When your hands ache for a project that answers both practicality and whimsy, the Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack is the answer you have been looking for. In this article, you will discover the materials, stitches, construction approach, and care tips to bring this charming piece to life.
The Bow Drawstring Backpack
The Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack is soft where you expect it and structured where you need it, a blush-pink carry-all that feels like something plucked from a sunlit afternoon market stall. Its oversized crocheted bow sits front and centre with quiet confidence, while scattered strawberry appliqués add a playful, almost storybook quality to the surface. This bag is for the maker who wants their accessory to say something before they speak, for the girl at the farmers market, the student between lectures, the creative soul who refuses to carry anything ordinary. Every stitch in this piece carries a meditative rhythm that makes the finished object feel genuinely earned.
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The blush rose pink paired with bold red cording and trim is a colour pairing that feels nostalgic and modern at once, reminiscent of vintage candy tins and kawaii aesthetics in equal measure. You could swap the red for ivory or sage green for a softer, more botanical mood, or lean into burgundy for an autumn-ready version that pairs beautifully with an oversized coat. This bag moves between school, weekend outings, and market days without asking you to change anything about it.
Materials and Tools
For the main body of the Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack, you will want a worsted weight cotton yarn, something with a slight sheen and enough body to hold its structure across the SC-heavy fabric. The sample shown uses a cotton-blend worsted in a warm blush pink, and the red cord detailing is worked in the same weight but a plied cotton for durability along the drawstring channels. A 4mm crochet hook is the right companion here, giving you a fabric that is firm without being stiff, airy enough to drape over a shoulder without bulk. A yarn needle and a set of stitch markers will become your closest friends during the assembly of the bow and strawberry appliqués.
Stitch by Stitch
The Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack calls on a focused but accessible handful of stitches that build beautifully together.
BULLET:SC (Single Crochet) The backbone of the entire bag body, worked in continuous rounds to create a dense, structured fabric that holds its shape.
BULLET:SC2tog (Single Crochet Two Together) Used in the strawberry and bow appliqués to shape and cinch the three-dimensional elements cleanly.
BULLET:DC (Double Crochet) Appears in the decorative edging and the bow construction, adding height and a whisper of elegance to the sculptural details.
BULLET:Ch (Chain) Forms the foundation row and the drawstring channels threaded through the bag’s upper section with red worsted yarn.
There is something genuinely meditative about working the body of this bag in the round, the SC stitches accumulating row after row in a quiet, predictable rhythm that lets your mind rest while your hands stay productively busy.
Construction
The bag body is worked in the round from the base upward, building a flat oval foundation before the sides rise in continuous SC rounds to create that satisfying, structured cylinder shape. Once the main body reaches the desired height, a series of chain spaces are worked into the upper section to form the drawstring channels, through which the red cord is later threaded and knotted at the ends. The bow is crocheted separately in two rectangular panels that are pinched at the centre and wrapped with a small band, then stitched securely to the front face of the bag. The strawberry appliqués are tiny amigurumi-style pieces, each one worked in the round and stuffed lightly before being sewn on, and you could easily swap them for cherries, flowers, or small hearts to make the design entirely your own.
Wearing Your Bow Drawstring Backpack
Sling the finished Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack over one shoulder with a floral midi dress and Mary Janes for a look that feels curated without effort, or pair it with wide-leg jeans and a simple white tee to let the bag do all the talking. It works beautifully as a gym-to-café bag, light enough to carry a journal, a water bottle, and a lip balm without weighing you down. Every time you reach the last strawberry appliqué, you will feel the pull to wear it immediately rather than wait for the perfect occasion.
Keeping Your Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack Looking Its Best
Because the bag is worked in a cotton or cotton-blend worsted, it responds well to a gentle hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, avoiding any wringing or harsh scrubbing that could distort the bow’s shape. Lay it flat to dry on a clean towel, reshaping the bow and appliqués by hand while still damp so they retain their sculptural form. If you notice the base becoming slightly misshapen over time, a light blocking session with cool water and pinning will restore its original structure within a few hours. Store it stuffed loosely with tissue paper when not in use, especially if you are tucking it away for a season, to help the bow hold its fullness.
Your hands made something that no shop shelf will ever replicate, and that is the quiet power of choosing to create rather than simply consume. Follow the full video tutorial linked in the pattern source to begin your own Crochet Bow Drawstring Backpack, and when yours is finished, pin it to your crochet boards so other makers can find this pattern too.
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Tutorial and photos of this bow drawstring backpack by: Vivi Crochet 🌷.