Heart Hook Home

crochet, yarn, heart (CHD) & food

  • About
  • Heart
  • Shop
  • Crochet Tutorials
  • Crochet Patterns
  • Contact

How (and WHY) to Make Your Own Yarn Cakes

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. See our disclosure policy for more information.

June 7, 2017 Ashlea 11 Comments

2296shares
  • Share 206
  • Tweet
  • Reddit

In love with Yarn Cakes? I love the colors, the textures, the way they sit there all pretty like just waiting to be crocheted.  Do you love them too? You can save a TON of money when you learn how to Make Your Own Yarn Cakes.

How to Make Your Own Yarn cakes and why you want to

Make Your Own Yarn Cakes 

Sometimes I find myself standing in the yarn aisle at Michaels, JoAnn’s or Hobby Lobby staring at the solid colored skeins thinking how beautiful they would be all rolled together into one yarn cake. Sometimes the Caron Cakes or Sweet Rolls don’t have the exact colors I’m looking for and I’ve only found the Bernat Pops! twice in my Walmart and the Mandala just once.

Why make your own yarn cakes?

Well, I can think of a few reasons…

When the colors in the ready-made yarn cakes aren’t exactly what you’re looking for. Say you’re going to a baby shower and you find the perfect shades of blue, yellow and cream that the parents are using to decorate the nursery… or if you’re making a wedding present and you know the bride’s colors… or if you have a favorite football team and you’re making a Corner to Corner afghan for the couch… or… the scenarios are countless and the end result is the same: awesome colors that you choose.

You control how often the colors change by counting how many cranks of the winder for each before joining.

And let’s not forget that when you make your own yarn cakes it is much more cost effective than spending $5 – $7 on pre-made cakes.  Wanna break that down with me? Mmmkay!

Cost of making Your Own Yarn Cakes

Let’s say you were to find four different solid skeins of yarn (I’m using Big Twist Value from Jo-Ann) that you think would look lovely together at $3-ish per skein.  For the sake of mathing (because: math 😐 ) let’s compare enough yarn to make a good sized afghan using either Caron Cakes – which sell for $7.99 regular price at Michaels – or the same amount of yardage when you make your own yarn cakes using Big Twist Value (or ILTY or Red Heart etc)…

Why You Should Make Your Own Yarn Cakes

Isn’t this insane?!  Even if the brands/methods we are comparing were on sale (the cheapest I have ever gotten Caron Cakes was $5 each), the cost effective option would always be to make your own.  If that doesn’t justify the investing in a yarn winder I don’t know what will.

Which Yarn Winder?

The general consensus is that this yarn winder is the best (and I’ve reviewed and researched a lot of winders). It will nearly pay for itself after making just one large blanket’s worth of yarn cakes! SOLD!

How to Make Yarn Cakes

All you need is some yarn, a yarn needle and a yarn winder. Making your own yarn cakes is not as hard as you’d think! My 8 year old helped me out with this tutorial. In truth all I did for him was to complete the Russian Joins.

1. Select which colors you’d like to use in your yarn cake.

Selecting Yarn Colors to Make a Yarn Cake

2. Decide the order in which you’d like the colors.

Planning Colors Learning How to Make a Yarn Cake

3. Start winding the first with your yarn ball winder. (here’s a great article if you’re unsure which one you need!)

Winding Colors to Make a Yarn Cake

4. When you get to the end (or whenever you want to change colors) make a Russian Join.

How to Make a Russian Join Step 5

5. Continue winding with the new color until you’re ready to change again.

Changing Colors when Making Your Own Yarn Cakes

6. When you get to the end (or where you want to change colors) make a Russian Join.

Making Your Own Yarn Cakes with Russian Join

7. Continue winding the yarn with the new color until you’re ready to change again.

Rinse and repeat until desired cake size is reached!  My 8 year old is a yarn winding professional, and my 10 year old told him that his yarn cake looks like sushi! Hey, I’d eat it. 😛

How to Make a Yarn Cake Tutorial

And then there’s the look of pure joy on little man’s face! ♥ I’m fairly certain that’s the look on MY face when I reorganize my stash. 😉 Bahaha!!

Crochet Tutorial How to Make Your Own Yarn Cakes

When you make your own yarn cakes, be sure to share a photo with me on our Facebook page, or tag me @HeartHookHome on Twitter or Instagram!

More crochet tips and tutorials:

Russian Join Tutorial for Crochet and Knitting
How to Keep Straight Edges in Crochet
Choosing the Best Yarn Ball Winder for Your Needs
5 Reasons You Should Time Yourself While Crocheting
How to Add a Border in Crochet

Crochet Tips & Tutorials, Hook, Tutorials how to make yarn cakes, how to wind yarn cakes, make yarn, yarn, yarn cakes

Comments

  1. Cristy says

    December 22, 2020 at 10:59 am

    Thank you so much great idea and I just won my spinner for marlybird ! Thank you
    Reply
  2. Renee Middleton says

    November 28, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    Thanks so much. I just ordered your winder!
    Reply
  3. Sally says

    March 14, 2019 at 7:37 am

    $75.00 is a little too much for me to spend right now,what would be your second choice. Thank you.
    Reply
  4. Nancy says

    December 26, 2018 at 12:19 am

    I love your website. I feel empowered now. I couldn’t believe I read right about making your own cakes!i stopped everything and read! I hope I can sleep tonight! I have a question, no laughing, the 2nd part of #7, it says ‘rinse and repeat’. Did I miss something? Maybe it’s wind? I have a wider, now to learn the Russian join! Thanks!
    Reply
  5. Kari Walker says

    September 14, 2018 at 6:00 pm

    Do you know where I can find directions to make a yarn winder? I found some but can not find them again, I need help Thanks in advance
    Reply
    • Ashlea says

      September 19, 2018 at 10:57 am

      Hi! I've never actually made a yarn winder myself, just the cakes. I do have a post about winders though, if that helps? https://hearthookhome.com/best-yarn-ball-winder-for-your-needs/
      Reply
  6. Terrandajo says

    March 14, 2018 at 11:36 pm

    Thanks - great idea..I have lots of yarn that only a little bit was used for project, this might be a good way to combine them. Your helper did a great job too! Can you tell me about your wall of yarn cakes? Looks very organized and accessible - thanks again!
    Reply
    • Heart Hook Home says

      March 15, 2018 at 9:39 am

      Hi Terrandajo! You can find the yarn wall tutorial here: http://hearthookhome.com/inexpensive-and-easy-yarn-organization-wall/
      Reply
  7. Susan says

    June 15, 2017 at 7:46 am

    Fantastic tutorial, with your most excellent assistant, on making yarn cakes. My 7th grade history teacher, Mrs. McCoy, told us that you will learn something new every day....true that!
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

beard

Hi! I’m Ashlea, the Kansas mom, and wife, that runs this crochet, food, and heart (CHD) blog.  I am a frugal, yarn loving crochet addict that enjoys good food and fine wine – or an occasional whiskey. 😉 Read more about me here and see my favorite Amazon products here.

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

SEARCH

Support Heart Hook Home

I was asked recently if there was an easy way to support the Heart Hook Home blog without spending an extra dime. The answer is a resounding YES! See the list here.

I love to share my knowledge and ideas, and I love that YOU love them enough to share them as well! You are free to sell products made from my patterns, all I ask is that you do not use my images to represent your work and that you link back to my pattern in your listings.

Want to share my content on your blog/social media? Thank you! Please see my Terms of Use before doing so.

Here are my privacy policy and disclosure policies.

Instagram

© Copyright 2021 Heart·Hook·Home · All Rights Reserved · Site Design Carol Jones Media · All Logos & Trademark Belongs To Their Respective Owners·

2296shares
  • 206