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17+ Ideas to Destash Your Yarn Stash – SCYS Part 2

How many times have you gone to the store for one thing in particular and wound up leaving with ten times the amount of yarn as you planned? It’s happened to the best of us. There’s something about yarn that draws us in and forces us to throw money at it!

I guarantee that when you made these sporadic purchases, (let’s face it, we’ve all been in this predicament more than once) you didn’t have a single project in mind for that specific skein… or 10.

Now it’s been sitting on your shelf for a year and you still don’t know what to make with it because you’ve either changed your style or you just don’t like it anymore. Luckily, there are a ton of great ideas to destash your yarn stash!

Last week I shared with you Part 1 of the Spring Clean Your Yarn Stash series. If you haven’t already, go check it out! We went over the exact steps you need to take in order to get your craft space decluttered and organized.

Today, Part 2 of the series, will help you decide what to do with all of your unused yarn, scraps, or finished projects.

Finally, Part 3 will be a roundup of some great organization, craft supplies, and DIY projects that I, myself, use or wish I had.

I’ve decided to split it up one week at a time so that you can focus on the task at hand.


17+ Ideas to Destash Your Yarn Stash

Donate, donate, donate!

Donation is such a great way to get rid of your unused yarn. There are so many organizations that would really appreciate your generosity!

Not only can you donate items you’ve already finished, but you can also donate skeins of yarn that you’ve never used.

You can donate your items to:

  • Schools
  • Non-profits
  • Art Centers
  • Nursing Homes
  • Prayer Shawl Ministries
  • Salvation Army
  • Goodwill

I’ve heard that a lot of schools don’t budget for art supplies, which is actually really sad to hear, so they may benefit from your unused yarn. Just give them a call!

Also, many nursing homes host craft nights for their residents which usually include knitting or crochet. I guarantee it would overjoy the residents as well.

You can also gift out your yarn or finished projects to friends and family.

A couple weeks ago, my cousin asked me to crochet her a messy bun beanie. Lucky for her, I happened to be spring cleaning my craft room at the time she asked.

When I was going through some of my old projects, I thought some of them would be perfect for her. I had multiple cozy scarves I wasn’t using and because she lives in the snow-filled state of Massachusetts, I thought she could really use some.

In the end, I cleared up my craft space and gifted them to someone who would benefit from using them!

unwanted yarn and scraps

Sell and/or Exchange Finished Projects or Unused Yarn

There are multiple places where you can either sell your finished projects or your unused skeins.

  • Facebook Groups
    • There has got to be a For Sale Group in every city by now, right? I do trust Facebook over Craigslist because you can actually see the person, check out their profile, and make sure they don’t look sketchy/untrustworthy. You can’t really do that with Craigslist. I have sold and purchased many, many things from Facebook Groups. You can also exchange yarns if you’re not looking to sell.
  • Ravelry
    • Ravelry has a ton of amazing features. If you’re signed up, you can search through their groups for “yarn swaps”. You will see a ton of different groups where you can trade or “swap” your yarn with someone in that group. You can even use these groups to sell your yarn.
  • Ebay
    • Another great option because many, many people buy off of Ebay. As long as you’re okay with figuring out shipping costs and such, it would be a great option for you.
  • Craigslist
    • I know I just said I prefer Facebook over Craigslist, but there are still some people who use Craigslist. If you use Craigslist and you’re comfortable making sales, then it is most definitely an option.
  • Etsy
    • I know you already know about selling on Etsy even if you’re not an Etsy seller yourself. Etsy is a popular handmade site and of course that’s an option if you’re interested in doing that. On the other hand, if you’re a crochet designer and you create multiple projects for your designs, you could always sell them on Etsy! Even if you’re only planning on selling your patterns, there are people out there who don’t know how to crochet and would feel extremely lucky to purchase one of your finished items.

Use it as Craft Supplies for your Kids!

If you have kids, chances are you enjoy putting together activities to practice their motor skills as well as just giving them something to do.

There are tons of kid’s crafts that use yarn to spark creativity and practice developmental skills. These crafts can be used to get rid of your yarn scraps or to give your unused skeins a purpose!

To keep things organized, you could put all of your yarn scraps into a small box (like a shoebox!) and place it into your children’s play area.

Here are 5 different yarn crafts for your kids to enjoy!

  • These Finger Knitting Snakes would be a great craft for older kids and you won’t need much yarn to complete them! Plus, it will teach them to focus and pay attention to detail.
  • A Straw Weaving Bracelet is an easy, fun craft especially for younger girls! I don’t have a little girl, but I bet they would have a blast making little friendship bracelets this way. I will say that for this project you will need a good amount of yarn. Maybe save this craft to use with an entire skein.
  • This Cardboard Sewing Board is a great way for your child to work on their motor skills. All you need is some cardboard, a strand of yarn, and a plastic yarn needle. All of which you most likely already have!
  • This one is probably my favorite idea! How cute are these Yarn Wrapped Birch Tree Paintings?! I love them and I’m pretty sure my three-year-old would really enjoy making these. Plus, they would make a beautiful, heartfelt gift for Mother’s Day or to display around the house.
  • Here’s another yarn painting idea for you. I can see it getting EXTREMELY messy, but hey that’s how toddlers do isn’t it?
unwanted yarn and scraps

Yarn Scraps

If you have a pile of yarn scraps that you just don’t know what to do with, it’s time you did. There are multiple projects to create with your scrap yarn, big and small. Here is a list of 10 of my favorite ideas.

  1. Turn your scraps into a yarn cake with this handy tutorial
  2. Create a Large Granny Square Blanket
  3. Make a colorful piece of decor by gathering your ends and making a Yarn Ends Bowl
  4. Create a Yarn Ball Necklace or a Pair of Earrings
  5. Crochet yourself a beautiful Rose Ring
  6. Make this too stinkin’ cute Turtle Bowl! (It’s a paid pattern, but too cute not to include)
  7. If you have a young daughter or niece, you can make her this little Rainbow Purse! It. Is. Adorable.
  8. There is also a variety of some precious keychains out there in the world of crochet. My two favorites are: this super cute Simply Bear Amigurumi and these Ice Cream Cones!
  9. These Panhandlers for Cast Iron Skillets could really come in handy as well! Plus they’re super simple!
  10. Finally, the Camden Cuff is a cute bracelet you can make for yourself, a friend, or even sell at a craft fair!
unwanted yarn and scraps

Ten minutes ago you didn’t know how in the world you were going to destroy your yarn stash. Now you have too many ideas to decide!

You have the option to donate, sell, exchange, turn them into crafts for your kids or even for yourself. I hope these ideas got the ball rolling for you!

What did you decide to do with your unused yarn and scraps?

Next in the Spring Clean Your Yarn Stash series is organizing your craft room! You will find DIY projects to really make your craft room a dream come true and storage supplies to make organization a bit easier.

I’ll also share all of the supplies I currently have in my craft room.

The Spring Clean Your Yarn Stash Series:

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