If you’re a fibre crafts enthusiast like me, then you’ll know that organizing yarn is never really done. Every project leaves behind something a little different: tiny scraps, partial skeins, little cakes, loose bundles, and odds and ends that seem too useful to throw away! Today, I’m sharing how I organize leftover yarn with 5 storage ideas that work really well.

Okay, let’s get into it!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase through them, this blog may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure policy here. 

---

 

How I Organize Leftover Yarn: Storage Ideas That Work

Recently, I realized that I had reached a point where my yarn organization wasn’t working for me anymore.

Although I had my yarn organized by colour – with some exceptions – all of the smaller leftovers had slowly gotten mixed in with full skeins and cakes of yarn. Tiny bundles disappeared behind larger skeins; small cakes fell to the back of the shelves; and loose pieces got tangled up and messy.

Every time I wanted to start a new project, I found myself digging around, often dropping pieces to the floor, and found the process frustrating. Eventually, I started putting off projects simply because I didn’t want to deal with the yarn – true story 🙁

So I decided to focus on the main culprits: the leftovers!

My goal was NOT to create a PICTURE-PERFECT yarn storage area. I wanted a system that was practical – not time-consuming – so that I could have everything:

• Visible at a glance
• Easy to reach (without bundles tumbling out)
• Still organized by colour (more or less)

These are the 5 storage ideas that ended up working the best for me. Hopefully, there’s a nugget or two in there that can help you tame your leftovers, too.

 

1. Create a Colour File System for Tiny Yarn Scraps

Some yarn leftovers are just not worth rewinding. I’m talking about those end pieces that are anywhere between a few inches to several inches in length (especially useful for adding pops of colour in a weaving or punch needle piece, for example).

Rather than trying to organize every single individual strand, I try to group them by colour family like “yellows” “blues” or “browns.” Each colour family then goes into its own re-sealable (or Ziplock) bag.

To make finding each colour easier, I created dividers using pieces of cardboard cut from delivery boxes. I then punched a hole using a handheld hole punch in the top corner of each divider and tied a small sample of yarn that matched the contents of the bag.

The divider is placed in front of the corresponding bag inside an old, clear storage bin we’ve had for years, creating a simple filing system.

Now, instead of digging through a pile of scraps, I simply pull out the colour I need.

 

2. Wind Longer Leftovers Onto Tiny Spools (Wooden or DIY Cardboard)

Some leftover yarn may be necessary to wind – though I am selective with this. For many of you, this may be a more practical need. In my case, I happened to have leftover wooden spools from my circle weaving kits in my Etsy shop and wound my personal stash of leftover yarn onto these.

But once these spools were used up, I made my own flat cardboard spools by cutting pieces of cardboard into simple spool shapes. To prevent unraveling, I secured each yarn end with a small piece of blue painter’s tape.

I keep these together in the same colour family inside a large Ziplock bag. 

These are slim enough to fit neatly onto my yarn storage shelves.

Stored neatly above, I can quickly see where these are stored and their nearest colour family – all without these pieces getting lost or tangled with my other yarn.

 

3. Use Small, Clear Drawers for Loose Bundles

This may be my FAVOURITE solution of all.

I had DOZENS of small, leftover bundles that were too abundant for the scrap bags or too small to spend time winding around spools. And then there were also a lot of very small cakes of yarn that still ended up getting lost among the large skeins…

My solution? These small, stackable clear plastic drawers.

Because these drawers are clear, I can more easily find the colour and fibre type, at a glance. if I need to, I can also pull the drawer out and see what’s tucked in at the back – nothing gets lost or hidden as it did before.

For anyone who has accumulated LOTS OF LITTLE BUNDLES, I can honestly say that this has been one of the BIGGEST IMPROVEMENTS in my yarn organization.

You can find these exact drawers here but make sure to find the right size and fit for your yarn storage needs.

 

4. Store Mini Skeins & Small Cakes in Under-shelf Baskets

One of the biggest frustrations in my old yarn storage system was dealing with yarn that was somewhere between a tiny bundle or large skein.

These included: small cakes, mini skeins, and small bundles that could fit in the palm of my hand. Some intact and unused, while others were hardly used at all.

These often slipped behind the larger yarn, later tumbling out onto the floor whenever I was reaching for other yarn!

Using removable under-shelf baskets to store these smaller skeins, in particular, helped solve that problem.

Not only do undershelf baskets make use of empty vertical space, they also pull out completely, making it easy to see all that’s there without disturbing the surrounding yarn on the shelf. 

It’s such a simple change, but it’s made using these smaller skeins and cakes all that much more accessible.

 

5. Store Tiny Pre-wound Spools in a Mason Jar

Probably the LEAST exciting – and least novel – way of storing leftover yarn is in empty jars and vessels. But it’s worth repeating! These are useful for storing those remaining bits that still don’t belong to any particular category on my shelves.

In this case, these are all wool fibres but in various colours – that happen to be teeny-tiny pre-wound spools.

So rather than letting them disappear in and among my yarns, I keep them together inside a mason jar on a shelf.

They’re still visible, easy to access, and don’t become tangled with everything else.

 

---

A FEW TIPS & FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

---

 

1. What is my most valuable tip?

Visibility. Use what you have, whether that’s:

• Clear containers.
• Clear plastic bags.
• Clear jars and vessels.

 

2. Should I wind all my leftover yarn?

Not necessarily. I only rewind pieces that truly benefit me based on the project. A lot of my scraps can be left in small pieces, which saves me time.

 

3. What crafts can I use smaller scraps of leftover yarn for?

Leftover yarn is perfect for adding pops of colour in a weaving (like rya knots, tassels, or other accents), adding punch needle outlines or for filling in shapes or details, or scrap knitting and crochet projects like crochet granny squares.

But honestly, there are SO MANY project ideas out there. You can check out some of these below: 

• 20 Things to Make with Scrap Yarn, Fabric and Floss
• Scrap Yarn Projects (for the kiddos)

 

---

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sometimes finding a storage system that fits the way you actually craft is far more valuable than creating a system that simply looks organized. 

If you’ve been avoiding your yarn stash because it feels overwhelming, I hope one or two of these ideas help make it a little easier. 

Happy crafting,

 

Keep the inspiration going with these craft room storage ideas:

• 19 Oddly Specific Organizing Ideas for the Multi-Purpose Craft Room

• Organizing My Craft Room/Office + Tour