How to Make Your Own Yarn Holder & Dispenser Using Everyday Materials

DIY: Three easy-to-make yarn holders using household materials.

If you do a lot of crafting with wool or yarn, sooner or later you'll grow tired of your yarn becoming tangled and will be considering ideas for some type of yarn holder.

When you are stuck and need something on hand, you can make your own yarn holder/yarn dispenser using everyday materials.

A yarn holder will keep your yarn in one place and your yarn strand will not become tangled and knotted, which robs you of time for crafting. It can be frustrating to have to stop in the middle of a project and waste time detangling or attempting to untie knots that have formed in your yarn. This is especially problematic if you are working on a project that requires more than one strand. You will basically have either balls of yarns or skeins, rolling and becoming tangled at your feet. Yarn strands twist as you knit or crochet and it is far easier to have some type of holder to keep them separated before your pick up your knitting needles or crochet hook.

DIY Easy-to-Make Homemade Yarn Holders

This Hub discusses three homemade yarn holders that you can make in minutes. These holders are very basic but will do until you decide to purchase a yarn holder/dispenser or "tainer" as it is called. (I've included info about tainers at the bottom of this page.)

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Make A Basic Yarn Holder & Dispenser Using a Humble Zip-Lock Bag

I was working on slippers and using 4 strands for the soles. My yarn became twisted and hopelessly tangled. In desperation, I looked around my home for something to put the balls in to keep them separate. I needed something that would contain the balls and dispense the yarn strand.

If you are in the middle of a project and fed up with your yarn becoming tangled, Zip-Lock bags will do in a pinch. Simply place your balls of yarn inside the bags, pull out the yarn ends and zip up the bags to keep your yarn inside. It doesn't get much easier than this and Zip-Lock bags make instant yarn dispensers.

I also use these for all my small left-over balls and yarn ends, which saves everything from becoming tangled and ending in a jumbled mess at the bottom of my yarn basket.

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Make a Yarn Holder From a Milk Jug

If you have a large plastic milk jug with a handle, this can easily do duty as a yarn holder. You simply cut the top off and place your ball of yarn inside. I would suggest cutting it near the top to ensure that your yarn does not pop out the top. Use a large enough jug that your yarn ball has room to turn. This set-up is admittedly crude but will do you in a pinch.

An advantage with this type of homemade yarn holder is the handle allows you to easily move your yarn if you change locations in your home.

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Make a Yarn Dispenser From a Large Clear Plastic Container With a Screw-On Lid

Another way to make a yarn holder and dispenser is to use a large clean plastic container with a screw-on lid. Sometimes candy comes in these large containers.

1. Make a hole in the lid by heating a metal prong and inserting it through the center of the lid.
2. Do this outside so that you don't breath in the fumes from the melted plastic
3. It's a good idea to make a good-sized hole.
4. Once it has cooled you simply place your ball of yarn inside and push the yarn end through the hole, then screw on the lid.

This keeps your yarn safely inside. This makes one of the best homemade yarn holders and is one of the better do-it-yourself yarn dispensers.

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When you are ready to invest is a nicer-looking yarn holder, yarn tainers are just the ticket. To be honest, I didn't know that such an animal existed and I was delighted to come across a product that was designed to this end.

Yarn tainers can be purchased in different sizes so make sure you decide on which size would best fit your needs. Some crafters have more than one tainer. What I particularly like about tainers is that they come with handles. A crafter can take yarn anywhere with a carry-along tainer.

The good news is that tainers are very affordable.

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These suggestions for homemade yarn dispensers may do the trick when you need a yarn holder in a hurry. And I'm sure you'll agree that the actual tainers are a great product. Finally, if you have a large yarn stash and are considering storage solutions, please see my next Hub: Yarn Storage: Neat Ideas and Solutions for Storing Yarn for some good ideas.

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