Go to your next Con with a Crochet GameBoy Bag! This nerdy crochet bag is perfect for holding all your essentials while celebrating nostalgia for your once-beloved handheld device.
My husband is an avid gamer. He loves playing on his PS4 but has a deep nostalgia for the handheld gaming devices he had as a kid. His favorite? The Game Boy Color—a perfect pocket-sized device to play games at recess, on the bus, or while being dragged to run errands with his mom.
On the flip side, I was never allowed to play with any type of gaming console growing up, so now I live vicariously through his retellings of how cool it was to own one.
This free crochet GameBoy bag pattern came to fruition for him, and he has used it at conventions to hold all the new artwork he buys. He is my inspiration for a lot of my patterns, including my crochet sunflower coasters and crochet sunflower pillow pattern since those are his favorite patterns.
The crochet GameBoy bag makes a great gift for your boyfriend, husband, kids, or grandsons alike. The bag is big enough to carry a small laptop if you reinforce it with lining!
This crochet GameBoy bag is perfect for the nerdy and geeky people in your life, and it is easy and fast to make!
Another great nerdy pattern of mine that screams nostalgia is my No Face Crochet Pattern, perfect for those who love older anime movies and Studio Ghibli.
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✏️ Things to Note:
- Lining Options: The crochet GameBoy bag can be lined once you finish it, but lining is not necessary. Lining the bag helps keep its shape for heavier items.
- Yarn Choice: I used acrylic yarn, but cotton works just as well.
- Color Customization: I made my crochet bag red because that's the color my husband said was best, but you can use any color! Be creative!
🪡 Materials Needed
💭 Abbreviations to Remember (US Terms)
- Single crochet (sc)
- Chains (ch)
- Magic ring (mr)
- Increase (inc)
🧋 Variations
You can try to make the GameBoy bag in different colors! If you can do graphgans, you can alter the screen to include a pixelated character, like Pikachu!
🍵 Instructions for Crochet GameBoy Bag Pattern
For this pattern, we will be working in rounds.
Bag:
Round 1: Ch x40 + 1 turning ch
Round 2: Make a sc starting from the second ch from hook, then sc x39.
You should be at the very end of the chain. Now you are going to make another sc in the last space you put a sc to help turn to the other side of the chain and then crochet another sc in that same stitch (for a total of 3 sc in the last ch). Then continue to make a sc in each ch, on the end make sure you add another sc so you have a total of 3 sc in the last ch (82)
Round 3-63: Sc in every stitch. Slip stitch and fasten off.
Black screen:
Row 1: With the black yarn ch 30 + 1 turning ch. Turn.
Row 2: In the second chain from the hook, make a sc and continue to the end of the row. Then ch 1 and turn (30)
Row 3-25: Repeat row 2 (30).
Then sc around the entire edge for a better finishing look.
The amount of stitches on the short sides are dependent on how tight you make the stitches, but as a rule of thumb it's 1 sc per row. So the short sides should have roughly 25sc then when you get to the corners sc x3 times to help round the corners. Then sc like normal on the longer sides which should be 30sc.
Slip stitch, fasten off but leave a long tail for sewing.
Circle Buttons x2:
Round 1: Using black yarn. Make a mr and work 6sc in the circle. If you find it difficult making a magic ring you can chain 2 and then crochet 6sc in the second chain from the hook. (6)
Round 2: Inc in every sc. (12)
Round 3: Inc, then sc. Then repeat until the end of the round. (18) Slip stitch and fasten off yarn. Leave enough yarn for sewing.
Plus Button:
Row 1: Ch x5 + 1 turning chain, turn.
Row 2: In the second chain from the hook, make a sc, then sc in each chain to finish the row (5). Then ch 1 and turn.
Row 3-5: Repeat row 2.
Row 6: Sc x5 then ch x5 (10) + 1 turning chain. Then turn.
Row 7: In the second ch from hook make a sc, make sc for the rest of the chains. Then sc the rest of the row like normal. Then ch x5 (15) +1 turning chain.
Row 8: In the second ch from hook make a sc, do this for the rest of the chains. Then sc the rest of the row like normal. (15) + 1 turning chain. Then turn.
Row 9-12: Sc the entire row (15) +1 turning chain, then turn.
Row 13: Sc x10 (10) +1 turning chain and turn. You should be done with the plus side that you started first.
Row 14: Sc x5 (5) + 1 turning chain and then turn.
Row 15-18: Repeat row 14. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
To finish off the plus sign you want to sc around the entire edge and then make sure to add 3 sc in every outer corner to help round the corners so they don’t curl up on you.
Tote bag strap:
Row 1: Ch 6 +1 turning ch, then turn.
Row 2: In the second chain from the hook make a sc. Then sc the rest of the chains (6).
Row 3-90: Repeat row 2. Fasten off and leave the tail for sewing.
Sewing:
Sew the strap to the top of the bag on opposite sides.
Sew the large black rectangle on the upper half of the red bag, but make sure to leave an inch or so from the top of the red bag.
The plus sign should be sewn in the lower left of the bag
The two circles should be attached and sewn to the lower right diagonally from each other.
And now you’ve finished the free crochet gaming bag pattern—you now have your own GameBoy tote bag!
🐌Expert Tips
- Use Stitch Markers: Place stitch markers at the beginning of each round to keep track of your stitches. This will help maintain a consistent shape.
- Block Your Finished Bag: After completing the bag, consider blocking it to achieve a neat finish. This can help shape the bag and give it a professional look.
- Experiment with Embellishments: Add personal touches like patches, embroidery, or even glow-in-the-dark yarn for a unique flair!
🧵 Pattern FAQs
Yes, this is about the size of a normal tote bag, so items that are 8x10 can easily fit.
Yes, you can! To widen the bag, add more starting chains; to add more height, add more rows. However, you may have to adjust the size of the screen and buttons to fit the new size of the bag.
Absolutely! It will just be a very large tote bag. Adjust the rows of the strap, as it will take fewer rows to make the strap length.
🧶More Fun Crochet Patterns
If you tried this Crochet Gameboy Bag (or any other pattern on my website), please let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Crochet Gameboy Bag
Abbreviations (US terms)
- sc = Single crochet
- ch = Chain
Notes
Instructions
- Round 1: Ch x40 + 1 turning ch
- Round 2: make a sc starting from the second ch from hook, then sc x39. You should be at the very end of the chain, you are going to make another sc in the last space you put a sc to help turn to the other side of the chain and then crochet another sc in that same stitch (for a total of 3 sc in the last ch) then continue to make a sc in each ch, on the end make sure you add another sc so you have a total of 3 sc in the last ch (82)
- Round 3-63: sc in every stitch. Slip stitch and fasten off.
Black screen:
- Row 1: With the black yarn ch 30 + 1 turning ch. Turn
- Row 2: In the second chain from the hook make a sc and continue to the end of the row. Ch 1 and turn (30)
- Row 3-25: Repeat row 2 (30).
- Sc around the entire edge for a better finishing look. The amount of stitches on the short sides are dependent on how tight you make the stitches, but as a rule of thumb it's 1 sc per row. So the short sides should have roughly 25sc then when you get to the corners sc x3 times to help round the corners. Then sc like normal on the longer sides which should be 30sc. Slip stitch, fasten off but leave a long tail for sewing.
Circle Buttons x2:
- Round 1: Using black yarn. Make a MR and work 6sc in the circle. If you find it difficult making a magic ring you can chain 2 and then crochet 6sc in the second chain from the hook. (6)
- Round 2: Inc in every sc. (12)
- Round 3: Inc, sc, inc, sc and repeat until end of round (18) Slip stitch and fasten off yarn. Leave enough yarn for sewing.
Plus Button:
- Row 1: Ch x5 + 1 turning chain, turn
- Row 2: In the second chain from the hook make a sc, then sc in each chain to finish the row (5). Then ch 1 and turn.
- Row 3-5: Repeat row 2.
- Row 6: Sc x5 then ch x5 (10) + 1 turning chain. Turn
- Row 7: In the second ch from hook make a sc, do this for the rest of the chains. Then sc the rest of the row like normal. Then ch x5 (15) +1 turning chain.
- Row 8: In the second ch from hook make a sc, do this for the rest of the chains. Then sc the rest of the row like normal. (15) + 1 turning chain. Turn.
- Row 9-12: Sc the entire row (15) +1 turning chain. Turn.
- Row 13: sc x10 (10) +1 turning chain and turn. You should be done with the plus side you started first.
- Row 14: sc x5 (5) + 1 turning chain and turn.
- Row 15-18: Repeat row 14. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
- To finish off the plus sign you want to sc around the entire edge and make sure to add 3 sc in every corner to help round the corners so they don’t curl up on you.
Tote bag strap:
- Row 1: Ch 6 +1 turning ch. Turn
- Row 2: In the second chain from the hook make a sc. Then sc the rest of the chains (6).
- Row 3-90: Repeat row 2. Fasten off and leave the tail for sewing.
Sewing:
- Sew the strap to the top of the bag on opposite sides.
- Sew the large black rectangle on the upper half of the red bag, but make sure to leave an inch or so from the top of the red bag.
- The plus sign should be sewn in the lower left of the bag
- The two circles should be attached and sewn to the lower right diagonally from each other.
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