Black Cat Bag Crochet Pattern – Free Pattern
There’s something undeniably magical about a black cat. Whether it crosses your path on a quiet autumn evening or sits curled in a sunlit window, black cats carry an air of mystery and elegance that has captivated people for centuries. Now imagine carrying that same mystique right on your shoulder — stitched in soft yarn, with pointed ears and bright button eyes staring out at the world. This free black cat bag crochet pattern is exactly what you need to bring that vision to life.
Whether you’re making this for Halloween, gifting it to the cat lover in your life, or simply treating yourself to a fun weekend project, this pattern walks you through every step. The finished bag is roomy enough to hold your essentials, sturdy enough to use every day, and charming enough to turn heads wherever you go. Best of all, it’s completely free.
Let’s dive in.
About This Pattern
This black cat bag is designed with intermediate crocheters in mind, but confident beginners who are comfortable with basic stitches and shaping will find it very approachable. The bag features a rounded body, two pointed cat ears at the top, an embroidered or button nose and eyes, and a simple shoulder strap. You can customize it endlessly — swap the button eyes for safety eyes, add a long tail detail to the side, line the interior with fabric, or work it up in any color you like (a calico cat bag in orange and white yarn sounds just as wonderful).
The construction is worked in the round using a continuous spiral, which gives the body of the bag a smooth, seamless look. The ears are worked separately and sewn on, and the strap can be made as long or short as you prefer. This is a genuinely portable project once you’ve cast on — take it to your next craft night or finish it binge-watching your favorite show.
Materials You’ll Need
Before you start, gather everything you’ll need so the process goes smoothly from beginning to end.
Yarn: Approximately 300–400 yards of worsted weight yarn in black. You’ll also want a small amount of white or yellow yarn for the eyes if you choose to embroider them, and a tiny bit of pink yarn for the nose. A yarn with a slight sheen or a smooth texture works especially well because it shows the stitch definition clearly, which gives the bag a polished, professional look.
Hook: Size 5.0mm (H/8) crochet hook, or whatever size achieves your gauge.
Notions: Two 18mm button eyes or safety eyes (optional but adorable), a yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing pieces together, scissors, stitch markers, and optionally a magnetic bag closure or zipper if you want to secure the opening. If you plan to line the bag, you’ll need about a quarter yard of fabric and basic sewing supplies.
Gauge: 14 stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches in single crochet. Gauge matters more here than in a typical stuffed animal because you’re making a functional bag — if your gauge is off, the finished dimensions will shift. Take a few minutes to work a swatch.
Finished Size: Approximately 10 inches wide and 9 inches tall at the body, not including the ears. The strap adds another 24 inches on each side for a comfortable shoulder carry. You can adjust the dimensions by going up or down a hook size or by working more or fewer rounds.
Abbreviations and Stitches Used
All abbreviations follow US crochet terminology.
ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, dc = double crochet, inc = increase (2 sc in the same stitch), dec = decrease (sc2tog), st(s) = stitch(es), pm = place marker, BLO = back loop only, MR = magic ring.
Pattern Instructions
Part One: The Bag Body
The body is worked in a continuous spiral from the bottom up. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of each round and move it up as you go so you never lose your place.
Foundation: Begin with a magic ring.
Round 1: Work 6 sc into the magic ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc 1, inc] repeat around. (18 sts)
Round 4: [Sc 2, inc] repeat around. (24 sts)
Round 5: [Sc 3, inc] repeat around. (30 sts)
Round 6: [Sc 4, inc] repeat around. (36 sts)
Round 7: [Sc 5, inc] repeat around. (42 sts)
Round 8: [Sc 6, inc] repeat around. (48 sts)
Round 9: [Sc 7, inc] repeat around. (54 sts)
Round 10: [Sc 8, inc] repeat around. (60 sts)
Round 11: [Sc 9, inc] repeat around. (66 sts)
Round 12: [Sc 10, inc] repeat around. (72 sts)
You should now have a flat circle with 72 stitches around the edge. This forms the bottom of your bag.
Sides of the bag: From this point, you’ll work in the BLO for Round 13 only. This creates a clean fold line between the base and the sides of the bag, giving it a more structured, box-like shape.
Round 13: Sc in BLO in each st around. (72 sts)
Rounds 14 through 45: Sc in each st around. (72 sts each round)
Continue working straight until the body measures approximately 9 inches tall from the fold line. Depending on your gauge and yarn, this may take slightly more or fewer rounds than listed. Trust your measuring tape over the round count.
Opening Shaping: Once your bag body is the height you want, you’ll work two more rounds in hdc to give the opening a slightly flared, structured edge that’s easier to work the ears from later.
Round 46: Hdc in each st around. (72 sts)
Round 47: Hdc in each st around. (72 sts)
Fasten off and weave in your end. Your bag body is complete.
Part Two: The Cat Ears
The ears are worked flat, then folded and sewn onto the top of the bag. Make two.
Row 1: Chain 13. Sc in the second ch from hook and in each ch across. (12 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Dec, sc 8, dec. (10 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (10 sts)
Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Dec, sc 6, dec. (8 sts)
Row 5: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (8 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, turn. Dec, sc 4, dec. (6 sts)
Row 7: Ch 1, turn. Dec, sc 2, dec. (4 sts)
Row 8: Ch 1, turn. Dec, dec. (2 sts)
Row 9: Ch 1, turn. Dec. (1 st)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Fold the bottom edge of the ear in half and stitch it closed to create the base of the ear, which will give it that nice three-dimensional pointed shape. Make a second ear the same way.
Part Three: The Shoulder Strap
The strap is a simple, long chain of single crochets. You can make it as long or as short as you prefer — a 50-inch total length works well for most adults as a shoulder bag, but feel free to adjust.
Chain 201 (or any odd number that gives you your preferred length).
Row 1: Sc in the second ch from hook and in each ch across. (200 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (200 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (200 sts)
Fasten off, leaving long tails on each end for attaching the strap to the bag.
If you prefer a chunkier, rounder strap, you can work a foundation chain of 8 stitches and crochet a tube instead, working in the round for the desired length. This gives a slightly different look but is equally durable.
Part Four: The Face Details
This is where your bag really comes to life, and you have some creative freedom here.
Eyes: If you’re using safety eyes or button eyes, attach them about 3 inches down from the top opening of the bag, spacing them about 3 inches apart from center to center. Push safety eyes through the fabric from the outside and secure the washers on the inside. If you’re using buttons, sew them on firmly with a yarn needle and doubled thread.
If you’d prefer embroidered eyes, use a length of white or yellow yarn and a yarn needle to work a simple oval or circle in satin stitch. You can add a small black pupil on top with a few straight stitches in a contrasting color.
Nose: Using your pink yarn and a yarn needle, embroider a small triangle nose centered just below where the eyes are placed. A simple triangle worked in satin stitch looks neat and clean.
Whiskers: Optional but wonderful. Use a few strands of white yarn or white embroidery floss threaded through the fabric with a yarn needle, then tied off and trimmed to your preferred whisker length. Three whiskers on each side of the nose look lovely and very cat-like.
Mouth: If you’d like to add a small curved mouth below the nose, a simple backstitch in pink or black yarn creates the effect nicely. A gentle upward curve at each end gives your cat a perpetually pleased expression.
Assembly
Now comes the satisfying part — putting everything together.
Start by attaching the ears. Pin them to the top of the bag first before sewing, so you can adjust their placement until you’re happy with how they look. Space them evenly, leaving about 3 inches of space between them at the center top of the bag. The base of each ear should sit along the top opening edge. Sew them down firmly using the long tail you left when fastening off, stitching through both the ear and the top edge of the bag. Take your time here — securely attached ears make the finished bag look much more professional.
Next, attach the strap. Fold each end of the strap over by about an inch and whip stitch it to the interior side seam of the bag on each side, centered about halfway up the height of the bag. Pull on the strap firmly once it’s sewn to make sure the attachment feels secure before you trust it with your belongings.
If you’re adding a magnetic closure, attach the two halves inside the bag at the top opening, centered on each side, before you finish assembly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the specific closure you’ve chosen.
If you’re lining the bag, cut two pieces of fabric using the bag as a guide — trace the base for a circle and measure the height and circumference for the side panel. Sew the fabric lining, press the seam allowances under at the top, and slip it inside the bag. Use a whip stitch to tack the lining to the inside of the bag’s top edge. A lining is completely optional but it does give the bag extra structure and protects delicate items from catching on the crochet stitches.
Tips for Success
Black yarn can be notoriously tricky to work with because it’s harder to see your stitches clearly, especially in dim lighting. Work near a bright lamp or in natural daylight as much as possible. Running your fingers along each row and feeling for the stitches can help when your eyes get tired. Some crocheters find that laying the work on a white cloth or piece of paper while they work gives just enough contrast to spot each stitch more easily.
If you’re making this bag as a gift for a child, consider swapping the safety eyes for embroidered ones, since safety eyes can become a hazard if they’re not secured properly and small hands are involved.
Blocking the finished bag before assembly can help even out any irregularities in your tension. Lightly spritz the body and ears with water, shape them, and let them dry flat overnight.
Don’t stress about absolute perfection in the face details — a little asymmetry in the whiskers or a slightly imperfect nose actually adds personality and charm to the finished piece. Handmade items are meant to look handmade.
Customization Ideas
One of the best things about this pattern is how easily it adapts to different visions. Here are a few directions you might want to take it.
Work the body in orange for a tabby cat, in grey for a classic British shorthair, or in white for a sophisticated snow cat look. You could use variegated yarn for a tortoiseshell effect that would be absolutely striking as a bag. A soft caramel or fawn yarn transforms the same pattern into a golden lion-inspired bag with almost no changes.
For a Halloween-specific version, add a crescent moon or small star in yellow yarn appliquéd onto the body of the bag, or try working the strap in an orange and black alternating stripe.
To make a smaller coin purse or mini pouch version, simply work fewer increase rounds in the base and fewer rounds in the body. A version worked with just 5 increase rounds (ending at 36 stitches around) and about 15 rounds of the body makes a sweet little wristlet pouch perfect for carrying just your essentials.
You could also add a tail detail — crochet a long single crochet tube in the same black yarn and attach it to the lower side or back of the bag so it hangs down. It’s a playful touch that makes the bag feel even more like a little cat companion.
Why You’ll Love This Project
Beyond the obvious fun of carrying around a crochet cat (which is, frankly, reason enough), this project teaches and reinforces several skills that will serve you well in future crochet projects. Working in the round, shaping a flat circle into a three-dimensional form, creating clean decreases, and attaching separate pieces neatly are all techniques that come up again and again.
The project is also a genuinely satisfying gift to make. Cat lovers are legion, and a handmade bag is both personal and practical in a way that purchased gifts often aren’t. You could make a small batch of these in different colors for holiday gifts or for a craft market and they’d be sure to attract attention.
And if you simply love black cats the way so many of us do — for their quiet dignity, their mystery, the way they watch the world with such calm intensity — then making this bag is also a little tribute to them. A way of carrying that energy with you.
Final Thoughts
This free black cat bag crochet pattern gives you a beautiful, functional, and completely customizable project that’s well worth your time. From the smooth spiraling body to the pointed ears to those bright button eyes, every element comes together into something that feels genuinely special when it’s finished. The pattern is generous enough to hold everything you need for a day out, sturdy enough to use regularly, and charming enough that you’ll find yourself reaching for it again and again.
Save this pattern, share it with your crocheting friends, and let me know in the comments how yours turns out. I’d love to see the finished bags — every one will be a little different, and that’s exactly what makes handmade things worth making.
Happy crocheting.
