DIY Zig-Zag Crochet Clutch Guide

On Mar 8, 2025 14 0

Are you ready to dive into a fun and stylish project that you can truly make with your own hands? Get ready to be absolutely thrilled because today we’re going to fashion a gorgeous crocheted zig-zag clutch bag, just like the one you see in the picture! If you’ve been looking for a project that’s both beautiful and satisfying to build, you’ve come to the right place. Don’t worry if you’re brand new to crochet – we’ll guide you every step of the way, making sure this journey is as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Imagine the feeling of accomplishment when you carry this stunning clutch, knowing you made it yourself! Let’s grab our hooks and yarn and get started on this exciting adventure together!

Materials You’ll Need

Before we jump into the fun part of making our clutch, let’s gather all the supplies we’ll need. Having everything ready will make the whole process smoother and more enjoyable.

🧶 Worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors: black and white. Cotton yarn is a great choice because it’s sturdy and gives your clutch a lovely structure.
🪡 4mm crochet hook. This is a common size hook that works well with worsted weight yarn.
✂️ Scissors. You’ll need these to snip your yarn.
📍 Yarn needle (also sometimes called a tapestry needle or darning needle). This helps you to weave in the yarn ends neatly and sew pieces together.
📏 Measuring tape or ruler. This will be useful for checking the size of your clutch as you develop it.

Let’s Get Started! Step-by-Step Guide

Now for the exciting part – actually making our crocheted clutch! We’ll take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you’ll have a beautiful, handmade accessory. Remember, take your time, enjoy the process, and don’t be afraid to pause and re-read if you need to. We’re crafting something amazing together!

1. Understanding Basic Crochet Stitches

If you’re completely new to crochet, the first thing to know are the basic stitches. Don’t worry, they are super easy to learn! We’ll be using two main stitches for this clutch: the chain stitch and the single crochet stitch.

Chain Stitch (ch): Think of the chain stitch as the foundation of almost all crochet projects. It’s like forming the first link in a chain. To make a chain stitch, first, you fashion a slip knot on your hook. Hold your hook with the slip knot, yarn over (wrap the yarn around your hook from back to front), and then pull the yarn through the loop on your hook. That’s one chain stitch! Repeat this to make a chain of any length.
Single Crochet (sc): This is a short, tight stitch, perfect for constructing a dense fabric like our clutch. It’s like building a solid wall, brick by brick. To make a single crochet, insert your hook into the stitch from the previous row (or chain). Yarn over, pull the yarn through the stitch (you’ll have two loops on your hook). Yarn over again, and pull through both loops on your hook. That’s one single crochet stitch made!

2. Starting the Base of the Clutch

We’ll begin by fashioning the main rectangle of our clutch. This rectangle will be folded later to produce the clutch shape. We’ll start with the white yarn.

Step 1: Make a chain of 35 chain stitches with your white yarn. This chain will determine the width of your clutch. If you want a wider or narrower clutch, you can adjust the number of chains, just remember to keep it an odd number for the zig-zag pattern to work out neatly.

Step 2: Now, we’ll start working in rows of single crochet. For the first row, skip the first chain from your hook (this skipped chain doesn’t count as a stitch and helps to position your first single crochet correctly). Insert your hook into the second chain from the hook. Make a single crochet in each chain across the entire chain. You should have 34 single crochet stitches in this row. Refer to the image to see the texture produced by single crochet stitches.

Step 3: Chain 1 at the end of the row. This chain 1 is called a turning chain, and it helps you get to the right height for the next row of single crochet. It doesn’t count as a stitch. Turn your work. This means you flip your crochet piece over so you can work back in the opposite direction.

Step 4: Make a single crochet in each stitch across the row. When you reach the end of the row, chain 1 and turn again.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 for a total of 4 rows in white. So you will have 4 rows of white single crochet stitches.

3. Introducing the Zig-Zag Pattern

Now comes the fun part where we start forming the zig-zag design using black yarn! We’ll be changing colors every 4 rows to develop the zig-zag effect.

Step 6: After completing 4 rows of white, it’s time to switch to black yarn. To change colors, on the last stitch of the 4th white row, before you pull through the final loop of the single crochet, drop the white yarn. Pick up your black yarn, yarn over with the black yarn, and pull through the last loop to complete the single crochet stitch with black yarn. This secures the color change. Do not cut the white yarn yet, we will carry it up the side.

Step 7: Chain 1 with black yarn and turn your work. Now, make 4 rows of single crochet with black yarn, just like you did with the white yarn. Remember to chain 1 and turn at the end of each row.

Step 8: After 4 rows of black, switch back to white yarn in the same way you switched to black. On the last stitch of the 4th black row, before you pull through the final loop, drop the black yarn. Pick up your white yarn (which we carried up the side), yarn over with the white yarn, and pull through to complete the stitch in white.

Step 9: Chain 1 with white yarn and turn. Make 4 rows of single crochet with white yarn.

Step 10: Continue alternating between 4 rows of black and 4 rows of white yarn, always changing color on the last stitch of the 4th row and carrying the unused yarn up the side. Refer to the image to see how the zig-zag pattern develops. Notice in the image how the black and white stripes are arranged to fashion the zig-zag.

Step 11: Keep repeating the 4 rows of each color until your rectangle measures approximately 11 inches (about 28 cm) in height. You can adjust this height to make your clutch taller or shorter as you prefer. You can use your measuring tape or ruler to check the size as you build it. End with a row of white yarn so that the top edge matches the bottom edge in color.

Step 12: Once you reach the desired height, finish off your work. To finish off, after your last single crochet, cut the yarn leaving a tail of about 6 inches (15 cm). Pull the yarn tail through the last loop on your hook and pull tight to secure. Weave in all your yarn ends using your yarn needle to hide them neatly inside your crochet fabric. This makes your work look professional and prevents the ends from unraveling.

4. Shaping and Assembling the Clutch

Now that we have our crocheted rectangle, it’s time to assemble it into the clutch shape.

Step 13: Lay your crocheted rectangle flat with the wrong side facing up (the wrong side is usually the back side of your stitches, but with single crochet it’s not very noticeable, so just pick a side to be the wrong side and be consistent).

Step 14: Fold the bottom edge up by approximately 5 inches (about 13 cm) to form the front flap of the clutch. Refer to the image to see how the flap is folded over. The folded part will become the body of the clutch, and the top part will be the flap.

Step 15: Using your yarn needle and black yarn, seam the two side edges of the clutch together. Start from the bottom folded edge and sew upwards along both sides, joining the front flap to the back of the clutch. You can use a whip stitch or a mattress stitch for seaming. Make sure your seams are secure and neat. This constructs the main body of your clutch.

5. Adding the Triangular Flap Detail

To give our clutch that extra touch of style seen in the image, we’ll fashion a small black triangle and attach it to the flap.

Step 16: With black yarn, make a chain of 4.

Step 17: Row 1: Single crochet in the second chain from hook and in each chain across. You will have 3 single crochet stitches. Chain 1 and turn.

Step 18: Row 2: Single crochet decrease over the first two stitches (to make a single crochet decrease, insert hook into the first stitch, yarn over, pull through loop, insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull through loop, you will have 3 loops on hook, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops). Single crochet in the last stitch. You will have 2 single crochet stitches. Chain 1 and turn.

Step 19: Row 3: Single crochet decrease over the two stitches. You will have 1 single crochet stitch. Chain 1 and turn.

Step 20: Row 4: Single crochet in the single stitch. Finish off and weave in ends. You have now fashioned a small triangle.

Step 21: Position the black triangle in the center of the flap point, as seen in the image. Using your yarn needle and black yarn, sew the triangle securely onto the flap.

6. Finishing Touches – Edging (Optional)

For a clean and polished look, you can fashion a simple border around the top edge of the flap and the opening of the clutch with black yarn.

Step 22: With black yarn, attach your yarn to any point on the top edge of the flap. Make a slip stitch evenly around the entire top edge of the flap and the opening of the clutch. To make a slip stitch, insert your hook into the edge, yarn over, and pull through both the loop on your hook and the stitch on the edge in one motion. This produces a neat and subtle border.

Step 23: Finish off and weave in all remaining yarn ends.

Admire Your Handmade Clutch!

Congratulations! You have successfully made your own crocheted zig-zag clutch bag! Isn’t it amazing what you can fashion with just yarn and a hook? Take a moment to admire your creation. You built this beautiful and stylish accessory with your own two hands. Each stitch is a testament to your patience and skill.

Now, go show off your gorgeous new clutch! It’s perfect for adding a handmade touch to any outfit. And the best part? You made it yourself!

If you enjoyed this project, please share pictures of your makes! We’d absolutely love to see how your clutches turned out. Happy crocheting, and keep making beautiful things!