What to Do With Leftover Yarn
by
Mila Myk
5 Materials
$19
1 Hour
Easy
Two easy yarn crafts.
Easy to make projects:
Frugal furniture makeover & Decorative yarn eggs.
Frugal furniture makeover.
We needed a dining room set, fast. I mean: FAST! Guests were flying in from another country the next day, fancy dinner was ready, but there was no table and there were no chairs. Absolutely none, not even a broken one.
We bought first dining room set that boot sale site spat out, and it cost us £10 ($13). This is how it looked like.
I must admit that I immediately fell in love with this set. It was simple, it had 60' vibe to it, and the round table that fitted perfectly into the dining space. I even liked the cheesy, cheap veneer. Everything looked cool, except ugly metal legs. I didn't want to paint it, so I decided to experiment, and cover it with yarn. I know, it sounds weird, but it was fun & no-pressure kind of project.
What I used for the makeover:
- yarn (2 colors)
- clear nail polish
I'm not going to lie, doing it took ages, and it's still not entirely finished.
If you want to focus, this kind of craft is a godsend.
What I did:
I wrapped pieces of yarn around chair legs. I started with tying a small knot at the top (you can cut off excess yarn afterward), wrapped few centimeters of yarn around the leg, and then brushed some clear nail polish at the top of the wrap around (to make sure yarn won't move while I use the chair.
If you want to try this frugal makeover on one of your chairs (or tables), make sure to divide yarn into small batches, so it won't get tangled while wrapping around. You can end wrapping every batch with a small knot, then apply some nail polish, leave it to dry and start where you left off.
This is how the chair looks like now.
It certainly gives a bit of a rustic vibe, and the yarn looks so much better than metal!
I've just started on the table...
Decorative yarn eggs.
They are great decorative pieces, and not only during Easter time. If you decide to use toned yarn colors, they'll make great all year round decoration.
You can make either yarn eggs or yarn balls, depending on the balloons you'll use. Water balloons make great thread eggs.
You will need:
-water balloons or balloons
-yarn
- sticky liquid starch (you can find the recipe here: DIY starch glue).
-spray sealer (optional)
-paint brush (optional)
-scissors
-plastic container
-clothes pin
-needle
-pliers
Instructions:
Blow up balloons until they are about 10 cm tall (unless you want bigger decorative pieces).
Cut around 15 to 20 cm of yarn. Pour liquid starch into the plastic container and immerse thread into the mixture. Make sure it's fully immersed.
Starting from the top, place piece of soaked yarn on the balloon (you can even wrap the first strand around the tip of the balloon to help it keep in place). Wrap yarn around the balloon as densely as you wish (I recommend two layers), but don't make it too thick, as it will be harder to dry.
I also recommend leaving at least one small hole around the top (it will be helpful while removing remains of the balloon). Use a brush to spread an additional layer of liquid starch, if needed.
Let balloons dry for minimum 24 hrs. You can use clothes pin and hang them (by the balloon tip) to air dry or use plastic cup as a stand (remember to rotate the yarn ball, so it's fully dried).
It's time to pop the balloon. Use a needle or a pin to do it. Use pliers to remove remains of the balloon from inside of the egg. If yarn collapses after you popped the balloon, try again using more starch or more compact weave. You can finish it off with spray sealer.
Happy crafting!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 comments
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The yarn balloon gave me an idea for Christmas. I'm going to spray them and sprinkle them with glitter.. :)
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