How to Make Yarn-Wrapped Letters

Personalize your nursery or kid's room with this easy DIY project

By
Kitty Lascurain
Kitty Lascurain Bio Photo
Kitty Lascurain

Kitty Lascurain is a crafting expert and writer with over a decade specializing on family and kids' DIY projects for the home. Her work can be found in Real Simple, Central Florida Lifestyles Magazine, and Military Spouse Magazine.

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Updated on 07/15/20
Yarn-wrapped letters nursery wall art
Photo by Kitty Lascurain
Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Skill Level: Kid-friendly

Add a personalized touch to your baby’s nursery, child's room, or crafting area with this fun and easy yarn-wrapped letter project. This step-by-step, instructional guide will take you through the wrapping process, including some helpful glue tips. You can spell out an entire name, just do initials, or create a single, embellished letter. These lovely yarn-wrapped letters will attract attention and save you a bundle on expensive, store-bought wall art.​ To do it right requires a little time; you can expect to spend at least one hour per letter. You can decorate them, add bows and buttons, or wrap them in whimsical, colorful stripes or even design cool yarn patterns.

Make a plan for how you want to wrap your letters. Decide on the colors you will use and if you plan to mix colors on a single letter or even create an ombre effect. Some letter shapes may require wrapping in different directions, especially if you plan to cover the entirety of letter. Some letters will need a double wrap, meaning you must wrap the entire letter horizontally and then again vertically to cover the full surface.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Scissors

Materials

  • Colored yarn
  • Crafting glue
  • Wooden or cardboard letters (8-inch)
  • Hot or cold glue gun (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wrap and Glue

    Using a substantial amount of glue, glue and wrap the end of your yarn to the backside of your letter, placing it as close as possible to the edge. Wait for the glue to dry completely, ensuring a good strong bond before continuing to wrap.

    Do not pull the string tightly as you wrap. The yarn will stretch as you pull it, and when you let go, the yarn will retract, causing it to separate from the glue. Wrap and set each new string snuggly against the previous string. For the first few rows until your wrap is well established, apply glue on all sides. After the first few rows, apply glue only to the backside. Make sure your anchor string does not start slipping off the edge as you work. If the yarn edge starts to come off, glue it on again, wait for it to dry, and resume.

  2. Let it Dry Completely

    Once you've wrapped the entire letter once, use your scissors to cut your yarn and secure it to the edge by gluing it down on all sides, just as you did when establishing the wrap. Let the glue dry thoroughly.

  3. Wrap Again or Stop There

    You can decide to wrap on a second layer. With a second layer, you can introduce a new color or make yarn patterns with a second layer on top of the base layer. If you are happy with one layer, you can stop there.

  4. Add Decorations

    Optionally, if you want to kick up your design a notch, you can glue on embellishments like beads, flowers, and other fun decorations to the letters. Hot or cold glue guns work best for heavier objects.

Tips on Glueing

If you decide to do a second layer of yarn, sometimes yarn does not particularly stick well to itself, so you may have some problems with it staying put. It is essential to thoroughly let it dry before you start a second layer. You can also try using a hot or cold glue gun, but it might be a little messier. Also, young children should not use hot glue guns. They can get burned. Supervise older children until you are sure they know how to use glue guns properly.

To prevent a sticky glue nightmare, work in small sections, gluing as you go. Use as little glue as possible. Crafting glue usually dries clear, but if you use too much glue, it gets absorbed into the yarn and can create a discolored patch. Also, alternate where you put your dot of glue; this will prevent blobs of glue from forming in one area.