18+ Real Wayuu-Style Tapestry Crochet Free Patterns for 2026

Tapestry crochet is what gives Wayuu-style bags their signature look: two or more colors carried and worked at once so a picture or geometric pattern emerges directly in the stitches, rather than being embroidered on after the fact.

Below are 15 free patterns worth trying, each checked to make sure the link is real and still works, plus a bit of background on where this technique actually comes from.

Where this technique comes from

The geometric, multicolor style these patterns borrow from originates with the Wayuu people, an indigenous group of the La Guajira Peninsula on the Colombia-Venezuela border and the largest indigenous community in Colombia.

Wayuu communities are organized in matrilineal clans, and it’s Wayuu women specifically who are the tradition’s weavers and cultural leaders, per Textile Arts Center’s overview of the craft. A genuine mochila bag takes 10 to 15 days to hand-weave, and the geometric patterns aren’t just decorative, they carry real symbolic meaning tied to nature and Wayuu spiritual belief.

The patterns below teach the tapestry crochet technique the style is known for, they’re not claiming to be authentic Wayuu-made pieces. If you want the real thing rather than a technique inspired by it, look for mochilas sold directly by Wayuu artisans or Wayuu-owned cooperatives rather than mass-market retailers.

15 Wayuu Mochila Tapestry Crochet Free Patterns 

1. Reversible bead tapestry crochet basket

Designed by Carol Ventura, one of the most established names in bead and tapestry crochet, with decades of published pattern work in the technique.

This basket is worked to look intentional from both sides, a genuinely advanced trick since most tapestry crochet only looks clean from the front.

 2. Hearts clutch

Designed by Maria Isabel. Rated advanced, this clutch pushes past the usual two-color tapestry crochet into working more than two colors at once, a real step up in difficulty from most patterns on this list.

3. Another reversible bead crochet basket

Also by Carol Ventura, a companion piece to the basket above with a different color arrangement, good if you liked the first one and want to practice the reversible technique again with a new palette.

4. Crochet mochila bag

From Oui Crochet (the original blog post is offline, this links to a preserved Wayback Machine archive so the pattern is still readable).

Designed specifically as a bag that looks impressive but isn’t intimidating to actually make, a good pick if the reversible baskets above feel like too much for a first project.

5. The tapestry liona bag

We have all kinds of bags. They all look appealing, but for sure, the tapestry bag does excel even more. Look at this bag. Isn’t it so attractive?

6. The crochet mochila bag

Source

Instruction: part 1, part 2

The crochet mochila bag is another beautiful Wayuu idea that never fails to be on the list. We love stitching, and that’s why we deliver all these rare kinds of items just to let you understand how beautiful the crochet art can be.

7. How about this crochet Wayuu bag?

The crochet Wayuu bag will appear high when you use a variety of colors. Look at this? It is the crochet colors that make it the most outstanding.

8. BOHO backpack

From I Love Crochet, includes a video walkthrough alongside the written pattern, useful if you’re newer to tapestry crochet and want to watch the color-carrying technique in motion rather than working from a chart alone.

9. Kanda wayuu mochila bag

This peculiar kind of art will make you love crochet art. The Kanda mochila design is just another idea that will impress you, especially when you add some colors. Take a look at this great art!

10. Tapestry cosmetic bag

From Katia, a well-known European yarn brand with its own tutorial content. This one comes with a video specifically on the tapestry crochet technique itself, useful as a technique primer even if you end up using a different pattern for your actual project.

11. Flower market bag

Designed by DROPS Design, a well-established Norwegian yarn and pattern company.

Originally published as a children’s bag, worked in the round from the bottom up with stripes and floral motifs, a good next-step project once you’re comfortable carrying two colors at once.

12. Derek bag

Designed by Lthingies. A classic satchel shape rather than a round mochila silhouette, built with a wooden rod support in the opening and folded, buttoned corners, a genuinely different construction method from most of the round bags on this list.

13. Tote bag in crochet style

From Pretty Crochet Patterns, an explicitly Wayuu-inspired tote silhouette, larger than most of the clutch and basket patterns on this list, worth picking if you want something you can actually carry daily rather than a decorative piece.

14. Argyle crochet purse

Designed by Divine Debris, rated intermediate and available in three sizes. Uses an argyle layout with a brighter, more playful color palette than the traditional geometric patterns, a fun option if you want the technique without the more muted traditional palette.

15. Diamond crochet tote bag

Designed by Christine at Spotted Horse Design Co., a bright, colorful diamond-motif tapestry design in a tote shape, a good next project once you’ve got the basic color-carrying technique down from one of the smaller patterns above.

16. Tapestry cushion cover

Adapted from MyCrochetory’s Dahlia Pillow pattern, a flower-motif tapestry crochet design originally written as a pillow cover, a nice smaller-scale project than the blanket above if you want to practice the technique on home decor rather than a bag.

17. Wayuu style bucket bag

Designed by Janine Tsakisiris, explicitly built around Wayuu-inspired geometric motifs in a rounded bucket-bag silhouette, a good choice if you specifically want a shape closer to a traditional mochila than the clutch and tote variations above.

18. Tapestry canopy idea

From Multimate Collection, the most ambitious format change on this list, tapestry crochet worked at a scale large enough to hang as a canopy or wall piece, worth attempting only once you’re genuinely comfortable with the color-carrying technique at a smaller scale first.

FAQs about tapestry crochet patterns

What is tapestry crochet, and how is it different from regular colorwork?

Tapestry crochet carries two or more yarn colors at once, working over the unused strand so it’s hidden inside the stitch, which lets a picture or geometric pattern show up directly in the fabric rather than being added after the piece is finished. It creates a thicker, sturdier fabric than single-color crochet, part of why it works so well for bags meant to hold real weight.

What yarn and hook work best for tapestry crochet?

A firm, non-stretchy cotton or cotton-blend yarn (the kind used in most of the patterns above) holds the pattern’s edges crisper than a fuzzy or highly elastic yarn would. Hook sizes across the patterns above range from about 3.5mm to 5.5mm, always check the specific pattern’s gauge rather than assuming one size fits all.

Are these patterns beginner-friendly?

Some are, some aren’t, skill level varies a lot across this list. The Crochet Mochila Bag and BOHO Backpack are written with newer tapestry crocheters in mind, while the Hearts Clutch and the reversible bead baskets are rated intermediate to advanced. Check the skill-level note on each pattern before picking your first project.

Are these patterns actually free?

Yes, every pattern linked above is free at its source as of this writing.