14 Free Crochet Backpack Patterns From Real Designers (Kids & Adults)

A crochet backpack is one of those projects that pays off way more than the effort it takes, sturdy enough for actual daily use, but with way more personality than anything you’d find on a store shelf.

Below are 14 free patterns worth your yarn and hook time, from a quick weekend drawstring build to a more involved tapestry-crochet mochila bag. Every pattern is credited to the real designer who made it, linked straight to where you can grab the full instructions.

A quick note before you pick one

Skill level and yarn choice vary a lot across these. A few (Wildrose, Panda) are rated intermediate and use finer cotton yarn, which means more stitches and more time.

Others (the drawstring styles from A Crocheted Simplicity and Make and Do Crew) are built for beginners with bulkier yarn and simple single-crochet construction, you can realistically finish one over a weekend.

Check the skill level noted for each pattern below before committing to a multi-week project.

14 free crochet backpack patterns

1. Rainbow Dragon Backpack

Designed by Elaine Phillips. This one uses the crocodile stitch worked in rounds from the bottom up, which is what gives it that scaled, dragon-like texture.

It’s rated intermediate, mostly because the crocodile stitch takes some getting used to if you haven’t done it before. Finished size runs about 12 inches high by 9 inches wide, big enough for a notebook or tablet.

2. Wildrose Backpack Pattern 

Designed by Stephanie Jessica Lau. A modern granny square sits front and center as the focal point, worked with a 2.75mm and a 3.75mm hook in Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton.

Finished size is about 11 by 12.5 inches. This is a genuinely pretty design, but the granny square centerpiece takes patience, not a first-crochet-project pick.

3. Panda Backpack

Designed by Erangi Udeshika, featured on Oombawka Design Crochet. Worked with a 5.5mm hook in medium-weight yarn, finished size about 9 by 8.75 inches.

This is the one to make if you’re crocheting for a kid who actually wants a panda on their back, it’s cute without being fussy to construct.

4. Wanderlust Chevron Backpack

Designed by Jennifer Pionk, A Crocheted Simplicity. Built entirely from single crochet and spike stitches, no complicated stitch work, just a bold chevron color pattern.

The straps are crocheted ropes, which hold their shape better over time than a strap made from regular crochet fabric that can stretch under weight.

5. Drawstring Mini-Backpack

Also by Jennifer Pionk, A Crocheted Simplicity. A smaller, simpler cousin of the Wanderlust bag above, good beginner project if the chevron version feels like too much. Inverse single crochet gives the edges a cleaner, more polished finish than standard single crochet.

6. Mochila Bag

Designed by Croyden Crochet. Inspired by traditional Colombian mochila bags, worked in tapestry crochet using Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn, which gives it a sturdier, more structured feel than a soft cotton bag.

The tapestry technique means carrying two yarn colors at once, worth practicing on a small swatch first if you’ve never done it.

7. Patch Backpack

Designed by Kristi Simpson. A more structured, boxier silhouette than most of the drawstring styles on this list, built from panels rather than worked in the round. Good option if you want a backpack that holds its shape when it’s not stuffed full.

8. Mosaic Bucket Bag

Designed by Rebecca Langford, Yarn + Chai. Uses mosaic crochet, a technique where you only ever work with one color per row even though the finished piece looks like it has multiple colors interlocking.

It photographs beautifully but takes longer than a straight single-crochet bag, this was originally released as a multi-part crochet-along for a reason.

9. Slouchy Stripes Backpack

Designed by Mandie’s Fiber Arts. Worked in bulky Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn at a loose gauge (3 stitches per inch), which means it grows fast, a genuinely quick weekend make if you want something finished in a couple of sittings rather than a couple of weeks.

10. Crocheted Backpack

Designed by Susanna Winter, talvi knits. Susanna Winter is a Finnish knitwear and crochet designer known for clean, minimal silhouettes, and this one fits that description: a round-bottomed backpack with a flap and buckle closure, crocheted in the round starting from the center of the base. More of a structured, everyday-carry bag than a decorative one.

12. Encantada Crochet Bag

Designed by Sarah Hurwitz, published through Lion Brand Yarn. Worked in continuous spiral rounds with a two-color chart pattern, rated easy-plus. Finished size is roomy, about 27 inches around and 14.5 inches tall, on the larger end of this list.

13. Building Blocks Crochet Backpack

Designed by Tamara Kelly, Moogly. A Lego-inspired build made with Red Heart Super Saver, chosen specifically because it holds up to the kind of daily abuse a kid’s backpack actually gets.

If you’re making this for an actual 6 to 10-year-old, per the designer’s own testing notes, it’s a genuine hit with that age range.

14. Urban Nomad Boho Bag

Designed by Make and Do Crew. A boho-style bag with playful fringe detailing and a more creative construction method than the straightforward drawstring bags on this list. Good pick if you want something that looks intentionally handmade rather than uniform.

15. Minimalist Drawstring Backpack

Also by Make and Do Crew. Built with cotton yarn and straightforward single crochet, reinforced drawstring straps designed to actually hold weight instead of stretching out after a few uses. This is the pattern to start with if you’ve never made a wearable crochet piece before.

FAQs about crochet backpack patterns

What yarn weight works best for a crochet backpack?

Most patterns on this list use medium worsted-weight cotton (like Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton) for structure, or bulky yarn for a faster, chunkier build like the Slouchy Stripes Backpack. Cotton holds its shape under weight better than acrylic, which matters more for a bag than it does for, say, a scarf.

Which pattern is best for a first-time crochet bag maker?

The Minimalist Drawstring Backpack from Make and Do Crew or the Drawstring Mini-Backpack from A Crocheted Simplicity, both use straightforward single crochet with no complex stitch techniques.

Are these patterns actually free?

Yes, every pattern linked above is free at its source as of this writing. A few designers also sell an optional ad-free PDF version if you’d rather not scroll through a blog post while you work, that’s the designer’s call, not a paywall on the free version.