Free Crochet Sunflower Granny Square Air Freshener Holder Drawstring Bag Pattern

Ever wanted to dress up your car or closet with something both practical and downright adorable?

Standard air freshener tins or satchels aren’t always pretty, but turning them into a blooming sunflower granny square pouch changes everything!

This lovely project transforms simple cotton yarn into a textured, cheerful drawstring bag designed to hold your favorite scented disc, solid air freshener, or small daily essentials.

Materials and Preparation

Materials:

• Yarn: 2 mm Cotton Yarn in four colors:
  • Brown (Center of the sunflower)
  • Yellow or Cream (Sunflower petals)
  • Green or Red/Secondary base color (Granny square background and top casing)
  • Accent color: Pink or contrasting shade (Optional outer border frame)
• Stuffing: Not required for the bag body, though a tiny bit of polyfill can be used inside the drawstring end balls.

Tools:

• Crochet Hook: 3.0 mm crochet hook.
• Yarn Needle: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends and joining motifs.
• Stitch Markers: Useful for marking corners on granny square rounds.
• Scissors: Standard craft scissors.

Preparation Notes:

• Familiarize yourself with special cluster and popcorn stitches before starting, as they give the sunflower its signature 3D texture.
• Maintain an even, tight tension throughout the granny square rounds to keep the pouch sturdy enough to hold your air freshener.

Abbreviations and Notes

Abbreviations:

• MR: Magic Ring
• ch: Chain
• sc: Single Crochet
• inc: Single Crochet Increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
• dc: Double Crochet
• tr: Treble (Triple) Crochet
• sl st: Slip Stitch
• dc cl: 2-Double Crochet Cluster Stitch
• 5dc pc: 5-Double Crochet Popcorn Stitch

Pattern Notes:

• The sunflower motif begins in the round to form a textured circular flower center and petals.
• Round 4 transitions the circular flower into a square by incorporating treble crochet stitches into the four corners.
• You will create two identical square panels (Front and Back), join three sides together, and work the top casing for the drawstring directly on the open top edge.
• Original design and pattern credit belongs to Kane Crochet.

Gauge, Approximate Size, and Pattern Notes

Gauge:

Gauge is not strictly critical for this project. Aim for firm, clean stitches so the bag keeps its shape when holding a solid air freshener container.

Finished Size:

• Height: Approx. 5.1 inches (13 cm)
• Width: Approx. 4.3 inches (11 cm)

Special Techniques:

• 2-Double Crochet Cluster (dc cl): [Yarn over, insert hook into st, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, draw through 2 loops] twice in the same st, then yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
• 5-Double Crochet Popcorn (5dc pc): Work 5 dc into the same st. Drop the loop from hook, insert hook from front to back through the top of the first dc of the group, grab the dropped loop, and pull it through.
• Granny Square Squaring: Conversion of a 16-petal circle into a 4-cornered square using combinations of dc, tr, and ch-2 corner spaces.

Step-by-Step Pattern

Part 1: Sunflower Granny Square Panels (Make 2)

Start with Brown Yarn for the flower center:

• Round 1: MR, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 15 dc into MR. Join with sl st to top of ch-2 (16 sts). Fasten off brown yarn.
• Round 2: Attach Yellow Yarn in any st. Ch 2, 1 dc in same st (counts as first dc cl), ch 1, [dc cl in next st, ch 1] 15 times. Join with sl st to top of first cluster (16 clusters, 16 ch-1 spaces). Fasten off yellow yarn.
• Round 3: Attach Yellow/Cream Yarn in any ch-1 space. Ch 3, 4 dc in same space, drop loop, insert hook into top of ch-3 and pull loop through (counts as first 5dc pc), ch 2. [5dc pc in next ch-1 space, ch 2] 15 times. Join with sl st to top of first popcorn (16 popcorns, 16 ch-2 spaces). Fasten off petal color.
• Round 4: Attach Green/Background Yarn in any ch-2 space.
  • Corner 1: Ch 3, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in same ch-2 space.
  • Side 1: (3 dc in next ch-2 space) twice.
  • Corner 2: (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2 space.
  • Side 2: (3 dc in next ch-2 space) twice.
  • Corner 3: (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2 space.
  • Side 3: (3 dc in next ch-2 space) twice.
  • Corner 4: (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2 space.
  • Side 4: (3 dc in next ch-2 space) twice.
  • Join with sl st to top of starting ch-3.
• Round 5 (Optional Border/Framing): Ch 1, sc in each st around, placing (sc, ch 1, sc) in each of the 4 corner ch-2 spaces. Sl st to join, fasten off.

Part 2: Joining the Panels

• Assembly: Place the two finished Sunflower Granny Squares wrong sides together.
• Attach Pink/Accent Yarn at one upper corner.
• Working through both layers across three sides (Left Side, Bottom, Right Side), work sc evenly around to seam them together. Leave the top side open.
• Fasten off and weave in ends.

Part 3: Top Drawstring Casing & Drawstring Cords

Top Casing (Worked in the Round around the Open Top):

• Round 1: Attach Background Yarn to any st on the top open opening. Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each st around the neck opening. Sl st to join.
• Round 2 (Eyelet Round): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip 1 st, [dc in next st, ch 1, skip 1 st] around. Sl st to 3rd ch of starting ch-4 to join.
• Round 3: Ch 3, work 1 dc in each ch-1 space and 1 dc in each dc around. Sl st to join.
• Round 4 (Ruffle Edging): [Ch 3, skip 1 st, sl st in next st] around to form a small decorative ruffle along the top lip. Fasten off.

Drawstring Cords & End Balls (Make 2):

• Cord: Ch 60 (or length needed to loop through the pouch comfortably).
• End Ball 1 (Start of Cord):
  • R1: MR 6 sc (6)
  • R2: (inc) 6 times (12)
  • R3–R4: 12 sc (12)
  • R5: (dec) 6 times (6). Stuff lightly with yarn scraps or gonn.
  • Ch 60 continuously from the ball.
• End Ball 2 (End of Cord): At the end of the chain, work back into the last few chain loops or work a mini sphere, fasten off securely.

Part 4: Assembly & Finishing

• Thread Drawstring Cord 1 through the eyelet holes of Round 2 from left to right and back out.
• Thread Drawstring Cord 2 from right to left through the opposite side eyelets.
• Tie knots or attach small stuffed balls at the ends of each cord to prevent them from slipping through the eyelets.
• Insert your favorite air freshener disc, scented pouch, or small trinket into the bag, pull both drawstrings tight, and display!

Detailed Pattern Breakdown

1. Sunflower Center & Textured Petal Construction

• Flower Center (Round 1): Starts with a basic Magic Ring containing 16 Double Crochets. This solid foundation provides a firm center that keeps the sunflower flat and prevents sagging when an air freshener is placed inside.
• Inner Petals (Round 2): Uses 2-Double Crochet Clusters (dc cl) separated by chain spaces. The cluster technique compresses two half-finished double crochets into one point, building compact, inner flower buds.
• Outer Petals (Round 3): Employs 5-Double Crochet Popcorn Stitches (5dc pc). By dropping the loop and pulling it through the first double crochet, the stitch pops forward into a rich 3D petal that stands out from the bag surface.

2. Squaring the Circle & Panel Joining

• Squaring (Round 4): Transforms the 16-point circle into a square. Longer Treble Crochet (tr) stitches and corner chain spaces elevate the four corners, while standard Double Crochet (dc) groups smooth out the flat sides.
• Structural Joining: Seaming three sides with Single Crochet (sc) using a contrasting accent yarn creates a durable outer frame, ensuring the pouch holds weight without stretching out.

3. Eyelet Top Casing & Dual Drawstrings

• Drawstring Eyelets: The [dc, ch 1, skip 1 st] sequence creates an even ring of eyelet holes around the neck of the bag.
• Dual Pull System: Threading two opposing drawstrings allows the pouch to cinch shut symmetrically, keeping air freshener scent discs securely enclosed while hanging in your car, room, or wardrobe.

Pattern Question

Question: My granny square is bowing in the center after Round 4. How do I fix it?

Answer: Bowing usually happens if the corner treble stitches are too tight or if the side double crochets are too loose.

Ensure your tr stitches in Round 4 have full height by pulling up the first loop slightly higher. If it still cups, try adding an extra chain space at each of the 4 corners (making it ch-3 instead of ch-2), or block your finished squares with a steam iron/spray bottle before joining them together.