These days, people are looking for reuseable shopping bags of various sizes. Following are links to two styles of tote bags that can be environmental "go green" crochet projects, eco-friendly alternatives to plastic grocery and shopping bags.

For a quick and easy project, you could make this drawstring tote all in one solid color (without the liberty bell added). It's made all in single crochet so it's a good beginner's project.

There's also an example showing a color pattern of a USA liberty bell added to the front of the bag, with a free chart to use if you want to add that to your bag.

• Drawstring Tote Free Crochet Pattern

If you want to add the liberty bell:

• How To Change Colors Within A Crochet Row

Another Bag: This mesh bag is about 13 inches wide x 14 inches tall (when made with worsted weight yarn). It has a sturdy shoulder strap as well as a drawstring top. It's made in a filet crochet style but I've written full row by row directions for the deer design rows so that anyone who hasn't tried filet crochet from a chart could still make this bag. The bag could also be made in a plain mesh instead (without the deer), by making two back pieces with the directions given (and using one of the back pieces as the front).

• Deer Design Mesh Bag

Other Free Patterns:

Index of Free Crochet Patterns, A-Z List

Tote Photos copyright (c) 2006, 2007 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not use (republish) these photos on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to this blog page or to the pattern pages.