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This is a free crochet pattern for the Little Backpack. This backpack uses crochet stitches that are thick and sturdy, therefore not requiring any sewing or fabric lining. It utilizes slider buckles to adjust the length of the shoulder straps.
The little boy marched into his classroom proudly. He was completely prepared for his first day of school. Paper? Check. Pencil? Check. Backpack? Check! But this was no ordinary backpack. No, this was a special backpack. As his abuela had told him, “This backpack is lucky. It is made with all of my love for you so it will keep you safe while you are at school.”
Whether for yourself or a loved one, you can make one too! Please continue to read below for the pattern.
Well, for my Summer Crochet Bag I added fabric to the back to prevent the stretch and created lots of stability. But for this little backpack, I added two yarn strings glued to the back of the straps. First, it created stability and prevented the stretch but it is also thinner and more comfortable on your shoulders. As most crocheters know, crocheting straps that do not stretch yet provide comfort when it comes to carrying a bag or backpack can be challenging.
Crocheting with the thermal stitch for the bottom of the little backpack and the waistcoat stitch for the body made the backpack sturdy and thick which, therefore, allows you to secure any of your school or personal items inside it without having to worry about losing them. Furthermore, the braided drawstrings made out of t-shirt yarn let you close up the little backpack easily whereas the magnetic snaps on the flap provide the extra closure needed to make the backpack little finished and adorable.
In fact, I created this little backpack as I noticed at my kids middle and high school that most all of the girls are wearing and using these little backpacks for their personal items. Instead of larger backpacks where their school supplies are carried in, these girls carry their little backpacks on their backs and hold their school supplies in their arms. I might not agree with that trending style as the ideal back support situation, but if those girls are interested in crafts and DIY, they will for sure love this yellow little backpack.
But of course, this crocheted little backpack would also be ideal for little girls and boys who can carry their toys or little diaries and pencils and pens inside.
Now, before I show you the materials and the actual free crochet pattern, please also be sure to add this pattern to your Ravelry Favorites by clicking the button below as that allows my pattern being shown to more people who might want to see it and also want to make it.
If you add this pattern to you Ravelry Favorites and share it on social media as a link, I will be able to share a lot more free crochet patterns for you all.
In addition, I created a downloadable PDF for you all, that has all the pictures separated from the pattern. So you can choose whether you want to print them or not. That can save you a lot of ink in the long run.
You can get the crochet pattern for the Little Backpack on Ravelry, Etsy, LoveCrafts, or my new membership The Crochet Club. The Crochet Club has so much more to offer than just PDF patterns! You get tutorials, references and the complete VIP treatment as well.
If you pay just twice the amount as this pattern costs and you have a month’s worth of The Crochet Club Membership with a lot more patterns! It’s well worth it.
If you do not want to join The Crochet Club, you can also purchase the ad-free, printer-friendly PDF pattern at the links below. But IF you join the All-Access Membership you will automatically get this pattern.
So let me now get started and tell you what you will need in order to crochet this amazing pattern.
How to crochet the Little Backpack
Materials:
- Premier Yarns Deborah Norville (little more than 3 skeins):
- lemon
- Bernat Maker Dec yarn (less than 1 skein):
- gold (for braided drawstrings only)
- 5.0mm hook
- scissors
- tapestry needle
- Magnetic Snaps
- Hot Glue Gun
- 1-inch Slide Buckle
Stitches used (US terms):
Click HERE to learn these basic stitches
- magic circle
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- dec = decrease
- wst = waistcoat stitch
- spiral rope
- thermal stitch
Gauge:
4 rows x 3 sts = 1 square inch (using waistcoat stitch)
Final Size:
10 (H) x 9 (W) x 5 (D) inches (without straps or loop)
Instructions:
All crochet parts are made with the lemon yarn. Only the drawstrings are braided with the t-shirt Bernat Maker Dec yarn.
Backpack Bottom
Ch 25
Row 1: starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
Row 2 – 28: 1 thermal stitch in each st, ch 1, turn
After row 28, you will now crochet in rounds.
Round 1: place single crochets evenly all around the rectangle (I had 77 sts), making sure to crochet only 1 sc in each corner
Round 2: 1 wst (waistcoat stitch) in each sc
Round 3 – 35: 1 wst in each wst
Now lay the almost finished backpack flat on a flat surface such that the rectangle bottom is parallel to the last round you crocheted. Now divide up the front and back into 3 equal parts and add stitch markers (one each) where the 3 parts separate. Next, add stitch markers (one each) on each side. You will now have 6 stitch markers which will help you create the holes for the drawstring.
Round 36: crochet 1 wst in each wst, stop 2 sts before each stitch marker and do the following: 1 wst dec, 3 chs, 1 wst dec; then continue with the normal wst pattern
Round 37: crochet 1 wst in each wst, even into the wst dec’s from the previous round, when you reach the chs, crochet 1 sc into each and continue with the wst pattern
Round 38: crochet 1 wst in each wst, even into the sc’s from the previous round
Round 39 – 40: 1 wst in each wst
Fasten off when you reach one of the sides, so you can hide the slip stitch. Weave in the end.
Little Loop as a Hanger
Round 1: Make a Magic Circle and add 5 sc’s
Round 2: Going in continues rounds, 1 sc in the blo of the next 5 sts
Starting Round 3: crochet 1 sc into the horizontal bars between the stitches which creates a Spiral Rope (click the link to the see the photo and video tutorial for it)
Make the Spiral Rope 6 inches long. Fasten off and weave in the ends
Flap for the Little Backpack
Ch 15
Round 1: starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc into the next 13 sts (go into the back bump to make it look neater without hole later), 3 sc in the last st, now turn and work on the opposite side of your work, crochet 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
Round 2: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, 2 sc in the next 3 sts, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 3: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next st, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 4: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 2 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 5: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 3 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 6: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 4 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 7: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 5 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 8: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 6 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 9: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 7 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 10: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 8 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 11: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 9 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 12: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 10 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Round 13: 1 sc in the next 13 sts, [1 sc next 11 sts, 2 sc same st] 3 times, 1 sc in the next 13 sts, ch 1, turn
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Shorter straps for shoulder straps
Make 4
Ch 5
Row 1: starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
Row 2 – 60: 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Longer straps for shoulder straps
Make 4
Ch 5
Row 1: starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
Row 2 – 90: 1 sc in each st, ch 1, turn
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Braid the Drawstring
Cut 9 pieces of gold t-shirt yarn (if you are using the lemon yarn instead, please cut 27 pieces) of about 1 yard each
Now braid 3 (or 9 if it is the lemon yarn) pieces per braided string into a braid (so it would be 3 x 3 strings or 9 x 3 for the lemon yarn). Tie off the ends into knots and cute the ends evenly.
Gluing it all together
As I do not like hand sewing very much and my hot glue is extremely strong, I did not sew all the pieces together but rather used my hot glue gun. Feel free to sew it instead if you like.
First, glue the flap to the back of the backpack (one of the long sides). Next, weave the drawstring through the holes and then add the magnetic snap to the flap and the right below the middle where the drawstrings come out of the holes.
After that, you will make the shoulder straps (all 4) stronger and more sturdy by hot gluing 2 pieces of lemon yarn to one side of the straps.
Next, hot glue the slider buckles to one side of the short straps.
Finally, weave the longer straps through the slider buckles and then hot glue the shorter ends to the top of the backpack where the flat edge of the flap is and the longer strap to the bottom (close to the rectangle bottom, but still on the body of the backpack) of the backpack. Last, but not least, glue the spiral rope as a hanger to the back of the flap.
You are now done and can use the yellow little backpack for school supplies or personal items. I hope you enjoyed the pattern. Please share it with the world on social media using the links above or below. Thanks.
