Crochet Mini Backpack Purse Keychain – Free Pattern [Video]

There is something endlessly satisfying about crocheting a tiny, fully functional accessory. The miniature version of a classic backpack — complete with two straps, a zippered or button closure, and just enough room to hold a lip balm, a folded bill, or a spare key — has become one of the most popular small crochet projects making the rounds on social media. If you have been scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram and keep seeing these adorable little bag keychains dangling from totes and belt loops, you are in the right place. This free crochet pattern will walk you through every step of making your own mini backpack purse keychain from start to finish, and I have included a full video tutorial below so you can follow along in real time.

Whether you are a beginner looking for a fun weekend project or an experienced crocheter who wants a quick make to use up yarn scraps, this pattern is for you. The finished backpack measures approximately 3.5 to 4 inches tall and 2.5 to 3 inches wide — small enough to clip onto a keyring or zip pull, but detailed enough to look like a miniature version of a real backpack. Let’s gather our supplies and get started.

What You Will Need

Before you cast on your first stitch, it helps to have everything laid out and ready. This project uses very little yarn, which makes it a perfect stash buster. Here is what you need to complete the mini backpack purse keychain:

Yarn: Any worsted weight yarn (size 4) works well for this pattern. You will need approximately 50 to 75 yards total. If you want a two-tone backpack, choose one main color and one contrasting color for the flap, straps, or trim. Cotton yarn gives a crisp, structured look that holds the bag’s shape beautifully, while acrylic yarn is a little stretchier and comes in a wider range of colors. This project is an excellent opportunity to use up small balls of leftover yarn from previous projects.

Hook: A 3.5mm (size E) or 4.0mm (size G) crochet hook. The smaller hook creates a tighter fabric that holds its shape well, which is exactly what you want for a structured mini bag. Adjust based on your personal tension.

Notions: You will need a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, scissors, a small lobster clasp or keyring (available at any craft store or online for just a few cents), a small button or snap for the closure (optional but recommended), stitch markers to track your rounds, and a small amount of polyfill stuffing if you want the bag to have a slightly three-dimensional look when empty. Some crafters also add a tiny zipper, but a button or snap closure is much easier to work with at this scale.

Gauge: Gauge is not critical for this project since you are not fitting it to a body, but as a general reference, 16 single crochets and 18 rows should equal approximately 4 inches with worsted weight yarn and a 4.0mm hook. Working a little tighter will produce a stiffer, more structured bag.

Sizing and Customization Notes

One of the best things about this pattern is how easy it is to customize. If you want a slightly larger bag that can hold AirPods or folded dollar bills, simply go up a hook size or use two strands of yarn held together. For an even tinier bag that is purely decorative, switch to fingering weight yarn and a 2.25mm hook.

You can also play with color to make the bag uniquely yours. A classic solid color in tan, brown, or black looks sleek and sophisticated. Bright rainbow stripes make for the most eye-catching keychain at the farmer’s market. Many people love making these in school colors to give as gifts at graduation time. The pattern itself stays the same no matter what color combination you choose.

Pattern Abbreviations

This pattern is written in US crochet terms. Here is a quick reference guide for all the abbreviations used:

ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, inc = increase (two single crochets in the same stitch), dec = decrease (single crochet two stitches together), MR = magic ring, BLO = back loop only, FLO = front loop only, st = stitch, rnd = round, rep = repeat.

Free Crochet Mini Backpack Purse Keychain Pattern

Part One: The Main Body

The body of the backpack is worked in continuous rounds from the bottom up. Use a stitch marker to track the first stitch of each round.

Foundation: Start with a magic ring. If you are not comfortable with the magic ring, you can chain 2 and work 6 single crochets into the second chain from your hook instead.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc into the magic ring and pull the tail to close. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc] rep around. (18 sts)

Rnd 4: [Sc 2, inc] rep around. (24 sts)

Rnd 5: [Sc 3, inc] rep around. (30 sts)

Rnd 6: Work through BLO only — sc in each st around. (30 sts) This creates a crisp edge at the base of the bag that gives it a boxy, structured look.

Rnds 7 through 20: Sc in each st around, working through both loops. (30 sts per round)

You will work 14 rounds of plain single crochet after the BLO round. At this point your bag body should be approximately 3 to 3.5 inches tall. If you want a taller bag, add 2 to 4 more rounds here before moving on.

Rnd 21: Sc in each st around. Do not close the round yet. This is the top opening of the bag.

Fasten off and leave a tail for seaming if you are adding a flap, or simply weave in the end if you prefer a fully open top.

Part Two: The Flap

The flap folds over the front of the bag and is what gives the backpack its signature look. It is worked flat in rows, starting from a foundation chain.

Ch 16.

Row 1: Starting in the second ch from hook, sc across. (15 sts) Ch 1, turn.

Rows 2 through 7: Sc across each row. Ch 1, turn at the end of each row.

Row 8 (shaping row): Sl st across the first 2 sts, sc until the last 2 sts, leave those unworked. (11 sts)

Row 9: Sl st across the first st, sc until the last st, leave unworked. (9 sts)

Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

If you want a rounded flap rather than a squared-off one, you can work a slip stitch border around the entire flap before sewing it on. Simply attach yarn at any corner and slip stitch all the way around, working 3 slip stitches into each corner. This softens the edges and gives the finished bag a more polished look.

Attach the flap to the back of the bag body by sewing it to the inside of the top edge using the tapestry needle and your long tail. The flap should fold naturally over the front opening.

Sew your small button to the center front of the bag body, and make a small chain loop on the inside tip of the flap to serve as the button loop. Alternatively, sew one half of a snap to the underside of the flap and the other half to the front of the bag body.

Part Three: The Straps

The straps are what transform this little pouch into a recognizable backpack silhouette. They are worked as simple chains or narrow rows and attached to the back of the bag.

Main Straps (make 2):

Ch 25 (or more if you want longer straps). Work 1 sc into the second ch from hook and in each ch across. (24 sts) Fasten off, leaving a tail.

Fold the strap in half lengthwise if you want a slightly chunkier look, or leave it as a single chain. Attach each strap to the back of the bag: one end near the top of the bag at the upper corner and the other end near the bottom corner on the same side. When both straps are attached, the bag will look like a miniature real backpack from behind.

Top Loop:

For the keychain attachment, make a small loop at the very top of the bag. Ch 8, sl st to form a ring, and sew this firmly to the center top of the bag on the back. Thread your lobster clasp or keyring through this loop and you are ready to clip the finished bag to your keys, purse, backpack zipper, or anywhere else you like.

Part Four: Finishing Touches

Weave in all remaining ends securely using your tapestry needle. Because this bag will be handled frequently as a keychain, it is worth taking an extra moment to weave ends in two or three different directions to make sure nothing unravels over time.

If you used a loosely spun yarn or if your bag feels a bit floppy, you can stiffen it lightly by mixing equal parts white school glue and water, dipping the bag in the solution, reshaping it, and allowing it to dry completely over a small box or bottle that fits inside.

Add a tiny pompom to the zipper pull area, a small flower appliqué to the front flap, or even a miniature woven patch made from a bit of embroidery floss. These small details make the bag look incredibly charming and they take only a few extra minutes.

Video Tutorial

I know that written patterns can sometimes feel confusing when you are working in three dimensions or handling stitch counts for the first time, so I have put together a complete step-by-step video tutorial that walks through every part of this pattern from the magic ring all the way to attaching the lobster clasp. The video pauses on each tricky section and shows close-up footage of the hook placement so you can see exactly what your work should look like at every stage.

You can find the video tutorial embedded below or by searching “Crochet Mini Backpack Purse Keychain Tutorial” on YouTube. I recommend watching the full video through once before picking up your hook, then playing it back section by section as you work. Many people find it helpful to pause the video after each round and compare their work to the screen before moving on.

Tips for Success

A few things make a big difference when you are crocheting at this small scale.

Working tightly and consistently is the most important skill here. Because the finished bag is only a few inches tall, any tension inconsistencies are more visible than they would be on a full-size project. Try to keep your yarn tension even throughout, and do not be discouraged if your first attempt looks a little wonky — the second one will almost always come out better once your hands know the pattern.

Stitch markers are your best friend on a project like this. With only 30 stitches per round, losing track of where your round starts can throw off your stitch count quickly. Mark the first stitch of every round without fail and check your count every few rounds.

If you are new to working in the round, the most common mistake is accidentally increasing the stitch count by working into the slip stitch used to close a round. This pattern uses continuous rounds specifically to avoid that problem, but if you switch to joined rounds at any point, make sure you are not accidentally working into your joining slip stitch.

Blocking can help enormously if the finished bag feels stiff or uneven. Lightly mist the bag with water, reshape it by hand, and pin it to a foam mat or folded towel while it dries. This is especially effective with cotton yarn.

Ways to Use Your Mini Backpack Keychain

Once you have made one of these bags, chances are very good that you will want to make a dozen more. They are that quick and that satisfying. Beyond using them as keychains, here are some ideas that the crochet community has come up with:

Clip one to the outside of a large tote bag for a fun bag-on-bag look that is very much on trend. Fill a tiny bag with a folded piece of paper containing a sweet note and give it as a gift tag. String several in different colors along a piece of twine to make miniature backpack garland for a child’s room. Make them in school or team colors and sell them at craft fairs — these are consistently one of the fastest-selling small items at vendor tables. Use them as ornament hooks on a Christmas tree, substituting a ribbon loop for the keychain hardware. Tuck an earring or two inside one and gift it as jewelry packaging that the recipient can keep and use long after the earrings are out.

Gifting and Selling

If you are planning to sell items made from this free pattern, you are welcome to sell the finished objects as long as you credit the pattern. Please do not sell or redistribute the written pattern itself. A note in your product listing or on your table card that says “made using a free pattern from [your blog name]” is a lovely way to give credit while also potentially driving curious buyers back to your site.

These bags are especially popular at holiday craft fairs in the fall and winter. At most markets they sell for anywhere between five and fifteen dollars depending on the yarn used and the level of detail on the finished bag. Making them in batches of five or six at a time is easy since each one takes only about an hour once you have memorized the pattern.

Community and Sharing

I would absolutely love to see the mini backpacks you make from this pattern. If you share your finished project on Instagram, please tag it so I can find it and feature it. The crochet community is one of the most generous and supportive creative communities on the internet, and seeing the range of colors, yarns, and embellishments that different people bring to the same base pattern is one of my favorite things about sharing free patterns here.

If you have questions about any step in the pattern, drop them in the comments below and I will do my best to respond. If you find an error or something that could be explained more clearly, I always appreciate that feedback too — patterns get better over time with community input, and your question might be the same one that the next person reading this post has.

Happy crocheting, and I hope your little backpack turns out exactly as cute as you are imagining it right now.