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5 from 1 vote

How to Make Yarn Pen Art

This yarn pen "painting" hack is great for developing fine motor skills and encouraging imaginative play. Plus, it’s such a satisfying way to "draw" without traditional art supplies!
Active Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Yield: 1 yarn pen art
Author: Debbie Chapman
Cost: $1

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

Step 1: Find what you need

  • Gather your supplies and materials.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-Supplies

Step 2: Create a frame

  • Cut a "picture frame" from a piece of cardboard. Ours has a 4 x 7 inch area to work in, with a 1 inch border, but you can cut yours to whatever size you'd like.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-1
  • Run packing tape across the frame, from one side to the other.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-2
  • Repeat so that the opening is completely covered in tape.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-3
  • Now flip the frame over so that the sticky side of the tape is facing up.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-4

Step 3: Prepare the pen

  • Take apart a ball point pen, removing the lid, end cover, and ink. Set those to the side and keep the pen "body" and tip.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-5
  • Feed yarn down through the pen from the top.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-6
  • Then pull the yarn through the tip of the pen.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-7
  • Screw the tip back onto the pen, and you're ready to make some yarn pen art!
    Yarn-Pen-Art-8

Step 4: "Draw" with the pen

  • Use the pen to "draw" with the yarn. The yarn will stick to the tape as you move your hand.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-9
  • When you're happy with what you've drawn with one colour, cut the yarn close to the tape.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-10
  • Remove the first yarn from the pen and feed in a different colour. Continue to make shapes across the tape.
    We found that rounded shapes stuck a lot easier to the tape compared to sharp angles.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-11
  • Repeat, adding another colour or two, until you're happy with your design. You can also go back to previous colours, adding them in different areas.
    Yarn-Pen-Art-12
  • Your yarn pen art is complete!
    Yarn-Pen-Art-13
  • Have fun making different designs and using different colours to create funky abstract "paintings!"
    Yarn-Pen-Art-14

Video

Notes

Looking for more yarn art ideas for kids? Here's a few of our favourites:
DIY Yarn Art
Yarn Spiderweb
Handprint String Art