A Large Crochet Beach Bag Made with Paper Yarn

I crocheted a large beach bag with paper yarn, and it turned out so amazing!

It was one of those spontaneous projects. One day I suddenly felt like making it, grabbed my yarn, and just started crocheting. The whole bag was finished in two days.

Paper yarn is lightweight and water-resistant

I used Rico Creative Paper yarn, which is available in my own shop. It’s a raffia-style paper yarn that is very popular for making boho accessories and home décor.

One of the things I love most about paper yarn is how lightweight it is. Since this beach bag is quite large, having a lightweight yarn makes it much more comfortable to carry.

Paper yarn also handles a wet beach towel and bikini really well. Yes, really! As surprising as it sounds, paper yarn is washable. I used to imagine that paper yarn would simply fall apart if it got wet, but that’s not true at all. I can confidently say that because I previously crocheted an onion basket with the same yarn and even had to wash it once. That’s why I wasn’t afraid to make a beach bag from it. I was pretty sure it would work just fine.

Ouch… it’s sharp!

Maybe the only downside of paper yarn is that it can sometimes feel a little sharp. You know how the edge of paper can cut your skin? It’s a bit like that. I guess it also depends on how you hold the yarn while crocheting. For me, there was one finger that started to hurt, so I simply wrapped a bandage around it while crocheting, and that solved the problem.

Steam makes all the difference

Crocheting with paper yarn is such a fun experience if you’ve never tried it before.

One thing worth knowing is that steaming gives paper yarn its final beautiful look.

This bag is made from five identical squares. Unfortunately, I didn’t take photos of the squares before and after steaming, but the difference was unbelievable. Before steaming, the squares were curling and looked quite uneven. After steaming both the squares and all the seams, the bag looked like something you’d buy from a designer boutique!

To line it or not?

I’m still undecided about adding a lining.

Originally, I wasn’t planning to add one. I thought the little holes in the crochet fabric would actually be useful because any sand could simply fall back out.

I only started wondering when I realized how big the bag was becoming. I’m a little worried that if I fill it with a couple of large beach towels, the yarn might stretch over time and the bag could lose its shape.

If you have any experience with this, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. It would really help me decide.

Unfortunately, the weather has been quite rainy lately, so I haven’t had a chance to actually use the bag yet. I can’t wait to take it to the beach and see how it performs. Hopefully, that’ll answer my lining dilemma too.

Yarn: Rico Creative Paper

Yarn used: 5 balls of 011 Blast and 4 balls of 010 Black

Hook: 3.75 mm

Finished size: 58 × 35 cm

The crochet pattern was purchased on Etsy.