Crochet Messenger Bag: A Flap Bag with a Gusset-Strap
A sturdy messenger bag in three pieces: a back with a flap, a front, and one long strip that forms both the side gusset and the shoulder strap. Fits an A4 notebook or a small tablet.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Intermediate
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) cotton, about 550 yd
- Hook
- 4.5 mm (7)
- Time
- About 12 hours
- Finished size
- About 9 × 10 × 2 in (23 × 25 × 5 cm); strap about 40 in
You'll need
- Worsted (#4) cotton — about 550 yd
- 4.5 mm (7) hook
- Magnetic snap or a large button
- Fabric for a lining (optional)
- Stitch markers and tapestry needle
In this post
A crochet messenger bag is a flat satchel with a front flap and a long strap worn across the body. The neat way to build it is from three pieces: a back panel that continues into the flap, a front panel, and one long strip that is both the side-and-bottom gusset and the shoulder strap. One strip means the strap can't pull away from the bag.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
Back and flap
- Row 1: Ch 41. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and across. Ch 1, turn. (40)
- Rows 2–50: Sc across. This is the back, about 10 in tall. (40)
- Rows 51–80: Keep working sc for the flap, about 7 in. On the last 4 rows, sc2tog at each end to round the corners. (32)
Front
- Rows 1–50: Ch 41 and work exactly like the back, stopping after Row 50. (40)
Gusset-strap
- Row 1: Ch 9. Sc in the 2nd ch and across. Ch 1, turn. (8)
- Rows 2–345: Sc across. The strip should be about 69 in: 29 in for the two sides and the bottom, plus 40 in for the strap. (8)
- Sew the two short ends together to make a big loop.
Assembly
- Place the seam of the strip at the centre of the bottom of the back panel. Pin the strip up both sides and along the bottom of the back panel (stop where the flap begins, at Row 50).
- Sc through both layers to join the strip to the back.
- Join the front panel to the other edge of the strip the same way.
- The rest of the loop above the bag is the strap. Sc along both strap edges to stop stretching (more methods in the bag strap guide).
- Sc around the flap edge. Sew the magnetic snap under the flap and on the front.
Upgrades
| Upgrade | How |
|---|---|
| Adjustable strap | Make the strip only 29 in, add D-rings at the top of each side and use cotton webbing with a slider |
| Front pocket | A 30 × 20 row sc panel sewn to the front on three sides, before assembly |
| Structure | Slip a cut plastic canvas sheet into the base under the lining |
Carrying a laptop? Pair it with the crochet laptop sleeve. For a smaller everyday bag, see the crochet crossbody bag.
Common questions
How do you make a crochet messenger bag sturdy?
Use tight single crochet in cotton, sc along both edges of the strap, and add a lining. A plastic canvas insert in the base stops sagging.
Will an A4 notebook fit?
Yes — A4 is 8.3 × 11.7 in. With the bag at about 9 in wide and 10 in tall, an A4 notebook fits upright with the flap closed, or use 45 stitches for extra room.
How much yarn does a messenger bag take?
About 550 yards of worsted cotton, mostly for the long gusset-strap.
School, work or weekend bag? 🎒
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