Over the years, I’ve shared several crochet patterns inspired by old-school tech, and I wanted to bring a few of them together in one place.

This roundup includes four free retro crochet bag patterns: the VHS Tape Bag, Boombox Bag, Gameboy Bag and Walkman Bag. Each pattern has its own shape, construction and little details, with plenty of 80s and 90s influence running through the whole collection.

Browse through the four designs, see which one catches your eye, then follow the link to the full free crochet pattern.

Crochet VHS Tape Bag Pattern

A VHS tape is basically a ready made bag shape. Long, flat, rectangular. My crochet version just came out pale blue, and at least this one won’t get chewed up by the VCR.

The front has the familiar tape reels in colorful pastel shades, with a tiny celestial cross-stitched scene in the center. I wanted it to feel nostalgic without making an exact copy of a real VHS tape.

The bag itself is crocheted first, with openings shaped directly into the body for the tape reels. Then come the colorful reels, the cream back plates, the clear vinyl and the little celestial design cross-stitched panel in the center. It looks like a mysterious pale blue object for a while, then all the VHS details finally pull it together.

The finished bag has a decent amount of room inside. It works as a shoulder bag and keeps the VHS silhouette once it is filled.

VHS Tape Bag Free Crochet Pattern

Crochet Gameboy Bag Pattern

This handheld console bag has a tall shape that sits nicely as a small crossbody purse.

The purple body carries most of the design, with a raised screen framed in pink. Underneath, there is a crochet directional pad, small pastel controls and heart shaped buttons.

The screen gives you plenty of room to make the bag your own. The screen is left for you to fill with any image you like, so every bag can have its own little game world.

The finished size is useful for a phone, keys, a small wallet and more! Among these crochet crossbody bag patterns, this one has one of the easiest shapes to wear regularly.

Free Crochet Gameboy Bag Pattern

Crochet Walkman Bag – Free Crochet Bag Patterns

The Walkman bag is smaller and lighter than the other crochet bags.

It has a pink and purple body, with a large green panel covering most of the front. In the middle sits the blue and yellow cassette detail, with two puffy crochet flowers on each side. Three chunky buttons and a separate volume button are added along the top, just below the zipper.

The pattern also includes the matching headphones. The headband is crocheted around craft wire so it can hold its curved shape, then finished with two more big stuffed flowers. Thanks to the wire inside, you can wrap the headphones around the chain strap and use them as a bag charm.

Free Crochet Walkman Bag Pattern

The Crochet Boombox Bag

The boombox is the loudest design of the group, even though it is made from yarn and cannot play anything.

The Crochet Boombox Bag is made with three shades of velvet yarn: lilac for the front and back, pink for the sides, then honey yellow for the base and top. A plastic canvas box sits inside to keep the wide shape firm, and the handle is reinforced too, so it stays standing instead of collapsing onto the zipper.

Most of the fun is packed onto the front. The two speakers are crocheted as big sunflowers. Above that, I added colorful FM and AM bands with a heart shaped dial, then three chunky buttons underneath. The smaller parts are made separately and sewn on once the body is ready, which is when the plain velvet box finally starts looking like a boombox.

The bag is fully lined, closes with a zipper and has D-rings for the removable chain strap. At around 23 cm wide, 16 cm high and 11 cm deep, it also has a good amount of space inside for an everyday bag. Mine uses lilac, pink, yellow, cream and a few brighter colors for the tiny controls because subtlety had already left the building when I turned the speakers into sunflowers. But you can use any colors you like and change the smaller details to suit your own taste.

Free Crochet Boombox Bag Pattern

Are These Free Crochet Bag Patterns Beginner Friendly?

The main crochet shapes are approachable, especially if you are already comfortable working in rows and sewing flat panels together.

Most of the concentration goes into the finishing. These designs have appliqués to position, edges to join and decorative pieces that need to sit evenly.

A confident beginner could start with the Walkman or Gameboy bag and work through the pattern one section at a time. The VHS Tape Bag includes a few more techniques and might be confusing for beginners, while the boombox takes longer because of its size and number of parts.

Read the whole pattern before starting. It gives you a clearer idea of where every strange little rectangle is eventually going.

Four Free Crochet Bag Patterns in One Retro Collection

These free crochet bag patterns were originally published as separate projects, so I wanted to gather them in one place where they would be easier to find.

You can choose from:

Crochet VHS Tape Bag Pattern
For anyone who still hears “Be Kind, Rewind” the second they see a VHS tape.

Crochet Boombox Bag Pattern
All the 90s block party attitude, without the six giant batteries and one sore shoulder.

Crochet Gameboy Bag Pattern
Made for anyone who remembers begging the batteries to survive until the next save point.

Crochet Walkman Bag Pattern
A little tribute to mixtapes, tangled headphones and rewinding cassettes with a pencil.

Save this roundup on Pinterest so the patterns do not disappear into the depths of your open tabs.

You can also follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for more crochet ideas, free patterns and whatever retro object I decide needs to become a bag next!