image via One Late Night

Since I've been learning how to knit lately, I've been acquiring yarn and supplies and am needing ways to store them.  I've been searching the internet for good ideals and I found a lot I'd thought I'd share with you.    I think my favorite is the yarn ball machine pictured above.  How cool is that!


I've worked in visuals and merchandising so I've learned the best way to design a space is to pretend it's a store.  So for example pretend your closet is a boutique, how would you merchandise it?  Or if your craft room was a craft store.....?   So how would you display your yarn your selling?  Below are a few ideals that fit with my way of looking at design.

Check out this cool wood working job for yarn storage from Easy Makes Me Happy

Prudent Baby used a wine rack for yarn!  Notice the storage of knitting needles and notions on top too.

Laughing Purple Goldfish Design uses magazine files for yarn storage on shelves, genius!

I love the ideal of using book cases for yarn storage.  I think it's best to either blend it into an existing use for a book case (books, pictures, etc), or to just fill it all with yarn in a organized way with supports for the yarn, weather it's cubes, baskets, or magazine files as pictured above.  You can buy cool cheap magazine files at Ikea or make your own out of cereal boxes and modge podge. 

Dottie Angel has created beautiful storage for her knitting needles (storage in cups and pitchers on top) and yarn with her book case which could also double as a side table.

Talia Christine used simple mason jars for storing her needles.  Simple cheap and modern, I love it!

I also love the ideal of turning your yarn storage into art work by using large clear vases as (shown below)  and a storage unit or making cool box shelves for the wall that turns your yarn into works of art.

large clear vases turn yarn storage into works of art as shown by Little Lady Patchwork

I love the ideal of using cube like book cases for yarn storage because it has natural separators to help hold in the yarn and organize it plus it gives you the option of open storage or using baskets or both as pictured below from Steamy Kitchen.

Cube yarn storage from Steamy Kitchen gives you the option of using baskets, open storage or both

A good option for a well organized yarn collection could be tiered baskets as pictured below.  I think this looks a little messy but if it was organized by color in a way that flows well (yellow to green to blue for example) and not over stuffed it could look quite cute. 

Imagine this tiered basket pictured in Loopey Ewe with similar colors in each basket.....

You could also pull the drawers out of a dresser and use containers like at Sew Many Ways.  I  prefer open storage or pretty baskets like Steamy Kitchen did (pictured above) but I know clear plastic containers  can have it's benefits too (easy to take out, protected from bugs and water, easy to see what you have).

Hanging storage for yarn from KTB Designs.  She didn't say what kind of hanging storage she used.  I'm guessing a hanging shoe organizer would be best for most yarn collestions.

Cornflower Blue Studio puts her bits of leftover yarn onto clothespins, what a great ideal!

Wine racks work great for yarn storage.  Prudent Baby came up with another way to use wine racks for yarn storage, under the desk.  So smart and I love that it fits the modern look of her desk and chair.

I've actually seen this before and didn't think it was too cute for shoe storage, but I never thought of it for yarn!  I actually think that would be super cute in a craft room.  It looks like it's screwed together with nuts.  Drilling through PVC is easy so this should be pretty easy to make.  If your interested in PVC ideals I wrote a post on PVC ideals in gardening and outdoor living.  Image found via pinterest