How to Store Your Yarn: Neat Ideas and Smart Solutions for Organizing Your Stash

If you are a crafter who works with yarn, sooner or later, you'll find yourself longing for ways to organize and store your yarn. While you love all those brightly colored balls and skeins and gladly horde 'em too, when tangled up in a messy jumble, after awhile, they don't look quite so appealing.

While a few balls can be tucked away in a bag somewhere, once you've progressed to the point of being a die-hard crafter working on multiple projects, those few balls and skeins will have grown to a sizable stash. And you'll find you need a way to organize and store your yarn.

Many people buy yarn when it is on sale and thus obtain multiple skeins at a time or they buy their yarn in yarn lots with an eye to saving money on shipping. Others find a stash of yarn at a yard sale and snaffle it up. Whatever the scenario, if you take collect yarn, sooner or later, it will outgrow the nooks and crannies it's stored in and will start to pile up.

Having the right storage containers can help you to keep your yarn stash orderly. Many different types of containers are available, which, in the long run, can make things so much easier for those of us who love working with yarn.

This article looks at yarn storage products. We'll start with soft containers and move on to their harder counterparts. There's a surprising variety out there and it pays to do your homework ahead of time, so that you can find solutions that are a fit for you.

There are some surprisingly good soft storage containers and these work very well for storing yarn.

What a neat idea! These make the perfect yarn holders and all without being overly heavy.

InterDesign offers a range of soft storage containers, so make sure you check out what's available. You can choose larger or smaller, open or lidded, depending on your needs.

Zippered storage bags can also be actually purchased. This was a new one to me. You can find the odd one on Ebay. Additionally, sometimes when you buy comforters, they come in these. Instead of discarding these bags, why not use them for your yarn? They are usually made from a sturdier plastic, so they stand up to re-use. If you have odds and ends of yarn, these bags make perfect containers.

For yarn you won't be using for awhile, storage bags offer a practical solution and can be tucked away in a closet and will keep your wool or yarn free from moths and even mice.

A yarn drum is a handy container because you can carry up to eight balls of your yarn with you. The lid has an opening for easy yarn retrieval and the drum includes an accessory pouch + a mesh pocket for pattern books. A handle allows you to carry this drum in a couple of ways--in your hand or over the shoulder.

These drums are a great bring-along if you take your crafting with you when you go camping or on your travels.

Best of all, a sensible feature of these drums is the PVC bottom, which protects your yarn against moisture and these withstand wear.

The type of storage you choose, whether soft or hard depends on many factors. We've looked at soft storage and the advantages these types of containers offer, now we'll look at hard storage.

For those who have longed for something to hold a single ball of yarn in, a yarn holder or tainer, as it is called, can be a godsend.

These smooth, clear containers have a snap-on lids with holes in them for easy dispensing of yarn. Larger containers are also available, as pictured to the right, for holding additional balls of yarn.

Yarn tainers are a great way to store and dispense yarn, preventing it from rolling around. around, as well as keeping it dust free. For smaller projects, these are ideal.

One of my favorites for yarn storage is a large wicker basket. These look homey and attractive and if you don't have room for shelving or haven't gotten around to installing it yet, a large wicker basket can be a convenient container for your yarn. And, with the handles, you can easily move your stash from room to room.

While theoretically, you could try to stack your yarn skeins in the corner of a room or up against a wall, (only to have them tumble over and arrange themselves haphazardly across the floor or carpet), it is far easier to simply place them in a storage bin.

If you have a craft room, these large, lidded stackable bin containers work particularly well. Because they are clear, you see your yarn colors at a glance--very handy when you are looking for a particular shade.

Lidded and/or stackable bin containers are matching and that is a plus, as well. Anything looks more orderly when it is stored in matching container.

A distinct advantage of these is that with their lids, they are stackable--almost like instant shelving but without installation or cost. As your yarn stash grows, more bin containers can easily be added and these can line an entire wall and up to the ceiling if necessary.

With their rectangular shape, these can also be placed in a closet.

One final benefit, if you ever have to move, your yarn is already packed, protected, and ready to go in these sturdy, lidded containers.

This larger storage unit looks tailor-made for yarn skeins. What a great offering. This unit would work well in a spare bedroom, a craft room, or could be used to display yarn if one has a yarn shop in their home.

An advantage with these is that they come pre-painted, so you are good-to-go and can start organizing your yarn immediately.

It can be rewarding to see your yarn neatly organized and ready for your next project. The storage products mentioned above can help greatly in reducing "yarn clutter." You can sort your yarn to color, organize into fiber types, and combat common problems, such as dust and tangling... and of course, keep pesky Kitty at bay, who shares your enthusiasm for yarn.