7 Dice Drawstring Bag Free Knitting Pattern: A Fun and Functional Project for Every Skill Level
If you’re a knitter who also happens to love tabletop games, board games, or role-playing adventures, this project was made for you. A dice bag is one of those small, satisfying knitting projects that comes together quickly, looks impressive, and actually gets used. Whether you’re making one for yourself, gifting it to a game-loving friend, or simply looking for a beginner-friendly project that teaches real skills, this free knitting pattern for a 7-dice drawstring bag is exactly what you need.
This bag is designed to hold a standard set of 7 polyhedral dice — the classic D4, D6, D8, D10, D10 (percentile), D12, and D20 — the kind you find in any tabletop RPG like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, or Shadowrun. The finished bag is compact, durable, and endlessly customizable in terms of color and yarn choice. Let’s get into everything you need to know to knit one yourself.
Why Knit a Dice Bag?
Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth talking about why knitting your own dice bag is such a rewarding choice. For starters, store-bought dice bags tend to be generic. They’re usually made from velvet or thin fabric, and while they do the job, they don’t have any personality. A hand-knitted dice bag, on the other hand, is a small piece of craft that reflects your taste, your favorite colors, and your skill as a maker.
There’s also the practical side. Knitted fabric has a natural give and softness that protects your dice from scratching against each other during transport. If you use a sturdy yarn with good stitch definition, the fabric is surprisingly tough. A well-knitted dice bag can last for years of regular use at the gaming table.
This pattern is also a great stash buster. It uses a small amount of yarn — typically less than 100 yards — which means you can dip into those odd balls sitting in your craft basket and finally put them to work. Try stripes, two-tone colorwork, or just a single skein of a gorgeous hand-dyed yarn you’ve been saving for the right moment.
Materials You Will Need
One of the best things about this pattern is how minimal the supply list is. You don’t need anything fancy, just a few basic tools and a small amount of yarn.
Yarn: Approximately 50 to 80 yards of worsted weight yarn (also labeled as “medium” or size 4 yarn). Wool, cotton, or a wool-cotton blend all work beautifully. For beginners, a smooth yarn in a solid or semi-solid color makes it easier to see your stitches. If you want something more decorative, a hand-dyed single-ply or a tonal colorway looks stunning when knitted up.
Needles: US size 7 (4.5mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs) or a short circular needle (9 inches works well for small circumference knitting in the round). You can also use the magic loop method with a longer circular needle if you prefer.
Other supplies: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, scissors, stitch markers, and approximately 24 to 30 inches of cord, ribbon, or I-cord for the drawstring. A crochet hook in a compatible size is optional but helpful for adding the drawstring.
Gauge and Sizing
Gauge for this project is approximately 18 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch using worsted weight yarn on US size 7 needles. Because this is a small bag rather than a garment, gauge doesn’t need to be exact, but it does affect the finished size, so it’s worth knitting a small swatch if you want your bag to fit the dice snugly.
The finished bag measures approximately 4 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall (before the drawstring casing) when lying flat. This is the ideal size for holding a standard 7-dice set comfortably, with just enough room to shake the bag and draw a die without the whole contents spilling out.
If you want a slightly larger bag — to hold extra dice, a few tokens, or a small figurine — simply cast on 4 to 6 more stitches and add an inch or two to the body length before beginning the casing round.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
CO — Cast on
K — Knit
P — Purl
K2tog — Knit two stitches together (a right-leaning decrease)
SSK — Slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease)
PM — Place marker
SM — Slip marker
YO — Yarn over
Rep — Repeat
St(s) — Stitch(es)
Rnd — Round
BO — Bind off
The Pattern: 7 Dice Drawstring Bag
Setting Up
Begin by casting on 36 stitches using your preferred method. The long-tail cast on is recommended here because it creates a tidy, slightly elastic edge that holds up well at the bottom of the bag. Distribute your stitches evenly across your DPNs (12 stitches per needle if using three needles) or prepare for magic loop. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist your cast on. Place a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.
Bottom of the Bag (Rounds 1–5)
The bottom of the bag is worked in a simple 1×1 rib to create a firm, slightly textured base that won’t stretch out under the weight of the dice.
Rounds 1–5: (K1, P1) around, slipping the marker each round.
After five rounds of ribbing, your base will feel sturdy and have a pleasing, tight structure. This ribbed bottom also helps the bag sit flat on a table when placed upright.
Body of the Bag (Rounds 6–30)
The body is worked in stockinette stitch (knit every round when working in the round) for a smooth, clean fabric that shows off your yarn color beautifully.
Rounds 6–30: Knit all stitches around, slipping the marker each round.
That’s 25 rounds of plain stockinette. If you’re making the bag for a child or want an especially snug fit, you can stop at round 22 or 23. If you want extra depth, continue to round 32 or 34. The key is making sure the body is deep enough that the dice won’t fall out when the bag is loosely closed, but not so deep that it becomes difficult to reach in and grab a die quickly during play.
This section is also where you’d incorporate any colorwork, stripes, or simple stitch patterns. A few ideas: knit five rounds of one color and five rounds of another for bold stripes; work a simple two-stitch cable down the front of the bag for a more textured look; or add a small motif in duplicate stitch after the knitting is complete. A lightning bolt, a moon, a dragon silhouette, or even a D20 can be worked using duplicate stitch or intarsia without changing the structure of the pattern at all.
Drawstring Eyelets (Rounds 31–32)
The eyelets create the channel through which your drawstring will pass. This is a small but important detail — it transforms a simple knitted tube into a functional bag.
Round 31: (K2tog, YO) around. This round creates 18 evenly spaced eyelets around the bag.
Round 32: Knit all stitches around. This round stabilizes the eyelet round and prepares for the casing.
The yarn-over and k2tog combination keeps your stitch count constant (each decrease is paired with a yarn-over), so you should still have 36 stitches after these two rounds.
Drawstring Casing (Rounds 33–38)
The casing is a band of knitting that folds over to form the channel that holds the drawstring cord. It’s worked in stockinette for 6 more rounds.
Rounds 33–38: Knit all stitches around.
After round 38, your knitting will measure approximately 5 to 5.5 inches from the cast-on edge.
Bind Off and Finishing the Casing
Bind off all 36 stitches loosely using a standard bind-off or a stretchy bind-off such as the Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off. A loose bind-off is important here because the top edge of the bag needs to open wide enough to get your hand inside comfortably.
Leave a tail of about 12 inches when you cut your yarn. Use this tail and your yarn needle to fold the casing inward and seam it down to the inside of the bag at the round just below the eyelets. This creates a neat tube through which the drawstring will thread. Work the seam stitch by stitch, catching each bound-off stitch and securing it to the corresponding stitch on round 32 of the inside. The eyelets should now peek out from beneath the top fold of the casing, creating two small openings through which you’ll feed your cord.
Weave in all ends securely on the inside of the bag.
Adding the Drawstring
Cut a length of cord, ribbon, or I-cord approximately 24 to 30 inches long. Thread it through one eyelet on the outside of the bag, run it all the way around the inside of the casing, and bring it back out through the same eyelet. Tie the ends together with a secure knot or a bow. When you pull the two ends outward, the bag closes smoothly.
If you’d like a more polished look, you can knit a simple 3-stitch I-cord using the same yarn as your bag. Work the I-cord to your desired length, and use it in place of ribbon or store-bought cord. I-cord drawstrings are soft, they won’t scratch your fingers when you pull them tight, and they coordinate perfectly with your bag.
Another option is to run two separate cords through the casing from opposite sides, so each cord enters and exits on opposite sides of the bag. This creates a drawstring pouch that closes by pulling both cords in opposite directions simultaneously, which some people find more satisfying to open and close.
Yarn and Color Ideas
Part of the fun of making a small project like this is experimenting with yarn choices you might not want to commit to in a larger knit. Here are a few suggestions to spark your creativity.
A deep jewel-toned yarn — sapphire blue, forest green, burgundy, or amethyst purple — gives the bag a classic, fantasy-inspired look that pairs perfectly with the aesthetic of a tabletop RPG campaign. If you’re making it as a gift for a player, consider using their favorite color or matching the colors of their dice set.
For something more whimsical, variegated or self-striping yarn works beautifully on a small project like this because you get to see the full color repeat play out in just a few inches. A hand-dyed yarn from an independent dye house is an especially thoughtful touch if you’re making a gift.
If you want a natural, earthy look, undyed wool in cream, oatmeal, or grey is timeless. You can stamp or embroider a design on the finished bag, or add a few rows of a contrasting color as a simple border.
Tips for Beginners
If you’re newer to knitting in the round or working with DPNs, here are a few things that will make this project go more smoothly.
Cast on loosely. A tight cast-on at the base of the bag can make the bottom edge feel stiff and uneven. Use a needle one size larger for the cast-on row if you tend to cast on tightly.
Don’t be intimidated by DPNs. They look awkward at first, but once you’ve worked a few rounds, the unused needles simply hang in place while you knit with two. Treat the two active needles as if the others aren’t there.
Use a stitch marker religiously. The beginning-of-round marker saves you from confusion and helps you keep track of exactly where you are in the pattern.
Block your finished bag. Even a quick soak in cool water followed by gentle squeezing and reshaping makes a noticeable difference in the finished look. It evens out the stitches and softens the fabric, giving your bag that polished, professional finish.
Gifting Ideas and Customization
This dice bag makes an exceptional handmade gift for any gamer in your life. Because it works up in a few hours, you can knock out several in a weekend and have a whole collection ready for birthdays, holidays, or just-because presents.
Personalize each one with a simple embroidered initial on the side, or use duplicate stitch to add a small symbol meaningful to the recipient. A tiny skull, a heart, a star, a sword — any small motif worked in a contrasting color adds a custom touch that takes only a few minutes to complete.
You can also coordinate the bag to match a specific game or setting. A black bag with silver-grey stripe evokes a gothic dungeon-crawler atmosphere. A warm teal and copper combination feels oceanic and mythic. A bright red and gold pairing has obvious heroic appeal. The pattern is a blank canvas for whatever creative direction you want to take it.
Final Thoughts
The 7-dice drawstring bag is proof that the best knitting projects are often the smallest ones. In just an evening or two of work, you create something both beautiful and genuinely useful — something that will show up at game tables, travel in pockets and backpacks, and get handled with real affection by its owner. That’s the magic of making things by hand.
Whether you’re knitting this for yourself or for someone else, it’s a project that leaves you with a sense of accomplishment completely disproportionate to its size. Cast on, knit a few rounds, and see how quickly this little bag takes shape in your hands. Happy knitting, and may your rolls be ever in your favor.
