10 Projects You Can Make with Leftover Yarn

10 Projects You Can Make with Leftover Yarn

Finishing a project always leaves behind something — a partial skein here, a full skein there, a collection of small balls from color work. These leftovers accumulate fast, and eventually you either do something with them or they take over a closet.

Before starting any leftover project, use the yarn calculator to check if you have enough yardage. Enter the project dimensions and the yarn weight, and the calculator will tell you the total yards needed. Then measure your leftovers — either by weight (using the grams-per-yard ratio on the original label) or by winding them onto a yarn swift and counting.

Here's what you can make sorted by approximate yardage.

Under 50 Yards

1. Dishcloths and Washcloths

A simple square dishcloth in cotton or cotton-blend worsted needs 50–80 yards for a 7-inch square. Under 50 yards gets you a small cocktail napkin or face cloth. Use a tight gauge for a dense, absorbent fabric — cast on about 35 stitches in worsted and work until square.

These are great for using up cotton yarn (which isn't ideal for most other projects) or acrylic scraps where you don't mind something utilitarian.

2. Amigurumi Parts

Stuffed animals (amigurumi) are worked in sections — body, head, limbs, ears. A single limb or ear might only need 10–30 yards. If you have multiple small balls in different colors, you can piece together an entire creature from scraps.

50–150 Yards

3. Fingerless Mitts

A pair of fingerless mittens in worsted weight uses about 100–140 yards. One fingerless mitt uses about 50–70 yards. This is one of the best uses for leftover worsted and DK — you get a functional accessory and the two mitts don't even need to match.

4. Ear Warmers / Headbands

A simple knit or crochet ear warmer band is about 8–10 inches wide and 22 inches long — about 80–120 yards in worsted. Worked flat with a button or tie to close, or in the round as a continuous band, this is an afternoon project that uses up a single partial skein perfectly.

5. Bookmarks and Bag Tags

Finger-knitted or crocheted bookmarks need almost no yarn — a tassel bookmark takes under 20 yards. These also make great gifts when you have multiple tiny balls of colorful leftover yarn.

150–300 Yards

6. Baby Hat and Booties Set

A standard newborn-to-3-month hat uses about 100–120 yards in DK or worsted. A pair of booties adds another 60–80 yards. If you've got 180–200 yards of a single DK skein leftover from a baby blanket project, that's a complete hat and booties set for a gift.

7. Slouchy Hat / Beanie

An adult worsted hat needs about 180–220 yards depending on stitch pattern. A bulky hat takes 100–140 yards. If you've got leftover bulky from a scarf project, a matching hat uses up almost exactly one skein of 130-yard bulky.

Use the yarn calculator with hat dimensions (head circumference as width, hat height as length) to get the precise yardage for your gauge.

8. Colorblock Scarf

You don't need all of one yarn for a scarf. A 6×60-inch scarf in three colors — 20 inches each color — uses about 175–200 yards total in worsted weight. This is a great way to use three partial skeins in complementary colors.

300–500 Yards

9. Small Blanket for a Stuffed Animal or Doll

A 12×15-inch mini blanket needs about 150–200 yards in worsted. A 20×24-inch lap blanket for a child's toy needs about 350 yards. These are satisfying to finish quickly and perfect for gift-giving.

10. Market Bag or Tote

A simple market bag in cotton or cotton-blend worsted uses 250–350 yards. The mesh or net versions use less; dense single crochet bags use more. A cotton tote is practical, machine washable, and a great use of leftover cotton yarn from dishcloth or washcloth projects.

How to Calculate Yardage for Leftover Yarn

When you no longer have the label, there are two ways to estimate how many yards you have:

By weight: If you remember the original yardage and the skein weight, divide yards by grams to get yards-per-gram. Weigh the remaining yarn and multiply.

Example: A 220-yard / 100-gram skein. You have 45 grams left.

• 220 ÷ 100 = 2.2 yards per gram
• 45 × 2.2 = 99 yards

By winding: Wind the yarn around a known length (a book, a wrist-sized loop) a set number of times, measure the circumference, multiply. This is less precise but works without a scale.

Once you know the approximate yardage, enter it with your project dimensions in the yarn estimator to see if you have enough.

Using Mixed Weights

Leftover projects often involve mixing yarn weights. This works best for:

• Projects where structure doesn't matter (stuffed animals, tassels, baskets)
• Projects worked in stripes or sections (each section is one weight)
• Brioche or slip-stitch patterns where weight variation is part of the texture

Avoid mixing weights in the same row or round for projects where you need consistent fabric, like hats or garments. The gauge will vary and the fabric will be uneven.

For more ideas on what to make when planning a new project from scratch, see our beginner fiber guide or get yardage estimates for any project with the yarn calculator.