Bamboo Yarn Bowl

So your girlfriend likes knitting things and x-mas is coming soon? Making her a beautiful bamboo yarn bowl that keeps the yarn from getting entangled and unrolls the yarn would be a nice option.


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Materials needed

- wooden bowl (I used a bamboo bowl from Ikea)
- Dremel with a wood milling bit
- small wood drill bit that fits into your Dremel
- Sandpaper stripes
- Dremel polishing bit
- Beeswax block
- Two really steady hands!

Step 1: Drawing the Pattern

I used an Ikea Blanda Matt bowl (20 cm diameter) that is made of bamboo. This material is rather hard but really nice to work with. However, it tends a bit to splintering. You can think of your own pattern or use the one I've used. Just take a waterproof pen, put the bowl bottom side up on a table and draw the pattern on the wood.

Step 2: Cut Out the Basic Shape

I used the plastic and wood milling bit of my Dremel to cut out the basic shape. However, you have to grip the Dremel really hard to keep it from going it's own way. Don't try to get too close to your painted lines or you will have to adapt your pattern. The fine tuning comes in the next step.

Step 3: Fine-cut

I used a wood drill bit to fine-cut the remaining material away. You can use it the same way as the milling bit, but it works much slower, thus giving you time to react. Try to get all the material away that lies between your Dremel and the line you've drawn. 

Step 4: Sand Down the Edges

Use the sand paper stripes to smoothen all grooves and round all the edges like shown in the pictures. Since the yarn will be gliding along the cut, you really want it to be smooth.

Step 5: Polish the Edges

Since the sanded cut will be brighter than the treated wood, you have to use a polishing bit to get it darker again. I used a bit of beeswax and the polishing bit to polish the big opening. Since the polishing bit is too wide to polish the small openings, I cut a Q-tip (cotton bud) in half and mounted it on the Dremel. Applying a bit of wax you can now easily reach the small openings.

Step 6: Install the Anti-slippery Rubber

To ensure that the bowl is not shifting on the wooden table, I glued a round piece of rubber to the bottom of the bowl.

Step 7: Your Finished Yarn Bowl

If everything works out fine, you'll have now a really nice gift for your girlfriend. I hope you/she enjoys it!

Comments

[TheHandCraftHob]

AHA! Your girlfriend was making a sock huh?

[blog101]

This is beautiful yarn bowl, I have seen one so much beautiful yarn bowl but some costly on amazon,

https://www.amazon.com/Ravel-Crochet-Knitting-Rosewood-Handcrafted/dp/B078R99WW2

[LM37]

Beautiful bowl! In case anybody is wondering how this works, it keeps the yarn clean and it also keeps it from rolling around. In the original picture, the yarn is shown in a ‘skein’, which is difficult to work from. Most knitters etc. will roll the yarn into a ball. The bowl, thus keeps the ball of yarn from rolling around ;)

[sewtechwayne]

Thank you for the great idea! I found a bowl at a thrift store for $5. I used a coping saw and fine files to create the opening.

[rainingfiction]

Gorgeous

[KiaW2]

Now i want to buy a drill and a dremmel! I think i can... I think i can!

[dtextor]

:D Ikea should really start to sell some bowl/dremel combos.

[KiaW2]

You will be their inspiration.

[Ione]

Oh, my, this is beautiful! Christmas has passed, but I'm going to ask hubby anyway! Thank you for the Instructable!

[Leners]

Made it with a recycled bamboo fiber bowl! thank you!

[Althea MaeH]

cool!! I might make as a gift for my neighbor....

[Zoomthis12]

This is an absolutely lovely piece! I have seen them for sale online for way more than you'll pay for the bowl at IKEA! Who doesn't like to go to IKEA!!!

[dtextor]

Faster with the same bit will likely make it just burn faster. It's not taking away enough material! You can also try to use a small handheld hobby wood saw with those very thin, wire-like blades. Or a new dremel bit that is intended to cut through wood, NOT drill through wood. I hope it works and wish you the best!!

[buildandsewandstuff]

The craft saw with a thin blade is called a "coping saw". It has a very narrow blade and swivels on the ends where you can turn the blade to make curves.

[RCMann54]

Love this!! Can't wait to get Gipetto started on his next project.

[idydstie]

wife's birthday present, check!

[jmsdo]

This is awesome.

[elisegc]

This is awesome. Well done.

[Kara_Aloha]

You, sir, are a freaking genius.

I'll have to see if I can make this with what I have at my apartment. If not I may have a project for my dad. :)

[d_adair9]

Thank you so much for sharing this project. I am an avid crocheter and woodworker, so this is right up my alley. I will be making one of these this weekend.