I am a crafter. Mostly, I crochet, although I also knit and weave and collage and enjoy some other crafty activities. As a result of my craft, I have a lot of yarn in my home. Most of it I will use to crochet, of course. However, over the years, I’ve found that yarn can be used in myriad ways. So, I got to thinking, how could I use yarn in the garden? Here are five ways that the frugal material of yarn can add both beauty and function to your gardening:
1. Self-Watering Plants With Yarn
Don’t spend a lot of money on an automatic drip system to water your plants. Instead, use yarn. Real Simple explains that you can place a jar of water near your potted plants. Insert one end of yarn into the jar and the other deep into the soil of the plant. When the plant needs water, it will actually draw what it needs through the yarn from the jar. Amazing, right?!
2. Make Wool Compost
There are many different fiber types when it comes to craft yarn. If you craft with wool, then you have a lot more options in the garden. It’s a natural material that will break down in the environment. It’s safe for your land and your plants. For example, you can actually make a wool compost that works as well as peat does for mulching.
3. Make a Yarn Trellis
There are many different yarn trellis patterns and tutorials. Whether you make a simple yarn grid or a complex crochet trellis, you can use this in your garden to grow your plants vertically. It’s one of the most affordable ways to build up and it’s pretty as well.
4. Decorating the Garden with Yarn
Speaking of pretty, decor is one of the most popular ways to use your yarn in the garden. You can yarnbomb your plants and trees, knit or crochet ornaments to hang in the garden or create an entire little yarn fairy garden. Yarn adds even more color to your garden.
Note that you can also use yarn to label your plants. Assign each plant a specific color of yarn. Tie that color to a plant stake to place in the ground near the seeds for that plant. This is a great way to both decorate your garden with yarn and also remember what you planted where before it starts to grow each season!
5. Plant Holders
You can decorate any of your plant holders, indoor or out, using yarn. You can crochet or macrame hanging baskets to hold pots that you want to keep up off of the floor. Even if you don’t have any specific craft skills, you can wrap yarn around containers or pots of any size to decorate them.
BONUS: Crafting in the Garden
Although I didn’t include it in the main list, I can’t neglect to mention the most obvious way that you can enjoy yarn in your garden. You can take your yarn out into the garden and craft there! Knitting and crochet offer so many health benefits. So does nature. When you combine the two by crafting in the garden, you reap more benefits of each/
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Kathryn Vercillo is a long time writer, crafter and author of several books. A resident of San Francisco, she is committed to helping others explore, articulate and share their own individuals stories. When she’s not evaluating investing opportunities Kathryn is an avid knitter, researcher, and blogger.
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