Amigurumicrochet lip balm holder keychain

Crochet Lip Balm Holder Keychain

October 4, 20269 min read

Free pattern · Step by stepJump to the crochet steps

Crochet lip balm holder keychain pattern: a small blush pink crochet sleeve with a cream top band and a cream five-petal flower with a yellow center, holding a lip balm tube whose cap peeks out of the top, hanging from a fold-over cream tab on a gold swivel clasp clipped to the zipper of a cream canvas tote, next to a set of keys and a blush pink mug of tea

This free crochet lip balm holder keychain pattern makes a snug little sleeve for a standard lip balm tube, with a fold-over tab on a clasp and a tiny flower on the front. It clips onto a bag, a key ring or a belt loop, so your lip balm never sinks to the bottom of your purse again. It's worked in single crochet rounds, uses about 15 yards of worsted cotton and takes about an hour.

Key Takeaways

10 stitches around fit a standard lip balm tube. A fit test at Rnd 5 tells you if you need 9 or 11.

One back-loop round makes a flat base, so the tube doesn't slip through.

The tab folds over a clasp and is sewn down with 10 deep stitches, so it holds.

About 15 yd (14 m) of worsted cotton: blush, cream and a little yellow.

Why I love this little holder

I lose lip balm constantly. It's in a coat pocket, then the car, then gone. A lip balm holder keychain fixes that in one hour, and it's one of the most useful little things you can crochet. It also makes a perfect stocking stuffer, teacher gift or party favor: tuck a new lip balm inside and it's done.

The pattern is a simple tube worked from the bottom up. A back-loop round turns the corner into a flat base, and the cap of the lip balm peeks out of the top so you can grab it easily. A short tab in rows folds over the clasp and gets sewn down to the outside, where it's strong and tidy.

The little flower is optional, but who can resist it? It takes five minutes and turns a practical holder into a gift.

Skill level. Easy. You need a magic ring, sc and inc in the round, one round in the back loops, a few rows, and a little sewing.

What you'll need

Yarn: worsted #4 cotton, such as Lily Sugar 'n Cream or Bernat Handicrafter Cotton. Cotton is firm and holds the tube snugly without stretching out.

Color	Used for	Amount
Blush pink	Base and body	about 8 yd
Cream	Top band, tab, flower petals	about 6 yd
Yellow	Flower center	about 1 yd

I worked those amounts out from the stitch counts: the holder takes about 160 single crochet, at about 2.2 inches of yarn each, plus tails for sewing.

Hook and notions

3.5 mm (US E-4) hook.
A swivel lobster clasp with a ring, about 1 in (2.5 cm), or a 25 mm split key ring.
A standard lip balm tube (0.15 oz / 4.25 g, about 0.6 in or 15 mm across) for fitting.
A stitch marker, a tapestry needle and scissors.

Gauge and fit

Gauge isn't critical, but fit is. The holder should hug the tube, so it can't slide out when it hangs upside down. The pattern has a fit test at Rnd 5: slide the tube in, cap end up. It should go in with a little push and stay put.

Finished holder: about 2.5 in (6.5 cm) tall and 0.75 in (2 cm) wide. The cap of a standard tube sticks out about ¼ in (6 mm) above the rim.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
inc = 2 sc in the same stitch
dc = double crochet
BLO = back loop only
MR = magic ring
st(s) = stitch(es)
rnd(s) = round(s)

UK crocheters: this pattern uses US terms. US single crochet = UK double crochet, and US double crochet = UK treble crochet.

Work the holder in continuous spiral rounds. Move your marker up to the first stitch of every new round.

The pattern — step by step

Part 1 — The base and body

With blush. The magic ring is the bottom of the holder. The last round is the rim, where the tab starts.

Rnd 1: MR, 5 sc in the ring. Pull it closed tight. (5)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (10)
Rnd 3: Sc in the back loop only of each st around. (10) This makes the edge of the flat base.
Rnds 4–5: Sc in each st around, 2 rounds. (10)

Fit test. Slide the lip balm in, cap end up. It should need a little push and stay in when you turn the holder upside down.

Too loose? Pull it out and start again with Rnd 2 as (inc × 4, sc), for 9 sts.
Too tight? Start again and work Rnd 3 (still in the back loops) as: sc in the next 9 sts, inc in the last st, for 11 sts.

Keep the same count for the rest of the body.

Rnds 6–11: Sc in each st around, 6 rounds. (10)

Change to cream on the last yarn-over of Rnd 11.

Rnds 12–14: With cream, sc in each st around, 3 rounds. (10) This is the top band.

Sl st in the next st. Don't fasten off: the tab starts here.

Step 1 of the crochet lip balm holder keychain pattern: a blush magic ring of 5 single crochet on a 3.5 mm hook, a flat blush circle of 10 stitches, the back loop round that turns the base, the lip balm tube slid in for the fit test, the blush tube growing taller, and the cream top band worked at the rim

Part 2 — The tab, clasp and flower

Tab (cream), worked in rows on 3 sts of the rim.

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in the next 3 sts. (3)
Rows 2–8: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (3)

Fasten off, leaving a 12-in (30 cm) tail. The tab is about 1.5 in (4 cm) long.

Attach the clasp.

Slide the end of the tab through the ring of the clasp.
Fold the tab down over the outside of the holder, so its end lies flat on the cream band (Rnds 12 to 14). The clasp now sits in the fold, about ½ in (1.2 cm) above the rim.
With the 12-in tail, sew the end of the tab to the holder with 10 small, deep stitches, going through the tab and the holder wall each time. Don't sew through to the inside, or the tube won't fit.
Add 2 or 3 stitches across the tab, just under the clasp ring, so the ring can't slide around.

Give the clasp a firm tug. The tab shouldn't move.

Flower (yellow and cream).

Rnd 1: With yellow, MR, 5 sc in the ring. Pull it closed and sl st to the first sc. Fasten off yellow. (5)
Rnd 2: Join cream in any st. In each st around: (ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st). (5 petals)

Fasten off, leaving an 8-in tail. Sew the flower to the front of the holder, centered on Rnds 7 to 10, opposite the tab. Sew around the yellow center, then tack each petal tip.

Step 2 of the crochet lip balm holder keychain pattern: a short cream tab worked in rows of 3 single crochet, the tab slid through a gold swivel clasp, the tab folded down and sewn to the outside of the cream band with deep stitches, a tiny yellow and cream five-petal flower, the flower sewn on the front, and the finished lip balm holder keychain with its tube inside

Safety and care. This keychain has a metal clasp, so it isn't a toy for children under 3. Keep the lip balm out of hot cars: the holder protects it from scratches, not from heat. Hand wash the holder in cool water and let it air dry.

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation	Change from base pattern
Strawberry	Work the body in red and the top band and tab in green. Embroider tiny yellow seeds with short straight stitches.
Striped	Change color every 2 rounds from Rnd 4, carrying the unused color inside.
Wristlet	Make the tab 40 rows long instead of 8, fold it into a loop and sew it to the rim instead of using a clasp.
Monogram	Skip the flower and cross-stitch a single initial on the front with a contrast color.

Troubleshooting the three things that go wrong

The tube falls out

The holder is too loose. Redo the body with 9 sts, or go down to a 3.25 mm hook. Cotton relaxes a little with use, so a snug fit at the start is better than an easy one.

The base pokes out

Rnd 3 wasn't worked in the back loops. Without that round, the base stays rounded and the tube pushes through the magic ring. Pull back and rework Rnd 3 in the back loops.

The tab stretches

The tab isn't sewn down well enough. Add more stitches across the end of the tab, going deep into the holder wall. Cotton stretches less than acrylic, so worsted cotton is the best choice for the tab.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the lip balm holder take? About an hour. The body takes about 30 minutes, the tab and clasp about 15 minutes, and the flower another 10 to 15.

How much yarn do I need? About 15 yd (14 m) of worsted cotton: about 8 yd of blush, 6 yd of cream and a yard of yellow. It's a perfect project for leftover cotton.

Will it fit my lip balm? It's sized for a standard 0.15 oz (4.25 g) tube, about 0.6 in (15 mm) across. Wider tubes need 11 sts. The fit test at Rnd 5 tells you which count to use before you go any further.

Can I use acrylic yarn? Yes, but acrylic stretches more, so the holder can loosen over time. If you use acrylic, start with 9 sts and a 3.25 mm hook.

Can I sell lip balm holders made from this pattern? Yes, you're welcome to sell finished holders made from this free pattern at markets, on Etsy or as gifts. Please credit "Pattern by Wavode" in your listing and link back to this page. What you can't do is republish this write-up or my photos as your own pattern.