5 projects to do with leftover yarn that aren’t knitting or crochet

Ever wonder what to do with those tiny balls of yarn you end up with at the end of a project, as well as those little scraps you collect after cutting yarn tails that were too long?

I have a bag full of them at the moment. I used to collect the tiny scraps in a glass jar, which made for a colourful decorative piece, but I was never really sure what to do with the content. This led me to think about all the possibilities out there to use them, and why that would be important.

So here are five suggestions for leftover yarn uses, that do not require knitting or crochet!

My current bag of leftover yarn!

Gift wrapping

This is something that I have been doing for a few Christmases now. Instead of buying ribbon to add that decorative touch to wrapped gifts, I have been using yarn!  This makes your gift-making more unique, without costing you any extra! 

You could use a single strand, or multiple strands, in multiple colours to tie together and make the gifts really eye-catching. I find using colourful yarn against a backdrop of kraft paper makes for a minimalist, yet fun look!   If you have enough yarn, you could attach a Pom Pom too, which has the added bonus of being a nice keepsake for the gift receiver to use as they wish.

Pom Poms

Pom Poms are a colourful and decorative way to use up your yarn.  These Pom Poms can be strung together and hung up around the house, be used as Christmas tree decorations, attached to corners of blankets, or (as mentioned above) added to gift wraps.  

Some pom poms and bunting I have previously made from leftover yarn

I’ve even seen people wear them as earrings, which is great fun!

To make pom poms, you can either buy yourself a pom pom maker from your local craft stores like Michaels, Hobbycraft, Joann etc or make your own version using a couple of pieces of cardboard. I found some tutorials online. for all the different ways you can DIY pom poms!

Tassels

As with the Pom Poms, tassels are a small enough project to use leftover yarn.   They can also be strung together and used for home decor and would also be a nice finishing touch to blankets and shawls. 

Here’s a YouTube I followed of how to make tassels.  The only other thing you’ll need is scissors. 

Tassel earrings that I made with leftover cotton yarn

Stuffing

Do you make amigurumi, throw pillows or items that require stuffing?  I think using leftover yarn could be just the thing to help you out!   I understand they may not work so well for toys, or anything meant to be cuddled or laid on, as it might not feel so soft and squishy as usual stuffing, but even in those cases, they might be effective for stuffing the little nooks and crannies in smaller projects. 

Using leftover yarn could save you money from buying more stuffing too

Donate or Recycle

Recycle

Not sold on any of the above? How about sending your leftovers away to be reused? Better yet, get a reward for doing so!  Hedgehog Fibres have a recycling scheme whereby you can send your leftover yarn to them (mail paid for by you) and then, depending on the weight of the yarn, you will get varying levels of discount on future purchases of their yarn! What more could you want?   I really love that this company offers this, as it promotes the idea of zero waste, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.

NOTE: I haven’t participated in this scheme yet, but I fully intend to once I think I have enough scraps worth sending off. 

Donate

Local yarn libraries

In my neighbourhood in North Vancouver, there were a number of fibre/craft “libraries” on the streets. These are made by someone, with the idea that you can donate craft and fibre material, as well as take what you would like. You may have seen book versions of these, I think they are fairly common. They’re a great community idea, I would love to set up my own one day when I have a base.

One of the Fibre Libraries in North Vancouver!

I think there are plenty of other uses out there, these are just the ones that appeal to me the most and have also done almost all of these already. I’d love you to share your ideas in the comments below!