A few winters ago, I learned how to knit. I went through a phase where my knitting needles were like my 11th and 12th fingers, but after that season, my enthusiasm mostly died out. I was stuck with a drawer full of thrifted yarn and no inclination to knit. As time passes, though, I have found myself reaching in that drawer with some pretty projects in mind. There’s a lot that can be done with this versatile material, even if you don’t knit. Here are some ideas.
This project is fun and customizable. To begin, trace your letters, numbers, or whatever you want to wrap in yarn, on cardboard twice, then cut everything out. Cut a long strip, one inch wide (depending on the size and number of your letters, you may need a different length), to use as the sides of each letter. For my set I traced two Rs, two ampersands, and two Js plus several long strips of cardboard that were each one inch wide. Next, I laid one R flat on the table and taped the long strip perpendicularly all the way around the edge with masking tape, bending the strip at each corner. Lastly, I laid the second R right on top of that “wall” I had made from the strip, and taped it in place to make a complete 3-D letter. Then I wrapped it in yarn, hot gluing as I went!
I recently shared a tutorial on how to make pom-poms from yarn, but why stop there when you can turn those poofs into a garland? This pom-pom garland originally served as a Christmas card display, but I grew so attached that I didn’t want to tuck it away until next year. To make your own garland, have some friends over for conversation while you put together as many pom-poms as you can. Then use an embroidery needle to string them all together with yarn straight from the skein!
An easy way to update your home without spending money is to change up the way you display things. Every so often I move items around; this wheatgrass plant has been in one place long enough so I followed this tutorial to make a plant hanger from my yarn stash.
On my last trip to Goodwill I found these handmade potholders that almost got me back in the knitting spirit…almost. I couldn’t pass them up knowing that my dollar spent at Goodwill would help promote independence and dignity for people who need support to provide for themselves and their families. For more ideas on how to use thrifted yarn, check out our DIY board on Pinterest. Maybe you will find some inspiration there for projects to help pass the time before warmer weather arrives. Happy crafting!
xx, Julia
