Messenger bags are everywhere these days. Grown ups, kids, men, and even dolls have a messenger bag. Large or small, inconspicuous or bright, plain and simple or full of pockets, catches and accessories – the messenger bag allows you to carry exactly what you need everywhere.
For the office, school, work, as a lunch bag, on your bike – this really is a versatile style of bag and I've put together a round up of some of the best, easiest, most thorough, biggest, smallest and nicest all round messenger bags for you to sew. And of course they are all free patterns for you to sew.
There are so many great inspiring ideas here, you could even mix and match your favorite features and make up a totally unique messenger bag all of your very own with just the pockets, straps, closures, zippers and features that YOU need.
The Best Free Messenger Bag Patterns
Fabric Mutt Malibu Satchel Tutorial
Oval Messenger Bag
American Girl fan Doll Felt Messenger Bag
Craft Gossip Foldover Messenger Bag
Craft Passion Entrelac Messenger Bag
Ginger Cake Playmat Messenger Bag
Hillmade Toddler Messenger
MMM Crafts Basic Messenger Bag
OCD Messenger Bag
Crafts on Sea Upcycled Messenger Bag from mans jacket
Sew What Sherlock MacBook Messenger Bag
Sew Can She Bike Messenger Bag
School Messenger Bag
No Time to Sew Messenger Bag
Mini Messenger Bag
Ruffled Messenger Bag
Easy Mod Messenger Bag
Fold Over Messenger Bag
Boys Messenger Bag
Lady Messenger Bag
1 Yard Messenger Bag
Kid Sized Messenger Bag
Pretty Messenger Bag
Unique Messenger Bag
Padded Satchel
Simple Messenger Bag
Taylor Unisex Bag
Mama Smiles Easy to Sew Messenger Bag
Red Fly Creations Messenger Bag from Jeans
Suzys Sitcom Bow Front Reversible Messenger
NoodleHead Messenger Bag from Cargo Pants
Crazy Little Projects Messenger Bag Tutorial
A Mingled Yarn Messenger Style Diaper Bag
From the Blue Chair Messenger Bag Tutorial
Corvidarium Moop Messenger Knock Off
Crazy LIttle Projects Reversible Messenger Bag
Fabric Worm patternless Messenger Bag
Delia Creates Little Messenger Bag
Zaaberry Kids Messenger Bag
Punkin Patterns Connor's messenger bag
Reversible Messenger Bag
Lilac Mini Messenger
Push the Envelope
Paid pattern options
Looking for more ideas?
Try the Cross Body Bag pattern, one of my own designs.
For more bag patterns, check out the So Sew Easy list of BAG PATTERNS and tutorials HERE.
I teach sewing to children in a low-income neighborhood in Israel. I charge a small amount so that the families will take the lessons seriously, but I spend more on supplies and machine maintenance than I make. I really love that you continue to provide free patterns. I can usually find a free pattern for a project my students (particularly the boys) want to make. I wish I could afford to “buy you a coffee,” but I can’t. I hope my kind words will be worth something.
HI Hanna, please keep the art of sewing alive, it is a joy to know that the patterns are being used to teach the young. By commenting you are making the article be noticed by the Google bots. So thank you for taking the time to comment. Do let me know if you need any further assistance or a pattern the children ask for, it will be my honor to help. Kind Regards, MC
Love this list. Just wanted to warn that the link to the Cold
hands Warm hearts bag is no longer accurate and links to some pretty risqué stuff
Hi Lauren, thanks so much for letting me know. I have removed the link to that project. Kind regards, Mayra
I really like your site. I downloaded the doc t PDF to try to download the messenger bag and it asked me to convert a file. How do I get the pattern to a file if I can’t download it? what a I doing wrong?
Hi Elaine. If you have downloaded a PDF file for a sewing pattern, then you already have what you need and there is no need to convert any files. Just open the PDF with Adobe Reader. Your computer usually already has this installed so double clicking would open the file, but if not for some reason, you can get it from Adobe.com
Hi Deby, thanks for the free patterns as well as the paid ones. I have a passion for sewing, just not enough hours in a day!
I know what you mean! I wish I could sew just 5% of all the projects on my wish list.
Hey Debi,
I recently made the messenger bag shared by Amber of Crazy Little Projects for my oldest granddaughter, and it was so easy to do. I will be making a second one today or tomorrow for my second granddaughter.
Thanks for doing this round up of patterns. You show a lot of them I didn’t see when I was searching for a pattern for the messenger bag I just made.
Have a wonderful day!
Debbie A….(0;
I like to have a really good look around for the roundups, use search terms that might not spring immediately to mind and then weed it out until I feature those with the best tutorials, the most features or just a good overall range or types. I agree about Amber’s bag, she always does great tutorials and I love her choice of fabrics and photography. Thanks for commenting Debbie.
I’m new to this site and of course was excited to see the words “free patterns”. However, the one I particularly like – the midtown messenger bag- shows a price of $12.95. How does this constitute free? I await your response.
The top section are all the best free messenger bag patterns I could find – 30 of them as described. Then in the bottom section, I showcase some paid patterns as another option for those who want to invest in a pattern. Some people just prefer the quality and attention to detail that come from investing in a paid pattern. It says this quite clearly “Paid pattern options” and lists a few patterns that are for sale on other sites if that is what you choose to do. I don’t think there is anything misleading there. Sorry you found this to be so upsetting that the only bag you liked, was a paid for one.
Thanks for this resource! I have so many sewing projects that I’d like to do for myself, just not enough time, but I’d love to make one of these sometime!