Yarn Storage Ideas

Julie Clemens: I roll the scraps into a ball and place in plastic bag with the original label. I then put bags into tubs (semitransparent) with same brand/weight yarn & other scraps. All stacked nicely in my closet.

Connie S Young: I roll them up into little balls and store them in see-through bags. They get used for things like key chains or adding details to amigurumi or appliques, etc.

Jessica Wesolowski: I put them in large zip locks bags organized by weight/fibre and reuse for borders, appliqués such as eyes and flowers or for stuffing toys

Connie Hill: I roll mine into balls, then I clip the part of the label that has color name and lot number on it and safety pin that to the ball. The balls go into a basket. Since 90% of my yarn is the same brand and weight I do not need more info so I never keep full wrappers.

Pat Wilder: I save all the bits I cut off when making things in a plastic bag. Then when I have a large stash of it, I use all the leftover bits to stuff a pillow. My gramma used to do that, and you can toss the pillow right into the washer to clean it. I store all my skeins in large plastic tubs according to color and label them on the outside.

Barbara Nielsen: For the most part I have a big plastic tote for the bigger skeins if yarn. Inside the big tote, I have a shoe box size plastic tote for the smaller skeins of yarn.

Vicky Poole: I store by "weight" and fibre. I've made tons of colourful toys out of scraps. Even a few inches are kept in a zip lock bag. I needed just a tiny bit of brown for eyes this week and didn't have it !!

Jen Zmurchyk: I put all of my small bits into resealable sandwich bags according to yarn type - eg. acrylic, wool, cotton. They come in handy when making things like granny squares, or if doing Amigurumi and you only need a small amount of yarn.

Lucy Juliano: I keep all my left over yarn. I store then in Ziploc bags by color. When starting a project i go first to my scraps for anything I may need for the appliques or embellishment before I spend the money on a skein of yarn I may only need a yard or so.

Reecie Adams: I have a large ottoman in living room that has storage...I roll larger scraps into a ball and put in ottomans...smaller scraps I wrap up and place in a bag and keep together...use it when making a scrap Afghan or am trying to help someone learn to crochet

Ann Peake: I save tiny scraps for provisional c/o in a ziplock bag. Larger balls by weight in a draw string bag.I love to rummage when I need a pompom, small decoration, or icord.

Irene Sharpe: I roll into yarn balls, put in a plastic container with lid. I teach a craft class at our local Resource center. I try to have at least once a month a class on crocheting, whether it be trying a new stitch, making "premie hats" for babies. etc....

Chelsey Nicole Thompson: Scraps go in the trash. I just don't have patience for them. For the skeins I used to store them in a giant shoe shelf. [photo above, right image]

Barb Kridel Jacoby: I have a hat box that I keep balls of regular yarn. I also have a tall plastic yarn feeder jar that has a flip up lid that I keep my cotton yarn balls in (dish cloth etc). The leftovers have come in handy when I am short a little to finish or use for edging.

Nickole Beuch: I keep my ends and scraps in ziplock bags to use as stuffing. So far I’ve used it to stuff crouched Christmas ornaments and a couple of small toys.

Dawn Brochinsky: Scraps are rolled into a ball and kept in a huge glass jar with lid and kept on my bookshelf. It looks great as a decorative jar plus scraps available if needed and I can quickly tell if I'm stuck in a color rut

Julia Schwartz: I use zip lock bags. That go in a tote under the bed. I have my stash divided up by type of yarn. Each tote keeps a different type. I like to make a scrapghan every year to use up the scraps.

Other photos: Judy Purchase [left, bottom], Jodee Day [left top]

Sue Roscovius: I roll mine in balls then donate them. I gave three good size boxes to people crocheting lap quilts for the military hospital's.

Madeleine Becan Myers: There are so many organizations and schools that welcome donations and make excellent use of the scraps-- hats and blankets for the homeless, prayer shawls, baby items for crisis pregnancy centers or the NICU....scouts, schools, daycare do art projects....nursing home s use them for craft activities...

Jan Meadors Hall: preschools and kindergartens use load of yarn bits for art projects. as a former teacher, I loved a bag of bits of yarn.

Diane Rosenfeldt: Or just Goodwill! I'm always seeing partial skeins there. Your method seems so wasteful when there are, aside from all the worthwhile groups already mentioned, so many creative folks on a budget who would love half a skein. How much harder is it to throw your leftovers on a Goodwill bag than it is to throw them in a garbage bag? Let *them* decide if your schnibbles are worth slapping a sticker on!

Helen Williams Stoops: A lady in my Bible Study collects leftover yarn from others, and takes it to the women's prison. The ladies there make winter scarves, and hats for the homeless.

Rebecca Goodchild: I give mine to local church knitting club, unused balls I don't want anymore or scraps, they always find them useful. I am forever buying it and have so many ideas that I never get around to doing so would get wasted otherwise. 

Cheryl Wechsler-Wills: I weave the ends of the smaller balls together (of like colors ) then make a larger ball - when it is large enough I make lap blankets for the local nursing home!

Cindy Kingman: I use my scraps and leftover balls to make hats for the homeless. I use a neutral color and make stripes. This way I can make color combinations I wouldn't normally. [photo above]

Karen Reinhart: I am planning on using my scraps of yarn to crochet hats to give to the homeless and other charities.

Helen Crenshaw: I keep mine in a large see through bag....currently it's the outer plastic covering bag the kind you get sheets or comforter in....some I join together to make larger balls of different colors...then I make scrap afghans, c2 c...dc rows...make up my own patterns...and then give away...I'm planning on making a few to give to the homeless shelter...they are colorful and happy.. [photo above]

Mary Pittman: Scrap afghan! I make squares or a continuous granny square. We either donate or my kids get them. [photo above]

Esther Demuth Leggett: I keep small amounts of leftover yarn in gallon zip-lock bags, sorted by color. I keep a lap robe in the making at all times, using leftover yarn, too, even if it's just a couple yards or a lot more.

Bruna L Kissell: What do I do with my ends of yarn that aren't you as well I usually make dishcloths of many different colors or potholder so many different colors my kids love them I granddaughter can't get enough of them no sense in wasting the leftover yarn from a project.

Gail O'Connor: I attach all my bits together and wind a centre pull ball of yarn. Yep, even the tails. Some pieces are only a few inches long. As long as the weights are close, it all goes together. Cotton has its own ball. Once I have enough, I make an afghan. The best part is remembering all the great things you made with all the different yarns.

Sheila Hoffman: I joined two strands of different colors together and made rugs for the floors. I have made at least 10.

Sharon Fournier: I throw them away....I hate having partial skeins around. I have a winder, but even wound yarn balls are useless, as far as I’m concerned.