20 Easy Yarn Crafts for Kids (No Knitting Needed)

Yarn is often associated with knitting and sewing, but kids don’t need to know how to knit to turn colorful yarn into fun crafts.

Here are 20 easy yarn crafts for kids that use wrapping, weaving, stitching, and printing instead of knitting. Each one lists the age range, difficulty, time, and materials, plus 2-4 short steps.

Quick Picks: Easy Yarn Crafts by Age

Idea	Best for	Time	Materials
Yarn Sticks	Ages 3+ (with help)	15-20 min	Sticks, yarn
Rolling Pin Yarn Prints	Ages 3+	20 min	Rolling pin, yarn, washable paint
Weather Themed Activity	Ages 3+ (with help)	15 min	Paper, hole punch, yarn
Yarn Wrapped Organizer	Ages 5+	20 min	Toilet paper roll, yarn, glue
Yarn Monsters	Ages 5+	30 min	Pipe cleaners, yarn, glue
Yarn Tulips	Ages 4+	20 min	Yarn, cardboard, green stems
DIY Xylophone	Ages 4+	20 min	Cardboard tubes, rubber bands, yarn
Yarn Snowflakes	Ages 5+	30 min	Paper plate, hole punch, yarn
Stick Weaving	Ages 5+	30 min	Y-shaped stick, yarn
Pom Pom Dreamcatcher	Ages 6+	45 min	Embroidery hoop, yarn, pom-poms
Loom Knit Fingerless Gloves	Ages 8+	About 1 hour	Cardboard tube, craft sticks, yarn

Safety note: Yarn, small pom-poms, and googly eyes are risks for children under 3. Always supervise, keep yarn lengths short, and skip small parts for toddlers.

1. Yarn Wrapped Bird Craft

Ages 4+ with help. Easy. About 30 minutes. Recycled cardboard or a cut-up cereal box, yarn, scissors, glue, and a few leaves or twigs. A great pick for a school project because most of the materials are recycled.

1. Cut a bird body shape from cardboard (an adult can pre-cut it for younger kids).
2. Wrap yarn around the body until the cardboard is covered, tucking the end under and securing it with a dab of glue.
3. Glue on a beak, an eye, and tail feathers cut from scrap cardboard or yarn.
4. Add twigs and leaves for a nest or branch.

See how to make this yarn-wrapped bird craft on Arty Crafty Kids.

2. Yarn Monsters

Ages 5+. Easy. About 30 minutes. Pipe cleaners, yarn, googly eyes, and white glue. Googly eyes are a choking hazard for kids under 3, so use drawn-on eyes for little ones. Fun at Halloween, or any time.

1. Wrap yarn around a pipe cleaner or cardboard shape to build the monster’s body.
2. Twist pipe cleaner arms and legs on.
3. Glue on googly eyes and extra yarn for hair.

See the full tutorial for Yarn Monsters on Blue Bear Wood.

3. DIY Yarn Floral Wall Hanging

Ages 6+. Medium. 45-60 minutes. Yarn in several colors, cardboard or a stick to hang from, scissors, and glue. It makes a nice room decoration or gift, though it isn’t entirely mess-free.

1. Make yarn flowers by wrapping yarn around your fingers or a piece of cardboard and tying the middle.
2. Cut or fluff the loops into petals.
3. Tie lengths of yarn to a stick and attach the flowers at different heights.

Check out the DIY Yarn Floral Wall Hanging on Artsy Craftsy Mom.

4. Yarn Sticks

Ages 3+ with adult help (ages 5+ on their own). Easy. 15-20 minutes. Sticks and colorful yarn. Straightforward enough for preschoolers and beginners. It’s also a fun hike activity: let kids pick colors and wrap their own walking sticks.

1. Tie one end of the yarn to the stick with a knot.
2. Wrap the yarn around the stick, switching colors by tying them together.
3. Finish with a knot and a dab of glue.

Learn more about Yarn Sticks on Babble Dabble Do.

5. DIY Dipped Stitching Boards for Kids

Ages 5+. Medium. 30 minutes plus drying. Wooden boards or sturdy cardboard with holes, paint, yarn, and a large plastic needle. Stitching builds fine motor skills.

1. Dip or paint one end of the board and let it dry.
2. Tape one end of a long piece of yarn to the back of the board.
3. Thread the yarn through the holes in any pattern you like.

Learn more about the DIY Dipped Stitching Boards for Kids on Pretty Life Girls.

6. Yarn Wrapped Organizer

Ages 5+. Easy. 20 minutes. A toilet paper roll, yarn, and glue. This is a handy way to organize pencils and crayons.

1. Glue the end of the yarn to the inside of the tube.
2. Wrap yarn around the tube until it is covered.
3. Glue the end down, then group several tubes together or stand one on a cardboard base.

See the full tutorial for the Yarn Wrapped Organizer craft on happy hooligans.

7. Rolling Pin Yarn Prints

Ages 3+. Easy. 20 minutes. A rolling pin, yarn, rubber bands, washable paint, and paper. Yes, it’s messy, but the prints always turn out fun. Cover your table and use washable paint.

1. Wrap yarn around the rolling pin and secure the ends with rubber bands.
2. Roll the pin through paint on a tray.
3. Roll it over paper to make a textured print. Repeat with other colors for rainbow art.

Find more about the Rolling Pin Yarn Prints craft by FunLittles.

8. Loom Knit Fingerless Gloves

Ages 8+. Medium-hard. About 1 hour. A cardboard tube and craft sticks to make a loom, yarn, and a yarn needle. This is a beginner knitting project that needs no needles and can be finished in about an hour. Use the tutorial for loom setup.

1. Build the loom by attaching craft sticks around the cardboard tube.
2. Cast on by wrapping yarn around each stick.
3. Loop the working yarn around the sticks round after round until the glove is long enough.
4. Bind off and leave a gap for the thumb as shown in the tutorial.

Check out the Loom Knit Fingerless Gloves tutorial on happy hooligans.

9. Pom Pom Dreamcatcher Craft

Ages 6+. Medium. 45 minutes. An embroidery hoop or paper plate ring, yarn, pom-poms, and beads. It looks lovely in a bedroom and works for kids and adults alike.

1. Wrap the hoop with yarn.
2. Weave yarn across the center in a web pattern.
3. Tie strands of yarn to the bottom and finish with pom-poms.

Find more about the Pom Pom Dreamcatcher craft on Artsy Craftsy Mom.

10. Four Season Tree Craft

Ages 4+. Easy. 30 minutes. Cardboard trees, yarn, and decorations like paper leaves and cotton balls for winter. A good activity for practicing fine motor skills and talking about the seasons.

1. Cut four simple tree shapes from cardboard.
2. Wrap yarn around each trunk and branches.
3. Decorate each tree for a season: leaves for summer, orange for fall, and cotton for winter.

Find the tutorial for the Four Season Tree Crafts on iHeartCraftyThings.

11. DIY Xylophone

Ages 4+. Easy. 20 minutes. Cardboard tubes in five different lengths, rubber bands, and yarn, ribbon, or embroidery floss. Yarn is for decoration, and the tubes make the sound.

1. Cut the tubes to five lengths, each about 1 inch longer than the last.
2. Join the tubes side by side with rubber bands in a figure-8 twist.
3. Weave yarn in and out of the tubes to decorate, then tap with chopsticks or pencils.

See full steps for Homemade Instruments for Kids: DIY Xylophone on The Inspired Treehouse.

12. Braided Yarn Dolls

Ages 5+ (toddlers can help with an adult). Easy. 20 minutes. Yarn, scissors, and a little glue. Not every child will manage the steps alone, so work together on the first one. For kids under 3, keep the yarn short and always supervise.

1. Wrap yarn around a piece of cardboard about 20 times and slide it off.
2. Tie off a head, then divide the strands for arms and legs.
3. Braid the arms and legs and tie off the ends.

Visit thecrafttrain.

13. Stick Weaving

Ages 5+. Easy-medium. 30 minutes. A Y-shaped stick and yarn in different colors. You need a Y-shaped stick, and that’s it.

1. Tie the yarn to one arm of the Y.
2. Wrap it back and forth between the two arms to make the warp.
3. Weave other colors over and under the strands and push them tightly together.

Know how to do Stick Weaving from happy hooligans.

14. Cardboard Roll Snake Knitting

Ages 7+. Medium. 30-45 minutes. A cardboard tube with notches or craft sticks, yarn, and a yarn needle. This knitting project is easier than it looks, and a long snake can be worn as a cowl.

1. Set up the cardboard loom as shown in the tutorial.
2. Loop the yarn around the loom and lift each loop over as you work around.
3. Keep going until the snake is as long as you like, then add felt eyes.

Learn how to do the Cardboard Roll Snake Knitting on Repeat Crafter Me.

15. Homemade Coasters

Ages 7+. Medium. 30 minutes. Sturdy paper plates, yarn, scissors, and tape. Kids feel proud making a gift instead of buying one. They need to know basic over-under weaving, and the paper plate can tear, so go gently.

1. Cut notches around the edge of a plate or cardboard circle.
2. Wrap yarn across the circle to form the spokes.
3. Weave yarn over and under in a spiral, then tie off at the back.

Learn more about Homemade Coasters from kids activities.

16. Yarn Butterfly Craft

Ages 5+. Easy. 20 minutes. Yarn, pipe cleaners, and craft sticks. A cute spring or Easter decoration.

1. Wrap yarn around two craft sticks to form the wings.
2. Twist a pipe cleaner around the middle for the body.
3. Bend the ends into antennae.

Find more about the Yarn Butterfly Craft on sheknows.

17. Yarn Tulips

Ages 4+. Easy. 20 minutes. Yarn, green pipe cleaners or paper straws, and glue. A nice spring craft that doesn’t need water.

1. Wrap yarn around a cardboard tulip cutout.
2. Glue it to a green stem.
3. Add leaves cut from green paper.

Create Yarn Tulips by following the steps from School Time Snippets.

18. Weather Themed Activity

Ages 3+ with help. Easy. 15 minutes. Paper, a hole punch, and yarn. This activity pairs a craft with learning about weather.

1. Cut a cloud from paper and punch holes along the bottom.
2. Cut yarn pieces for raindrops.
3. Tie one to each hole, or thread them through.

Check out the tutorial for Weather Themed Learning Activities for Preschoolers on Happy Tot Shelf.

19. Yarn Gift Cards

Ages 6+. Easy-medium. 30 minutes. Cardstock, yarn, a hole punch or pushpin (adult help), and tape. Kids make a card with a stitched-yarn design and give it to someone special, for Mother’s Day or any day.

1. Fold a piece of cardstock to make a card.
2. Punch holes in a simple shape such as a heart.
3. Lace yarn through the holes and tape the ends inside.

Find more about Yarn Gift Cards from hello, Wonderful.

20. Yarn Snowflakes

Ages 5+. Easy-medium. 30 minutes. A paper plate, yarn, a hole punch, and tape. It’s a good way to build fine motor skills.

1. Punch holes around the plate’s edge.
2. Tape the yarn to the back and lace it across in a snowflake pattern.
3. Use white or blue yarn for the best winter look.

See the step-by-step instructions for the Paper Plate Snowflake Art on iHeartCraftyThings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some fun craft ideas using yarn?

Good starters are yarn-wrapped sticks, yarn monsters, rolling pin prints, and yarn flowers. They use wrapping, gluing, and printing rather than knitting, so most kids can do them.

What can I make with just yarn?

Pom-poms, braided bracelets or dolls, finger-knitted chains, and yarn wrapped around sticks need little more than yarn and scissors. A bit of glue helps hold the ends.

What are good yarn crafts for 2 year olds?

Try wrapping yarn around a chunky stick or a toilet paper tube with an adult doing the knots, or rolling a yarn-wrapped rolling pin through washable paint. Keep yarn pieces short, skip small parts like googly eyes, and stay with your child the whole time.

Do kids need to know how to knit to do yarn crafts?

No. Most of the ideas here use wrapping, weaving, or stitching. Only the loom gloves and cardboard snake involve knitting-style loops, and those use a simple cardboard loom.

Now you have 20 yarn crafts for kids to try all year long. Have fun making them!

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