Basket Made With Left Over Yarn

A while back I was playing around with some thread. I decided to tie them together and then to crochet with the pieces. The end result has been exciting and I now have an eclectic picnic blanket. However, since I crochet quite a bit, the little pieces kept piling up. I could never bring myself to throw the remnants out. So I decided to try something different.

You will need:

Leftover yarn pieces tied together
Liquid glue
All-purpose flour
Water
Mold such as an old margarine container
Vaseline
Wide paintbrush
Large plastic bag to protect your work surface
A bowl into which you will mix the glue, flour, and water.

Starting your bowl

1. I started to tie the pieces together. Then rolled it until I had a fair size ball of miss matched pieces. I used a ball about the size of an oversized tennis ball but I think it should have been bigger.

2. I spread a black trash can bag on our kitchen island. If any glue spills onto your counter, clean it while it's wet. It's much easier than dried on glue.

3. Mix the following in a bowl:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup liquid glue

1/4 cup water

4. Rub a generous amount of vaseline on the container that you are going to use as your mold. I used an old margarine container so that the end result had a flat bottom. The vaseline allows me to pull the basket free when once it dried. This way the glue would not adhere to the basket. *** Please see pictures below of another basket that I made using a different container and more yarn.***

5. First, pull your yarn through the glue mix, then drape it over the upturned container. The vaseline will hold the yarn to the container. Continue to drape and brush the glue mixture to the yarn as you go. The aim is to soak all the yarn in the glue mix while twirling it onto the container. You may prefer to dunk the yarn in the glue and forget about the brush. I used the brush, to begin with, and then climbed in with my fingers instead. The brush can be too harsh and move the threads. Continue this process until you have used up all your yarn.

6. Leave the completed project to sit for at least 3 days.

7. It's ok if you see a puddle of glue around the bowl. Just move it to a dry spot.

8. Every so often I put the hair dryer on hot and dried it. This is optional. I was just getting impatient and wanted to see how the basket would turn out. After the three days use a sharp knife and carefully lift the yarn off the mold. You will need to leave it for another day for the inside to dry now that it is free of the mold.

Now you might think, "What on earth do I do with this?" Well, you could:

1. Put it on your dresser to hold your hair clips

2. Use it as a gift basket. You could line it with burlap or a pretty piece of fabric before filling it with gifts such as craft essentials or craft luxuries for the crafter in your family. Perhaps you could fill it with a DVD, a packet of microwave popcorn and a gift certificate and invite the family for a movie night. Theme gift items around a gift card etc.

3. You could find a lovely glass or plastic bowl the same size to put inside it and then fill it with candy or mints.

4. I am going to put it on my desk to hold my erasers and pencils. I lose them constantly.

5. I've been thinking about making one and then spray painting it one color to match the silvery blue color pallet of my room.

6. One person in the comment section is going to add ribbon and beads to her basket. You could do this during the making process or weave it in later. What about weaving in some faux flowers.

It is a perfect rainy day activity and it is easy but messy. This is why I think it is a wonderful activity to do with your kids. Which child doesn't enjoy a messy activity?

More ideas for scrap pieces of yarn and string. Never throw any of your scraps away.

https://discover.hubpages.com/art/left-over-yarn-ideas