This retro crochet purse looks just like a vintage camera! It’s the perfect size for carrying the essentials, and can also be made as a zipper pouch or cosmetic bag. Make one today with my Free Crochet Pattern and Video Tutorial!
Table of Contents
This is one of the cutest crochet purses I’ve ever made.
Even though I enjoy a challenge now and then, I always love a fun, simple project that can be done in a day. I also love it when a pattern is approachable for a beginner, so I designed this bag pattern with newbies in mind. Whether you are an experienced crocheter or a confident beginner, if you can read a pattern, you can make this bag! The fabric is worked at a slightly-tighter-than-normal gauge, so adding a lining is totally optional. And if installing a zipper sounds daunting, don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it may seem. (If you have the needle-and-thread skills to sew on a button, you can sew in a zipper.)
Plus, if you like detailed step-by-step instructions, you’ll definitely want to grab a copy of the Printable PDF version. The printable version of this pattern (available for purchase here) contains THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PHOTO TUTORIAL I’ve ever done, with 12 pages of instructions and over 90 instructional photos! (I seriously took a picture of every single step!)
So, if you’re ready to make this adorable crochet bag, grab your hook and let’s get started!
Vintage Camera Purse Crochet Pattern
by Yay For Yarn
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
You Will Need:
About 80 yards / 74 meters of #4 Worsted Weight Yarn in Mint (I used Lion Brand 24-7 Cotton)
About 45 yards / 42 meters of #4 Worsted Weight Yarn in White (I used Peaches ‘N’ Creme)
About 20 yards / 19 meters of #4 Worsted Weight Yarn in Black (I used Peaches ‘N’ Creme)
About 45-65 yards / 42-60 meters of #4 Worsted Weight Yarn in Brown (I used Lion Brand 24-7 Cotton)
US Size G / 4 mm Crochet Hook (I used my Furls Odyssey)
One White Zipper, of which the zipper coil (teeth) is 8” long (I used this one)
Split Ring or Locking Stitch Marker (safety pin will also work)
Yarn Needle or Blunt Tapestry Needle
Hand Sewing Needle
White Sewing Thread
Scissors
Measuring Tape
Sewing Pins (optional)
Gauge: 19 stitches = 4” (10 cm), 24 rows = 4” (10 cm) in single crochet
Finished Size: 7 ½” (19 cm) wide; 5 ¼” (13.3 cm) high
Abbreviations:
st: stitch
sts: stitches
ea: each
nxt: next
beg: beginning
sk: skip
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
sl st: slip stitch
*CSSC: chainless starting single crochet
*Invslst: invisible slip stitch
*These are special stitches. See instructions below to learn how to work this stitch.
Special Stitches & Techniques
Begin with a Magic Circle (video tutorial here): First, make a loop in the yarn, about 6 inches away from the end of the yarn tail. The working yarn that is coming from the skein should be laying over top of the yarn tail. Now, bring a loop of the working yarn through the first loop you already made. This is just like making a slip knot, but we are not tightening it. Place the new loop onto your hook.
Chainless Starting Single Crochet (CSSC, video tutorial here): Stretch loop on hook slightly. Insert hook in the specified stitch. Yarn over, pull up a loop. Yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook.
Invslst (video tutorial here): Remove hook from current loop. Insert hook from back to front through the st in which you wish to work the invslst. Place original loop back on hook. Pull loop through the st from front to back.
Vintage Camera Purse Instructions
Bag
With Mint, ch 34.
Round 1: Pull last ch st tight, 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in nxt 31 chs across, 5 sc in last ch. Turn work so foundation edge is facing up. Working into the opposite side of the foundation chain, sc in nxt 31 chs across. 2 sc in last ch. Join to first sc of round with an invslst. You should have 72 sts, not including ch that was skipped at beg of round and not including the invslst. (Do not worry if your piece twists on its own. This is natural and will straighten out as you continue.)
Round 2: Turn. CSSC in first st (same st the working yarn is coming from). Sc in ea st around. Join to CSSC with an invslst. You should have 72 sts, not including the invslst.
Rounds 3-21: Repeat Round 2.
We will now change to white to work the remaining rounds of the bag. Cut the mint green yarn, leaving a 4”-6” (10-15 cm) tail. As you turn to work round 22, pull a loop of the new white yarn through the current loop on your hook. Pull on the green yarn tail until the old loop disappears into the fabric. As you work round 22, crochet over the yarn tails so you won’t have to weave them in later.
Rounds 22-30: Repeat Round 2. Tie off. Weave in ends.
Strap
With Brown yarn, leave a tail at least 8” (20 cm) long and ch 5.
Row 1: sk 1st ch, sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in nxt 3 chs. You should have 4 sts, not including ch that was skipped.
Row 2: Turn. CSSC in same st, sc in nxt 3 sts. You should have 4 sts.
Repeat Row 2 until the strap is the desired length. The finished length will depend on the person wearing the bag. A tall or plus-size person would need a longer strap, while a shorter person would need a shorter strap. Generally, cross-body bag straps range from 40” (101 cm) to 60” (152 cm) long. If you can, I recommend measuring the length of an existing bag strap you like or draping the measuring tape over your shoulder like a bag strap. You can use this measurement to determine how long you want the strap to be. Feel free to make a wristlet length strap (about 12” / 30 cm) or omit the strap for a cute zipper pouch.
Once your strap is the desired length, tie off, leaving a tail at least 8” (20 cm) long.
Lens
With Black yarn, begin with a Magic Circle.
Round 1: ch 1, pull ch st tight. 6 sc in Magic Circle. Pull the yarn tail to tighten the Magic Circle. Place stitch marker in current loop on hook. You should have 6 sts, not including ch st at beg of round.
Round 2: 2 sc in ea st around. Move marker to current loop on hook. You should have 12 sts.
Round 3: *sc in nxt st, 2 sc in nxt st* 6 times. Move marker to current loop on hook. You should have 18 sts.
Round 4: *sc in nxt 2 sts, 2 sc in nxt st* 6 times. Move marker to current loop on hook. You should have 24 sts.
Round 5: Sc in nxt 3 sts, 2 sc in nxt st, stopping in the middle of the last sc when you have two loops left on your hook. Pull a new loop of white yarn through the loops on your hook. Crocheting over the black yarn and the white tail, *sc in nxt 3 sts, 2 sc in nxt st* 2 times. Stop in the middle of the last sc when you have two loops left on your hook. Pull up a loop of the black yarn you’ve been crocheting over through the loops on your hook. *sc in nxt 3 sts, 2 sc in nxt st* 3 times. Move marker to current loop on hook. You should have 30 sts.
Round 6: *sc in nxt 4 sts, 2 sc in nxt st* 6 times. Move marker to current loop on hook. You should have 36 sts. Now, sc in nxt 2 sts, invslst in nxt st. These last few sts smooth out the edge.
Cut the black yarn, leaving a tail. Pull a loop of white yarn through the current loop on your hook. Pull on the black yarn tail until the old loop disappears into the fabric. As you work round 7, crochet over the yarn tails so you won’t have to weave them in later.
Rounds 7-9: CSSC in same st, sc in ea st around. Join to CSSC with invslst. You should have 36 sts, not including invslst.
Cut yarn, leaving a tail about 1 yard long. Stretch the loop on your hook and remove the hook. Insert the hook from back to front through the base of the last stitch of round 7. Grab the working yarn with your hook and pull it through from front to back. Pull on the working yarn until it comes all the way out through the backside of the lens. Turn work so the front of the lens is facing you. Sl st through the front loop of the nxt st and base of nxt st in Round 7. Continue slip stitching the front loop of round 9 to the base of the sts in round 7 all the way around.
Stop slip stitching when you reach the beginning of the round. Stretch the loop on your hook until the end of the tail comes out to the front of the work. Thread the remaining tail into your yarn needle. Insert the needle down into the 1st sl st of the round, and pull the needle through to the back of the lens. Do not cut off the extra length in the tail yarn. We will use this to sew the lens to the bag.
Viewfinder
With Black yarn, begin with a Magic Circle.
Round 1: ch 1, pull ch st tight. (sc in ring, ch 2) 4 times. Pull yarn tail to tighten the Magic Circle. Join to first sc with invslst. You should have 12 sts, not including the tightened ch st from beg of round or the invslst, but including the ch sts in ea corner.
Round 2: CSSC in same st. (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ch sp. *sc in nxt st, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ch sp* 3 times. Join to CSSC with invslst. You should have 20 sts, not including invslst, but including the ch sts in ea corner. Tie off, leave a long tail.
Oval Label Detail
With Black Yarn, ch 6.
Round 1: sk 1 ch, 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in nxt 3 chs, 4 sc in last ch. Turn work so foundation edge is facing up. Working into opposite side of foundation chain, sc in nxt 3 chs. 2 sc in last ch. Join to first sc with invslst. You should have 14 sts. Tie off, leave a long tail.
Assembly
Position lens at the center of the green section on the front of the bag. Thread the remaining tail yarn through your yarn needle.
Stitch lens to front of bag as follows: take a stitch through the front of the bag, take a stitch through the back of round 7 of the lens. When you have stitched the lens to the bag all the way around, bring the needle through to the inside of the bag. Make a knot on the back of the fabric. Bring the needle back through to the front and bury the tail through the channel of the lens edge. Trim excess yarn.
Position the oval label on the top left corner of the bag.
Thread the tail yarn through your yarn needle. With a running (up and down) stitch, sew the oval to the bag around the edge. Once you’ve stitched it all the way around, bring the needle through to the back. Make a knot to secure. Bury the tail between the oval and the bag fabric, and trim the yarn.
Position the viewfinder square at the top center of the bag.
Thread the tail yarn through your yarn needle. With a running (up and down) stitch, sew the square to the bag around the edge. Once you’ve stitched it all the way around, bring the needle through to the back. Make a knot to secure. Bury the tail between the square and the bag fabric, and trim the excess seaming yarn.
Thread a length of white yarn through your yarn needle. Stitch a smaller square in the center of the viewfinder as shown below. When you are finished, make a knot on the back of the work to secure. Weave the yarn tails from the white stitching into the white crochet fabric.
Attaching the Zipper
Thread a long length of white thread through your sewing needle and make a knot in the end of the thread. Open up the bag along the folds at the sides. Position the bottom end of the zipper on the inside of the fold line, perpendicular to the top edge of the bag. Bring the needle up through the zipper tape and the bag, right next to the zipper stopper. Take 6-8 stitches across the zipper teeth and through the bag, about ¼” down from the edge. Bend the zipper to one side, lining the edge of the crochet up so it almost covers the zipper coil. Use a sewing pin to hold the zipper tape in place. With a running (up and down) stitch, sew the zipper to the bag, keeping the stitching line about ¼” away from the edge of the bag.
Stop stitching when you are about ¼” from the other side edge of the bag.
Open the zipper and, keeping the ends of the zipper together, tuck the ends down into the bag, along the side fold line. Take 6-8 stitches across the zipper teeth (on both sides) and through the bag, about ¼” down from the edge.
With the zipper open all the way, bend the zipper to one side, lining the edge of the crochet up so it covers the zipper coil. Stitch this side of the zipper to the bag the same way you stitched the first side. Continue stitching all the way to the other end of the zipper, where you started.
Bring the needle through the zipper tape to the inside, and secure with a knot. Bury the thread in the thickness of the crochet fabric and trim.
Strap
Position each end of the strap on the back of the bag, about 1 inch down from the top edge and 1/2” in from the side. With the yarn tail at each strap end, use the yarn needle to stitch the strap to the bag with a square of running stitches. Bring the needle through to the back, and make a knot to secure. Bring the needle through to the front again and weave the tail into the strap.
This pattern is intended for your personal use only. You may not share it, copy it, sell it, give it away, or mass-produce the finished product. However, you may sell the finished items on a small scale, as long as you convey in your item description that you used a Yay For Yarn pattern.
Yay For Yarn Copyright© 2019 – Current. All patterns and photos are owned by Yay For Yarn.
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Have you tried crocheting a purse yet?
I have a sister that lives in Florida. I have a hard time crocheting gifts for her, she doesn’t need any thing to keep her warm. This is perfect. And it’s fun too.