inside of the border with small whipstitches. Fold the top border over the zipper tape toward the inside and whipstitch it down to hide the tape neatly.

Lining

With right sides of the lining fabric together, sew the two main pieces at the sides with a 0.5-inch seam. Sew the lining gusset strip around the bottom and sides. Leave the top open. Fold the top edge of the lining down 0.75 inch to the wrong side and press.

Place the lining inside the bag with wrong sides facing. Pin the folded edge just below the top border. Slip-stitch the lining to the bag all the way around the top.

Finishing Touches and Care

Weave in every remaining end. Wet-block the finished bag by soaking it in cool water, gently pressing out excess water in a towel, then shaping it on a blocking mat to the correct size. Pin the corners square and let it dry completely away from direct sun.

Care tip: Machine wash cold on gentle inside a mesh bag, then lay flat to dry. Better yet, hand-wash in cool water so the bamboo handles last longer. Wipe the handles with a slightly damp cloth only.

Want a bigger tote? Add one more column of squares to the front and back (making 4 by 4) and add one extra square to each side gusset. Each added square gives you about 3.25 inches more width or height.

For a smaller clutch version, use 2 columns by 3 rows for front and back, skip the gussets, and seam the sides flat.

This Lavender Dreams tote takes a little time, but the finished bag feels like something from a boutique. Carry it with pride. If you make one, share a photo—those finished projects always make the day better.

Lavender Dreams Flower Square Tote Free Crochet Pattern

Why This Flower Square Tote Feels So Special

Materials You’ll Need for Your Lavender Tote

Gauge and Why It Matters