An easy crochet shark pattern, bound to make a splash this summer! Shark Fin Backpacks are great gifts for kids and are perfect for selling at summer markets!

Baby shark do doo doo do doo do do

If you’re a mama or grandma, you’ve probably heard that song so many times, you now want to pull your eardrums out. Me too sister.

But there’s no denying it, kids love that song! They also love sharks!! Since Shark Week is only a few weeks away, I thought it would be fun to create a sharky modification to the Dino Backpack crochet pattern.

This crochet shark pattern is made exactly like the dinosaur backpack pattern, but instead of dino spikes, you create and attach a jawsome shark fin.

I also came up with a strap alternative for this design. A few people were struggling with the icord strap for the dino backpack (they can be tricky), so I got a little creative with some cotton rope.

I will give instructions for both strap designs here in the pattern.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission from purchases made at no extra cost to you.

You can find the pdf version of this pattern modification in my Etsy and Ravelry shops for only 1.50. Since it’s a modification of the dinosaur backpack, you may also want to snag that pdf as well.

I created a matching blank-inside card to go with the shark backpack design! This way if you are gifting or selling your finished backpack, you can include a nice matching card to go with it!

Download Fintastic Card Here

Materials
Worsted weight yarn (I used the color Graybeard from Hobby Lobby ILTY)
4.0mm Crochet Hook (for the optional icord strap)
4.5mm Crochet hook
Scissors 
Tapestry Needle
Stitch markers or scrap yarn 
4mm Cotton Rope (for alternative straps)

Stitch Key (US Terms)
CH= Chain
SC= Single Crochet
INC= Increase (put two stitches in the same space. In this case, single crochet stitches)
SL ST= Slip Stitch
JAYG= Join as you go 

SPECIAL STITCHES

Join as you go (JAYG): This is a joining technique I learned from Cypress Textiles while making her Trellis and Chevron baby blanket about 3 years ago and I have used it ever since! I love joining this way because it’s faster, there are fewer tails to weave in and it makes a pretty join.

This is used when you are taking two crochet pieces and joining them together. 

*Insert your hook into piece A and SC. Remove your hook from the loop. 

Insert your hook into the same stitch but on piece B. Grab the loop still attached to piece A and pull it through piece B’s stitch. Repeat from *. 

If you’re still confused, watching the video should clear it up for you!

Back Bump: This is where you flip your starting chain over and insert your hook into the “back bump” of the chain and place your stitch there. If you are unfamiliar with this technique I would suggest watching this tutorial below by Fiber Flux on YouTube.

Crochet Shark Backpack Pattern

Finished Dimensions: 14″ tall – 10.5″ wide

Shark Backpack Body

Using your 4.5mm crochet hook and Gray yarn

Follow the Dinosaur Backpack Pattern and crochet the front and back panels of the backpack. I used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn in the color graybeard for my Shark Backpack.

Fin

Using your 4.5mm crochet hook and gray yarn (make 2)

Chain 16

Row 1: skip the chain closes to your hook and SC 15 in the back bumps of your starting chain. CH 1, turn. (15)

Rows 2-7: SC 15, CH 1, turn. (15)

Row 8: DEC over the first two stitches, SC in the next 13 stitches. CH 1, turn. (14)

Row 9: SC 14. CH 1, turn. (14)

Row 10: DEC over the first two stitches, SC in the next 12 stitches. CH 1, turn. (13)

Row 11: SC in the next 11 stitches, DEC over the first two stitches. CH 1, turn. (12)

Row 12: DEC over the first two stitches, SC in the next 10 stitches. CH 1, turn. (11)

Row 13: SC in the next 8 stitches, DEC over the first two stitches. CH 1, turn. (9)

Row 14: DEC over the first two stitches, SC in the next 7 stitches. CH 1, turn. (8)

Row 15: SC in the next 6 stitches, DEC over the first two stitches. CH 1, turn. (7)

Row 16: DEC over the first two stitches, SC in the next 5 stitches. CH 1, turn. (6)

Row 17: C in the next 3 stitches, DEC over the first two stitches. CH 1, turn. (4)

Row 18: DEC over the first two stitches, SC in the next 2 stitches. CH 1, turn. (3)

Row 19: SC 1. Tie off on your first fin, but keep the yarn attached after making your second fin for assembly.

Sew in your tails (But still keep your working yarn attached to the second fin)

Fin Assembly

Lay your front and back fin pieces together, both facing the same direction, with your second fin piece on the bottom.

Insert your hook through the last stitch on the top fin piece, grab your working yarn (still attached to your bottom fin piece), pull through both fin pieces and CH 1.

Working down the straight side of the fins, SC 19, making sure to go through both the front and back fin pieces.

You will need to make your own spots to put your hook since this is the raw side of our work.

Turn your work so you can now attach the fins together at the bottom.

Insert your hook into the first stitch, on both the top and back pieces and SL ST.

Continue to SL ST in every stitch for a total of 15 stitches.

Working up the curvy side of the fins, SC 23, making sure to go through both the front and back fin pieces.

Again you will be working in the raw edge of your work so you will need to make your own spots for your stitches.

Join into the top of your first SC, tie off and sew in your tail.

Attaching fin to the back panel of the Shark Backpack

Fold the back panel of your backpack in half (hot dog style).

Line your fin up to the fold so the bottom of your fin is about 27 rows up from the bottom of the bag.

The curvy side of the fin should be facing the top of your backpack, where the opening will be.

Place a stitch marker where the first and last stitches of the fin line up, in the center of the fold you made with your panel piece.

Using a tapestry needle, and a very long piece of gray yarn (it’s better to have too much than not enough)

Start at the bottom, and begin sewing the fin on.

Insert your needle into the body of the backpack, then back out through the base of the fin.

Continue sewing the fin all the way up to the last stitch, then make it extra secure by going back down to where you started.

Tie off and sew in your tails.

Backpack Assembly

The backpack pieces will be joined using the Join As You Go method. It is explained under special stitches, but I will explain it again (with pictures here). 

You can also watch the video here if that will help you more.

If you are still struggling with the JAYG method, you can probably SC the pieces together if you’d like, your seem may look a little different. 

Lay your two backpack pieces together, right sides touching and with the drawstring tunnels at the top. Lay your fin down flat so it doesn’t get in your way of joining the backpack.

Please ignore the color of my backpack, these pictures were taken for the dino version, but it’s made exactly the same way.

Let’s refer to the piece on top as piece T (for top) and the piece on bottom as piece B (for bottom) 

You will be working along the raw edge so you’ll have to make your own spots for joining the sides of the backpack, but the spots are pretty easy to see once you get the hang of it.

You have one spot that looks like you are going under a bar, then the next spot looks like you are going into a little hole. 

So you’ll go bar, hole, bar, hole all the way down. 

Insert your hook into the first stitch after the tunnel on T, attach your yarn with a CH.

Tip: This stitch will look like a bar 

Insert your hook into the first stitch after the tunnel on B, place a SC. 

Tip: this stitch will look like a hole

Take your hook out of the loop that’s left on your hook after completing the SC.

Insert your hook back into the same space where you joined the yarn on T. (bar)

Grab the loop, pull it through. 

• 

• 

You will repeat this all the way down the left side of the backpack for a total of 45 JAYO stitches.

Tip: Your next SC should be going into a Bar space on B.

Now it’s time to JAYG across the bottom of the backpack. This is much simpler because you can see where the stitches you need to be joining together are. 

After you finish your 45th stitch on the left side, insert your hook into the first stitch on the bottom of B and SC.

Take your hook out of the loop, insert your hook into the first stitch on the bottom of T, grab your loop and pull it through. 

Next, insert your hook into the 2nd stitch on the bottom of B and complete the JAYG stitch by pulling through the second stitch on the bottom of T.

Continue attaching the bottom for a total of 40 stitches. 

One more side and you’re finished with the JAYG method!

Right after you finish the 40th stitch across the bottom, go directly into the first space (bar) on B, put a SC then pull the loop through the first space on T (hole). 

Continue back up the right hand side of the backpack for 45 stitches.

Tie off and sew in your tails. Flip your bag right side out.

Drawstring Assembly

Instructions for making and attaching the icord straps were in the video under “Backpack Assembly” This video will show you how to make and attach straps using a cotton cord.

There are also written instructions as well.

If you can’t see the video player and are using an adblocker, pausing the adblocker will make the video visible.

To add the cotton rope drawstrings, you will need to use a crochet hook (one without a rubber handle works best) to thread your straps through the tunnels we created when making the body pieces.

Cut your rope in two strips about 60″ long.

Tape of the ends of your rope after you cut them, to prevent them from fraying.

If you are looking at your backpack, right side up, your first strap will go into the left side of the top piece and out the right side of the top piece. Then you will thread it through the back piece, going into the right side and out the left side. 

Using your crochet hook, pull the ends of the straps into the backpack and knot them together. The knot should be on the inside of the backpack.

For the second strap, you do the complete opposite. Go in the top piece right side and out the left, then in the back piece left the side and out the right.

After you thread your rope through the “tunnels” at the top of the backpack, we need to pull your straps into the bag at the bottom.

Using a crochet hook, pull the ends of each strap to the inside of the backpack. Use the rows of the backpack to line up where to pull through your straps.

Knot each pair of ends together, tightly, so they don’t come loose.

Tip: It helped me to put the backpack inside out again for this step.

Sew in any remaining tails and you’re all FINished!! Haha I can never resist a good pun!

I hope you love this shark modification of the Dino Backpack. This is a fun, gender-neutral project, would make awesome kids gifts and would sell well at markets!

As always, you are more than welcome to sell the finished pieces you make using my crochet patterns. I hope you sell A TON of shark backpacks!

If you post any pics of your finished backpacks, I would love to see them! Tag me @ACraftyConcept on social media and I’ll be sure to leave it a like!!

Happy Crocheting
❤️ Ashley