Scrap Yarn Wall-Hanging: A Free Tutorial

Today I’m going to be showing you a fun way to use up your yarn scraps. If you’re like me, you feel a little tinge of guilt throwing away those odds and ends of yarn. It’s not quite enough to make anything or contribute to a scrap blanket, but a little more than you like to throw away. Well, now you’ve got the perfect reason to hold on to all your little yarn bits: a Scrap Yarn Wall-Hanging!

Project Inspiration

Last year when I made a Rainbow Gradient Baby Blanket for a friend, I found myself with a lot of leftover bits of Caron X Pantone. It’s beautiful yarn and it felt like such a waste to throw it away, so I put it in a cute storage box and set it aside. As time went on, I found myself adding bits of yarn to the box here and there. I figured eventually I’d either use it or toss it.

Then one day while I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram, I came across these beautiful dip dyed rope art installations. I thought the flow of the hanging rope made such a stunning piece of wall art. Then I decided that I could do something on a much smaller scale with my yarn bits.

One of the things I love about this project is the nostalgia behind it. There’s a little bit of every project I’ve made over the last year now hanging on the wall. And another thing I love is the variety of texture and color all these different projects have then they’re put together. I found it really interesting the amount of blue yarn that I used this past year.

Materials Needed

• A stick or dowel
• Box cutter or carving knife (optional)
• Sandpaper (optional)
• Variety of Scrap Yarn (or yarn cut to desired length)
• Scissors
• Any size crochet hook (optional)

Step 1 – Prep Your Hanging Piece

For my wall-hanging, I used a stick that my boys found on a walk. Using my wood carving knife, I scraped the outside layer of bark off to give it a smoother finish. I then sanded it lightly to remove any rough edges. This is all optional, of course. You could leave the stick as is or simply use a dowel from a craft or hardware store. Whatever method you choose, make sure its the size you want before you get started.

Step 2 – Sort Your Scraps

My kiddos helped me out with this part of the project. I separated the yarn by color and set it aside in piles. Once I had it in color coordinating piles, I arranged the piles in the order I wanted them to hang on the stick.

Step 3 – Tie Yarn On

Starting with the first color, I attached the yarn to the stick in sections. For the longer pieces of scrap I would loop them like this. I’m sure there’s a proper name for this knot, but I don’t know it.

The shorter pieces I simply tied on and tucked the loose end toward the back. I intended for this to be more “rustic” so I don’t mind the little yarn bits sticking out here and there. If you’re going to a more clean look, you’ll only want to use the pieces that are long enough to loop on.

Step 4 – Attach Hanging String

You will need a bit of yarn or rope to hang your stick from. I did a simple chain with a crochet hook and some leftover yarn. You could just as easily hang it from a bit of twine or plain yarn. Whatever you decide, tie it to each end of your stick. Bear in mind, the length of yarn you need will vary depending on how long your stick or dowel is and how much of a drop you want on your piece.

Step 5 – Steam and Trim

First hang your piece up to see how everything lines up. Next, you will probably want to gently steam your project. Steaming it will take any wrinkles out of the yarn and help it to hang nicely. Finally, take your scissors and trim off and excess. I left mine all scraggly and crazy because I like the character is gives. But a nice, clean line or maybe some asymmetrical or in a chevron would be a fun choice too!

Step 6 – Enjoy!

That’s it! Your Scrap Yarn Wall-hanging is all finished! My 5-year-old really loves our rainbow wall-hanging. He was pretty proud of all our work on this project. It was a part of our list of 15+ Fun Kid Activities. As much as we love it, we decided to share it with Grammy for her office, but we’ll enjoy it in the dining room until she picks it up.

I hope you enjoy your scrap yarn wall-hanging as much as we do! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @craftingforweeks and use the tag #ScrapYarnWallhanging. I love to see your work and try to share it when I can. I hope to have some more crochet patterns for you here soon, but if you’re looking for something in the meantime, the April Pineapple & Pine CAL will be starting soon! Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Kelsie