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Yarn scraps.
Pretty much anyone who crochets will have them. I'll be the first to admit, MOST of the time I chuck them in the bin and I feel ridiculously guilty about it. But it got me thinking about what the rest of the crochet community do with them. So I took to Instagram and Facebook and found some interesting uses for those pesky scraps! I got loads of responses so I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who responded! I've picked my favourite top 5 ideas, but if this post is popular, I will make another post with more ideas for you! So let's begin...
1. KIDS ARTS AND CRAFTS
There's no denying, kids LOVE colour and most love arts and crafts. Taking scraps to your local school/nursery benefits the children and also saves the school a bit of money, which is a win win if you ask me! You could also save them for your own kids (if you have them) for arts and crafts at home! Grab some paper, glue and any other odd bits and bobs and make some pretty pictures!
2. HELPING THE BIRDS
Ok so, this idea is debated A LOT in the crochet community. Some websites say don't put your scraps out for birds. Some say you can if you abide by certain rules. So I feel that it's only right for me to say, do your research first. I found this website with a few 'rules' to adhere to if you do decide to leave them out for the birds! And can I just take a moment to show you this ADORABLE birdhouse complete with bunting that @karin_little_things sent me on Instagram. JUST SO DAMN CUTE!!!
3. SCRAPPY BLANKET/CUSHION
Ok so this is one of my most favourite ideas ever! I love the idea of tying up all your scraps together and making a blanket (scrapghan) or cushion cover out of them! Obviously you'll need to use the longer scraps, but, if you tie them together in the right way, then 3 inch + pieces should be long enough! I've found a great video to show you how to join them using the Russian join method here. You can of course just tie them together with a classic knot or whatever your chosen method is.
4. SCRAP BASKETS/BOWLS
Another fantastic idea here. Making a bowl out of yarn scraps to hold, wait for it, MORE YARN! How amazing is that? The endless colour possibilities, different shaped bowls to mould them on and different types of glue makes this a fun project not only for yourself, but kids too! You could even add some glitter for some sparkle and give it as a gift filled with treats. I would highly recommend using Mod Podge glue as it contains a sealant within it which I feel it's a bit stronger than normal PVA, but PVA will also work.
5. FELTING
If you've never heard of needle felting before, it's basically stabbing a needle into some fluff to make some beautiful fibre art. Ok so it's a bit more complex than that, and it takes time, but the results can be AMAZING. The idea is that you make the felt from your leftover scraps. I spoke to Tori @ Gramms Designs (you can find her here) about felting with yarn scraps and she suggests taking scraps no longer than 2-3 inches, separating the plys and brushing them out with a (clean) cat brush. It really doesn't matter what fibre you use. She told me this is a perfect way to 'try out' felting if you've never done it before to see if you like it. All you really need are scraps (no need for needle felting wool here), a brush (preferably a fine metal tooth comb), a piece of thick foam/sponge and a felting needle which you can find here! If you've never needle felted before, check out this video which is great for needle felting beginners.
How adorably cute is this little gnome that she's made JUST from yarn scraps? Go give Tori some love!
I hope this post has given you some fab ideas, but if you have any more, please please please do get in contact as I'd love to hear what you do with yours! Until next time,
Happy Making!
