Yarn Covered Hangers

So, you know all of those ugly wire hangers you get from the drycleaners?  What do you do with them?  Do you just use them and try to ignore their ugliness, or perhaps just throw them away?  Dont' do either!  Here is a fun and easy way to jazz up those old boring hangers!

Step 1: Supplies

Now that you have decided to spice up your hangers, you are going to need some things.

Supplies:

• Wire Hangers - You can probably use other hangers if you like, but this is a nice way to spice up ordinary wire hangers
• Yarn - Bonbons work really well for this project
• Crochet Hook Size G/6 - 4.25 mm
• Yarn Needle
• Fabric Glue

Why Wire Hangers?

1. Wire hangers are nice and thin and have a consistant thickness throughout the whole hanger.
2. Plastic hangers tend to have variations in size, particularly on the two ends, and usually have some different plastic pieces hanging out (those hooks used to hold up those extra loops on dresses).
3. Wood hangers already look nice on their own and are usually not in a circular path - meaning they are usually a wood bar so it would be harder to keep the yarn on without glue.

Step 2: Crochet Version

Supplies:

• Hanger
• Yarn
• Crochet Hook
• Yarn Needle

I particularly like this version of a yarn wrapped hanger.  It's pretty simple to get started.  Follow along with the numbers in the pictures.    This is basic crochet, but you treat the hanger like you would the stitches from the previous row.


Directions:

1. Put a slip knot on the hook - as you normally would.
2. Leaving the yarn on top of the hanger, reach the hook under the hanger and pull the yarn.
3. You now have the original slip knot on the hook and the yarn you just pulled from under the hanger.
4. Yarn over - you now have three looks pon the hook.
5. Pull the 3rd loop through the first two - this leaves you with one loop on the hook and a completed single crochet stitch.

Just keep doing this.  You can choose to do one color, or switch back and forth like I did.  If you want to do this, just start the new color as you would normally in crochet.  Meaning instead of pulling the same color through for step 1 grap the new color and hold the old color against the hanger and treat it like the hanger.  This keeps both colors going so you can easily change from one color to the next without cutting and starting over and over again.

Eventually you will make it back to where you started.  You can choose to end here or keep going.  Once I reached the top of the hanger, I decided to do two single crochet stitches of each color and switch off.  I chose to go to the top of where the two wires twist together.  Once I got to the top I cut the yarn and used the yarn needle to hide the ends.  Once they are all tucked in, cut off the excess.  If you choose to go until you reach the end of the hook of the hanger, you may have to glue it so it doesn't slip off the end.

Step 3: Wrap Version

Supplies:

• Hanger
• Yarn
• Fabric Glue (optional)

This is the tighter version.  This is pretty easy to do and after finally finishing it, I think I got down the best way to do it.

Directions:

1. You are going to start in the same spot as before.  Tie the yarn to one of the sides.  You are going to start on the opposite side you tie too.  This helps, because when you go to wrap, your knot is going to want to slip around it.
2. Now just start wrapping on the other side.  I wrapped around the tail I started with because it is going to be too hard to hide later.
3. If you are choosing to change colors, just knot the new color around the old color when you are ready to switch colors - it might be a little hard to start the new color, but you can do it!  Wrap around the tail of the color you just started so you don't have to hide this one later.
4. Go at it.  I created a nifty little gif below of the technique I used to wrap.  By loosely holding the ball of yarn (these bonbons are very nice for this) hold it in your hand and the hanger and wrap around.  I would usually do this for 5 - 10 wraps and then tighten those, and then do it all over again.

Tips:

• If you use that technique in the gif, you are going to have spaced out loops like in Picture 4.  When this happens hold both yarns tight (Picture 5) and using your other hand, pull those loops next to each other.  Make sure you are holding down the other color tightly or it will bunch up under the color you are currently wrapping.
• Changing Color the Easy Way: Photos 7 - 11 show you the best way to switch between colors.  As in those pictures you have just finished with the dark blue and want to start with the light blue (Photo 7).  (Right handed) With the new color in the left hand and the old in the right, and while holding them tight, twist them around one another one time so they are in the opposite hand (Photo 8).  Now with them twisted, take the old color and hold it down on the wire hanger, you are going to treat it like the hanger and wrap the new color around it (Photo 9).  Now just wrap around the hanger and the old hanger (10 and 11).
• Photo 14 - If you want to use the technique I did in the gif, you need to make sure your little bonbon is wrapped tight without any loose loops.  If there are loose loops, like the dark blue one in the picture, those loop fibers will get wrapped up when you are wrapping on the hanger.  Take my word for it, it's a pain.
• Ending (Photos 12 and 13) - You can, again, go as far as you want with this technique.  I chose to go just above where the beginning and the end meets.  To end it, I took my finishing color and did a simple one stranded knot around the center part of the hanger.  Since you have been wrapping around the other color, (the light blue in my picture) it is safely tucked away and you can just cut the excess off.  This version is really tight so it is difficult to hide the ends with a yarn needle.  If you can, do it.  I couldn't, so I used the fiber glue and just put a bit at the end.  Once it's dry, cut the excess and you're done.

Step 4: Compare

Wow!  Look at that.  All that work and aren't they pretty :)  Now, which version to do?  It's up to you!

Crochet:
Pros- More noticeable finish.
           Fun to do.
Cons- Stitches are loose and move around a lot.
            It is awkward to hold the hanger and crochet.


Wrap:
Pros- Very tight finished product.

Cons- Doesn't stick up much from the hanger.
           (to me) a little more difficult to do.


*Note - Do not put wet clothes on the hangers, the dye from the yarn may transfer.  Though, I haven't tried so it might not.