Easy Knitting with Straws

Have you ever made a scarf by using straws before?

Straw knitting with straws for tweens

Yes, straws—you know the big smoothie or Boba straws!

I’m not crazy. I’m telling you, it’s easier than you may think. And the best part is that it is perfect for tweens to try. I know I amazed my girl when I showed her how to do it.

How to knit an easy scarf with straws DIY

I used big straws, the thick kind without any bendy part in them. As you can see, I found this bag at Big Lots for less than $2.

Then I used really thick fluffy yarn to make a fluffy hand knit scarf.

Knitting with big straws

First step is to turn your straws into knitting needles—not the traditional type of needles, but more like weaving needles.

I used the tip of my X-ACTO knife to create a slit at the end of my straws on the front and back. Make sure your slit it towards the bottom, but doesn’t go all the way to the edge. The slit is where you will put your weaving strings into.

How to make homemade knitting needles with straws

Cut a long piece of yarn DOUBLE the length that you want your scarf or knitted item.

You will need one long strand of yarn per straw.

How many straws do you need?

As many as you want, but also as many as you can hold in one hand.

String your long strands of yarn on on each of your straws like this:

easy knitting with homemade knitting needle using a big straw

Now, this is where the magic happens.

When you have all the straws you want ready and with weaving yarns attached, tie the end of your yarn ball to one of them. Then, simply weave the yarn in and out, over and under, making your way up your straws.

Easy Knitting with Big Straws DIY

Keep pushing your yarn down to create a compact woven pattern. Soon you will be able to push your woven yarn straight off the bottom of the straws onto your weaving strands attached to the straws.

I like to keep a couple inches of woven yarn at the bottom of the straws while I’m knitting. It helps hold the straw knitting apparatus in place while you keep weaving and pushing down, weaving and pushing down.

Just make sure to leave about 6-8 inches as the bottom of your straw yarn strands to finish off your piece.

It doesn’t seem like it should work, but it does. Trust me.

Easy Knitting with Big Straws Tutorial

This is what an up close detail looks like:

knitted scarf detail from big straws

You can also use different colored yarn, but cutting an end of one yarn and tying another onto it. Then just continue to weave in and out, over and under your straws.

Multicolored straw knitting tutorial

When your scarf is long enough, push off your woven bundle completely off the straws and tie off the end of the yarn to one of your weaving strands.

easy knitting DIY with big straws

Cut off the end near the straws and knot them together too to secure your woven masterpiece.

Finishing off your homemade straw knit scarf

I’m not kidding, making this scarf took less than an hour and my tween was happy to try it herself.

You can wear your creation as a fluffy fashionable scarf…

Easy Homemade Scarf Idea for Tweens

…or we made a smaller one and tied it together to make a knitted head wrap.

Homemade headscarf DIY for kids

Lovely!

Enjoy and happy crafting!

 

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Pauline Molinari

I'm the crafty maven, and I'm on a mission to spread craftiness. With a fine arts degree, over 15 years experience in children's publishing, and a savvy, stylish, sassy tween daughter, I come armed with perspective and passion to inspire tween girls and their mothers to be crafty together. 

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  12 comments for “Easy Knitting with Straws

  1. Jessica
    March 12, 2014 at 9:05 pm

    I learned to do this about a year ago. Can’t wait until my boys are coordinated enough to try it.

    • March 13, 2014 at 8:49 am

      Thanks Jessica for the comment! Yeah, this knitting (or weaving) can be easily done once you can manage holding the straws (or homemade knitting needles). I know your boys are certainly going to be crafty and creative seeing as you are their mama. = )

  2. Linda
    October 18, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    Such a clever idea! I have a granddaughter that I am certain will enjoy this. (I will too!) Thanks for sharing.

  3. Kaci
    November 9, 2014 at 7:18 am

    I am making a scarf as we speak and my 9 year old and I are taking turns weaving. It is taking us a lot longer than an hour though. I actually bought a dowell rod and had my husband cut it into 4 equal pieces in length and then he cut a notch in the end of each for the thread to be held. It works perfectly and is a little more sturdy than the straws. I’m going to do this with my Girl Scout troop.

  4. Carla
    January 3, 2015 at 12:27 am

    This is REALLY cute! It would also be a great way for kids to learn how to make things for charity. In fact, since you’ve bright this back to my attention, I may do a few for our blanket ministry, at church (we do way more than blankets – it’s about blanketing the world with love in practical ways )

    P.s. One thing, though – this is a weaving technique – not knitting.

    • February 7, 2015 at 12:00 pm

      Hi Caria, Thanks for the great comment. You are right, this is technically weaving. = )

  5. bonnie
    January 18, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    WOW, this is so cute, can’t wait to try it and show it to my daughter.

  6. Arlene
    January 19, 2015 at 4:43 pm

    This is actually called stick weaving, not knitting at all. You do have a great tutorial here for the project, thanks!

    • January 19, 2015 at 8:10 pm

      You are right, I took a little liberty in my wording. It felt like knitting to me because of the cool scarf that it produced. = )

  7. February 5, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    This looks like a fun project for me and my daughters. I haven’t seen anything like it before. Thanks for sharing!

  8. Dawn
    February 5, 2015 at 6:42 pm

    This is awesome. I have one question. I understand threading a long yarn through the bottom of each one, however I don’t understand how the ball of yarn is attached. Could you please explain?
    Thanks.

    • February 7, 2015 at 12:02 pm

      Hi Dawn,
      Thanks for the great comment. Each of the straws, yes, gets a length of yarn strung on the bottom of each straw. Then the ball of yarn is woven through the straws to create the woven creation. Hope that makes sense.
      Happy crafting!
      Pauline

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