Drawstring Pouch Knitting Pattern | Small Knit Bag PDF

There is something deeply satisfying about a small knitted bag. It sits in your hand with a pleasing weight, it holds exactly what it needs to hold, and every time you pull the drawstring closed, you feel the quiet reward of having made something both beautiful and useful. Whether you are a beginner looking for a first project that goes beyond scarves and dishcloths, or an experienced knitter searching for a quick, thoughtful gift idea, a drawstring pouch is one of those timeless makes that never loses its appeal.

This post walks you through everything you need to know about knitting your own drawstring pouch from scratch. We will cover materials, stitch patterns, shaping, the drawstring channel, finishing, and a few creative variations to make the bag truly your own. By the end, you will have all the knowledge you need to cast on confidently — and if you want a polished, printable version of this pattern to keep in your knitting basket, a small knit bag PDF is available to download so you always have it on hand.

Why Knit a Drawstring Pouch?

Before we dive into the how, let us spend a moment on the why. Knitted drawstring pouches have been made for centuries — they appear in historical needlework texts, Victorian craft manuals, and contemporary indie pattern collections alike. The form has endured because it is so adaptable. A small knit bag can become a jewelry pouch, a coin purse, a herb sachet, a gift bag, a dice bag for tabletop games, a makeup brush holder, or a little holder for a beloved deck of cards. The size and yarn weight you choose determine almost everything about the final purpose.

From a knitting perspective, drawstring pouches are also wonderfully instructive. In a single small project, you practice casting on in the round, working basic stitch patterns, increasing or decreasing for shaping, creating a drawstring eyelet row, picking up and joining yarn, and finishing cleanly. Every skill you learn or reinforce on a drawstring pouch carries forward into larger projects. You might think of it as a compressed masterclass in bag knitting.

Materials You Will Need

One of the most appealing things about this project is how little it requires. You do not need to invest in expensive supplies or wade through a long shopping list before you can begin.

Yarn: Almost any yarn works for a small drawstring pouch, but the best results come from a smooth, plied yarn with a little structure. Mercerized cotton is a perennial favorite because it is crisp, holds its shape beautifully, and comes in an extraordinary range of colors. Wool or a wool-blend will give you a fabric with more drape and a slight elasticity that makes the knitting itself feel very pleasant. For a purely decorative or gift-wrapping style pouch, a fingering weight or DK weight yarn produces a delicate finished object. For something sturdier — a bag meant to hold crystals, coins, or heavier items — a worsted weight cotton or linen blend gives you better structure.

Needles: Match your needle size to your yarn weight and your own gauge. As a rough guide, fingering weight yarn typically calls for 2.25mm to 3.25mm needles, DK for 3.5mm to 4.5mm, and worsted for 4.5mm to 5.5mm. Because this project is worked in the round, you will want either a set of double-pointed needles in the appropriate size or a short circular needle (a 40cm or 16-inch circular works well for small-circumference bags). The magic loop method with a longer circular needle is equally effective if that is your preference.

Additional supplies: A tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers to mark the beginning of your round, a small amount of contrast yarn or spare yarn for the drawstring itself (or a length of ribbon, cord, or leather lace), and scissors. That is genuinely all you need.

Gauge and Sizing

Gauge matters more than many beginners expect, because even small differences in stitch size will change your finished dimensions noticeably on a small project. Before casting on, work a small swatch in your chosen stitch pattern and measure it carefully.

For a finished pouch approximately 10cm (4 inches) wide and 12cm (5 inches) tall — a versatile size that holds a phone, a small notebook, or a bundle of crystals comfortably — aim for roughly 20 stitches and 28 rows over 10cm in stockinette using DK weight yarn on 4mm needles. Adjust needle size up or down until your gauge matches before beginning the main project.

If you want a smaller pouch, such as one designed for coins or a single piece of jewelry, simply cast on fewer stitches. If you want a larger bag, cast on more. The construction method scales gracefully.

Cast On and Foundation

This pattern is worked seamlessly in the round from the bottom up. That means you will begin at the base of the pouch and work upward toward the opening, which eliminates any seaming and gives a clean, professional result.

Using your chosen yarn and needles, cast on 40 stitches using a long-tail cast on, which produces a firm, attractive edge that will become the bottom of your pouch. Distribute the stitches evenly across your double-pointed needles or prepare for magic loop, then join to work in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches. Place a stitch marker to note the beginning of each round.

Round 1 through 3: Knit all stitches. This creates a small rolled stockinette base that will naturally curl under and form a neat foundation.

Body of the Pouch

The main body of the bag can be worked in any stitch pattern you like, and this is where you can make the project entirely your own. Below are three options ranging from simple to textured.

Plain stockinette: Knit every round. This is the simplest approach and produces a smooth, clean fabric that shows off variegated or hand-dyed yarn beautifully. If you are using a particularly special skein, plain stockinette is often the best choice because the fabric steps aside and lets the color do all the talking.

Seed stitch: Alternate knit one, purl one across the round, then on the following round, knit the purls and purl the knits. Seed stitch creates a bumpy, reversible texture that lies flat without rolling and gives the bag a pleasingly artisan quality. It does work up more slowly than stockinette, but the result is worth the extra time.

Simple lace: Work a repeating pattern of yarn over, knit two together around the round, followed by a plain knit round. This twelve-stitch repeat creates an open, airy fabric that is especially lovely in fine cotton or silk-blend yarn. A lace-pattern drawstring pouch made in white or ivory cotton looks stunning as a gift bag for jewelry or as a sachet for dried lavender.

Whatever stitch pattern you choose, continue working until the body of the pouch measures approximately 9cm (3.5 inches) from the cast-on edge, ending ready to begin a right-side round.

The Drawstring Eyelet Round

The eyelet round is the defining design feature of a drawstring pouch. It creates a row of small holes through which your drawstring will thread, allowing the bag to cinch closed. Done correctly, it looks intentional and elegant. Done carelessly, it can look uneven and pull awkwardly, so take your time here.

Work as follows: Knit 2 together, yarn over, and repeat from to all the way around the round. This creates paired decreases and increases that maintain your stitch count while opening up a regular row of eyelets. On the following round, knit every stitch, which stabilizes the eyelets and prevents them from distorting.

After the eyelet round, work 4 to 6 more rounds in your chosen stitch pattern to create a cuff above the eyelets. This cuff frames the drawstring opening and adds structure to the top of the bag.

Finishing the Top Edge

To finish the opening of the pouch, you have a few options. The simplest is a simple knit-stitch bind off worked loosely enough that the edge does not constrict. For a bind off that has a little more stretch and a slightly decorative quality, try a yarn over bind off: knit one, yarn over, pass the first stitch over the second and over the yarn over — this creates a gently looped edge that echoes the eyelet row below it.

Alternatively, if you want a very clean, polished edge, work three or four rounds of garter stitch (alternating knit and purl rounds when working in the round) before binding off. The garter band creates a sturdy, dimensional rim that helps the bag hold its shape at the opening.

Making the Drawstring

The drawstring is the detail that pulls everything together — literally and figuratively. Your options here are wonderfully varied.

A twisted cord made from the same yarn as the bag is the most cohesive choice. To make one, cut three lengths of yarn approximately three times the finished cord length you want, hold them together, and twist them tightly in one direction before folding them in half and allowing them to twist back on themselves. Knot both ends and trim neatly. The result is a smooth, tightly twisted cord that threads beautifully through your eyelet row.

A length of ribbon — grosgrain, satin, or velvet — adds a completely different character to the bag. A thick velvet ribbon in a jewel tone against a cream cotton pouch has a luxurious quality that makes the bag feel like a proper gift.

I-cord, worked on two double-pointed needles with three or four stitches, is another excellent choice. Work until your i-cord is long enough to thread through all the eyelets with comfortable tails to hold, then bind off and weave in the ends. I-cord has a lovely, round, rope-like quality that sits neatly against knitted fabric.

To thread your drawstring, use a large tapestry needle or a blunt safety pin to guide it through the eyelets. Begin at one side, thread all the way around, and bring both ends out at the same eyelet so that pulling on both tails cinches the bag closed evenly from one point. Knot the ends together or add small wooden or metal beads for a polished finishing detail.

Weaving In Ends and Blocking

Weaving in ends is one of those tasks that knitters either find meditative or mildly tedious, but it is worth doing carefully because it determines how the finished object will look and how long it will last. Thread your tapestry needle with the yarn tail, weave it diagonally through several stitches on the wrong side of the fabric, then double back in the opposite direction. Trim close to the fabric. Do the same for any other tails from joining yarn or changing colors.

Blocking a small knit bag is quick and has a remarkable effect on the finished object. Wet your pouch thoroughly in cool water, squeeze out the excess moisture gently without wringing, then reshape it around a small jar or a ball of crumpled tissue paper to hold the tubular shape. Let it dry completely before removing the stuffing. The stitches will even out, the fabric will relax into itself, and the eyelets will open up to their proper size. If you used cotton yarn, blocking is especially transformative.

Creative Variations

Once you have mastered the basic drawstring pouch, the variations are genuinely endless. Here are a few directions that knitters tend to love.

Colorwork stripes: Work the body of the pouch in two or more colors in simple horizontal stripes. Because you are working in the round, you can carry the unused color up the inside of the bag between stripe sections without breaking it, keeping the finish clean. Even two colors of yarn in alternating three-row stripes gives the bag an entirely different personality.

Tassel bottom: After casting on and joining, instead of beginning the body immediately, work three or four rows, then use a crochet hook or your fingers to attach a yarn tassel at the center of the base. This gives the bag a bohemian, festival-market quality that is particularly appealing in earthy linen or silk-blend yarns.

Embroidered details: Once the bag is finished and blocked, add embroidered motifs in contrast yarn using a tapestry needle. Simple flowers, geometric shapes, or even initials transform a plain stockinette pouch into something personal and memorable. This is a wonderful way to customize a gift.

Felted version: If you use a non-superwash wool, you can intentionally full (felt) your finished pouch in a hot wash cycle. The fabric will shrink and thicken into a dense, almost leatherlike material that is extremely sturdy and naturally water-resistant. Work the pouch at a significantly larger gauge than your final intended size to account for the shrinkage, then felt to the dimensions you want.

Downloading the PDF Pattern

All of the instructions, stitch counts, measurements, and schematic diagrams for this drawstring pouch are available in a beautifully formatted small knit bag PDF that you can download and print. The PDF includes the full written pattern for the basic version, the lace variation, and the colorwork stripe option, as well as a full-color photo guide to the drawstring threading process and finishing steps. It is designed to be easy to read at a glance while you are knitting, with clear section breaks and all the important numbers highlighted for quick reference.

Having the pattern as a PDF means you can print it, annotate it, highlight your place, and keep it in your project bag alongside your yarn and needles without needing to return to a screen. Many knitters keep a folder of their favorite PDF patterns organized by project type, and a drawstring pouch pattern is one of those staples that earns its place in the collection — because once you have made one, you will want to make several.

Final Thoughts

A small knitted drawstring bag is one of those projects that rewards you far beyond the modest time and material investment it requires. It is fast enough to finish in an evening or two, adaptable enough to work in virtually any yarn weight or fiber, useful enough that you will reach for it regularly, and beautiful enough that it makes a genuinely impressive handmade gift. It also carries that particular quality of handmade objects that factory-produced things simply cannot replicate — the evidence of care, of individual hands, of time given freely.

Whether you are casting on your very first project in the round or adding another small make to a long history of finished objects, this drawstring pouch pattern will give you something to be proud of. Pull the cord closed, feel the weight of it in your hand, and know that you made it yourself.

Happy knitting.