Yarn Ball Christmas Decor: 13 Cozy Ideas That Look Like a Boutique Window

Yarn Ball Christmas Decor is the cheapest way I know to make a room feel like a boutique window in December. All it takes is a balloon, a bowl of glue and a skein of yarn you probably already own. One creator’s string ball video on Instagram passed 2 million likes, and it is easy to see why: the finished balls look delicate, cost almost nothing and glow beautifully with a few battery fairy lights tucked inside. Below you will find 13 cozy ideas, from classic ornaments and giant porch orbs to a little yarn snowman, cone trees and gift toppers. Every project uses simple supplies, needs no special skill and can be made at the kitchen table on a quiet evening. Put the kettle on, pick your colors and let’s get wrapping..

Classic Yarn Ball Christmas Decor Ornaments

This is the one that started it all. You blow up a small balloon, wrap it in glue soaked yarn, let it dry and then pop the balloon, leaving a light, lacy ball that holds its shape. The creator behind the viral version, tutacuteart on Instagram, used soft holiday colors, and the result looks like something from a fancy shop. Make five or six in red, white and sage, hang them on a branch and watch guests reach out to touch them. Which three colors would you pick first? Start with those..

You will need: Small round balloons, cotton or acrylic yarn, white school glue, a little water, a bowl, petroleum jelly, thin ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Blow up the balloon to orange size and rub on a thin coat of petroleum jelly. 2. Mix three parts glue with one part water and soak the yarn. 3. Wrap the wet yarn around the balloon in every direction. 4. Dry for 24 hours, pop the balloon, pull it out and tie on a ribbon.

Giant Yarn Ball Christmas Decor for the Porch

Go big and the same trick becomes porch decor that stops people on the sidewalk. Use a large party balloon or a beach ball and chunky white yarn, and your yarn ball Christmas decor turns into airy orbs as wide as a doormat. Set two by the front door on a bed of greenery and slip a strand of battery fairy lights inside each one for a soft glow after dark. They are light enough to move in a minute if the weather turns. Will you put yours by the door or along the steps?

You will need: Large balloons or a beach ball, bulky white yarn, white glue, water, a big tub, battery fairy lights, clear sealer spray (optional).

How to make it: 1. Inflate the balloon and coat it lightly with petroleum jelly. 2. Soak the yarn in the glue mix in a large tub. 3. Wrap generously, leaving gaps, then hang to dry for two days. 4. Pop and remove the balloon, then tuck in the fairy lights through a gap.

A String Ball Snowman for the Mantel

Three yarn balls in three sizes stack into the sweetest little snowman, and he never melts. Make a large, medium and small ball in white yarn, glue them together with a dab of tacky glue and add a scrap of knit or felt as a scarf. Black felt dots make the buttons and a tiny orange felt cone makes the nose. Kids love helping with the face, and he looks just as cute on a desk at work. Who in your house would name him first?

You will need: White yarn, three balloons in different sizes, glue mix, tacky glue, felt scraps in black, orange and red.

How to make it: 1. Make three white yarn balls with the classic method. 2. Press each ball gently flat where they will touch. 3. Glue the stack together and let it set for an hour. 4. Add felt buttons, a felt carrot nose and a scarf.

Yarn Wrapped Cone Christmas Trees

If your yarn stash is overflowing, cone trees are the happiest way to use it up. Wrap paper or foam cones in chunky yarn from the bottom up, and in a few minutes you have a tree with real texture. Mix cream, forest green and soft red for a cozy Nordic look, then glue on small wooden beads for ornaments and a tiny star on top. A row of three in different heights sits perfectly beside your other yarn ball Christmas decor. Which corner of your home needs a little forest?

You will need: Foam or paper cones, chunky yarn in three colors, tacky glue or a low temperature glue gun (adult help), small wooden beads, mini wooden stars.

How to make it: 1. Glue the yarn end to the bottom of the cone. 2. Wrap upward in tight rows, adding dots of glue every few turns. 3. Finish at the tip and tuck the end in. 4. Glue on beads and a star.

Fluffy Pom Pom Garland for the Mantel

Pom poms are the friendliest yarn craft there is: no glue, no drying time and almost impossible to get wrong. Wrap yarn around a fork or a pom pom maker, tie it in the middle, cut the loops and fluff. Make two dozen in cream, cherry red and sage, then string them on twine with a big needle. Drape it across a mantel or shelf and it softens the whole room. Could you finish one while watching a holiday movie tonight?

You will need: Yarn in three colors, a fork or pom pom maker, sharp scissors, jute twine, a large blunt needle.

How to make it: 1. Wrap yarn about 80 times around a fork. 2. Tie it tightly in the middle with a short piece of yarn. 3. Cut the loops on both sides and trim into a round ball. 4. Thread the pom poms onto twine, spacing them a hand width apart.

Candy Stripe Yarn Ball Christmas Decor Centerpiece

A bowl of red and white yarn balls on the dining table looks like a jar of peppermints, minus the sticky fingers. Wind red and white yarn together around old plastic ornaments or foam balls for a perfect candy stripe, then pile them in a wide white bowl with eucalyptus and pine. This yarn ball Christmas decor costs a few dollars and stays pretty all season. Swap the greenery each week to keep the table smelling like the woods. Ready to raid the yarn basket?

You will need: Old plastic ornaments or foam balls, red and white yarn, tacky glue, a wide bowl, eucalyptus and pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Hold red and white strands together. 2. Dab glue on the ball and start winding at one side. 3. Keep winding in neat rows until it is covered, gluing the end. 4. Fill the bowl and tuck greenery between the balls.

Knit Covers for Plain Old Baubles

Tired plastic baubles get a second life when you dress them in knit. Small Fair Isle style covers in red and white turn a cheap ornament into something that feels like it came from a Christmas market in the Alps. If you knit, a simple tube on small needles does it. If you do not, cut the cuff off an old patterned sweater or sock and gather it at the top. They look lovely on the tree and on gift bags. Do you have an old sweater ready to give up its sleeves?

You will need: Plain round ornaments, an old patterned sweater cuff or knitting yarn, a yarn needle, scissors, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Cut a tube from a sweater cuff a little longer than the ornament. 2. Slide the ornament inside. 3. Gather the bottom with a running stitch and pull tight. 4. Gather the top around the hanger and add a ribbon loop.

Yarn Tassel Garland in Jewel Colors

Tassels are pure joy on a string. Each one takes about three minutes, and a garland of fifteen brings instant warmth to a doorway, a bookcase or the back of a chair. Rich jewel shades like mustard, berry, teal and navy feel festive without being too Christmas, so it can stay up right through winter. This is also a good project to share with older kids, since there is nothing hot or sharp beyond scissors. How many colors can you find in your yarn box?

You will need: Yarn in five or six colors, a piece of cardboard about 5 inches wide, scissors, cotton cord for hanging.

How to make it: 1. Wrap yarn 30 times around the cardboard. 2. Tie the top loop with a short strand. 3. Cut the bottom loops and wrap a strand around the neck a few times. 4. Trim the ends and tie each tassel onto the cord.

Woven Wall Hanging in Winter White

A small woven wall hanging is the grown up cousin of the string ball, and it adds texture where a print would look flat. Weave cream yarn on a simple cardboard loom, add rows of knots and loops, and finish with a fringe. Keep it all white for a snowy look or slip in a few rows of red to match the rest of your yarn ball Christmas decor. Hung on a wooden dowel above a bench or bed, it looks like a costly boutique find. Which wall in your home feels a bit bare?

You will need: A sturdy piece of cardboard or a small frame loom, cream yarn, a little red yarn, a large needle, a wooden dowel.

How to make it: 1. Cut notches along two edges of the cardboard and wind the warp threads. 2. Weave over and under with the needle, pushing rows down. 3. Add loop or knot rows for texture. 4. Slide it off, tie it to the dowel and trim the fringe.

Mini Yarn Ball Christmas Decor Branch

Not every tree needs to be a tree. A single bare branch in a tall glass vase, hung with dozens of tiny yarn balls, makes modern yarn ball Christmas decor for an entryway or kitchen counter. Wind yarn around itself into grape sized balls, add a thread loop and hang them at different heights. It is a lovely way to use up the small ends left from bigger projects. Could you go for a winter walk this weekend and bring home the perfect branch?

You will need: A bare branch, a tall vase with pebbles or sand, yarn scraps in four colors, sewing thread, a needle.

How to make it: 1. Wind yarn around two fingers, slide it off and keep winding into a small ball. 2. Tuck the end in with a needle. 3. Thread a loop through each ball. 4. Hang them from the branch, mixing colors as you go.

Yarn Wrapped Stick Stars

Craft sticks or thin twigs become rustic Scandinavian stars when you wrap them in yarn. Glue five sticks into a star shape, then wind yarn around each arm until the wood disappears, or leave a little showing for a natural look. Hang a row of them from a birch branch above a table and they twirl gently every time the door opens. They also make sweet tags tied onto presents. Will you go all red, or mix three colors?

You will need: Craft sticks or straight twigs, tacky glue, yarn in red, cream and sage, scissors, a branch for hanging.

How to make it: 1. Glue five sticks into a star and let it dry flat. 2. Tie yarn to one point. 3. Wrap each arm tightly, crossing at the center. 4. Tie off, add a hanging loop and repeat.

Stitched Heart Garland Strung on Yarn

Little stuffed hearts embroidered with simple red snowflakes feel like grandma made them, and they are easier than they look. Cut two felt or linen hearts, stitch a few red lines in a star pattern, sew the edges and add a pinch of stuffing. String them on cream yarn and lay the garland along a windowsill or holiday table next to your yarn ball Christmas decor. Make extra and tuck one into each Christmas card envelope. Who would you love to surprise with one?

You will need: Cream felt or linen, red embroidery floss, a needle, fiberfill, cream yarn, scissors, a paper heart template.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut two hearts per ornament. 2. Stitch a simple snowflake on the front with red floss. 3. Sew the edges with a running stitch, stuffing as you close. 4. Thread the hearts onto yarn with a needle.

Yarn Ball Christmas Decor Gift Toppers

Here is the easiest way to make cheap kraft paper look expensive: skip the store bow and top each present with a handmade pom pom or mini yarn ball. Tie the gift with red and white baker’s twine, then knot a fluffy red pom pom on top. It feels personal, it is free if you have yarn, and people often keep the topper as an ornament. Wrap a whole stack with yarn ball Christmas decor on top and your gift pile will look like it came from a boutique. Which present will you wrap first?

You will need: Kraft paper, red and white twine, tape, finished pom poms or mini yarn balls, pine sprigs (optional).

How to make it: 1. Wrap the gift in kraft paper. 2. Tie it with twine in a cross. 3. Knot a pom pom onto the twine at the center. 4. Tuck a small sprig of pine under the twine.