Knitting for Beginners Tutorial: Drawstring Bag Pattern with Cinch Closure

If you have been wanting to learn to knit but feel overwhelmed by complicated patterns, a drawstring bag is one of the best first projects you can choose. It is small enough to finish in a weekend, practical enough that you will actually use it, and simple enough that you can focus on building your foundational skills without feeling lost. This tutorial walks you through everything you need to know to knit a beautiful drawstring bag with a cinch closure, from the supplies you will gather to the final knot that pulls it all together. Whether you have never held a pair of needles or you tried knitting once years ago and want to start fresh, this guide was written with you in mind.

Why a Drawstring Bag Is the Perfect Beginner Knitting Project

Before we dive into the pattern, it is worth taking a moment to understand why this particular project is so well-suited for beginners. Unlike a sweater or a pair of socks, a drawstring bag does not require you to shape armholes, turn heels, or worry about fitting measurements to a human body. You knit a flat rectangle, seam the sides and bottom, add eyelets for your drawstring, and finish with a simple cord or ribbon. That is genuinely it.

Along the way, you will practice the two most fundamental stitches in all of knitting: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. You will learn how to cast on, how to bind off, how to read a simple pattern, how to count your rows, and how to seam your work together. These are skills you will use for the rest of your knitting life, no matter what you eventually go on to make. A drawstring bag gives you all of that practice in a forgiving format where small mistakes are either invisible or easy to fix.

It also makes a wonderful gift. A handknitted bag can hold jewelry, crystals, small treasures, dice for a tabletop game, a phone, a wallet, or anything else that fits inside. People love receiving something handmade, and you will feel a genuine sense of pride handing over something you created stitch by stitch.

Supplies You Will Need

Gathering the right materials before you begin saves you time and frustration. Here is everything you need for this project.

Yarn: Choose a medium-weight yarn, also labeled as worsted weight or a number 4 on the yarn label’s skein symbol. This weight is forgiving, knits up quickly, and is easy to see while you work, which matters a lot for beginners. You will need approximately 100 to 150 yards, so one skein is almost always enough. Cotton yarn is a lovely choice for bags because it holds its shape well and has a slight stiffness that keeps the bag structured. Wool also works beautifully and gives a slightly stretchy, cozy result. Avoid very fuzzy or novelty yarns for your first project because it becomes difficult to see your individual stitches.

Knitting Needles: You will need straight needles in size US 7 or US 8 (4.5mm to 5mm). Most worsted weight yarns will suggest a needle size on the label, and following that recommendation is a safe starting point. If you have circular needles in the same size, those work just as well and some beginners find them more comfortable.

Tapestry Needle: This blunt-tipped needle is used to weave in your yarn ends and to seam the sides of your bag closed. You can find these at any craft store for very little money.

Scissors: Any scissors will do.

Stitch Markers: These small rings slip onto your needle and mark specific points in your knitting. They are optional but genuinely helpful, especially when placing your eyelet row.

Cord or Ribbon for the Drawstring: You can use a premade cord, a ribbon, a length of braided yarn, or even a leather cord. You will need about 40 to 50 inches. If you want to make your own twisted cord from your project yarn, instructions are included at the end.

Tape Measure or Ruler: Useful for checking your gauge and your finished dimensions.

Understanding Gauge

Gauge refers to how many stitches and rows fit into a specific measurement, usually four inches, when you knit with a given yarn and needle size. It sounds technical but the concept is simple: everyone knits with a slightly different tension, and that tension affects the size of your finished piece.

For a bag, gauge is not as critical as it would be for a garment. If your bag ends up an inch shorter or taller than described, it will still function perfectly. However, checking your gauge is still a good habit to build, and doing it once before you start will tell you whether you should adjust your needle size.

To check gauge, cast on 20 stitches and knit in stockinette stitch (one row knit, one row purl, alternating) for 20 rows. Bind off loosely, lay your swatch flat without stretching it, and measure how many stitches fit across four inches. For this pattern, you are aiming for approximately 18 stitches and 24 rows per four inches on US 7 needles. If you have more stitches than that in four inches, your tension is tight and you should try a larger needle. If you have fewer stitches, your tension is loose and a smaller needle will help.

The Pattern at a Glance

This finished bag measures approximately 7 inches wide and 9 inches tall before cinching. It uses a stockinette stitch body, a simple eyelet row near the top for the drawstring, and a garter stitch border at the top edge for stability and a decorative finish.

Skill Level: Beginner
Finished Size: Approximately 7 inches wide by 9 inches tall
Yarn: 100 to 150 yards of worsted weight yarn
Needles: US 7 or US 8 straight or circular needles
Gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Abbreviations Used:
CO = cast on, K = knit, P = purl, K2tog = knit two stitches together, YO = yarn over, BO = bind off, RS = right side, WS = wrong side, rep = repeat, st = stitch, sts = stitches

Step-by-Step Instructions

Casting On

Cast on 34 stitches using your preferred cast-on method. If you are brand new to knitting, the long-tail cast on is worth learning from the start because it creates a clean, stretchy, professional-looking edge. If you find that method intimidating today, the simple knitted cast on is perfectly fine and will get you started without frustration. There is no wrong answer here.

Once your stitches are on the needle, take a moment to count them. Counting at the very beginning prevents a lot of trouble later.

Garter Stitch Border at the Base

Knit every stitch for 4 rows. This creates a garter stitch border at the bottom of your bag. Garter stitch lies flat and does not curl, which gives your bag a stable base and a neat finished edge. It also means you will not need to add extra finishing at the bottom.

Body of the Bag

Now you will begin stockinette stitch, which is the classic knitting pattern that creates the smooth V-shaped texture you picture when you think of a knitted fabric.

Row 1 (RS): Knit all 34 stitches.
Row 2 (WS): Purl all 34 stitches.

Repeat these two rows until your piece measures approximately 8 inches from the cast-on edge. This will take roughly 48 rows, though the exact number depends on your personal gauge. Measure your work periodically as you go rather than counting rows obsessively. Lay it flat on a table and use your tape measure to check the length from the bottom edge.

As you work through these rows, you are building a rhythm. Many knitters find that this is the moment knitting clicks for them. The motion of knitting one row and purling the next becomes almost meditative, and your hands begin to move with more confidence than they had at the start.

Eyelet Row

This is the row that creates the small holes through which your drawstring will pass. It sounds fancy but it requires only two techniques you likely already know from counting and knitting: a yarn over and a knit-two-together decrease. These two moves cancel each other out in terms of stitch count, so you begin and end the row with 34 stitches.

Set-up: Make sure you are working on a right-side row before beginning.

Row 1 (Eyelet Row, RS): K2, YO, K2tog, rep from to last 2 sts, K2.

What this means in plain language: Knit the first two stitches normally. Then, bring the yarn forward as if to purl (that is your yarn over), and immediately knit the next two stitches together as one. That is one eyelet made. Continue making yarn overs and knitting two stitches together until you have two stitches left, then knit those last two stitches normally.

Row 2 (WS): Purl all stitches.

You should now be able to see a row of small holes running across your fabric. These are your eyelets, and they will guide your drawstring perfectly.

Garter Stitch Border at the Top

Knit every stitch for 4 more rows. This creates a matching garter stitch border at the top of your bag, frames the eyelet row beautifully, and gives the top edge the same stability as the bottom.

Binding Off

Bind off all stitches loosely in knit. To bind off: knit the first two stitches, then use your left needle to lift the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. One stitch remains. Knit one more stitch and repeat the process. Continue until one stitch remains, then cut your yarn leaving a tail of about six inches, and pull that tail through the remaining loop to secure it.

The word “loosely” matters here. If you bind off too tightly, the top edge of your bag will pucker and resist the drawstring. If you find you tend to bind off tightly, try using a needle one size larger for this row only.

You have now completed the knitted fabric of your bag. It is a flat rectangle, and the next steps transform it into a three-dimensional bag.

Finishing Your Bag

Weaving In Ends

Before you seam, weave in all your yarn tails using your tapestry needle. Thread the tail through the needle and weave it in and out of the stitches on the wrong side of your fabric for at least an inch in one direction, then double back in a slightly different path to anchor it. Trim the remaining tail close to the fabric.

Seaming the Sides

Fold your rectangle in half lengthwise so that the right sides are facing each other (meaning the smooth stockinette side faces inward). You will seam along both side edges to create the bag shape.

Using your tapestry needle and a length of yarn, use mattress stitch or a simple whipstitch to seam the two sides together. Mattress stitch creates a virtually invisible seam on the right side of the fabric and is well worth learning. To work mattress stitch on stockinette, lay the two edges side by side with right sides facing up. Insert your tapestry needle under the horizontal bar between the first and second stitches on one side, then under the corresponding bar on the other side. Pull gently. Alternate back and forth, pulling the yarn snug every few stitches, and the seam will zip together almost invisibly.

Work from the bottom of the bag upward on each side edge, stopping at the top garter border. Tie off your seaming yarn securely on the inside when you reach the top.

The Bottom Seam

Your bag still has an open bottom. With the bag still turned inside out, seam across the cast-on edge using the same whipstitch or mattress stitch technique. Make sure your seam is secure, as this edge bears the weight of whatever you put in the bag. Tie off and weave in your end.

Turn your bag right side out by reaching inside and gently pushing the bottom corner through the opening. Give it a light press with a damp cloth or a steam iron (appropriate to your yarn fiber) to help the seams lie flat and the fabric settle into its final shape.

Making and Threading the Drawstring

Option One: Purchased Cord or Ribbon

If you are using a purchased cord or ribbon, cut a length of 45 to 50 inches. Attach a safety pin to one end, insert it into one of the eyelets near the edge of the eyelet row, and feed it all the way around through every eyelet until it comes back out through the same starting eyelet. Pull both ends to even them out, and tie them together with an overhand knot or a bow.

Option Two: Twisted Yarn Cord

Cut four strands of your project yarn, each about 90 inches long. Hold all four strands together and anchor one end (tying it to a door handle or asking a friend to hold it works well). Twist the entire length tightly in one direction until it begins to double back on itself. Fold it in half, holding the looped end while the twisted strands spiral together naturally. Knot both cut ends together to secure. You now have a neat twisted cord of approximately 45 inches.

Thread this cord through your eyelets the same way as described above. The finished drawstring cord will match your bag perfectly and gives the whole project a cohesive, handcrafted look.

Tips for Troubleshooting Common Beginner Mistakes

Knitting comes with a learning curve, and every beginner runs into a few predictable snags. Here are the most common ones and how to handle them.

If you notice your stitch count changing from row to row, the most likely culprit is an accidental yarn over at the beginning of a row. This happens when you hold the yarn in front before knitting the first stitch instead of behind it. Pay attention to your yarn position at the start of every row.

If your edges look uneven or loose, try slipping the first stitch of every row without working it. This creates a chain-like edge that is clean and consistent, and it also makes seaming easier.

If your knitting is twisting as you work in the round (if you eventually adapt this pattern to circular knitting), you likely twisted your cast on. Always lay your work flat and confirm that the cast-on edge is not spiraling before you join to work in the round.

If you drop a stitch, do not panic. A dropped stitch shows up as a small ladder of loose horizontal bars below a gap in your fabric. Use a crochet hook to pick it back up by pulling each rung of the ladder through the stitch above it. There are countless video tutorials online that demonstrate this, and it is a skill worth learning because it will save you from frogging (unraveling) your work unnecessarily.

Variations to Try Once You Are Comfortable

Once you have finished your first bag and built confidence, there are wonderful ways to make the next one your own.

You can try working this bag in the round using circular or double-pointed needles, which eliminates the side seams entirely and gives you practice with a new technique. Working in the round also means you are always looking at the right side of your work, which many people find easier for maintaining consistent tension in stockinette.

You can add stripes by switching yarn colors at the beginning of a right-side row. Simply tie in your new color, leaving a tail to weave in, and continue knitting. Stripes are a great way to use up small amounts of leftover yarn from other projects.

You can experiment with different stitch patterns for the body of the bag. Seed stitch, which alternates knit and purl stitches within a row and then offsets them in the next row, creates a beautiful pebbly texture that lies completely flat without any curling. Ribbing creates a stretchy, structured look. Moss stitch is another elegant option. All of these work within the same basic structure of this pattern.

You can also change the size of the bag by adjusting your cast-on number. Each stitch adds roughly a quarter inch of width at the given gauge. If you want a smaller pouch, cast on 24 stitches. For a larger market bag, cast on 50 or 60 stitches and increase your yarn yardage accordingly.

Caring for Your Finished Bag

How you care for your finished bag depends on the fiber content of your yarn. Check the label of your yarn for washing instructions before you begin, and plan accordingly.

Cotton yarn bags are generally machine washable on a gentle cycle in cold water and can be laid flat to dry. Wool bags should be hand washed gently in cool water with a wool-specific detergent and then laid flat to dry, as agitation and heat cause wool to felt (shrink and mat together permanently). Acrylic yarn bags are typically the most low-maintenance and can handle machine washing and even low-heat machine drying.

Storing your finished bag in a drawer or shelf is best when it is not in use. If it loses its shape