Yarn is a fantastic resource for activities in the classroom. With its low cost and versatility, this is no surprise as you can use it to entertain your kids in a plethora of ways! Here’s a list of my favorite yarn crafts and activities for you to enjoy with your kiddos. From fine motor skill activities to intricate art projects, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. Happy crafting!
1. Shoelace Tying Practice
Your students may not even notice they’re learning how to tie their shoes as they complete this activity! You’ll need to complete a little preparation- like cutting out the shoe patterns, punching holes, and cutting appropriate lengths of yarn to pass out to each of your little ones. When you’re good to go, teach your kids how to criss-cross and tie the yarn as if it were shoelaces. Our hope is that this yarn activity will get your kiddos independently tying their own shoes in no time!
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2. Yarn Wrapped Snowflake
These cute yarn-wrapped snowflakes really make some lovely winter decorations for your classroom! To start, if you have older students, they can help cut out snowflake patterns from thick cardboard. Then, hand out some gray, silver, or white yarn and have your kids completely wrap the snowflake until there’s no more cardboard showing. What’s that I spy? A unique snowflake emerging!
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3. Animal Yarn Art
This is one of the most visually stunning yarn activities we’ve found- and makes the perfect art project for your older learners. Have them begin by drawing an outline of an animal with a pencil on a board. Then, they can use drawing pins to form its outline. Lastly, they’ll use thin yarn to wrap around the pins; criss-crossing through the empty space in the center to create a striking work of art.
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4. Yarn String Telephone
This classic activity is perfect for topics on the science of sound. To make a yarn string telephone, your students will need to join two cups with a piece of yarn. Once they’ve crafted their phones, let them experiment with another classmate to see if they can hear what the other is saying from different distances and with different tensions in the yarn. Have them note what they observe!
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5. Wrapped Yarn Wreath Ornament
Your students will undoubtedly enjoy crafting these adorable little wreath ornaments! This festive activity only requires cardboard, hot glue, ribbon, green yarn, and colorful beads/gems. Instruct your kiddos to completely wrap the yarn around a small, circular cut-out. Then, let them decorate their wreaths by adding beads or gems before attaching a ribbon at the top to hang it up!
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6. Pom Pom Pencil Toppers
Did you know that instead of buying pom poms you can make them from all of your leftover yarn? Here are some cute pom pom pencil toppers that are sure to get your students excited to do their work. By wrapping yarn around cardboard, tying it, and then carefully cutting it up, your kiddos can learn how to make pom poms. Then, they’ll add googly eyes, felt, and pipe cleaners to bring their characters to life!
Learn More: YouTube
7. Wooly Lines and Letters
Here, we’ve included an active spelling activity that’s perfect for your younger grade learners. Help your littles develop their letter formation skills by having them outline letters with glue on construction paper. They’ll be challenged to place strands of wool yarn to form the letter. Some students may be able to apply the glue and yarn on their own!
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8. Geoboard Designs
Geoboards are a fantastic resource for any classroom. Usually, students would use elastic bands, but using different lengths and colors of yarn will give this activity a new lease on life. Your students can simply weave and connect the yarn along with the board to create different patterns and practice their fine motor skills.
Learn More: Artful Parent
9. Yarn Hair Cutting and Styling
This super fun activity has many different elements. Your students will begin by using markers to draw a face on a cardboard cutout. Next, they’ll have fun threading brightly colored yarn into holes they would’ve punched across the top. Once the hair is attached, your kiddos will have a ball styling the hair with braids, accessories, and more!
Learn More: YouTube
10. Owl Cup Craft
We’ve put together another cute yarn project for your little artists to enjoy! This colorful owl craft is easy-peasy to make; all you’ll need is a paper cup or toilet paper roll, yarn, construction paper for the beak, feathers for wings, and buttons for eyes. After wrapping the yarn around the body, all your kiddos will need to add is the facial features and wings to bring their owls to life!
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11. Yarn Feathers Macrame Craft
Looking for a long-term project for your older students? Here’s an intricate feather leaf that they can take their time with. With just yarn and scissors, they’ll thread and knot different lengths of yarn to shape their leaves. This activity makes an ideal brain break for students who need a moment to calm down after long or difficult academic tasks.
Learn More: YouTube
12. DIY Cup and Ball Toy
Your kids will surely love these DIY origami cup and ball game tools. A piece of paper, some yarn, glue, and aluminum foil is all they’ll need to design this fun game. By holding the cup in one hand with the ball dangling down; they can try to use momentum to swing the ball upwards so that it lands inside the cup.
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13. Yarn Octopus
How cute are these little desk buddies? DIY yarn octopi make a great craft for your upper-grade classes and only require some yarn, googly eyes, glue, and a soft center- like cotton balls or a styrofoam ball. First, your students will gather 24, 2 foot strands of two different colored yarns. Next, they’ll need to wrap the center of the pieces around the ball and tie a piece of yarn around it to secure the head in place. Afterward, your pupils will need to divide the strands into eight sections consisting of 3 strands each. Teach them how to braid so that they can construct the tentacles and bring their sweet octopus to life!
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14. Watercolor Yarn Art
Watercolor yarn art is a way to let your little artists shine! To have your kiddos create this abstract artwork, they can first dip cut-up pieces of yarn into glue and then stick them onto paper. Once dried, they’ll use watercolors to paint the empty spaces between all the pieces of yarn, and voila; masterpiece complete!
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15. Yarn Wrapped Pine Cone Decorations
We love these yarn-wrapped pine cones for a fall classroom activity! Simply have your students gather pine cones to bring into class. Pull out your spools of yarn and let them then choose a few bright colors that will contrast nicely against the natural brown. Next, they’ll wrap and wedge the yarn throughout the pine cone until it has the desired effect before finally placing their creations into a bowl to display in your classroom.
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16. Yarn Picture Frame
This yarn craft would be a sweet gift for a loved one, or to place a school photo into. We love the way the multicolored yarn looks with this frame, but your kids can choose any color they’d please! Simply have them wrap their chosen yarn around a picture frame before inserting a special photo and securing a piece of glass overtop.
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17. Finger Painted Unicorns with Yarn Decoration
This art activity is perfect for kindergarten or younger grade students. With a hand-stamped print, your littles can create the body of a unicorn. Next, instruct them to use scraps of yarn to add a tail and mane to the unicorn. We guarantee that your class parents will love the finished result!
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18. Yarn Line Painting and Printing
This interesting activity introduces students to a new way of painting- with yarn stamps! Simply show your kiddos how to wrap a piece of yarn around a block; in any way they’d like. Each block will have a unique pattern of lines that your kids can then dip into paint, and lastly- stamp onto a piece of paper.
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19. Whimsical Cardboard Circle Weaving
Delve into the ancient art of weaving! With vibrant yarn hues and a sturdy circular cardboard cutout, circle weaving will get your kiddos excited about the loom. Have them craft intricate patterns and designs using various colors until they’ve completed a circular shape. Once complete; your students can bend their art to form a bowl-like shape that can hold their favorite trinkets!
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20. Melodic Yarn and Bead Wind Chimes
This eclectic wind chime will have an inviting look and sound as it chimes right outside of your classroom door! To craft them, have each of your learners thread multiple pieces of yarn onto a 6” embroidery hoop. From there, they can pick and choose what to dress their chimes with; beads, pom poms, sea glass, or any other recycled materials that produce a sound all work well.
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21. Treasured Bookmarks with Tassels
Here’s a usable craft for your young readers! Let your kiddos design and paint images on rectangular cardstock cutouts. With a hole punched at the top to thread a few pieces of yarn through; they’ll craft sweet bookmarks adorned with a cute yarn tassel.
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22. Magical Dream Catchers
Your kids are sure to love these mystical dream catchers crafted from yarn, beads, felt, and feathers. They can infuse their own creative touch as they weave yarn around a wooden embroidery hoop and then dangle their unique additions from the hoop.
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23. Heartfelt Hanging Yarn Hearts
Want to spruce up your classroom? Here’s an adorable heart garland made from yarn and cardboard. Once your kiddos wrap their hearts with a colorful piece of yarn, they can dangle them around the classroom for all to see!
Learn More: Olivia Ohern
24. Signature Yarn-Wrapped Initials
We’ve chosen this signature yarn-wrapped initials activity to bring a personal touch to your children’s space. First, your kids will trace and cut out their initials from a piece of sturdy cardboard. Then, they can pick a few colors to form a pattern as they wrap and hot glue yarn around them- showcasing their identity in a fun new way!
Learn More: YouTube
25. Braided Yarn Doll Companions
These old-school yarn dolls are adorable little companions for your children! The only material needed is yarn, cardboard, and scissors! Your students can begin by cutting equal strands of yarn and looping the many layers around cardboard; removing, and cutting on both sides before going on to work on more details. Then, they’ll bundle different body parts together and tie the strands to keep them in place. Invite them to top things off by practicing their braiding skills to create a more unique look.
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26. Festive Miniature Yarn Hats
Sprinkle holiday cheer with these miniature wonders! Yarn, scissors, cotton balls, and a toilet paper roll are all that’s needed for your children to craft these tiny hats. You’ll have to teach them a knotting technique, but it’s just a few easy steps to complete! Once complete, they’ll make the most adorable Christmas tree ornaments or playful additions to your kiddos’ toy collections.
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27. Ethereal Yarn Butterflies
These ethereal butterflies will bring a burst of color into your classroom! Craft sticks, pipe cleaners, yarn, and a few wooden beads are all it takes for your kids to craft these little yarn butterflies. Guide them through the process and, once complete, invite them to use their new friends as decor, storytelling props, or anything else they can think up.
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28. Personalized Woven Wall Tapestry
Macrame is becoming quite popular, so we’ve chosen an entry-level option to introduce your students to this calming craft technique! With yarn as their canvas, your kids can tie knots and weave away to craft a one-of-a-kind tapestry!
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29. Cosmic Yarn-Wrapped Planets
Bring some crafting into your space unit with these yarn-wrapped planets! Your students can apply their space knowledge to cut out all of the different planets from a piece of cardboard. Using yarn, they can then have fun wrapping their planet cutouts using appropriate colors and lines to set each cosmic wonder apart from the next!
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30. Underwater Paper Plate & Yarn Jellyfish
Pull out the yarn for your ocean-themed lessons! Your kiddos will undoubtedly enjoy making these underwater paper plate and yarn jellyfish. After punching holes along the bottom half of a paper plate, they can then thread flowing yarn tentacles through them and decorate the plate with facial features using markers or paint.
Learn More: Pinterest
31. Mischievous Yarn Monsters
With this craft- your kids can sculpt quirky monsters! They’ll make their fluffy creatures with a bundle of yarn before adding googly eyes to wiry pipe cleaners to form crab-like eyes.
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32. Blooming Yarn-Wrapped Flower Pots
Include your kiddos in a feat of classroom beautification. Simply have them wrap colorful yarn around a few boring pots to create the perfect home for their plant friends. They’ll need some hot glue to attach the first part of the yarn to the pot, and then they can continue by meticulously wrapping the yarn and switching colors to create fun stripes.
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33. Hedgehog Haven
Why not invite your kiddies to craft an endearing hedgehog? They can use paper plates to form the body and the head, while the yarn will be used thereafter to add a fun pop of color to the mix. Lastly, your kids can glue on googly eyes and a pom pom for the nose.
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34. Feathery DIY Yarn Birds
This is a more complex yarn craft, but it makes such a sweet project for your older students. It involves bending wire with pliers and using a needle and thread, before getting to the yarn part- so make sure your students are up for the task! This vibrant yarn bird sure is worth the fuss though!
Learn More: Instructables
35. Yarn Enchanted Stones
Turn ordinary rocks into yarn-wrapped jewels! Task your kids with bringing in some flat river rocks. Then, lay out spools of yarn and let your students wrap and interlace different colors around the center of each rock. A simple and low-cost idea that’s bound to be a classroom hit!
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36. Sunny Yarn-Wrapped Pineapple Craft
This delightful pineapple can be used as a keychain accessory or fashioned into a piece of jewelry! Simply have your students follow the steps to create a pom pom from yellow yarn. Next, task them with attaching a pre-cut piece of sparkly foam to act as the pineapple’s crown. Lastly, to make this into a keychain accessory, they can glue on a piece of ribbon.
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37. Skyward DIY Yarn Kites
On breezy days, your children can navigate the skies with these awesome handmade kites. To bring them to life, they’ll begin by folding the corners of a piece of paper inward to make a diamond shape. Then, they can draw fun designs with crayons before painting over them with watercolors. Help them finish things off by cutting a piece of yarn to attach as the kite’s tail before adding on some decorative ribbon!
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38. Chic Yarn Coasters
Here’s a functional craft that can be given as a gift! Using cardboard or a piece of cork- have your kids cut out a circle to form the drink coaster. They’ll then choose 3 long pieces of different colored yarn and begin braiding. Once they’ve fashioned a long braid, they can put a dab of hot glue in the center and attach their braid. Next, they can spiral the braid around until it has completely covered the base and their coaster is ready for use!
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39. Lush Pom Pom Rug
This would be an awesome collaborative craft for your class to create; a lush pom pom rug! You’ll need a whole lot of yarn, a piece of sturdy fabric, and a wooden frame to help your kids shape the multiple pom pom balls into a rug. Following the instructions, they’ll piece together a cozy new rug in no time!
Learn More: Instructables
40. Radiant Yarn-Wrapped Rainbow
Open the yarn cabinet and get out the colors of the rainbow for this next idea! You’ll also need some nylon rope. Ask your kiddies to take their time wrapping one color around each rope before hot gluing it into place. In the end, you’ll have to help them hold it together as they glue each arch together to complete their beautiful artwork.
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