Craft Room Organization Yarn Storage + Tools

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Organizing your yarn stash and craft supplies may feel daunting at first, but a few simple solutions usually do the trick.

What’s the best way to store yarn? So much of your decision on how to store your yarn stash will depend on your specifics.

Do you have a closet, a whole room, a wall, or a corner to dedicate to yarn storage? You can make all of these options work.

Where should I store my yarn?

Storing yarn on a shelf is a simple way to keep those skeins organized. For those who love things neat and tidy getting your brand new skeins stacked up and visible is an easy and beautiful way to store yarn.

Here I’m using the Ikea Kallax Shelf* paired with the table.* I really like the sit to stand stool.* There is a lot of sitting in this type of making, so I stand when I can.

What if I don’t have shelves?

Another way to store yarn is in tubs, bins or baskets. There are stacking baskets,* which act like a shelf in themselves.

I recommend using clear bins* with lids, again so you can stack them, if possible. Out of sight, out of mind. This also helps you take stock more easily if you are searching at a glance.

Using bins can be nice since it’s more modular. You can stack them in different ways and move them around. A shelf will need a permanent (at least somewhat) location.

Should I organize yarn by weight or by color?

Some crafters prefer a system. Like, lighter weight yarns (say #1-#2 weights) on the top shelf, medium weight yarns (possibly #3-#4 weights) on the next shelf, and then heavier weight yarns (like #5-#7 weights) on the very bottom.

Or maybe you would like your craft room to have an ombre feel to it. Then you would store the darker yarns lower down, gradually fading them into lighter yarns as the shelves progress up.

And possibly some would like to do both-storing by both weight and color within their respective shelves.

I really like how the Caron Cakes look when they’re stored with the center swirl facing out. Lion Brand Mandala is another beautiful yarn to store this way.

How should I store crochet hooks or knitting needles?

Many crochet hooks and knitting needles come with their own storage pouches. But some do not, or we may pick up a single size or special hook here and there.

Often our hooks and needles are often paired with the project they’re being used in. I use zipper pouches to hold hooks, stitch markers, small scissors, and measuring tapes. And then those pouches go into the project bag they belong in.

This helps keep things together, as long as I don’t get too many wips going that use the same hook size!

As my Furls crochet hook* collection has grown, I needed a specific solution for them. In case I haven’t mentioned my kids, they love playing with my yarn and hooks.

My original Boye hooks became drumsticks in their hands. So I need to keep the good stuff out of reach, although any parent knows nothing is really beyond their grasp!

I keep my Furls grouped by kind in their own jar. My Alpha* Series stays in it’s padded cases up top also. The copper yarn bowl* is a recent gift and I’m loving it.

When I’m using my Furls in one of my project bags, I always keep it in my leather hook case.* This keeps it well protected and it’s easier to find.

Works in progress {WIPS}

One thing I didn’t plan for originally was all those #wips! I think most of us feel like squirrels when it comes to new projects. Our attention is constantly being diverted to a new wip or that yarn sale!

Once I began crocheting and knitting in earnest, the number of projects I had going at one time increased dramatically. But I didn’t have a good storage plan for these “influx” projects.

Project bags or totes are pretty standard. A simple canvas bag works wonders for keeping your current project off the floor and clean. Zipper pouches keep those smaller implements together and safe. But what’s holding the totes?

Wall hooks! I requested some cute hooks and my sweet husband delivered. He chose so well and surprised me with this wip wall or wall of wips, if you will.

Most of these hooks came from Hobby Lobby. They have quite an eclectic selection of creative wall hooks to choose from.

Here’s a close up of my favorite “hook” the hand. When you need the perfect place to store that hand rolled ball of yarn.

What about messy leftover yarn?

And once those projects are complete we often have small bits of yarn leftover. Loose skeins that hardly hold any shape. Or even less that make a tiny ball.

Most of us yarn hoarders lovers are unwilling to throw out any amount of yarn, no matter how small. So eventually I needed a solution for those odds and ends.

The over door shoe storage system works really well for yarn too! This is useful for when I don’t have time to wind it up or hand roll a ball.

My kids also know this is where they can choose from when they need a bit of “string” for their latest contraptions.

If you’re looking for project ideas to use up those scraps and less than one skein yarns then check out my scrap yarn patterns.

Use a pegboard for miscellaneous items

There are a few challenges to staying organize. One of them, is find the right size and shape storage for the item.

I find for hard store things a pegboard* is helpful. There are pegboard kits* that come with peg-able baskets, bins and special hooks to attach to the pegboard.

I have one of the pegboard kits. And for all my sewing thread we use dowels that are cut down, which is far more affordable for the number of pegs I need.

This is a small room, so using the pegboard and being able to store items on the wall is a lifesaver. Not to mention storing small things on shelves and in drawers makes keeping them organized and easy to find difficult.

Some items that I store on this pegboard:

• thread
• clips
• binder rings
• knitting needles on cables (that didn’t come in a case) I love the Clover Takumi needles.*
• sewing machine oil
• crochet thread
• yarn swift* parts (top right) I use this for winding those hanks of hand dyed yarn.
• fabric scissors (not to be used by little hands for paper!)
• embroidery hoops
• rotary cutter
• sewing ruler
• quilt squares
• small ironing board
• lint rollers
• small hand broom and dustpan
• bag of cork labels for finished projects, mine are from the Etsy shop All This Wood.*
• Ottlite* work lamp is on my desk
• and since this is a shared computer office and craft room headphones and cords and what not

My thoughtful husband repurposed the garage pegboard for the craft room. He and the kids painted it and then they added hand and footprints (including the pets).

Use a rolling cart for tools and miscellaneous

I use the top level of my 3 tier cart* for tools I access often. I can roll it next to where I’m working and have what I need at hand.

Again to keep little things organized, I use mason jars. The smaller the tool, the smaller the jar.

In the top level I have my scissors and yarn needle. I keep stitch markers, T-pins, sewing pins, clay polymer hooks and my Clover hooks that didn’t come in my zipper pouch set up here too.

This level changes often, as it’s the most used. Right now I have my wood yarn bowl there ready to go.

I use the middle level mainly for needle and hook cases. I have a zipper pouch set of Clover Amours,* and my Knitter’s Pride Bamboo* Interchangeable Needles. I also keep pouches that aren’t in a project bag here. I have my Clover Pom Pom Makers in this level too.

The bottom is mostly photographing related equipment like tripod parts, clamps, etc. This is the most miscellaneous section.

How do you store pom poms?

I’ve been trying to find a good way to store pom poms. Baskets seem to be the easiest way. I like the look of them in this tall vase too.

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