21 RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE DIY CROCHET TOOLS You Can MAKE at HOME 

can we take a minute to appreciate all of the work and amazing videos Elise makes? Thank you for these !!

I recently made a baby blanket using three different colors of the Bernat Blanket yarn. I used a round plastic laundry basket (from Dollar Tree) for all three skeins, putting each strand through a different slot in the basket. It kept all those HUGE skeins nicely contained while I was making my stripes but also when I wasn't working on it, I just folded up the blanket and laid it on top of the yarn. It worked BEAUTIFULLY!! 😊

A substitute for a yarn bowl that I use is a lovely, thrifted stoneware teapot. It has a wide opening on the top so the ball of yarn will fit with the working yarn coming out through the spout.

I've recently started using ziplock bags as yarn bowls for my center pull cakes. Works great and can be sealed, reused, folded up and stored easily.

In addition to the grippy shelf liner for ergonomic grips, you can use the self-sticking bandage wrap. They come in different colors. Works great!

Love these! Just wanted to add a tip I learned from my friend who sells fully recycled yarn crochet - if you fluff up scrap yarn on a dog slicker brush you can use it as stuffing and it works really well & uses all those little scraps that otherwise get tossed!

Love your ideas. I actually use most of them. However, my cheapest (but most valuable) yarn holder is the plastic grocery bag. Simply place the yarn inside the bag, pull the working yarn through a handle hole, and tie the bag closed. Yarn moves easily and stays clean. Not to mention you can store the unfinished project in the bag.

You can wash the yarn right in those pantyhose cozies! Some yarn from. The thrift stores can be dusty or smoky smelling. 😊 great video Elise, praise Jesus!

A clean tea pot makes a cute yarn bowl. Thread yarn through the spout.

That bread tie hack for the size of the crochet hook is genius!

Great tips, frugal too leaving more to spend on yarn 😊 My yarn ‘bowl’ is a white plastic basket, like the one on your top shelf. I put a knitting needle through one side, through the yarn ball, and then through the other side of the basket. No matter how hard I yank the yarn, the ball stays in the basket. I can put more than one ball in there, each on its own needle, for doing colourwork without tangles. If I need to take the project away from home, I just slip the knitting needles out to free the ball. Between sessions, I can simply drop the project on top and put the basket away. ❤

Love it!! I was just about to add a paper towel holder to my amazon shopping cart when you mentioned it. Oh and I like to use binder clips on the side of any bowl to make it into a yarn bowl. I just slip my yarn through the little silver grippy part and then if I need to take the yarn out I can unhook it from the bonder clip. I don't know if that makes sense but it's easy and they're removable and you can use multiples if you're doing colorwork. Love your videos :)

I have been using Dollar store SPONGE ROLLERS as my ergonomic grips on my crochet hooks. Just remove the plastic piece. It already has a hole in the middle. If need be, you can cut them to size ( in case 1.5 rollers needed) and just use painters tape to secure them together. Feels really nice in the hand and has saved me hours of pain!

I just found your channel! Thank you so much for all the great tips. I too have an (adult) son who has a disability. We use shelf liner and silpat baking mats for a lot of things. When I was young, my mom would cut the bottom off 2-liter soda bottles , put her yarn in it and feed it through the top. The she would turn the bottom upside down and shove it back inside the part she cut off.

I've been using scrap yarn as place markers, but I didn't realize making the yarn longer and utilizing the same piece of yarn as I move through the project would help to lock it into place with an easy remove when I'm ready to do that. I'm going to be using that technique now.

The wooden yarn bowl I made from and old wooden bowl! Used dremel tool and sandpaper. I stained it and it’s lovely! Good needle holders are M&M tubes that you can get at holidays! They are colored and fun!

I buy cotton balls at the dollar store for stuffing pillows. I used to use them for stuffed animals I made as well. They are early to fluff up and make them harder if you want a hard stuffing. I also made yarn out of cotton balls and two cat wire brushes. You process the cotton balls with the wire brushes and wound it into threads between your fingers. That is how cotton and wool is processed into yarn. You have to break down the fibers and they will thread together between your fingers. I am very good at making good quality yarn. I have a lot of practice. 😊

My #1 favorite tool for holding crochet hooks are tooth brush holders. Nothing, in my opinion, is better. Give it a try and you will thank me. Love all your videos Elise.👍

Bread ties, who would have thought??? lol I love it! I also like the paper towel holder idea as well (yes I live under a rock). I have a cat one that is a pain to use for a paper towel holder but my daughter got it for me and so it has been a decoration. NOW I can use it!! Love you videos Elise!

Travel yarn holder- ziploc bag with corner cut off for yarn to thread through. Works great and keeps yarn from tangling.

I moved to using regular socks that I wear, as yarn socks. Stitch markers pop through regular socks really easily, and can hold a tag for information. If you use a pair of socks that naturally wore out, you can just sew any holes closed any way you want to, since you won't be wearing them anymore, and don't have to worry about feeling an uncomfortable or ugly seam. (Or just leave the holes since you can often adjust the sock so your yarn is still covered, unless the hole is huge, like a very big worn out heel hole.. I'm lazy so not fixing is what I did after "fixing" one sock. (Unless I need to) I use them mainly for compression, storage for wip yarn and as a dog hair/dirt shield.) Just an fyi- regular socks don't generally show the contents like pantyhose, and can be longer than the skein. When i'm ready to use the yarn, I fold the open end down so the top of the sock is inside out, and the center pull isn't obstructed by the sock or it's elastic top. When im done, I just fold the sock back over the yarn. Don't cut the elastic tops off of socks... It won't end well. The socks fall apart if you use scissors to cut off either end! If I have partial small cotton skeins at the end of an amigurumi project, I wrap the skein hollow carefully with it's paper wrapper tightly in a little embroidery floss-looking tube without disturbing the skein skeleton except to compress it carefully in its wrapper tube, and then lay multiple skeins together into a new "skein of bundles." Then I turn a sock inside out over my hand, pick up all the bundles so the end rests in my palm and just invert the sock back the right way over all the bundles. Everything is neat and compressed together, won't tangle or fall apart, and I just need to grab the 1 sock and all the yarn I should be using first, if possible, is all in 1 place. Old clothes/shirts can be sewn into draw string project bags easily too with a sewing machine. They're a beginner first-project, and you can help keep your old mass produced textiles out of landfills. ❤

I use bobby pins for stitch marker also! Another good tool to stuff amigurumi is a pencil, the eraser side is wonderful to help stuff, I keep one always with my hooks.

Really great tips. I put two balls of yarn in a oatmeal circulae box so they don roll all over the place. My tiny chihuahua loves to steal balls of yarn and play with them all over the house. Now he only gets old yarn l. Sincerely, Debbie and Dexter-Dog my sweet tiny rescued Chihuahua companion living a quiet crafty life in southern California.🙋🐾🧑‍🦽🏡🎠🎄🐦😘❄️⛄✝️🌻🙏💕

Great hacks!! I‘ve been using travel packing cubes to organize yarn for WIPs (works in progress). They zip up and most have a mesh on one side so that the contents are viewable. I haven’t been doing much travel lately, so may as well put the cubes to work. Thank you Elise for continuing to inspire us!!!

I use sports wrap around my hooks to make them easier and more comfortable to hold and it's cushiony. It doesn'tleave any sticky residue either.😊

8:31 The netting from fruit, also works to hold a skein of yarn. It helps to hold the skein together. I usually buy the big skein, put it in the netting and tie it if I was going somewhere. Thanks for the great ideas!! from Ohio🇺🇸

7:49 One hack that I use to keep my yarn nice and clean is that I use the Five Below “Pop up bin” which can be used as a car storage or trash can. It’s big enough to put a giant cake of yarn and what’s neat is that is has a bungee secure tie, so when i pull it all the way in there’s a center where to yarn can feed through and it has a strap for you to hang it anywhere you like. I find this super useful when i wanna hang it on a shelf above me when i knit or crochet. It’s out of the way and i have more free space for my project.

I like the idea for using your hand for measuring since my tape measure always seems to go missing. Something I use for a yarn cozy is old socks. The heel and toe area gets the holes, so cut the cuff off and use that part for the cozy.

I use a straight side Rubbermaid drink pitcher for a yarn holder.It’s perfect because it’s big and tall enough for even the one pounder skeins, and because the lid has the perfect opening to feed yarn through

Great tips! Another advantage of using yarn as a stitch marker is that it stays in place as you work in the round, so if you need to frog a few rounds, you know where each of the previous rounds starts and can go back there! Whereas if it's a locking marker that you remove each time, you don't know where a previous round started or ended. I've actually never had to buy stitch markers as my yarn supplier gives a few colourful plastic locking ones with every order, so now l have a bunch that l use for keeping count of stitches etc ! It's a great free gift 😊

My favorite yarn holders are 6 bottle of wine tote bags. Slip each skein pull side up and yhe compartments keep the yarn from tangling together. The tote bag handles make it easy to travel with your work.

These are great! I always enjoy your tips and tricks videos. One of the useful tips I now use, but was not my idea, is the hair clips that you bend/snap to open. They're great as stitch markers, keeping your yarn bound nicely, and to hold granny squares together when seaming. Because I'm extra like that, I match the clip to the yarn I'm using 🤭🧶

I’m currently using an old tp holder for my crochet string. It holds what I’m using, and all the other colors on it too. Just swap out the one you’re using. I have an antique metal lunchbox that I use for my crochet tools (and small projects) on the go. I love how it opens up. I’ve also used a red wine purse. Opens up WIDE! Both of them were a dollar each at the second hand store. I just got an old suitcase set that looks s0 pretty! Instead of an unsightly pile of yarn balls/skeins next to the couch, I just cut a notch in the suitcase and Wala I feed my yarn through the hole. When I’m done for a bit I just open the suitcase to put my project in. Beautiful, and Meowswa can’t get it! It’s a yarn holder with storage to boot. Don’t forget to add epoxy to dry over the notch so it slides without snags.

I use hair clips to hold the end of my yarn to the ball thanks 😊

One of my favorite parts! --> "Either they're multiplying on their own, I don't know what they're doing when I'm not looking" 😂😂😂😂😂😂 1:16

Take your chip clip (in our house, we use binder clips for chip clips) attach it to a bowl from the $1.25 store and voila - yarn bowl!

Hi Elise! When I first started crocheting, I used a piece of scrap yarn to mark my stitches and it worked perfectly!! By the way, great video!! I will definitely be using some of these the next project I will have! ❤🎉

Very interesting. I’m saving my cats’ treat containers as yarn bowls. It works the same as the disinfectant containers. I’ll be looking to thrift a paper towel holder.☺️

I have beautiful small skeins in a litre pickle jar. You can see them so easily. So pretty as well.Great video!❤️

For my crocheting and knitting I often grab my husband's discarded protein shake containers. They're large so they can handle those jumbo skeins of yarn or keep multiple balls/skeins clean and handy for color work. It's also easy to travel with them, I just stuff the project into the container (if it still fits), put the lid on, and stick it into my project bag with my water bottle. If you need a break from the project you can easily line them up on your shelf with a label of what project it is, hook size, etc.

Great ideas! I love Altoids cans for needles and other notions. They can obviously be used as is, or covered in a variety of different way, including polymer clay. Many of mine are still in the pill bottles my mother put them in back in the 60s or 70s (yes, I kept all of her crochet and knitting tools after she died in 1987), but I've been using the Altoids cans for beading needles and other jewelry-making smalls, and they will fit the new clipping stitch markers you showed at the beginning of your video better than most pill bottles will. The hand measurements you gave don't work for people with small hands, like my size 6 to 6-1/2 ones. In our case, the distance between the first two knuckles of the index finger is about an inch, and thumb tip to baby fingertip spread out is about 6". The distance from the tip of one shoulder to where I hold something in my thumb and index finger with the other arm stretched out straight to the side is about 3', which is a very common and helpful measurement for many things in the craft world. My size 6-1/2 feet measure more or less 12", so that's a helpful shortcut for quick and dirty measurements of room sizes. People should measure their own body parts to ensure they're using the right dimensions *for them*, but once you do know these shortcuts, they are *sooo* helpful in so many situations.

I love keeping leftover yarn on toilet paper rolls. You can stuff the label on the inside or write on the roll itself. I also use hair clips, Bobby pins, etc. to keep the outside end of a yarn cake or ball in place. My best yarn bowls are wooden salad bowls I picked up at thrift stores. Great for large projects! Many thanks, Elise.

I love the bread tie tip. That's an awesome idea

I’ve used contrast yarn for a stitch marker for years 😊 good video Elise hope the weather is nice back there ☺️👍🏼🧡🧶

These are great. A paper clip! Of course! I've used threads and bits of yarn and occasionally a safety pin... Toilet roll winder - fantastic. I love a yarn bowl but don't own one! I do use a heavy ceramic bowl if I've made a neat cake that stays inside...a colander is a great idea. I'll have a rummage for a big container, I have a few big tins saved in the cupboard. Ergonomic sounds great, can't afford at the mo so making one would be awesome. I have polymer clay and some shelf liner! Such great ideas for my ongoing crochet obsession 😊 I use a metal kitchen roll holder for big yarn skeins that I haven't rolled into round cakes yet! Well goodness me my finger joint is an inch long. My hand span is also not 9 inches (and I have big hands). Hook Size markers and using chip clips is a great help! I'm crocheting a cushion cover right now. I've been reading about whittling a hook from a Chopstick! So maybe that's another hack if you go somewhere and forgot your hook 😅 I have used stuffing from cushions, it's often much much cheaper than buying stuffing separately! Thanks so much for all the brilliant tips. 💚

The best tool was the toilet paper roll, loved it! The strainer I use, but don't use the holes. I just drop the yarn inside the bowl and away I go. And the bread bag clip was a good one, I'll use that. Thank you sincerely.

My fave is for the partly used yarn skeins .... you rap then around empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls then when I need them I toss the whole thing, tub n all, on a paper towel holder

Love your videos you should do a video with TL yarn crafts ❤❤❤

I have used the plastic cake covers .. you could also use the bottom of it and put holes in it to feed your yarn through. For a yarn cozzie you could use some of the cheap/cheaper knee high stockings.

A good way to remember what size hook you are using for a project is to just take a picture of the project with the hook size in view. Make a folder on your phone called “crochet projects” and then if you put it away for awhile and the hook isn’t with it you just look at your phone to find out.

I bought a "how to" Book to teach myself to crochet back in 1957. Been through a lot of types of stitch markers since that time. The ones I use now are the "Vinyl Coated Paper clips" So they last forever and you never have to worry about rust.

I love your ideas. Another idea is using a small upright tote and drilling holes in the top of the tote to pull the yarn through. This is perfect if you are using two colors for alternating your colors. Thank you for sharing, and God bless.

When I used to crochet, I made a yarn needle out of a toothpick, a wire twisty tie, and some tape. It was made when I lost my only yarn needle. I did find it eventually and I always keep a bright-colored piece of yarn threaded in to make it easier to find.

Hi Elise - great ideas! In addition, I use those plastic net things, that they tend to put liquor bottles in to prevent them from rattling around and crashing into each other, to contain my yarn skeins. I have no other idea of what to do with the blasted things other than trash them. Also, I use the empty containers for mechanical pencil leads to carry a few yarn needles around.

I've got a few tricks I swear by! 1) I bought some cheap cardstock, cut into wee rectangles about 1.5" x .5" wide & put tape on the end (to stop the card ripping) & punch a hole thru it. I then write my hook (such as purple zing 4.5mm as I have lots of diff hooks) on it & attach it with yarn. Then if u use ur hook on something else or put ur project down for a while u know exactly what hook u were using. 2) If I made something like a lapghan, baby clothes etc out of something like merino or cashmere etc, I cut off the wee yarn label part that tells you how to wash & the temp of water etc & tie it to the blanket when giving it away. That way the person knows how to best look after/wash their present/gift. 3) I use pencil cases of different sizes to hold my bits n bobs. One for my fave hooks, one for my lace size hooks (a metal case is perfect to protect the wee hook ends) one for my less used chunky hooks. Then a double sized one that holds pens, pins, needles, spare scissors, small thing of cotton for hand sewing, tiny hole punch for my hook labels, pre-cut/punched labels, measure tape etc etc. I even crocheted a jumbo sized one with a zip to keep them all together, easy to grab & go! 4) Also, I make a long chain out of very tight chain stitches & tie/sew it in a loop & tie that onto my wee scissors & the pencil cases (thru the bit the zippers on) where I keep my hooks etc in. Then I use that to put stitch markers on so they're always within reach & I'm not searching for them. 5) I also use cheap caribiners to keep my scissors (this is where the chain stitch loop thru the finger hole is handy), measuring tape etc onto the same loop on my pencil case zip, sew it to the outside of the case, or on my project bag, & keep everything like stitch markers, scissors, measuring tape, pen etc all together. Easy to get off with the caribiner but also stays together & always in the same place together! 6) just thought of another. The cheap wee hair clips that you bend in the middle to close (shaped like an elongated triangle) are fantastic for clipping the end of ur yarn onto the yarn ball so it doesn't unwind & get messy plus it's easy to find the end next time!

You can also use the bobby pin to hold the yarn tail on your ball

It’s a gorgeous Fall out here☺️🧡I’m flying back to Virginia next week for a visit and am looking forward to a beautiful Virginia Fall 🍂☺️🍁

I have the wool genie (the hanging white and gray one) and I LOVE IT! I am sure the price went up now but when I bought it it was around 30 dollars. Totally worth it in the long run because I can easily take it with me in my WIP bag, and I just put a fresh skein on there without having to re-wind the yarn or anything. I am usually wary of gadgets but I use that guy every day ❤ I got so excited when you talked about it!

Thanks so much for the great fun videos. A couple of thoughts and ideas. First, I picked up a couple of large measuring bowls. You can get them at the dollar store too. You can drop yarn in and thread through the pour spout. They are not as pretty as wooden bowls but will hold a larger skein. And if it is a smaller project you can drop the project in as well. When I was in foods class years ago our teacher taught us how to set a table properly. The inch measurement we learned was the end of the thumb to the first knuckle. You bend the thumb and place on the edge of the table. The cutlery and plates aligned with the end of the thumb so that it was an inch from the edge which was proper. I still use the measure as an emergency for an inch. Then years later when quilting I learned that from the tip of the fingers to the end of the nose was close to a yard. It is how the measured fabric in those old stores. And the last old top which is rather gross has to deal with squeaky hooks and hooks with burrs that catch. Modern hooks are better than the Boyes I learned with in the 1960’s. I was crocheting while waiting for my grandmother at the doctor. I was not very old. A kind older lady corrected a few things I was doing wrong and gave me pointers. She also said that when a hook was catching or had a burr to rub it in your hair. That puts a little oil on it and it will crochet better. That sounds bad but people put pencils behind their ears. It does work. I have not done it recently but I have wondered about it and Prym hooks when they squeak a little.

Never used a chopstick for stuffing because one of those would most probably break, knowing my luck and strength, so I just tend to use the other end of my hook :D

Oh my goodness; this video just saved me a lot of money lol, when will you be coming out with winter ideas for Christmas 🎄

I just picked up a Halloween trick or treat bucket at Rite aid to use as a yarn bowl. 🎃

I use some plastic gallon bags where I've snipped the corners. I pull the yarn through the corner. When there is extra yarn, I use a bobby pin to pin them to the outside. I LOVE that lysol cannister idea!

OLD Leather Smith here, I used upholstery hide scraps 2 make ergonomic handles on my hooks and my wife's hooks. I crochet with leather my wife uses yarn. I like your video thanks. GOD'S BLESSINGS ✝️⚾🙃

Using your hand for measuring is a great idea. Just make sure to confirm your own hand measurements first. My knuckle to fingertip and index finger to thumb are close to what was stated in your video, but my pinkie to thumb only measures 7 inches instead of 9.

btw, this is the first channel I recommend to anyone interested in crochet

For yarn, I roll the yarn into balls before I use it, and then either let it roll on the (clean) floor or put it in a medium-sized ceramic bowl from Walmart. Generally keeps the tension okay. It's not center-pull, but I've rarely had a problem with it, and the price is right (free)! One thing it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize is that you can crochet totes for projects. I had bought the wrong color for a project I was using, and was looking for a way to use it, and realized that my yarn was everywhere. Five large granny squares plus some sewing gave me a neat little bag to shove everything into so it didn't look like a mess!

I picked up so many great tips from this video... thank you! And I completely that those bobby pins appear out of nowhere.

Hi Elise, great video. I use toilet tissue rolls to cake my yarn, paper clips, safety pins, Bobby pins all as stitch markers. I even have old lever backs earrings that work well also. I thought of the paper towel holders for holding yarn if worked from the outside. Love your vids. There’s always something new to learn. Thank you.

I've used empty tissue boxes as yarn bowls - both the smaller square ones and the larger rectangular ones, and they work great! Thanks for the ideas.

I'll chime in with my two favorites that i often share.... 1. I have a plastic door hanging shoe holder on the inside if my closet and is full of crochet thread. One ball of thread will fit in each pocket and i can see the colors. They dont get buried or tangled.😊 Wish i could send you a pic. Then #2 I use girls snap hair clips to secure the end of my yarn to the ball or skein. It bends in half, slide it through a few strands and snap back together. Wish i could show you. Amazon calls them "Kenyi barrettes 120pc for $7." Ive bought several these and shared them w every yarn and thread user i know. God bless, TX Barb

My favorite DIY solution for crochet is, believe it or not, a shoebox. It's a sketchers box and on the lid it's got little circles cut out that don't go all the way to the end. I feed my yarn through that and it makes it real easy to keep it out of reach of the cat most of the time and keeps the yarn organized. It also holds multiple skeins, which is great for on-the-go projects that require multiple colors! Only problem with it is the same as the collinder, though. There's a little piece of exposed yarn, so when I go sleep if my project's not done I have to press that wall of the box up against the back of my chair or bury it under a blanket to protect the project. I also keep all my crochet hooks in a 'Hawaiian Sunset' flavored rock salt container we were using for the hottub, so it smells all tropical and relaxy whenever I open that. And, for the most unusual... I keep buttons and project pieces that need to be attatched later in gum cups and candy keepers! I have a little rotary Nerds container thing that looks like a pill keeper that works great for my limited button collection, but we do a lot of Trident and Orbit gum in our house, so they make great (Notion catchers, product keepers, coin banks, whisker collectors, water flavor packet holders, needle minders, etc.)

Love your videos! Another way to make your hook handle thicker is to use self adhesive bandages. I use them a lot! It's cheap, the handle is really comfortable, you can remove it if you don't want it anymore and it doesn't leave a sticky residue behind and bonus you can buy them in a ton of different colors!

For the yarn sock, I use old boot cuffs. Remember those? They work wonderfully. Another helpful video Elise. Thank you!!

I have a little zippered pencil pouch to hold my extra hooks, needles, stitch markers, and tiny scissors. Easy to put into my to-go crochet bag.

I love Bobby pins as stitch markers... and crochet hooks as hair sticks... then you have your supplies with you all the time! 😂

Another amazing video! I've been using a bobby pin as a stitch marker for years. Some of these ideas I have never heard of. Thank you so much for all the hard work it takes to research these ideas and making them accessible to us. ❤

To wind yarn on a cardboard toilet tissue core or paper towel core, I bought an old cheap electric hand mixer and remove one of the beaters and put the other beater inside the cardboard core and turn it on, guiding the yarn back and forth with my hand. It works like a charm. And I got my mixer for like $3 at a insurance surplus sale store. Thrift stores have them too. It doesn’t get much cheaper than that ans is much faster than hand winding and no limit to the diameter of the yarn cake you make. 💁🏽‍♀️

Add toilet paper tube idea is wonderful. Thanks a bunch

I love love love watching you while I have my morning crochet time! And, a cup of coffee! 🥰

Great tips! I use round vented plastic storage containers for yarn sometimes. I just tear off the tab that closes the hole. Yup, old pillow are great for stuffing crochet projects! So much less expensive and sometimes the stuffing is really premium.

Excellent video!! ❤🌹🌹🌹 I use bobby pins for my stitch markers and I also use my bread ties. I decorate the bread ties by painting them with nail polish of different colors 😁 I've also used the twist wire ties that come with trash bags for stitch markers. I also use my sun tea jar as a yarn holder and feed the yarn through the lid. 😁 I've also used garment zip loc bags for holding my yarn. They come with little tiny holes in them to help the clothing breathe ( I'm guessing) and feed my yarn through those, the yarn stays clean and I can throw the bag around to loosen up the yarn. 🤣🤣🤷🏾‍♀️ I also discovered another tip from Instagram for using cord holders to put at the end of your crochet hook to keep the stitch from slipping off the hook. The person used the cord holder that looks like a mini hand, so cute!

i love when DIY videos have good tips with things that we can actually find at home easily. thank you for this video, it helped a lot❤

Toilet paper roll idea is great!

For keeping my stitch markers and needles in a small box, i use small Kusmi Tea Boxes, they are beautiful, i glued a magnetic sheet inside the top of the box, and when I put down the needles from my project I don't loose them bc they're attracted by the magnet inside. It's very useful with cats ❤️

Wonderful video, Elise! Seems like i kept repeating, "Oh, I can use that!" every time yoi showed a new idea!

So I have a good tip for those of us who use digital stitch counters and take our projects with us when we go somewhere. Early on I found out that if I put the counters just in the bag with my crocheting it can add counts or reset it from movement as you're walking. I use the prescription bottles to put my stitch counter in there. It works great for on-the-go crocheting. 🙂 also works great if you have multiple counters with multiple wips. You could use a piece of masking tape and write down the project name, along with the hook size or any other pertinent information.

I've been using Bobby pins my whole life for counting my stitches. Lol now I feel better that I'm not weird!

The wooden yarn holder would be great for thread crochet. I love the idea of using the towel holder to hold yarn. I have two holders my hubby DIY'd from an old pole lamp that had gotten damaged. The base is very sturdy. ON THE BOTTOM, I put a round piece of wax paper and on top of that a piece of felt to help it spin. I use cotton yarn on cones, and this works great for them. One of my favorite decorations in my craft room is a glass jar with a cork in the top that came with Italian seasoning. I made an afghan with a box of Scheepjes River Washed Mini Skeins, and all of the little bits left over I made into little skeins, and placed in the spice jar. I use the beach towel holders from the dollar store for bobbins- holds a lot of yarn! I also use binder clips to hold cords, the clip comes off, so you can thread it thru. I can see using it on your colander the same way. Thanks for all of your tips, I have used most of them!.

14:53 Even used up candles can be a good way to use them for storage or even small yarn cakes. Just clean them out and they will be a perfect container for store anything in.

Measurements work perfectly for me.

Pillows for filling for the win!!

AMAZING content! I am a beginner crocheted. I was contemplating buying a stitch marker. I too have a million paper clips! Brilliant! Just subscribed! ❤

I’ve been trying to find a soup tureen with a lid to use as a yarn holder. The older tureens usually have a spoon slot that is perfect for the yarn to come through. I also think a large ceramic teapot would work great too.

I love these hacks, and will start using the ones I hadn’t heard of before. I personally use an old prescription bottle for “caking” my smaller scraps of yarn. Just put an end of the yarn into the bottle, cap it to hold it in place, and wrap around it. You can make it into a ball or cake, depending on how much yarn and how tall the bottle is. I use old plastic snack containers from wholesale stores to store the scrap balls, and make holes in the lid for the ends to come out of when needed. For those scraps of yarn that are too small to use to make anything, or don’t want to use for “stitch markers”, I use them to stuff my amigurumi projects. I unravel the ply’s of the yarn, especially if it’s thicker, to make it more versatile when stuffing. I try to use similar colors to what I’m stuffing, so that it won’t show through as much if there’s any gaps in my stitches Lastly, I use bobby pins and small hair flat clips for the end of yarn of my cakes, to hold them in place when not in use, or when I want to pull from the center.

I have a large wooden bowl that was my dad’s pecan nut bowl. I think originally it was a salad bowl. I don’t eat nuts you have to crack much. But I do enjoy using his bowl.Dad would have a kick out of it too, he crocheted for many years.

I save dryer lint to use for stuffing. It’s clean, free, and smells like your fave dryer sheets!

Great video. My favorite freebie is the project baskets I crochet out of my scrap yarn. I use clothes pins in lot of ways, one is when I stop crocheting I clip where I stopped so it doesn't get pulled out.

For a stitch marker you can also use broken clip earrings, the ones that close plus if they have something hanging on it makes it cute,

A great idea with the pantyhose and that type of yarn ball, especially if it stops is collapsing. When I use that type of yarn ball I push a long, fat wooden knitting needle through the centre and loosely attach it to the top of a plastic basket using craft pipe cleaners and use the yarn from the outside. The needle turns very easily and smoothly and of course the pipe cleaners can be removed when the project is finished and you need somewhere to store that next batch of yarn you shouldn’t have bought but couldn’t resist.