I love the different textures and 3D elements showcased by DIY yarn wall hangings. They're beautiful and strange-looking, and there are so many ways to make (or hack) them.
This particular method combines scrap yarn with cross stitch (one of my very favorite ways to create).
You will need:
- An embroidery hoop (I used a 5" one)
- Cross stitch fabric (I used Aida 14-count [affiliate link])
- Scrap yarn
- A cross stitch needle [affiliate link]
- Graph paper (optional)
I started by printing a sheet of free graph paper, and plotting out by hand the rough triangle design I wanted to stitch. This step is optional, but I found it helpful to have a guide.
My design counted 35 squares across at its wide beginning. I cut 43 long-ish pieces of yarn (8 pieces, of the larger chunkier yarns, would overlap the others), and laid them out in the order I wanted.
Then I started stitching. In that first row, each "X" attaches a piece of yarn snugly to the cross stitch fabric, wrapping it first one way, then the other.
Again and again, the yarn lines up in columns.
If you decide to layer a larger piece of yarn, it might be helpful to peek underneath and make sure you're still making that one small, tidy "X" rather than bridging two or more squares.
My stitching got a little messier as I worked. The embroidery thread gathered yarn fibers as it passed around the strands. I lifted up the navy blue and the light gray pieces (weight: super chunky, I believe) and flipped them over the top of the hoop to keep them out of the way (once they'd been stapled down by the first row of stitches), and continued according to the pattern sketch.
The scariest part came when the stitching was finished. I kept reminding myself I could always cut off more when trimming, but I couldn't add anything back. I hung the hoop on the wall and made cautious snips both above and below the stitches, combing out the yarn with my fingers, until it looked right.
After squinting over the tiny stitches during the evening hours I spent working on this project, it was a relief to back up and look at it as one piece, and I discovered it looked much better than I'd thought it would!
I love the wall hanging's tactileness (tactility?), and the organization lent to the piece by the white grid of the cross stitch fabric. These colors are perfect for our bedroom, so I think it will live there.
