If your lipsticks currently live in the bottom of your handbag, rolling around with the loose change and a mysterious hair tie, this collection is for you. A handmade crochet makeup bag keeps everything in one pretty place, and it does it with far more personality than anything from a shop shelf. Best of all, most of these pouches use less than a ball or two of yarn, so they are perfect stash-busters and thoughtful last-minute gifts.
I have gathered twenty of my favourite designs here, from the simplest single-crochet pouches you can finish in an evening to mosaic, tapestry and chevron zipper pouches that look genuinely boutique-made. There are drawstring bags that open out flat like a tray, a cross-stitched pouch that feels like a little work of art, and even a tiny Santa bag for the festive season. Every design is linked to a genuinely free pattern, and I have noted the yarn, the size and the honest little details for each one as we go.
1. The Simple Single-Crochet Starter Pouch
We are starting with the friendliest pattern in the whole collection: the Shay Cosmetic Bag from Cre8tion Crochet, which is nothing but simple single crochet worked in rounds from an oval base. It uses about 115 yards of worsted cotton yarn with a 5 mm hook and comes together in just over an hour, finishing at a very useful 9 inches wide by 6.25 inches tall. The designer loves slipping a pre-made canvas zipper bag inside as an instant lining, which gives the pouch real structure without any complicated sewing. Work it in one solid colour for a clean, modern look, or use it as a blank canvas for colour blocks and stripes. The written pattern is completely free on her blog; an ad-free printable PDF is available to buy on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveCrafts if you prefer one. If you have never crocheted a bag before, start here and prepare to feel very pleased with yourself.
Pattern: Shay Cosmetic Bag or Hook Pouch by Cre8tion Crochet — Get the free pattern
2. Boho Texture With a Pretty Ribbed Top
The Wildflower Cosmetic Pouch from The Crochet Village has the loveliest soft texture, made by pairing a single crochet and a double crochet into the same stitch, round after round, in two alternating colours. Her sample uses a variegated yarn against a solid linen shade, and the effect is pure boho — though it looks just as beautiful worked in a single colour. The top is finished with half double crochets worked in the back loop and then in the third loop, which creates a neat ribbed band, plus a little loop handle for hanging it on a hook or door knob. It measures about 8.5 inches wide by 7 inches tall, and you can close it with a zipper or magnetic snaps; she includes a full tutorial for hand-sewing a simple fabric lining. The pattern is free on her blog, with an optional ad-free PDF in her Etsy, Ravelry and online shops. Confident beginners will manage this one happily, and the size adjusts easily if you need it bigger for travel.
Pattern: Wildflower Cosmetic Pouch by The Crochet Village — Get the free pattern
3. Mosaic Windowpanes in Cream and Mulberry
Through the Window is Alexandra of EyeLoveKnots' signature mosaic stitch, and on this cosmetic bag it creates a crisp windowpane grid that looks far more complicated than it is. The whole design is built from single crochets, chains and a few well-placed double crochets worked into earlier rows, so a confident beginner can absolutely do it — she even includes a photo that breaks the stitch down. Her sample pairs cream with a rich mulberry purple in worsted cotton, finishing at 9 inches wide by 6.5 inches tall, and the pattern takes under two hours. Like the Shay bag above, it is designed to hug a pre-made canvas zipper pouch as a lining, which keeps the shape smart and the inside wipe-clean. The full written pattern is free on the blog, and there is an optional ad-free PDF on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveCrafts. She is happy for you to make and sell finished bags from it, too, which makes this a lovely craft-fair make.
Pattern: Through the Window Cosmetic Bag or Hook Pouch by EyeLoveKnots — Get the free pattern
4. Lantern Mosaic Over a Ready-Made Zip Pouch
Nicki of Nicki's Homemade Crafts is a mosaic crochet specialist, and her Mosaic Zipper Pouch shows it: glowing lantern shapes emerge row by row from just two colours, worked one round at a time with simple stitches. The clever construction trick is that the crocheted cover is made to fit a blank canvas zipper pouch, which you sew or glue inside — so you get a sturdy, professional finish with no lining maths at all. The finished pouch is 9 by 5.5 inches, worked in worsted yarn with a 4 mm hook, and the pattern includes both the colour chart and fully written-out rounds. Her sample uses a white gold sparkle yarn against an ombre shade, and the lanterns genuinely seem to glow. The complete pattern is free on her site, with an optional ad-free PDF on Ravelry and Etsy, and it also appears in her mosaic crochet ebook. This is the one to try when you want mosaic colourwork without committing to a blanket.
Pattern: Mosaic Crochet Zipper Pouch by Nicki’s Homemade Crafts — Get the free pattern
5. Herringbone Texture With a Boxy Flat Bottom
Juli Anne of Once Upon a Cheerio designed her Herringbone Zipper Pouch around the herringbone double crochet, a stitch that gives a dense, woven, almost fabric-like texture. The construction is genuinely clever: a simple single-crochet base, two herringbone side panels, and then the bottom corners are pinched and sewn into T-shaped seams so the pouch stands up flat like a little box. She used a salt-and-pepper kitchen cotton with a 4 mm hook and a 9-inch zipper, and the stitches are tight enough that no lining is needed unless you want one. It is roomy enough for makeup brushes and everyday essentials, and it looks especially smart in flecked, tweedy cotton yarns. The full pattern is free on her blog; do note her terms — your copy of the pattern is for personal use, though finished pouches may be sold as long as you credit her design. A proper boutique-looking make from the humblest yarn in the stash.
Pattern: Herringbone Zipper Pouch by Juli Anne at Once Upon a Cheerio — Get the free pattern
6. Bold Chevrons on a Mini Zip Pouch
Whistle and Ivy's Chevron Zipper Pouch proves that big style can come in a small package. The chevron panel is worked flat in single crochet rows — just decreases and three stitches in each peak — then folded, seamed into a tube and finished with a short 4 to 5 inch zipper sewn in by hand, no machine needed. Her sample stripes carrot orange against a soft heather, changing colours every eight rows, but this is a wonderful pattern for using up odds and ends in any two or three shades. Because it is small, it is perfect for lip balm, a lipstick, hair ties and those tiny things that vanish inside a bigger bag. The complete pattern is free on her blog, and her terms allow you to make and sell finished pouches. Worked in cotton it holds its crisp zigzag shape beautifully. Make a handful in different colourways and you will always have a handmade gift ready to go.
Pattern: Chevron Zipper Pouch by Whistle and Ivy — Get the free pattern
7. Blue Diamonds Tapestry, Small and Jewel-Like
Now for something a little finer: Nordic Hook's Blue Diamonds pouch is worked in tapestry crochet with a modified single crochet stitch, carrying the second colour inside the work so the diamond motif stays crisp on both sides. Her sample uses a fine viscose yarn in grey and deep blue with a tiny 2 mm hook, and the finished pouch is a petite 12 by 9 centimetres — just right for jewellery, earbuds or your most precious lipstick. The pattern includes a full colour chart and truly detailed step-by-step photo instructions, including how to sew in the zipper and an optional lining. She suggests any thin cotton yarn works beautifully too. The written pattern is free on her site; the printable PDF can be downloaded free when you join her Nordic Hook Club newsletter, or bought in her shop if you prefer. This is a slow, satisfying evening project with a very elegant result.
Pattern: Tapestry Crochet Zipper Pouch Blue Diamonds by Nordic Hook — Get the free pattern
8. The Madison: Beginner-Friendly Tapestry in Sand and Green
If the Blue Diamonds pouch tempts you but tapestry crochet is new to you, the Madison is Nordic Hook's beginner-friendly sister design. It is worked in continuous rounds — no joining, just a stitch marker to mind — in a calm sand shade with a fresh green motif from the included colour chart. The finished pouch measures 12 by 8.5 centimetres, again in fine yarn with a 2 mm hook, and her photo instructions walk you through every colour change stitch by stitch. She finishes the top edge with a few back-loop slip stitches to level it before the zipper goes in, a small detail that makes the whole thing look professionally made. The pattern is free on her site, and as with her other pouches, the ad-free PDF is a free download for Nordic Hook Club members or available to buy in her shop. In soft neutrals like hers it feels very Scandinavian spa day; in brights it turns into a cheerful little jewel case.
Pattern: Tapestry Crochet Zipper Pouch Madison by Nordic Hook — Get the free pattern
9. A Crown Motif Fit for Your Favourites
The third of Nordic Hook's little tapestry pouches wears its motif proudly: a crown worked in grey against white, which has to be the most fitting design ever for the bag that guards your favourite lipstick. It is the largest of her three pouches here at 13 by 9.5 centimetres, worked in rounds of modified single crochet from a full colour chart, with her signature photo instructions for every step. As with all tapestry crochet, the unused colour travels hidden inside the stitches, so the crown reads clearly and the fabric stays firm enough to protect what's inside. She sews in a zipper at the end and offers a tutorial for adding a lining if you would like one. The complete pattern, chart included, is free on her page. Worked in white and grey it is quietly regal; try it in blush and gold-toned yarn for a full princess moment. Your makeup bag, but make it royalty.
Pattern: Tapestry Crochet Zipper Pouch Crown by Nordic Hook — Get the free pattern
10. Cross-Stitched Blooms on a Lemon Pouch
This is the showpiece of the collection: Jennifer Pionk of A Crocheted Simplicity crochets a plain single-crochet pouch first, then cross-stitches a flower motif onto the front using the crochet stitches themselves as the grid. Her sample is white and sunny lemon with the blooms stitched in rose and aqua mercerised cotton, finished with a 7-inch zipper, and it measures 9 inches wide by 6.5 inches tall. Do not worry if you have never cross-stitched on crochet before — the pattern includes the chart and photo tutorials for the technique, and the bag itself is wonderfully simple. It is the kind of make that gets asked about every time you take it out of your handbag. The full pattern is free on her site, with an optional ad-free PDF, charts and photo tutorials included, on Craftsy and Ravelry. If you love projects that mix two crafts in one, put this at the top of your list.
Pattern: Cross Stitch Make-Up Bag / Pouch by Jennifer Pionk at A Crocheted Simplicity — Get the free pattern
11. Neapolitan Ripples That Beg to Be Gifted
The Remi Cosmetic Bag from Cre8tion Crochet ripples along in double crochet waves, and in her colours — chocolate brown, cream and strawberry pink — it looks exactly like a scoop of Neapolitan ice cream. It is a generous 9.25 inches wide by 6.75 inches tall in worsted cotton, so it swallows a full everyday makeup kit, and she recommends her usual trick of a pre-made canvas zipper pouch slipped inside as a lining. The ripple stitch is rhythmic and relaxing, the kind of pattern you can work while watching a film, and the waves show off any three colours you love together. The written pattern is free on her blog; the printable PDF is free to her newsletter subscribers through her file library, and available to buy on Ravelry and Etsy if you are not a subscriber. There is a matching larger clutch in the same series if you fall for the stitch. Sweet in every sense.
Pattern: Remi Cosmetic Bag or Hook Pouch by Cre8tion Crochet — Get the free pattern
12. A Little Santa Suit for the Festive Season
Every December my makeup bag needs a holiday outfit too, and the Santa Shay from Cre8tion Crochet is exactly that: the same simple single-crochet body as her classic Shay bag, dressed up in Santa red with a black belt band and a golden buckle worked in colour changes. It follows the same easy construction — an oval base, then plain rounds to about 6 inches tall — so if you can make the first bag in this collection, you can make this one in your sleep. The full written pattern is free on her blog, and she has a video tutorial to crochet along with as well. It is designed to fit the same pre-made canvas zipper pouch lining, which makes it feel satisfyingly sturdy. As a Christmas gift filled with a few treats, it is almost unfairly cute. Make the classic version in January and the Santa version in November, and you are set for the whole year.
Pattern: Santa Shay Cosmetic Bag or Hook Pouch by Cre8tion Crochet — Get the free pattern
13. The Fold-Over Bag With Braided Ties
Stitch11's On The Go Makeup Bag was designed by someone who has clearly lost makeup to a car footwell before: security is the whole point. It begins as a simple half-double-crochet rectangle with two clever back-loop rows, which become crisp fold lines; the rectangle folds up into a bag with a front pocket, and two chunky braids tie through button loops to keep everything firmly shut. She used ordinary Red Heart Super Saver worsted with a 5 mm hook, so this is a true use-what-you-have project, and her buttons were handmade from oven-bake clay, though any pretty buttons will do. The finished bag swallows a full daily makeup kit with room to spare, and nothing escapes, even thrown in the back seat. The complete pattern is free on her site with nothing extra to buy. In a deep jewel tone with wooden buttons, it looks far more expensive than it is.
Pattern: On The Go Makeup Bag by Stitch11 — Get the free pattern
14. A Tiny Button-Flap Bag for Touch-Ups
Sara Sach of Posh Pooch Designs made her On The Go Make Up Bag small on purpose: at 5 by 7 inches it holds just the essentials for touching up eyes and lips, and slips into the slimmest handbag. It is worked flat in single crochet in washable cotton — sensible, since makeup bags do get messy — then folded, seamed up the sides and finished with a flap, a button loop and a contrasting trim. She notes it also fits her phone and her crochet hooks, which tells you how useful the size is. The pattern is free on her blog, she has a full video tutorial on her channel, and an ad-free PDF is available in her Ravelry shop for $2.50 if you like a printable. Because it is so quick, make one for the handbag, one for the gym bag and one for the car. Tiny bag, big organisational energy.
Pattern: On The Go Make Up Bag by Sara Sach at Posh Pooch Designs — Get the free pattern
15. The Beginner Drawstring Pouch
Ariana Wimsett of Crafting Happiness designed this drawstring pouch to be as beginner-friendly as a makeup bag can be: one long strip of alternating double crochet and half double crochet rows, folded in half and seamed up the sides. The double crochet rows near the top become the eyelets, and a simple crocheted cord threads through to cinch it closed — no zipper, no lining, no fuss. It stands about 16 to 17 centimetres tall in aran-weight acrylic with a 5 mm hook, so it fits full-size brushes standing upright, and it is washable and reusable, which she rightly points out makes it lovely for gift wrapping too. The full pattern is free on her blog and she has a step-by-step video tutorial on her YouTube channel; the ad-free PDF version is a perk for her Patreon members. Make it in your friends' favourite colours and your gift list is sorted.
Pattern: Drawstring Makeup Pouch by Ariana Wimsett at Crafting Happiness — Get the free pattern
16. Chunky, Ruffled and Ready by the Weekend
CAAB Crochet's drawstring makeup bag works up fast because it uses bulky size-5 yarn and a 6 mm hook: a flat double-crochet circle that grows to about 13.5 inches across, then one front-loop-only round that flares into the prettiest ruffle above the drawstring. Her sample is a soft variegated yarn that does all the colour work for you, and she adds the option of tassels on the drawstring ends, which I fully support. She is honest in the pattern notes that the gathered top does not seal completely — the ruffle covers the gap, but tiny loose items like jewellery are better kept elsewhere. The full pattern is free on her site, with an inexpensive ad-free PDF in her Etsy shop, and she happily allows finished bags to be sold with credit to her design. It opens out nearly flat, so you can see everything at once, then gathers up into a soft, squishy bundle for travel.
Pattern: Drawstring Makeup Bag by CAAB Crochet — Get the free pattern
17. The Lay-Flat Bag With the Cleverest Stitch
Heart Hook Home's Drawstring Cosmetics Bag is the lay-flat design at its most engineered: two double-crochet circles are joined together with an optional plastic canvas disc sandwiched between them for a firm base, then the sides grow in linked double crochet. That stitch choice is the genius part — linked doubles have no gaps, so skinny eyeliner pencils cannot poke through and escape. The body spirals upward without joins, a round of eyelets takes the drawstring, and the finished bag opens out into a flat tray where every product is visible at once, then cinches up neatly for travel. Her sample uses about 360 yards of Dishie cotton in a calm ash grey with a 4 mm hook. The complete pattern is free on her blog. If hotel bathroom counters and morning chaos are your enemies, this bag is your new best friend.
Pattern: Drawstring Cosmetics Bag by Heart Hook Home — Get the free pattern
18. The Two-Tone Tray Bag That Cinches to Nothing
Red Agape's drawstring makeup bag takes the same brilliant lay-flat idea and makes it as simple as it can possibly be: one flat circle of double crochet, growing round by round to 180 stitches, with a contrasting accent edge and a long double-strand drawstring woven through the posts. Open, it is a tray that displays your whole routine; pulled up, it cinches into a soft round pouch that drops into a suitcase corner. The pattern is written for worsted acrylic in two colours with a 5 mm hook, and because it is just one repeated increase rhythm, you can stop early for a small bag or keep going for a bigger one. The full pattern is free on the blog, with helpful notes on fixing a ruffling or cupping circle. Hers is shown in cheerful bright shades, and it would make a wonderful first "real" project for a newer crocheter. Few patterns give you this much usefulness for this little effort.
Pattern: Drawstring Makeup Bag by Red Agape — Get the free pattern
19. A Mini Zippered Purse for Lip Balm and Coins
Rich Textures Crochet's little zippered purse is the smallest make here, and sometimes small is exactly right: it is a home for the lip balm, coins and hair ties that otherwise live loose in every bag you own. The crocheted cover is worked in simple single crochet rounds from an oval base — she gives three looks: one solid colour, a two-colour version with a change near the top, or stripes that change every round — and then it is slipped over a blank canvas zipper pouch and secured at the top, so the zip is already done for you. Because you are crocheting a cosy cover rather than a whole bag, it works up very quickly in worsted yarn. The full pattern is free on her blog. In a bright colour it is easy to spot at the bottom of a tote, which is precisely the job it was born to do. A sweet little stocking filler, too.
Pattern: Easy Zippered Coin Purse by Rich Textures Crochet — Get the free pattern
20. Crocheted Straight Onto the Zipper
We are finishing with the fastest trick in the book: Jewels and Jones crochets her slim pouch directly onto a pre-punched 7-inch zipper, so the closure is finished before you have even started. From the zipper you simply work single crochet in the round for about seventeen rounds, then slip stitch the bottom closed — that is genuinely the whole pattern, and it takes under an hour. She calls it a pencil pouch, but between us, this long slim shape is perfect for makeup brushes, eyeliners and mascaras, the things that never fit in anyone else's pouch. Her sample uses a variegated cotton that stripes all by itself, though any worsted yarn from the stash will work. The complete pattern is free on her blog. If you have a gift to give tomorrow morning, this is the one you make tonight.
Pattern: Easy Pencil Pouch by Jewels and Jones — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty makeup bags, my friend — zippered, drawstring, mosaic, tapestry, rippled and ruffled, from a one-hour pouch stitched straight onto its zipper to a cross-stitched showpiece that belongs in a frame shop. If you are a beginner, start with the Shay, the Crafting Happiness drawstring or the little Chevron pouch; if you are ready for colourwork, the mosaic windowpanes and Nordic Hook's tiny tapestry crowns and diamonds are calling. My favourite trick from this whole collection is the lay-flat drawstring bag — once you have got ready from a flat tray of makeup on a hotel counter, there is no going back.
Now tell me — are you team zipper or team drawstring, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
