There is a special kind of freedom in a bag that leaves both hands free, and that is exactly why I keep coming back to the crochet backpack. It carries the farmers' market haul, the library books and the current work-in-progress, and it does it while looking like the prettiest part of your outfit. No slipping shoulder strap, no fuss — just compliments.
So here are twenty of my favourite backpack designs for you, every single one a genuine two-strap backpack and every single one free: roomy drawstring cinch packs, neat mini backpacks with flaps and buckles, granny square showpieces, a Tunisian basketweave beauty and even a fine-thread vintage floral. I have noted the yarn, the sizing, the straps and the honest little details — linings, hardware and ready-made parts — as we go. Pick your favourite and raid the yarn stash.
1. Tunisian Basketweave With Drawstring Straps
We are starting with a design for Tunisian lovers: Ashlea Konecny's Basketweave Backpack at Heart Hook Home, worked in Tunisian crochet in the round with a double-ended hook. Alternating blocks of Tunisian knit stitch and Tunisian purl stitch build that gorgeous woven basketweave texture, and because it is worked in a continuous spiral there are no seams to interrupt the pattern. Near the top, a round of eyelets is worked into the fabric, and here is the clever part: two long cords are threaded in opposite directions around the top and anchored through eyelets at the bottom corners, so the drawstrings are the shoulder straps — pull them and the bag cinches shut, lift it onto your back and the weight closes it for you. It is a compact, chic everyday size that looks wonderful in a solid cotton. If you have been wanting a Tunisian project that is not a blanket, this is the one.
Pattern: Basketweave Backpack by Ashlea Konecny at Heart Hook Home — Get the free pattern
2. The Wildrose Granny Square Showpiece
Here is the backpack that made a whole crochet-along fall in love: Stephanie Lau's Wildrose Backpack at All About Ami, built around her famous Wildrose granny square in Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton. The centre square — all puffs and clusters — is joined to four triangles to make one large square, then turned rows grow the sides, a sturdy double-layer rectangle forms the base, and there is even a little interior pocket sized for your phone. One long crocheted tube of a strap is woven through the chain gaps of the top edging, so it works as both the drawstring closure and the two shoulder loops, with the ends sewn to the bottom back corners. It finishes about 11 inches wide by 12.5 inches tall, and despite the detail it is rated an easy level two. Add the optional tassel and prepare to be stopped and asked where you bought it.
Pattern: The Wildrose Backpack by Stephanie Lau at All About Ami — Get the free pattern
3. Bold Chevrons in Sturdy Cotton
Jennifer Renaud's Wanderlust Chevron Backpack at A Crocheted Simplicity is the full-size adventure pack of this collection, worked in Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in ecru with magenta and charcoal chevrons. The zigzags are made with single crochet spike stitches that dip down into earlier rows, so the colourwork is bold without any floats to snag inside. The base is double-layered, with an option to slip plastic canvas between the layers for a seriously sturdy bottom, and the straps are crocheted ropes — chosen because rope straps do not stretch out the way flat yarn straps can. It measures about 9.75 inches wide, 12 inches high and 4.25 inches deep, with room inside for sunglasses, a book, a water bottle and snacks. In crisp cotton brights it is pure summer-road-trip energy.
Pattern: Wanderlust Chevron Backpack by Jennifer Renaud at A Crocheted Simplicity — Get the free pattern
4. The Cinch Pack in Three Pretty Colours
Breann Mauldin's Daytrip Cinch Backpack at Hooked on Homemade Happiness does exactly what its name promises: it is the pack you grab for a day out, worked in Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton — ecru for the body with jade and goldenrod for the colour-blocked bands. A row of front post trebles gives the fabric a lovely raised detail, and the finished pack is a generous 17 inches long by 14 inches wide, so a light layer, a paperback and a picnic all fit without a squeeze. The straps are the stars of the construction: they loop through the top of the bag and pull tight as you lift the pack onto your shoulders, cinching it closed and spreading the weight evenly across your back. It is rated intermediate, mostly for keeping your colour changes neat, and the full pattern is free through the pattern link below.
Pattern: Daytrip Cinch Backpack by Breann Mauldin at Hooked on Homemade Happiness — Get the free pattern
5. Minimalist Wool, Beginner Friendly
If clean lines are your love language, Jessica Potasz's Amarillo Drawstring Backpack at Mama In A Stitch is calling your name. It is worked bottom-up in simple double crochet rounds in a worsted weight wool — her sample uses WeCrochet's Upcycle Reserve wool in the shade Amarillo, which looks like soft tweed but feels gentle — with a band of front post half double crochet near the top for that understated knit-look ridge. Two i-cords of about 44 inches are woven through the top and attached at the lower sides, forming both the drawstring closure and the shoulder straps, and an optional tassel finishes the front. At roughly 16 inches tall by 12 inches wide it swallows a whole crochet project with room to spare, and the size is easy to adjust by changing the base. Rated easy-plus, this is the backpack I would hand to a confident beginner.
Pattern: Amarillo Drawstring Backpack by Jessica Potasz at Mama In A Stitch — Get the free pattern
6. Cording Yarn and the Cleverest Construction
Rachel Misner's Betty Backpack at Evelyn and Peter Crochet might be the smartest construction on this list: the whole body is worked flat, in one single piece, then folded and joined up the sides — no separate panels to keep track of at all. The yarn is the star, Lion Brand's For The Home Cording, a stiff worsted cording yarn with zero stretch that holds the backpack's shape beautifully; you will need about five skeins, or swap in a sturdy cotton. The texture comes from alternating treble and single crochet stitches that push forward like tiny puffs, and the finishing is properly boutique: a shaped flap, a drawstring cord, a top handle, and two straps threaded through the trim and sewn into secure loops inside the bag. It finishes 9.5 inches wide, 10 inches high and 3.5 inches deep, and there is a full free video tutorial alongside the written pattern.
Pattern: The Betty Backpack by Rachel Misner at Evelyn and Peter Crochet — Get the free pattern
7. Fourteen Sunbursts, One Boho Backpack
Motif lovers, this one is pure joy: the Crochet Backpack from The Caffeinated Snail is built from fourteen sunburst granny squares, each one a little sunshine of puffs and clusters worked with a 5 mm hook. The squares are joined into the body of a relaxed drawstring backpack with a real boho soul — cottagecore over a floaty dress, festival-ready with denim shorts, and just as happy in a single minimalist colour if colourwork is not your mood. The designer is refreshingly honest about the finishing: she calls a lining essential, especially if you will carry heavier things, and recommends cotton fabric inside and fabric reinforcement in the straps so the pack never stretches out of shape. Take her advice and this becomes a backpack for years, not just one summer. It is rated intermediate-friendly, mostly for the motif joining.
Pattern: Crochet Backpack by The Caffeinated Snail — Get the free pattern
8. Daisy Squares in Fresh Mint
The Daisy Backpack from Passionate Crafter wraps a whole garden into a wearable pack: granny squares with cheerful daisy centres, worked in Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in white, mustard and a fresh mint. The finished pack measures about 25 cm across the bottom and 32 cm tall, with straps of about 54 cm — a proper day size that sits comfortably on an adult back, not a tiny novelty. It is written in US terms at an intermediate level, and the clever stitch work includes a cluster variation and a three-double-crochet-together that shapes those dimensional petals. Because each square is small and portable, this is a lovely project for crocheting on the go: a daisy or two in your bag on the bus, and suddenly you have a backpack. Style it with a white summer dress and let the mint talk.
Pattern: Daisy Backpack by Passionate Crafter — Get the free pattern
9. Super Bulky and Boutique-Fast
Sometimes you want the backpack by the weekend, and Ashleigh Kiser's Daytripper Backpack at Sewrella is built for exactly that: just two skeins of super bulky Lion Brand Fast Track yarn and a big 6.5 mm hook. An oval base grows into a spiral body of airy single crochet and chain spaces, and a length of cable cord is woven through near the top and knotted with frayed ends as the drawstring. Now the honest detail, because it is also the genius detail: the straps are ready-made brown purse straps, sewn firmly onto the back of the bag, so all the boutique structure comes without crocheting a single strap. The sample is jet black and goes with absolutely everything in my wardrobe. If thick t-shirt-style yarn and instant gratification are your thing, start here.
Pattern: Daytripper Backpack by Ashleigh Kiser at Sewrella — Get the free pattern
10. Chunky Stripes With a Buttoned Flap
Raine Eimre's Crochet Backpack at Handmade by Raine is the boho classic of this roundup, worked in Bernat Maker Home Dec — a bulky tubular yarn of cotton and nylon that is strong, sturdy and shows stitch definition like a dream. Her two-tone samples pair cream with aqua or with a deep woodberry, and the modified half double crochet fabric keeps the stripes crisp. The backpack measures about 11 inches wide by 11 inches tall laid flat, with comfortably wide straps of about 21.5 inches and a flap finished with a button closure and little metal accents on the drawstring. Raine gives you both a full written pattern and a video tutorial on the same page, so visual learners are properly looked after. This is the one I picture thrown over a maxi dress for a slow Saturday market wander.
Pattern: Crochet Backpack by Raine Eimre at Handmade by Raine — Get the free pattern
11. The Leather-Base Backpack
Here is a construction you do not see every day: the Crochet Backpack from KnitcroAddict is built onto a ready-made bag bottom, the kind with pre-punched holes all around its edge. You crochet single crochet directly into those holes and spiral upward in plain, meditative rounds — 25 inches around and 14 inches tall by the end — while the firm base means your backpack stands up on its own and never sags. Strap loops are crocheted right into the body at the lower corners and again near the top at the back, ready for your straps to clip or thread through. The pattern is rated easy and the tutorial walks you through every stage. You will need the purchased base and straps, but the result looks like it came from a leather-goods shop.
Pattern: Crochet Backpack by KnitcroAddict — Get the free pattern
12. The Sweet Little Drawstring Mini
Jennifer Renaud's Drawstring Mini Backpack at A Crocheted Simplicity proves that a backpack does not need to be big to be genuinely useful. Worked in about 360 yards of Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton — her sample is white with aqua accents — it is sized for the essentials only: phone, purse, sunglasses, sunscreen and a snack, with hands left free for the beach day, the theme park or the school run. The base is made in two layers with optional plastic canvas sandwiched inside, so this little pack keeps a proper shape instead of collapsing into a pouch. Its straps are crocheted ropes, chosen because they stay comfortable and do not stretch out over time. Everything is machine washable cotton, which matters for a bag that will live a real life. Small bag, big freedom — I reach for this size more than any other.
Pattern: Drawstring Mini Backpack by Jennifer Renaud at A Crocheted Simplicity — Get the free pattern
13. Candy Stripes and an Invisible Trick
The Striped Mini-Backpack, also by Jennifer Renaud at A Crocheted Simplicity, is the classic-shaped sister to the drawstring mini: 6.25 inches wide, 7.5 inches high and 4.25 inches deep, in white 24/7 Cotton brightened with stripes of aqua, yellow and pink. Its secret is the inverse single crochet stitch — worked with the yarn held in front — which makes fabric worked in rows look as neat and rounded as fabric worked in the round, so the little pack has beautifully clean lines. You will build the same sturdy double-layer base as its drawstring sister, add crocheted rope straps, and end up with a mini that looks far more polished than its advanced-beginner rating suggests. Work it in a solid colour if stripes are not your style; you will need about the same 360 yards. It is the sweetest size for concerts, fairs and light exploring.
Pattern: Striped Mini-Backpack by Jennifer Renaud at A Crocheted Simplicity — Get the free pattern
14. Lemon Yellow and Waistcoat Stitch
Nicki's Mini Crochet Backpack at Nicki's Homemade Crafts is a little ray of sunshine — her sample is the happiest lemon yellow, worked almost entirely in waistcoat stitch so the fabric looks knitted, dense and wonderfully smooth. It starts with a rectangular bottom worked in the thermal stitch, a clever double-thickness technique that gives the base real strength, then the body rises in rounds with a dedicated round of holes for the drawstring. A separate flap folds over the top, a spiral rope forms the hanging loop, and the drawstrings themselves are braided from t-shirt yarn for a soft, chunky finish. The finished pack is about 9 inches wide with a 5-inch depth, a true mini that still swallows the daily essentials. Nicki's free written instructions are detailed enough for a patient beginner to follow along.
Pattern: Mini Crochet Backpack by Nicki’s Homemade Crafts — Get the free pattern
15. Lavender Ombré With Boutique Hardware
If you love the mini backpacks in the shops right now, the Lavender Ombre Backpack from Bunny Patterns is your handmade answer. Four shades — plum, medium lavender, pale lavender and cream — stripe their way up an oval-based body worked in continuous single crochet, so the ombré gradient happens almost by itself as you change colours every few rounds. What makes it feel truly boutique is the finishing: a rounded flap with a tuck lock, a front zippered pocket, a drawstring under the flap, a carry handle and two adjustable shoulder straps on sliders and D-rings. It finishes about 8.5 inches wide by 10 inches tall, and it is rated intermediate — the crochet is simple, but you will sew a zipper and attach hardware.
Pattern: Lavender Ombre Crochet Backpack by Bunny Patterns — Get the free pattern
16. Ocean Blues and a Layered Tassel
The Ocean Blue Ombre Backpack from Bunny Patterns takes the same polished mini shape and dresses it in seaside colours: a white base, a sky blue body and deep navy details at the top. Like its lavender sister it grows from a firm oval base in dense single crochet, then gets the full boutique treatment — a rounded flap, a drawstring closure, a braided top handle, adjustable shoulder straps and a layered tassel swinging from the front. It finishes about 9 inches wide by 10.5 inches tall and 4 inches deep, big enough for a purse, phone, sunglasses and a paperback. The designer estimates six to eight relaxed hours of making, which makes it a very giftable weekend project. In those blues it is made for market mornings and coastal walks; in neutrals it would turn properly city-smart.
Pattern: Ocean Blue Ombre Crochet Backpack by Bunny Patterns — Get the free pattern
17. Sunflower Panels, Vintage Charm
The Lavender Sunflower Drawstring Backpack from Bunny Patterns is built the way bags used to be made: two flat panels joined by a sturdy gusset strip that forms the sides and bottom, giving the finished pack a structured, boxy shape. The panels are worked in a lacy granny texture, and the front carries a proud sunflower — a rich brown centre with petals radiating out in golden yellow. Those little holes in the granny fabric are part of its vintage charm, though I would pop in a simple lining if you plan to carry small loose items. A drawstring gathers the top closed beneath the straps. In lavender and sunflower yellow it is pure cottage garden; work the panels in cream and rust and it turns autumnal instead. Panel construction is forgiving, too — both sides are made flat before any seaming happens.
Pattern: Lavender Sunflower Drawstring Backpack by Bunny Patterns — Get the free pattern
18. A Geometric Star That Steals the Show
The Mini Backpack with Geometric Star Panel from Pattern Nest is proof that a small bag can be a serious piece of design. The body is a seamless spiral of back-loop-only single crochet in bulky olive wool-blend yarn, which builds a dense, ridged, almost knitted fabric that holds its shape even when empty. Centred on the front sits an eight-pointed star medallion in ivory, mustard and teal, worked separately, blocked, and sewn on so its points stay crisp. The details keep coming: a flap pocket closed with a leather tab and buckle, a proper zipper across the top, and two adjustable straps on antique brass D-rings. It finishes about 10 inches tall and 8 inches wide, rated intermediate, and the designer is upfront that gauge matters here — swatch first so the medallion fits its panel. Worth every bit of the care.
Pattern: Crochet Mini Backpack with Geometric Star Panel by Pattern Nest — Get the free pattern
19. Woodland Flowers in Fine Cotton Thread
For the romantics, Elaine Phillips' Woodland Meadow Backpack at ABC Knitting Patterns is a little heirloom: a backpack built from three-dimensional flower motifs, joined as you go into a strip and then into the body of the bag. It is worked in fine cotton thread — the pattern suggests a mercerised size 3 cotton like Aunt Lydia's — with a tiny 2.25 mm hook, so the flowers have that delicate, lace-like definition you simply cannot get from chunky yarn. This is not a weekend make; it is a slow, pleasurable project for someone who loves watching a garden grow stitch by stitch. The result is light, feminine and unlike anything in the shops, and in cream or soft pastels it would be beautiful for weddings and garden parties. A vintage soul in backpack form.
Pattern: Woodland Meadow Crochet Backpack by Elaine Phillips at ABC Knitting Patterns — Get the free pattern
20. Sunset Chevrons, Tapestry Style
We are finishing with colour: Elaine Phillips' Chevron Backpack at ABC Knitting Patterns, worked seamlessly in the round from the bottom up in fingering weight cotton in glowing shades of orange, red and brown. Long double crochet stitches spike down through the rounds to sharpen the chevron points, giving the fabric that woven tapestry look. A zipper closes the top — a nice secure change from drawstrings — and one long crocheted strap is sewn at the centre top and along the bottom so it forms the two shoulder loops, with a simple chain drawstring as a finishing touch. It finishes about 12 inches tall with an 8-inch diameter, a neat cylindrical day pack. In those sunset shades it is autumn in bag form; in blues and white it would sail straight into summer.
Pattern: Chevron Backpack by Elaine Phillips at ABC Knitting Patterns — Get the free pattern
Conclusion
And that is twenty backpacks, my friend — Tunisian basketweave and minimalist wool, granny square showpieces and candy-striped minis, boutique hardware and fine-thread flowers, every single one free and every single one a proper two-strap backpack. If you are new to bags, start with the Amarillo, the Daytripper or one of the little drawstring minis; if you are ready for a showpiece, the Wildrose, the Betty or the star-panel mini are calling your name. One practical tip before you cast on: cotton yarn and a simple fabric lining will repay you every single day you use your pack, because they stop the stretch and keep the shape you worked so hard to make.
Now tell me — are you team roomy drawstring pack or team neat little mini backpack, and which of these twenty is going on your hook first? I read every comment, and I cannot wait to see your makes!
