Mint Waist Pouch with Lavender Pockets Free Pattern

Mint Waist Pouch with Lavender Pockets – Free Beginner Crochet Pattern

Introduction

This mint waist pouch is the perfect first "real" project for someone who has just learned the single crochet stitch and wants to make something they will actually wear. It is a compact, structured little belt bag with a rounded-rectangle body, two sweet patch pockets on the front, and a flap finished with a soft lavender edge — a quiet dark academia look in mint and lavender. The finished pouch is about 8 inches wide and 6 inches tall, sturdy enough to hold a phone, keys, and a small wallet, and it slips onto any belt up to 1.5 inches wide. Because it is worked flat in plain single crochet and then seamed, there are no confusing "in the round" steps — just straight rows you can count easily. By the end you will have a wearable, giftable bag and a whole new set of skills.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Medium weight (worsted/aran, CYC 4) acrylic or cotton-blend yarn — approximately 180 yd (165 m) mint and 45 yd (41 m) lavender. One standard skein of each is plenty.
• Crochet hook: 5 mm (US H/8).
• Yarn needle (tapestry needle): a blunt-tipped needle with a large eye, for seaming and weaving in ends.
• Stitch markers: at least 4 (or use small safety pins or scrap yarn loops).
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Pins (optional but helpful) for holding pockets and flap in place while you sew.
• Finished sizes: Body about 8 in (20 cm) wide x 5 in (12.5 cm) tall x 1.5 in (4 cm) deep; Flap about 8 in (20 cm) wide x 2.5 in (6.5 cm) tall; each patch pocket about 2.5 in (6.5 cm) wide x 2 in (5 cm) tall; belt loops fit belts up to 1.5 in (4 cm) wide.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Make a loop with the yarn, then pull a new loop through it. Each loop you pull through is one chain. Chains form your starting foundation.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over (wrap yarn around hook), pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over again, pull through both loops. One loop remains. That is one single crochet.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches. One completed single crochet is one stitch.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull the yarn straight through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. Used to join rounds invisibly.
• turn – flip your work over so you can work back across the row you just made.
• 2nd ch from hook – skip the very first chain next to your hook and work into the second one. This keeps the edge neat.
• fasten off – cut the yarn leaving a tail, then pull the tail all the way through the last loop to lock it.
• whipstitch – a simple sewing stitch: bring the needle up through both layers, over the edge, and back down, making small diagonal stitches that wrap the edge. Used here for all seams.
• mattress stitch – an alternative seaming stitch that goes back and forth between the two edges to create a nearly invisible join. You may use it instead of whipstitch on the side seams.
• right side – the "public" side of the fabric that faces out when the bag is finished.
• steam-block – gently steaming the finished piece (hovering the iron just above it, never pressing down) to relax the stitches and even out the shape.

Gauge

Gauge: 14 single crochet = 4 in (10 cm); 17 rows = 6 in (15 cm) in single crochet.

Gauge matters because it is how we make sure your bag comes out the same size as the pattern. If your stitches are bigger than the gauge, the bag will be too large and floppy; if smaller, it will be too small and stiff. To check: chain 20, single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across (19 sc), then work about 20 rows of single crochet. Lay the swatch flat and measure 4 inches across the middle — count how many stitches fit in those 4 inches. Then measure 6 inches up and count the rows. If you have more stitches than 14, switch to a larger hook; if fewer, switch to a smaller hook. It is worth the 20 minutes — this swatch also becomes your practice piece.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count every row. Single crochet rows are easy to lose track of. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each row as you begin it, and move it up each row.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Tension should feel relaxed. If your hook squeaks or the stitches are hard to insert into, you are pulling too hard — loosen your grip on the yarn.
• The ch 1 at the start of each row does not count as a stitch. Always work your first single crochet into the very first stitch, or your bag will shrink row by row.
• Keep the lavender separate. Do not carry the lavender yarn across the mint body — only use it on the flap rows and the edging, as written.
• Pin before you sew. Pockets and flap sit much straighter if you pin them in place first and check the placement in a mirror before stitching.
• Leave long tails. When you fasten off, leave at least 10–12 inches of yarn. You will use these tails to sew the bag together, so you won't need to start a new thread.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (make 1, mint)

Row 1: Ch 29. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (28 sc)

Rows 2–34: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (28 sc)

Do not fasten off; leave a long tail (about 24 in / 60 cm) for seaming. The body measures about 8 in wide x 12 in tall before folding.

Row check: 34 rows at the gauge of 17 rows per 6 in gives about 12 in of height — exactly what we need to fold into a 6 in tall pouch.

Folding and Seaming the Body

Step 1: Fold the body in half with right sides together so the two 8 in edges meet, forming a pouch about 8 in wide x 6 in tall.

Step 2: Thread your yarn needle with the long mint tail. Whipstitch (or mattress-stitch) the two side seams closed, working from the folded bottom edge up each side. Leave the top 6 in opening free — this is where the bag opens.

Step 3: Turn the pouch right side out. It is now about 8 in wide x 6 in tall x 1.5 in deep.

Flap (make 1, mint with lavender edging)

Row 1 (mint): Ch 29. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (28 sc)

Rows 2–8 (mint): Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (28 sc)

Row 9 (lavender): Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (28 sc)

Row 10 (lavender): Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (28 sc)

Fasten off lavender. The flap measures about 8 in wide x 2.5 in tall (10 rows at the gauge of 17 rows per 6 in).

Lavender Edging Around the Flap

With lavender, join yarn at the bottom-right corner of the flap. Work 1 round of sc evenly around the entire flap edge: about 28 sc along the bottom, 28 sc along the top, and 8 sc along each side, working 3 sc in each corner so the corners turn neatly. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Patch Pockets (make 2, mint)

Row 1: Ch 10. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (9 sc)

Rows 2–9: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (9 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a 12 in tail for seaming. Each pocket measures about 2.5 in wide x 2 in tall (9 rows at the gauge of 17 rows per 6 in).

Attaching the Pockets

Step 1: Place the two pockets on the front of the body, centered side by side with about 1 in between them and about 1 in up from the bottom edge.

Step 2: Pin in place. Using the yarn needle and the mint tail, whipstitch around the sides and bottom of each pocket, leaving the top edge open.

Step 3: Weave in ends.

Attaching the Flap

Step 1: Center the flap along the back top edge of the body, with the lavender edging facing outward.

Step 2: Using mint yarn and the yarn needle, whipstitch the top edge of the flap to the top back edge of the body, working through both layers.

Step 3: Weave in ends.

Belt Loops (make 2, mint)

Row 1: Ch 9. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (8 sc)

Rows 2–3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (8 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a 10 in tail. Each loop measures about 2.25 in wide x 0.75 in tall.

Attaching the Belt Loops

Step 1: Fold each loop in half to form a small tube.

Step 2: Place one loop on each side of the back of the body, about 1 in down from the top edge.

Step 3: Whipstitch the short ends of each loop to the body, leaving the center open for the belt.

Step 4: Weave in ends.

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in all remaining ends. Thread each tail onto the yarn needle and run it back and forth through the wrong side of the fabric for about 1 inch, then trim close to the fabric. Never knot your ends — weaving hides them securely and keeps the surface smooth.

Steam-block the bag. Lay the pouch flat on a towel. Fill your iron with water, set it to the steam setting, and hover it 1–2 inches above the fabric — do not press down, especially over the pockets, or you will flatten them. Let the steam relax the stitches, then gently pat the bag into its rounded-rectangle shape with your hands and let it dry completely.

Final check. Insert a belt through the two loops at the back, buckle it, and try the pouch on. The flap should fold neatly over the front, and the pockets should sit flat and even.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the mint for mustard or rust and the lavender for cream for a warmer autumn look, or go all one color for a minimalist bag. Any CYC 4 yarn will work — just check your gauge again if you change fiber.
• Make it bigger or smaller: To widen the bag, add chains in multiples of 2 to the starting chain of the body and flap (each extra 2 chains adds about 0.5 in). To make it taller, add rows to the body before folding — just remember the body folds in half, so every 2 extra rows adds 1 row of finished height.
• Add a button closure: Sew a 1 in (2.5 cm) button to the center front of the body, just below the top edge, and crochet a small chain loop (ch 8, sl st to join) at the center of the flap's bottom edge to hook over it.
• Try a cotton blend: Cotton-blend yarn gives a crisper, more structured bag that holds its shape beautifully; acrylic is softer and easier on beginner hands. Either works with the same 5 mm hook and gauge.