DIY Wooden Yarn Bowl Tutorial

Welcome! Whether you’ve arrived from Facebook, Pinterest, Total Tutorials or another of the wonderful sites that have linked to my DIY Wooden Yarn Bowl… I’m so glad you’re here!

DIY Tutorials are the most rewarding posts that I create for Super Mom – No Cape!

Does your yarn keep rolling away when you’re knitting or crocheting?  

A yarn bowl is just the thing to fix that problem!

I’ve been wanting a yarn bowl ever since I saw some at a local craft fair. The handmade ones that the potter was selling were beautiful but at $30 to $50 each, they were not in the budget at the time.

Back in this post about some recent thrifts store finds, I showed you a wooden bowl that I’d picked up at one of our local thrift stores. I asked my husband Dave if he could turn it into a yarn bowl for me and I was surprised what a quick and easy project it turned out to be.

In this simple step-by-step tutorial, we demonstrate how to make a yarn bowl from a thrifted or purchased wooden bowl.

DIY Wooden Yarn Bowl

Materials you’ll need to make your yarn bowl:

Wooden bowl 6″ to 7″ in diameter – this beautiful 6″ Acacia wood bowl is the perfect size if you can’t find one at your local thrift store

A cordless Dremel tool and drill bit

180 grit 3M sandpaper

320 grit 3M sandpaper

Instructions to Make the Yarn Bowl:

First, draw a cursive type Y shape on the side of the bowl. The reason you’ll want this shape is that the little curled tail of the Y keeps the yarn from slipping out of the slot.

Then use the lines as a guide to drill several small holes with the cordless dremel tool.

Next, using the side of the drill bit in the dremel tool, cut away the wood that remains between the drilled holes.

After all the excess wood is removed, you’ll have this rough shape cut into one side of wooden bowl:

To sand the rough edges smooth, begin by using a piece of 180 grit 3M sandpaper wrapped around a metal rod.

Continue sanding until the edges of the Y shaped slot are smooth and rounded.

The final sanding is done with the 320 grit 3M sandpaper to make absolutely sure there is nothing that can catch or snag your yarn.

The finished opening should be so smooth that even this soft, fluffy super bulky weight yarn pulls through easily without catching.

I love my wooden yarn bowl. And I know that you’ll love yours too!

It’s been so great to sit outside in the mornings with a cup of tea and knit without worrying about my yarn rolling away from me. My yarn chasing days are over. 🙂

I’ve even taken it in the car on a road trips. And it’s made a few trips to the dentist’s office as well.

We’re now on the look out for some more wooden bowls for Dave to transform into yarn bowls to give as gifts.

Once you’ve made your yarn bowl, test it out using my Knitted Seed Stitch Dishcloth Pattern.

Another quick, easy one to try is my Scrap Hat Pattern. It’s a great way to use up all those small balls of leftover yarn!

Or if you prefer crochet… check out my Crocheted Seed Stitch Dishcloth Pattern.

Love the idea of a yarn bowl but don’t have time to make one?

This Sea Turtle Yarn Bowl is on my wish list!

Or how about this beautifully carved wood yarn bowl.

For the cat lover… Red Cat Yarn Bowl

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