6 Ideas for How to Organize Yarn (With Pictures)

Find Ideas for How to Organize Your Yarn Stash and All Your Yarn Scraps

Are you in need of some ideas for how to organize yarn, crochet thread and other fibers for crochet, knitting, weaving or needlework? If so, these 6 ideas are sure to help you get your yarn stash organized and under control.

1. Baskets

Crochet hooks, knitting needles and yarn are neatly organized in this custom basket. If you can sew, you could make a similar organizer for your own needlework supplies. — Crochet hooks, knitting needles and yarn are neatly organized in this custom basket. If you can **sew,** you could make a similar organizer for your own needlework supplies.

Baskets are not only practical organizers, they’re beautiful too.

Pictured above is a a large, round, lidded wicker basket that has been customized to include a muslin liner featuring pockets for crochet hooks, knitting needles, gauges, and similar needlework tools. If your yarn stash is small, this is an ideal all-in-one organizer that could help you organize all your knitting and crochet supplies in one place. If your yarn stash is large, you could use the basket for holding yarns you’re currently working with or planning to use soon. This is also a viable way to organize all those little yarn balls and yarn scraps you have left over after you’ve finished bigger projects.

2. ArtBin Yarn Drums

If you want to organize your yarn in a way that makes it easy to move it around and take it with you, use one or more ArtBin Yarn Drums. The Yarn Drum can also organize your crochet hooks and other needlework tools.

The ArtBin Yarn Drum is an effective organizer for the yarn and knitting or crochet projects you currently have in progress. There are two sizes; the larger Yarn Drum will hold a substantial afghan in progress, and the smaller one is better suited to smaller projects. It is a breeze to take your projects with you when you have Yarn Drums to put everything in. My recommendation: Buy several!

3. ArtBin Translucent Plastic Stacking Organizers

Here's another straightforward idea for how to organize yarn. The ArtBin Super Satchel 1-Compartment holds yarn and protects it from harm. These can be stacked, and you can use them for organizing other sorts of craft craft supplies too -- fabric, tools, whatever. — Here’s another straightforward idea for how to organize yarn. The ArtBin Super Satchel 1-Compartment holds yarn and protects it from harm. These can be stacked, and you can use them for organizing other sorts of craft craft supplies too — fabric, tools, whatever.

4. Clear Plastic Baggies + Hanging Shoe Organizers

Yarn Neatly Organized in a Hanging Shoe Organizer for the Closet

If you have ample closet space, hanging shoe organizers are an excellent way to keep your yarn, crochet thread and other fibers all organized. This method enables you to easily see what you have stored, so you don’t succumb to “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome.

5. Sailor’s Clear Drybags

Yarn Organized in a Clear Sailor's Drybag — Yarn Organized in a Clear Sailor’s Drybag

Clear drybags allow you to see what you have stashed without having to unpack each bag. If you use this method, consider packing similar yarns together in freezer baggies and then placing each freezer baggie inside the larger drybag. That way, if you need to grab a yarn from the bottom of the bag, you only have to pull out and replace a few baggies instead of pulling out and replacing one zillion individual balls of yarn. If you’re actually aboard a sailboat, like I usually am, this will also help to cut down on the numbers of balls of yarn that go rolling all over the boat. (I know — that’s probably not an issue for most of you. But hey, if you have cats, it could also help to cut down on the numbers of balls of yarn your cats grab and run off with).

This is the method I currently use for storing and organizing my yarn.

6. Sailor’s Gear Hammocks

Yarn Organized in a Sailor's Gear Hammock — Yarn Organized in a Sailor’s Gear Hammock

Why yes, that IS yarn in my bed! Matter of fact, I have yarn stashed in my shower, too. That's totally normal, isn't it? — Why yes, that IS yarn in my bed! Matter of fact, I have yarn stashed in my shower, too. That’s totally normal, isn’t it?

Gear hammocks work well for cramming a whole bunch of yarn into a ridiculously tiny amount of space. I know this because my husband and I lived in a 24′ sailboat from 2010 – 2012 (at which point we moved into a 34′ sailboat, and that felt like a luxury mansion in comparison). While we were living in the smaller boat, a single gear hammock housed the majority of my yarn stash. So if you live in a tiny apartment or a small condo, and you need a space-saving yarn storage solution, I can recommend this firsthand as a solution that works pretty well. You can hang a hammock in just about any oddball spot. Another plus: The yarn is easily visible, which saves you time hunting for the skeins you want to grab and use.

Hopefully one or more of these 6 yarn organization ideas will work for you — even if you live in a small space. Implementing any of these ideas can help you keep better track of your yarn and hopefully keep everything neatly organized for efficient future use.

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Posted By: Amy Solovay

This page was last updated on 8-6-2023.