14 Knitting Bag Patterns: DIY Knitting Bag Ideas & Knitted Handbags to Make

If you love knitting, there’s a good chance you’ve thought about making a bag to carry all your supplies — or even wearing one as a stylish everyday accessory. Knitted bags are one of those wonderful projects that sit at the intersection of practical and beautiful. They give you something useful at the end, they look impressive, and they’re a fantastic way to experiment with different techniques, yarn weights, and stitch patterns. Whether you’re looking for a roomy tote to hold your work-in-progress, a chic market bag to take grocery shopping, or a structured handbag that looks like it came straight from a boutique, there’s a knitting bag pattern out there with your name on it.

In this roundup, we’re covering 14 knitting bag patterns that range from beginner-friendly projects to more advanced constructions. You’ll find classic shapes, modern silhouettes, clever storage solutions, and some genuinely stunning knitted handbag designs you can make yourself. Let’s get into it.

Why Knit Your Own Bag?

Before we dive into the patterns, it’s worth pausing for a moment to talk about why knitting a bag is such a rewarding project in the first place.

For starters, bags are functional. Unlike a decorative wall hanging or a pair of socks that might sit in a drawer, a knitted bag gets used. You carry it to the farmers market, to your knitting group, to the beach, or to work. Every time someone compliments it and you say “I made it myself,” you get to feel that quiet, deeply satisfying surge of pride that every crafter knows well.

Bags are also a great way to use up yarn from your stash. Many bag patterns use bulky or super-bulky yarn, which means they knit up quickly and eat through those skeins you’ve been hoarding. They’re also forgiving when it comes to gauge — a bag doesn’t need to fit a specific body, so you have more flexibility than you would with, say, a fitted sweater.

And then there’s the sheer variety. Knitted bags can be delicate and lacey, bold and colorful, minimal and geometric, or rugged and workhorse-practical. There really is no end to what you can make.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

The supplies you need will vary from pattern to pattern, but here are some general things to have on hand when knitting bags:

Yarn choice matters more than usual. For bags that need to hold their shape — like structured handbags or tote bags — you’ll want to choose a yarn with good stitch definition and low stretch. Cotton, linen, jute, and wool-cotton blends are all popular choices. If you want softness and drape, a merino-blend can be lovely, though you may need to line the bag to add body.

Needles and notions. Most bag patterns will call for straight or circular needles, a tapestry needle for finishing, and possibly stitch markers. Some structured bags require you to pick up and knit stitches around the base, so a set of double-pointed needles or a long circular might come in handy.

Linings and structure. Many knitted bags benefit from a fabric lining sewn into the interior. This keeps small items from poking through the stitches, adds durability, and gives the bag a polished, professional finish. Stiff interfacing sewn into the base panel can help a bag maintain its shape. Some patterns also call for bag frames, magnetic snaps, or leather handles, all of which are widely available at craft stores.

Now, on to the patterns!

1. The Classic Knitted Tote Bag

The tote bag is the starting point for many knitters who want to try their hand at bag-making. It’s simple in construction — typically a rectangle worked flat or in the round, with a picked-up or cast-on base and two sturdy handles — but there’s enormous room for customization. You can add stripes, try a textured stitch like seed stitch or moss stitch across the body, or knit a contrasting border. Use a chunky cotton yarn and you can finish this project in a single weekend. A tote bag is also the perfect place to practice knitting in the round if you want to avoid seams.

The key to a great tote is making sure your fabric is dense enough that it doesn’t stretch out of shape under the weight of its contents. Try going down a needle size from what your yarn label recommends to create a firmer fabric. Adding leather or faux-leather strap handles will give your tote durability and a beautiful contrast to the knitted body.

2. The Market Bag (Mesh or String Bag)

The mesh market bag has had a serious resurgence in popularity, and for good reason. These open-weave bags are lightweight, stretchy, and surprisingly strong. They’re ideal for carrying fresh produce from the farmers market, heading to the beach, or making an eco-friendly substitute for plastic shopping bags. Because they use relatively little yarn, they’re also an economical project.

Most mesh bag patterns use simple yarn-over and decrease combinations to create the openwork fabric. Some use a more formal lace pattern, while others keep it ultra-simple with a basic mesh. The bag is typically worked in the round from the top down, with the handles either cast on at the beginning or added by picking up stitches at the end. Sturdy cotton string or twine in a DK or worsted weight is the classic yarn choice here, though a dyed cotton in a beautiful color can make this practical project feel like a real fashion statement.

3. The Striped Project Bag

Every knitter needs a project bag — a dedicated bag just for holding a current work-in-progress. A good project bag keeps your yarn from escaping, your needles from stabbing anyone nearby, and your knitting clean and tangle-free. And what could be more fitting than a project bag you’ve knitted yourself?

The striped project bag is a wonderful beginner project because it’s essentially a rectangle with a handle or drawstring, and the stripes give it visual interest without requiring any complex stitch patterns. You can use up multiple partial skeins from your stash to create a rainbow of stripes, or stick to a two-color palette for something more refined. Add a drawstring closure using an I-cord drawstring threaded through eyelets near the top, and you’ve got a project bag that’s cute, practical, and entirely handmade.

4. The Colorwork Clutch

For knitters who’ve mastered the basics and want a real showpiece project, a colorwork clutch is a fantastic choice. Using either Fair Isle or stranded colorwork technique, you can create a bag fabric that looks incredibly intricate but is actually achieved through a relatively straightforward knitting rhythm once you get the hang of carrying two strands of yarn.

Geometric patterns, florals, and Nordic-inspired motifs are all popular choices for colorwork clutches. The bag is typically small — designed to hold a phone, keys, and a card — and finished with a zipper or a fold-over flap closure. The colorwork itself creates a naturally thick, sturdy fabric, so a separate lining isn’t always strictly necessary, though it does make the bag feel more polished. This is the kind of project you’ll pull out at dinner parties just to show people you made it yourself.

5. The Felted Wool Bag

Felting is a transformational technique that turns loose-knitted fabric into a dense, thick, almost leathery material by washing it in hot water and agitating it until the wool fibers matt together. The result is a sturdy, water-resistant, and wonderfully tactile material that makes exceptional bags.

The great joy of knitting a felted bag is that you knit much larger than your finished bag will be — often 30 to 50 percent larger — knowing that the felting process will shrink and firm it up. This means you can work with big needles and thick yarn and see fast progress. Once felted, the fabric can be cut without fraying, which opens up all sorts of creative possibilities like decorative cutouts or added handles. Use 100% non-superwash wool for felting; superwash-treated wool won’t felt.

6. The Boho Fringe Bag

Bohemian style and knitting are a natural match, and the boho fringe bag leans fully into that aesthetic. This is typically a small-to-medium crossbody bag with a flat front, worked in a textured stitch or simple stockinette, and then adorned with long fringe along the bottom edge and sometimes along the flap or seams.

The fringe is made by cutting strands of yarn or a complementary fiber (like suede cord or leather strips) to the same length, folding them in half, and pulling the loop through the edge stitches with a crochet hook before threading the tails through. You can mix colors in the fringe, add beads for extra flair, or trim the fringe to different lengths for a layered effect. A long adjustable chain or leather strap makes this into a wearable crossbody bag that looks genuinely stylish.

7. The Structured Box Bag

If you’re drawn to handbags with a more architectural, structured silhouette, the box bag is a dream project. These bags are worked in flat panels that are seamed together to create a three-dimensional boxy shape with a flat base, straight sides, and a clean top edge. The key to the look is using a firm yarn (often cotton or a cotton-linen blend) and either lining the bag with fabric and interfacing or adding a rigid plastic canvas base inside.

The structured box bag is a more involved project, but the result is something that genuinely looks like a bought bag. You can add metal feet to the base, a top zipper, interior pockets made from the lining fabric, and either knitted handles or purchased bag handles. It’s the kind of project where the finishing details make all the difference, so take your time with the assembly.

8. The Fair Isle Tote

Combining the practicality of a tote bag with the beauty of Fair Isle colorwork, this pattern gives you a large, usable bag covered in traditional two-color stranded patterns. Fair Isle totes are worked in the round so you’re always looking at the right side of the work and can easily follow your colorwork chart. The fabric that results from stranded knitting is naturally thicker and stiffer than single-color stockinette, which means the bag holds its shape well without needing extra structure.

Choose colors that complement each other — a neutral background with one or two accent colors tends to be the most readable for the pattern. You can find free Fair Isle charts all over the internet, or design your own on graph paper. Adding a fabric lining and sturdy twisted-cord handles finishes the bag beautifully.

9. The Wristlet Bag

A wristlet is a small, hand-carried bag with a short strap or loop that slips over your wrist. It’s the perfect size for an evening out when you just need your essentials, or for a quick errand run when you don’t want to carry a full bag. Knitted wristlets are compact projects that work up quickly and make excellent gifts.

You can knit a wristlet in almost any stitch pattern — simple stockinette, seed stitch, a small cable pattern, or even a tiny bit of lace. The closure can be a zipper, a button and loop, or a fold-over flap. The wrist loop can be a knitted I-cord, a piece of ribbon, or a purchased metal wrist strap. Because it’s small, a wristlet is also a great chance to use a special or luxurious yarn you’ve been saving for a project worthy of it.

10. The Knitted Belt Bag (Bum Bag / Fanny Pack)

Belt bags have been everywhere in fashion for the past few years, and the knitted version is both on-trend and entirely functional. A knitted belt bag is typically a small rectangular or oval pouch with a zipper closure, worn on an adjustable webbing strap around the waist or slung across the chest.

The body of the bag is worked in a sturdy cotton or cotton-blend yarn, and the exterior can be left plain for a minimalist look or decorated with colorwork or texture. The zipper is sewn into the opening by hand or machine, and the adjustable strap is usually purchased webbing with a plastic or metal buckle. It’s a slightly more technical project because of the zipper installation, but plenty of tutorials exist to walk you through it, and the result is a genuinely practical everyday accessory.

11. The Linen Stitch Tote

The linen stitch is a slipped-stitch pattern that creates a woven-looking fabric with beautiful texture and significant body. It’s worked with two colors, alternating every row, and the result looks more like woven textile than conventional knitting. It’s a slightly slower knit than stockinette because you’re only actually knitting every other stitch, but the finished fabric is so unique and lovely that it’s absolutely worth the extra time.

A linen stitch tote worked in two complementary colors — cream and olive, navy and camel, or black and terracotta are all stunning combinations — makes a bag that genuinely looks like a bespoke artisan piece. The fabric has wonderful structure and holds its shape naturally. This is an intermediate-level project in terms of technique but the pattern itself is simple and rhythmic once you get into it.

12. The Cabled Handbag

Cables add such incredible dimension and texture to knitted fabric, and a cabled handbag is a true statement piece. The cables can run vertically up the sides of the bag, form a central panel on the front and back, or wrap around the entire circumference in a seamless circular pattern. A classic aran-weight wool or a chunky wool-blend in a natural color lets the cable pattern take center stage.

Cabled bags tend to be worked flat and seamed, or worked in the round with the cable pattern tracked on a chart. The structured nature of cable fabric means the bag has good body without needing extra interfacing, though a simple lining will help it keep its shape over time. Leather or braided rope handles complement the textured, handcrafted look beautifully.

13. The Drawstring Bag

Drawstring bags are among the simplest bag constructions to knit and among the most versatile to use. Work a tube in the round, close the bottom with a three-needle bind-off or by gathering the stitches together, and add a row of eyelets near the top for the drawstring to thread through. Done.

The simplicity of the shape makes it the perfect canvas for experimenting with stitch patterns, colorwork, or yarns. A delicate drawstring bag in lace-weight mohair makes a gorgeous evening bag. A chunky drawstring bag in a natural cotton or jute becomes a practical gym bag or beach bag. A small drawstring worked in a variegated yarn makes the most charming little gift bag. This is also an excellent pattern to teach to a new knitter because the shaping is minimal and the construction is logical.

14. The Granny Square Inspired Knitted Bag

While granny squares are traditionally a crochet technique, the modular, patchwork aesthetic they create has been translated beautifully into knitting. Knitted mitered squares and log-cabin squares can be worked individually and then seamed together to create a bag with a wonderfully textured, patchwork exterior. This is a brilliant stash-busting project because each square can be a different color, giving you the opportunity to use up those small balls of leftover yarn from previous projects.

The squares are worked in garter stitch or seed stitch, which naturally lay flat and have good body. Once you’ve made enough squares to cover the front, back, and sides of your bag, seam them together and add handles and a lining. The patchwork exterior means every bag you make will be completely unique.

Tips for Finishing Your Knitted Bag

No matter which pattern you choose, finishing is where a knitted bag either looks handmade in the best sense or handmade in the slightly rough sense. Here are a few things that make a big difference.

Block your bag pieces before seaming. Blocking evens out your stitches, opens up any lace or textured patterns, and makes seaming much easier because the edges lie flat. For cotton or linen bags, wet blocking works well. For wool, a steam block or a wet block with gentle reshaping is ideal.

Take your time with seaming. A mattress stitch seam on a bag creates an almost invisible join that looks professional and clean. Use the same yarn you knit with, or a matching thread if your knitting yarn is too thick to seam with comfortably.

Add a lining when in doubt. A fabric lining takes an extra hour or two of work but dramatically improves both the look and the durability of most knitted bags. Choose a sturdy cotton or canvas lining fabric that won’t stretch out over time.

Reinforce your handles. Whether you’re knitting handles as part of the pattern or attaching purchased ones, make sure they’re securely attached. Handles bear a lot of stress, so secure them at multiple points and consider reinforcing with a few