Let your children’s imaginations run wild this summer with this fun, easy-to-make yarn crafts for kids. Find out which ones they love making the most!
Yarn Crafts for Kids | Fun and Easy Projects to Try at Home
Are you looking for a fun and creative way to keep your kids entertained this weekend? Whether it’s raining, too hot, or too cold outside, try introducing them to the wonderful world of yarn crafts for kids!
Kids will love getting creative with strings of colorful yarn and transforming them into beautiful works of art. With vibrant colors, interesting textures, and endless possibilities for imaginative craft projects, we have some inspiring ideas that are sure to spark their creativity and make lasting memories.
Read on to discover our top picks for unique yarn crafting activities you can share with your children today!
Yarn Crafts for Kids Ideas
#1 Yarn Hair Cutting Activity
Supplies:
- Sturdy cardstock or cardboard
- Vibrant yarn
- Convenient single-hole puncher
- Reliable permanent marker
- Safe and kid-friendly scissors
- Precision craft scissors
Instructions:
- Begin by cutting a half-oval shape out of the cardboard and adding a basic facial feature.
- Next, use a hole punch to create evenly spaced holes along the straight edge of the half-oval.
- Now, cut a long string of yarn and fold it in half. Starting from one end of the half oval, weave the yarn through each hole, ensuring it is securely tied.
- Repeat this process for every hole on the cardboard.
#2 Paper Plate Swimming Jellyfish Craft
Supplies:
- Paper plate
- Small piece of cardboard
- Blue paint
- Pink paint (or any color of your choice)
- Paintbrush (Sponge brushes recommended)
- Colorful yarn
- Googly eye stickers
- Jumbo craft stick with sticky adhesive
- Craft knife (Adult supervision required)
- Tacky Glue
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Gather all necessary materials.
- Draw the jellyfish’s body shape on a small piece of cardboard and cut it out. Paint it with the color of your choice and set it aside to dry.
- Paint the top of the paper plate and the adhesive jumbo craft stick with blue paint. Allow them to dry. If you don’t have adhesive craft sticks, you can use a regular jumbo craft stick and glue instead.
- Once the paper plate is dry, have an adult use a craft knife to cut a slit about 2/3 down the plate. This will serve as the slit for the jellyfish.
- Flip the jellyfish body over and apply a line of tacky glue at the bottom. Cut several strands of colorful yarn and place them on the glue to create the jellyfish tentacles. Flip the craft over and add two googly eye stickers. Allow the craft to dry completely before playing with it.
- To make the jellyfish swim, insert the craft into the slit on the paper plate. Hold the stick from behind the plate while stabilizing the plate with your other hand. Move the craft stick behind the plate to make the jellyfish swim around and around. Exciting, isn’t it?
#3 Yarn dolls
Materials:
- Yarn
- Sturdy cardboard scrap (such as a thick cardboard carton)
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Start by wrapping your chosen yarn around a cardboard scrap. Customize the length of the cardboard to determine the size of your doll.
- Once satisfied with the thickness, carefully slide the yarn off the cardboard.
- Next, snip one end of the yarn to create multiple even-length strands.
- To form the head, twist the bunch of strands in the middle and fold it in half. Secure tightly with a separate piece of yarn in the same color.
- After securing the head, divide the remaining bunch of strands into three parts. The two outer parts will become the arms, while the thicker middle portion will serve as the waist and legs. Use two additional strands to tie around the middle as the waist.
- Braid and trim the arms to your desired length. If you want your doll to have legs, braid additional strands into the existing ones. Alternatively, you can simply trim the excess strands and leave it as a skirt.
- Voila! Your yarn doll is complete. Get creative and make more dolls in different colors to build a charming collection. But be warned, yarn doll-making can be addictive!
#4 Paper plate veggie garden craft
Supplies:
- Paper plate
- Blue and brown paint
- Brown yarn
- Cardstock paper in green, orange, red, and beige
- Paintbrush
- Plastic yarn needle
- Hole punch
- Scissors
- Glue
- Tape
Instructions:
- Begin by painting your paper plate. Divide it in half, with one side painted blue and the other side painted brown. Make sure to let the paint dry completely.
- Once the paint is dry, use a hole punch to create holes along the rim of the brown-painted half of the paper plate.
- Cut a piece of brown yarn and thread it through a plastic yarn needle. Tie one end of the yarn to the needle, and tape the other end to the back of the paper plate.
- Now, start threading the yarn through the holes you created in the paper plate. You can choose to go through the holes once or multiple times, depending on your preference. Continue threading until you reach the end of the yarn. Secure the end of the yarn to the back of the plate with tape.
- Set the paper plate aside for now, and gather the corresponding colored paper for each vegetable. Use the cut veggies as templates to trace and cut out the shapes. For a more realistic look, make the leaves from green paper, the carrot from orange paper, the beet from red paper, and the onion from beige paper.
- Glue the leaves to the back of each veggie, creating a more realistic appearance.
- Finally, it’s time to plant your veggies! Place your paper plate garden in a container filled with dirt, and enjoy the process of cultivating and harvesting your homemade vegetables.
- Create your own whimsical and interactive paper plate garden with these easy steps. It’s a fun and creative activity for all ages that will bring a touch of nature to your home or classroom.
#5 Yarn Pumpkins
Supplies:
- Balloon
- Orange yarn
- White glue
- Pipe cleaners (in brown and green colors)
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Plastic fork
Instructions:
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need.
Step 2: Get ready with the balloons and glue:
- Create the desired shape by blowing up 12″ balloons halfway.
- Cut approximately 21 pieces of yarn, each about 36 inches long.
- Pour glue into a small bowl (one 2-ounce bottle per yarn pumpkin).
- Tie the yarn to the balloon and hang it from a kitchen cabinet handle.
Step 3: Dip yarn in glue and wind around the balloon
- Dunk the yarn in glue and gently swirl it with a fork to cover it.
- Remove excess glue by running the yarn through the fork.
- Press one end of the yarn onto the balloon and wind it around, securing the ends.
Step 4: Allow to Dry
Hang the yarn-covered balloons to dry, protecting surfaces from glue drips. It takes approximately 24 hours for them to fully dry.
Step 5: Remove the Balloon
Carefully detach the yarn from the balloon by pressing your fingers underneath. Create a small hole near the knot to release the air slowly. Pull out the deflated balloon through one of the openings in the yarn.
Step 6: Add Stem and Tendrils
- Create a spiral stem by wrapping pipe cleaners around your finger.
- Tuck the end of the pipe cleaner into the yarn, no glue is required.
- Your yarn pumpkin is now complete!
#6 Yarn butterfly craft
Materials:
- Craft sticks (standard size) – 2 per butterfly
- Pipe cleaners – 1 per butterfly
- Yarn in multiple colors
- Beads – 2 small and 1 larger one for the head per butterfly
Instructions:
- Arrange craft sticks into an uneven ‘X’ shape.
- Secure the sticks in place by wrapping the yarn in a crisscross pattern.
- Wind the yarn in a figure 8 pattern, going up the sticks and crossing over at the gap between them.
- Continue weaving with different colors, switching to a new color whenever desired.
- Repeat the pattern on the other side of the sticks.
- Tie off the yarn with a double knot at the end of the last color used.
- Bend a pipe cleaner in half and wrap it around the center of the ‘X’ shape to create the butterfly’s body.
- Twist the pipe cleaner to secure it and add small beads to the bottom and a larger bead to the top.
- Curl the top of the pipe cleaner to create antennae.
- Enjoy your finished butterfly craft! Feel free to make more in different colors.
#7 Yarn Tassels Flower
Materials:
- Yellow yarn
- Green yarn
- Green pipe cleaners
- Fabric glue or hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Serving fork (1-1.5 inches wide)
Instructions:
Step 1: Prep your materials
Gather all the materials you’ll need for this project.
Step 2: Wrap the fork
Place a pipe cleaner along one side of the fork. Start wrapping the fork and pipe cleaner tightly with yellow yarn, making sure to keep the wrapped area about 1 inch wide. Wrap the yarn around the fork 25-30 times.
Step 3: Form the base of the stem
Twist the pipe cleaner around the end of the yarn, creating the base of the stem. Wrap it 3 times down the stem and then back up towards the flower.
Step 4: Attach the green yarn
Cut a 4-inch piece of green yarn and tie it around the base of the flower, between the last line of the fork. Once secure, remove the tassel from the fork. Knot the green yarn tightly two times and trim the ends close to the knot.
Step 5: Wrap the stem
Cut an 8-inch piece of green yarn. Apply a dot of glue near the green knot and attach the green yarn. Wrap the yarn tightly from the green knot down to the stem, ensuring no yellow yarn is showing. Keep wrapping until you’re about 1/4 inch from the end of the stem. Add another dot of glue to the flower base and secure the end of the yarn.
Step 6: Finish the tassel
Using scissors, cut the loops of the yellow yarn. Use a fork or metal tool to slightly fray the yarn. Lastly, fluff the top of your tassel and trim any stray threads.
Step 7: Admire your creation!
Sit back and enjoy your beautiful handmade tassel dandelion.
With these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll be making tassels like a pro in no time!
#8 Yarn Wrapped Cloud
Supplies:
- Cardboard
- White paint and brushes (optional)
- Yarn in desired colors (e.g., white, blues, rainbow)
- Facial features such as googly eyes and yarn (optional)
- Pom pom maker (optional)
- Scissors
- Pencil
- A small amount of glue (the amount depends on the type of yarn-wrapped cloud you choose)
Instructions:
- Create a cloud shape on your cardboard by sketching it roughly. If it helps, use a tin or glass to trace the curved part of the cloud.
- Cut out the cloud shape from the cardboard. It might be easier to cut it roughly first and then add the details.
- Optional: Paint the cardboard white, gray, blue, or pink.
- Make small cuts around the edges of the cloud to help position the yarn as you wrap it around.
- Tie a piece of yarn to the cloud and start wrapping it around. If needed, cut more slits in the cardboard to accommodate the yarn.
- The great thing about these yarn-wrapped clouds is that you can customize them to your liking. You can cover the entire cardboard or let it show through. It depends on your child’s attention span and the amount of yarn you have available. We prefer the cardboard to show through.
- Once you’re done wrapping the yarn, tie it to the back of the cloud, trim any excess yarn, and tuck the ends under so the knots aren’t visible. The cloud is now finished. You can add facial features if desired.
#9 Cute Pom Pom Chicks
Materials:
- Yellow wool
- Pom Pom Makers (alternatively, check out our recommended Pom Pom Making Methods)
- Orange felt (or craft foam or cardboard as alternatives)
- Google eyes (or small pieces of black felt)
- PVA glue
Instructions:
Create adorable Pom Pom Chicks with this simple Finger Pom Pom Method. You can make them in yellow wool or get creative with rainbow colors! Here’s how:
- Start by wrapping the yarn around 4 fingers until you have a good amount.
- Use another piece of yarn to tightly tie around the middle.
- If you want to hang your chick, leave the yarn long.
- Cut all the loops to release the pom pom.
- Trim the pom pom using the Finger Pom Pom method. You may need to trim quite a bit but don’t worry, you can save the trimmed pieces for other projects.
- Keep the strands you used for tying as you’ll need them later.
- Trim one pom pom slightly smaller than the other.
- Knot the two pom poms together using the strands you saved.
- Cut a beak and some feet out of felt.
- Glue the beak and feet in place.
- Let it dry and marvel at your Easy Pom Pom Chicks!
Create these delightful chicks effortlessly and enjoy the satisfaction of a fun craft project.
#10 Friendship bracelets with cardboard
Materials:
- Assorted yarn or wool in various colors. 7 strands, each measuring approximately 50cm.
- A piece of cardboard (a tin can can be used to measure the circle).
- A ruler, pencil, and scissors for creating the disc.
- Optional: Bead or button for closing mechanisms.
Instructions:
- Cut out a cardboard circle from a tin can or similar material.
- Draw 4 lines across the cardboard disc to divide it into 8 equal segments. Don’t worry if they’re not exact. Just aim for a neat appearance.
- Create a hole in the center of the disc that is large enough to thread all 7 pieces of yarn through. You can use small scissors to push them through.
- Cut approximately 1cm into each drawn line, leaving 2cm uncut before reaching the hole.
- To make kumihimo friendship bracelets using the cardboard loom:
a. Take the seven strands of yarn and tie a knot at one end. You can vary the type of knot depending on how you want to finish your bracelet.
b. Thread the strands through the hole in the disc. Using scissors can make this process easier.
c. Now, you have seven strands hanging down. Take one strand at a time and pass it through one of the 1cm strips. The order of the strands doesn’t matter.
- Your disc should now look like the image below, with the seven strands tucked in and one “space slot”.
- Lift the third strand to the left of the spare slot, bring it down, and place it across the spare slot. This will create a new space.
- Rotate the disc so that the new space is pointing down (optional, but it may make things easier). Repeat this step with the strand positioned three to the left, folding it down as before. Your yarn friendship bracelet will gradually grow on the other side of the disc. Give it a gentle tug occasionally to tighten it.
#11 Yarn wall hanging
Materials:
- Yarn
- Round wreath base
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Crepe paper
Instructions:
- Choose your desired crepe papers for the flowers and trace petal shapes onto them. Cut out the petals – you’ll need 6 large, 5 medium-large, 4 medium, and 3 small petals. Also, cut a strip from a different colored crepe paper.
- Cut a 1 cm slit from the bottom middle point of each petal.
- Overlap and glue both sides of the slits together. Repeat for all the petals. Don’t forget to cut out a small round shape for the flower base.
- Take the 6 large petals and glue them around the round base, near the outer side.
- Glue the medium-large petals next, followed by the medium ones, and finally the small ones towards the center. Cut small fringes along the long side of the crepe paper strip.
- Roll the fringed strip and glue it in the center of the petal arrangement.
- Repeat the above steps to create 2 or more crepe paper peonies.
- Use either the round base or make a custom wreath base from craft wire.
- Choose your yarns for the hanging decor and cut them into double the length needed for the wreath.
- Take 2 strands of yarn and fold them in half to create a loop. Place the loop under the base.
- Keeping the loop under the base, draw the closed ends of the yarn strands over the base and pull them through the loop again.
- Pull the open ends of the strands all the way through.
- Repeat the process to attach the rest of the yarn strands.
- Add different colored yarns to the base to create a vibrant look. Arrange the flowers on the base, positioning them over the yarns.
- Attach the flowers in your preferred style, using hot glue to secure them to the base.
#12 Pom Pom Dream Catcher Craft
Supplies:
- Craft wire or round hoop
- Vibrant yarns
- Playful pompoms
- Colorful craft feathers
- Decorative papers (for optional flower additions)
- Marker for personalization
- Scissors for precise cutting
- Trustworthy hot glue gun
Instructions:
- Make a hoop using 16 gauge craft wire or use a store-bought hoop.
- Tie a knot around the hoop with your chosen yarn without cutting it from the bundle.
- Wrap the yarn randomly inside the hoop, securing it in place each time it reaches the hoop band. Tie two tight knots once you’re satisfied with the pattern.
- Repeat step 3 with different colored yarns for a vibrant look.
- Arrange colorful pom poms around the hoop in your desired color scheme.
- Use a hot glue gun to attach the pom poms evenly around the hoop.
- Add yarn hanging to the dream catcher by cutting a yarn strand of double the desired length and attaching it to the hoop with a loop knot.
- Attach additional colored yarn strands to the hoop in the same manner, trimming the bottom ends either straight or in a triangular shape.
- Attach colored craft feathers to the open bottom ends of the yarn hanging, selecting as many strands as desired.
- Create a loop of yarn on the top of the dream catcher for hanging. Feel free to add additional decorative items like sequins or jewels if desired.
Now you have a beautifully crafted dream catcher to adorn your space!
Conclusion
Crafting with yarn is a great way for parents and teachers to connect with children. Whether it’s knitting a plush toy, crocheting an afghan, or weaving wall art, kids have endless possibilities when it comes to yarn crafts.
Plus, this activity also helps foster the development of important skills such as fine motor coordination, problem-solving abilities, and patience. With that in mind, why not set out some colorful yarn today and let kids, in the magical world of crafting?
Who knows – you may even have a little crafter on your hands in no time! Thanks for joining us on today’s foray into delving into the fascinating realm of yarn crafts for kids. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting your creative juices flowing with us! Until next time, adios and keep on crafting!
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