Casting on, purling, and cabling are some of a crafter's prime joys, but that joy can quickly turn sour when one is faced with impossible tangles and skeins that seem to multiply (and run loose!) like rabbits. Here are several storage solutions to help knitters and crocheters maximize the delight of the craft while keeping organizational frustrations at bay.

For those with plenty of space to spare, a specialized piece of furniture can help with yarn organization. One clever solution is to repurpose a cabinet intended for wine storage, as shown in Image 2. The small cubbies make it a cinch to keep your skeins separate. If you don't have money for a new piece of furniture, consider outfitting a bookcase with shelf inserts to make smaller cubbies, as in Image 3, or purchase inexpensive shoe cubbies and stack them.

There's also the ever-popular cube shelving (Image 5), offered by the IKEA Expedit, other laminate cubes, or modular metal systems. If you're having trouble keeping these larger shelves tidy, consider subdividing your stash and putting several skeins in clear freezer bags, which you can then store more efficiently. Or you could purchase a number of magazine holders as a economical means of organization (Image 6).

If you have a small stash, there are several unique storage options available. Lee from Leethal! transformed her stash into wall art by using old coffee cans and contact paper to create pigeonholes (Image 7). You could also use an over-the-door organizer to keep small collections out of sight (image 8), or maximize the colorful potential of your yarn by storing it in a giant glass vessel, like Blair of Wise Craft (Image 9). There's also always the tried-and-true option of recruiting a number of decorative bins and boxes that fit with the rest of your decor, although ensuring visibility is key so you're not pawing through the bin every time you search for something (Image 1). My personal favorite is the metallic pandan bin from Serena and Lily.

Have you come up with any other ways to efficiently manage your stash?

(Images: 1) Harvest Textile Studio, 2) Prudent Baby, 3) My Aim is True, 4) The New York Times, 5) The Loopy Ewe, 6) Laughing Purple Goldfish Designs, 7) Leethal!, 8) Everyday Originals, 9) Wise Craft)

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