Crochet this whimsical holiday purse for your favorite little girl.

This is an adorable little bag, with a cute Santa that you can do yourself for little girls. Easy and free pattern.

Skill Level
Beginner

Finished Size
6 1/2 x 7 1/2, excluding beard and Shoulder Strap

Materials
TLC Cotton Plus medium (worsted) weight yarn (3.5 oz/186 yds/100g per skein)
1 skein each #3907 red, #3100 cream and #3001 white
Size G/6/4mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
Tapestry needle
12mm blue buttons: 2
Red crayon
3-inch piece of cardboard

Gauge
4 sc = 1 inch; 4 sc rows = 1 inch

Pattern Notes
Weave in loose ends as work progresses.
Join rounds with a slip stitch unless otherwise stated.

how-to-crochet-Santa-purse
Purse Front
Row 1 (WS): With cream, ch 26, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each rem ch across, turn. (25 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn.
Rows 3-14: Rep row 2. At the end of row 14, fasten off.
Row 15: Draw up a lp of white, ch 1, sc in same st as beg ch-1, [dc in next sc, sc in next sc] across, turn.
Row 16: Ch 1, dc in first sc, [sc in next dc, dc in next sc] across, turn.
Row 17: Ch 1, sc in first dc, [dc in next sc, sc in next dc] across, turn.
Row 18: Rep row 16, fasten off.
Row 19: Draw up a lp of red, ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.
Rows 20-32: Rep row 2.
At the end of row 32, fasten off.

Facial Features
Sew blue buttons between rows 9 and 10 for eyes, leaving 5 sc sts between buttons at center.
With a length of red, embroider mouth centered below eyes over rows 5 and 6.
With red crayon, color cheeks.

Purse Back
Row 1 (WS): With red, ch 26, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each rem ch across, turn. (25 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn.
Rows 3-32: Rep row 2.
Row 33: Ch 1, sc dec in next 2 sc, sc in each sc across to last 2 sc, sc dec in next 22 sc, turn. (23 sc)
Row 34: Ch 1, working in back lps for this row only, sc in each of next 21 sts, sc dec in next 2 sts, turn. (22 sc)
Row 35: Ch 1, sc dec in next 2 sc, sc in each rem sc across, turn. (21 sc)
Row 36: Ch 1, sc in each sc across to last 2 sc, sc dec in next 2 sc, turn. (20 sc)
Rows 37-54: Rep rows 35 and 36. At the end of row 54, fasten off. (2 sc)

Joining
Rnd 1: Holding Front and Back Purse pieces WS tog and with Front facing, attach red in side edge of row 33 of Back (dec edge), ch 1, sc in same row as beg ch-1, sc in each row across dec edge to point of hat, work 3 sc in row 54, sc in each row of Back through row 33, working through both thicknesses, sc in each row change color to white after last red row, work 6 sc across white section, continue with white, start beard, [sc in next row, ch 5, 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 3 sc in each of next 3 chs, sc in each of next 2 rows] 18 times, working 3 sc in each bottom corner of Purse, sc across white section of hat, change to red, sc in each rem row, join in beg sc, fasten off.

Pompom
Wrap white yarn 80 times around cardboard. Pass a length of white under the strands and knot around bundle of strands, cut opposite ends, fluff, trim ends to shape Pompom. Sew Pompom to point of hat.

Shoulder Strap
Row 1: With red, ch 131, dc in 4th ch from hook, dc in each rem ch across.
Row 2: Fold row 1 in half, insert hook in first dc and opposite side of foundation ch and complete a sl st, [insert hook in next dc and next ch of foundation ch and complete a sl st] across, fasten off.
Sew handle to each side of Purse.
Designed by Michele Wilcox
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/santa-purse