One of the most popular pages on my website is this one on Creative Reuse Centers, which lists out the stores state by state. Folks are really leaning into these craft thrift stores, and I couldn’t be more excited about that. So, I decided to create a project specifically using something I always see at Creative Reuse stores: the yarn ball.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And by yarn ball, I mean yarn leftover from someone else’s project. Maybe it started out as a skein, but has been wrapped in a ball for easy storage.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Of course, you also find leftover yarn like this at regular thrift stores, too. Either way, they were precisely what I needed for the project idea I had in mind.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
This project combines all sorts of things I love: creative reuse of leftover supplies…something super simple and inexpensive…AND 100% Fall coded. Because we’re making yarn pumpkins, so let’s get started!
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Upcycling a Yarn Ball for Fall
After I hit up my local Creative Reuse Center as well as another thrift store, these are the yarn balls and partial skeins I ended up with.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
As you can see, the colors are very autumn-esque. And notice that some of my yarn choices aren’t that plentiful- too small to be wrapped into balls, per se. That’ll come in handy in a bit!
First, I cleaned up each yarn ball as best I could. Sometimes, that meant unwinding a bit and re-wrapping it for a “neater” ball. And when I was done, I threaded the tails and pulled them into the center of the yarn ball in order to “lose” the tails completely.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And while you can use an embroidery needle to do this, I actually prefer a doll needle. Doll needles tend to be longer, which comes in handy depending on your yarn ball sizes.
Next, I chose yarn in a contrasting color and cut off a long length- probably 3’ or 4’. I threaded it through the doll needle and pushed the needle from one side of the yarn ball to the other.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I left a 3” tail on the bottom of my yarn ball. Then I began making “ridges” on my future pumpkin by taking the needle and pushing through the bottom up through the top again. And I tied the tail to the next ridge yarn to secure it in place.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
With thinner yarn, I made two “ridges” on top of each other, so you could really see the yarn ridge. But unlike these fabric pumpkins that I made years ago, I didn’t pull the ridge yarn tight.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Otherwise, the ridge yarn gets lost in the yarn ball. And your yarn ball can get really wonky looking, too.
Making Yarn Pumpkins
I continued to do the same thing over and over to create a series of ridges. Up through the bottom, out through the top, carefully turning the yarn ball so that the ridges were evenly spaced.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
When I was happy with how my yarn ball looked, I stopped making ridges. Then, I went the opposite way with my needle, pushing it from the top through the bottom this time.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
It made a little tiny straight stitch at the top of my ridges, but that was fine. I’d be covering it up with a stem here shortly.
Then, I simply knotted the yarn on the bottom (tied under some of the yarn ball yarn), and pulled the ridge tail into the ball to lose it. When I was done with all my yarn ball pumpkins, this is how they looked.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Now, it was time to finish up my yarn ball pumpkins with stems. Since I had some natural dried pumpkin stems leftover from this boho pumpkin project, I paired a stem with each yarn ball.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Lastly, I used my hot glue gun to attach the stems to the top of each yarn pumpkin. And that was it!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I opted not to add any leaves or other embellishments, but that’s totally up to you and the supplies you have on hand.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Yarn Ball Pumpkin Craft
Not including the dried real stems because I already had them, I spent a whopping $6 on leftover yarn for this project. Isn’t that awesome in this day and age?
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Heck, a lot of you who knit or crochet may already have oodles of yarn balls taking up space at home! And if you have sticks in the yard or cinnamon sticks past their prime in your pantry, you could use those for stems instead.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I suppose this isn’t the neatest or cleanest yarn pumpkin craft version out there. But the others tend to wrap foam pumpkins with yarn instead. And they turn out super cute- don’t get me wrong! But I love the fact that mine are foam-free and use up “waste” yarn, in a matter of speaking.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I hope you enjoyed this upcycle idea for a yarn ball- and please let me know if a new Creative Reuse Center opens up in your neck of the woods! I try and keep my list as up-to-date as possible, but always appreciate when other crafters send me info on new stores.
Interested in some other upcycled pumpkin craft ideas? This collection is full of all sorts of “gourd-geous” possibilities.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And for a few more non-knitting, non-crocheting yarn crafts, I’ve also got a collection of those. Check it out before you go thrifting for craft supplies.
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
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