Hello crafters!

This tutorial is going to walk you through the process of making your own mandala crochet clutch. It uses the free viola pattern from MaritParit’s website to create a cute and unique closing flap! We will look into that below so let’s get started!

Supplies

• 1 ball Loops and Threads Woolike in “Charcoal”
• 1 ball Loops and Threads Woolike in “Mauve”
• 3.25mm crochet hook
• Beads of your choice
• Purse strap
• Needle and thread that matches your yarn colour (or at least kind of similar 🙂 )

For my clutch I purchased a purse from the thrift store and took the strap off of that but you can also buy straps at craft stores or on Amazon.

Sections of your mandala clutch

This pattern is broken down into three main parts that you will need to crochet and the rest of the project is just finishing details. Following the pattern below will give you 1 large rectangle that will be the main part of the clutch, 1 small rectangle that will be the divider inside the clutch and 1 mandala that will be the closing flap.

Main Rectangle (body of clutch)

The main stitch that I used for this project is the crossed half double crochet. If you are not familiar with this stitch head on over to my Crossed Half Double Crochet tutorial where I explain it in more detail. For the body and divider of the clutch I used two strands of yarn (one of each colour).

Chain 54 + 2.

Row 1. Half Double Crochet in 3rd chain from hook. Work 1 HDC in each stitch across. (54 HDC)

Row 2. Chain 2. Work the Crossed Half Double Crochet across the row. (27 crossed half double crochet)

Row 3 – 53. Repeat Row 2. Tie off.

Small Rectangle (divider)

This section is identical to the main section above but instead of working the Crossed Half Double Crochet stitch until Row 53 you tie off after Row 24.

Mandala (closing flap)

Any mandala or circle pattern would work as a closing flap. I followed this super cute Viola Mandala pattern from the MaritParit website. To fit this project I ended the mandala after Row 19 of her design.

Blocking your mandala clutch

Blocking is particularly important for a crochet item like this one because it ensures that all the pieces of your project match up together when you are closing your seams.

The width of your clutch pieces should be 20mm. To ensure that your mandala flap fits probably you will want to block it out to a 20mm diameter all the way around. I simply use gym floor mats and round head pins 🙂

Assembling the mandala clutch

Attach the divider

The first step to assemble your clutch is attaching the divider to the middle of the large rectangle using a simple slip stitch.

When slip stitching my edges together I like to use a smaller hook than I used to create the pieces just to make a less obvious seam. To seal the edges in this project I used a 2.75mm hook.

Fold your large rectangle in half and line up the edge of the small rectangle with the fold. Slip stitch these two edges together.

Attach Mandala to back of clutch

Once the divider is attached the sides of your clutch will still be open. This will be a good time to attach the mandala flap to the back of the clutch before you seal up the sides. I use paper clips to hold the mandala in place so that I can attach it to the back.

To attach your mandala use needle and thread and a simple backstitch to sew around the edge of the mandala. If you chose a thread that matches your yarn colours then the stitches will completely disappear as you work them around.

Once you have sewn around the edge of the mandala flip your clutch over so that you are looking at the inside. Sew a straight line across the top your large rectangle to secure the middle of the mandala. (along the dotted line)

Close up the sides and attach strap

Almost there! Now use your small crochet hook to slip stitch the sides of your clutch closed. You will be slip stitching through three layers : the front, the back and the side of the divider. I used two strands of yarn (one of each colour) that the the slip stitches would not be visible.

Bead fringe

I made small bead strings using the same method that I used to attach the coins in my dance bra tutorial.

I attached a bead string into every 3rd single crochet around the edge of the mandala. You may want to put more or less bead strings depending on the size of your beads.

You have the option of crocheting the strap right onto the clutch but I wanted mine to be removable so I purchased some small clips that I attached to the strap and then was able to simply clip the strap onto the edges of the clutch.

And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are well on your way to making your own mandala clutch! I am gifting this one to my sister for her birthday but I like it so much I might have to make a second one for myself 🙂

Let me know in the comments below if you have any trouble with the tutorial or if you just want to share your two cents! You can always email me too at mataya@matayamade.com

Happy Crafting!