How to Draw a Ball of Yarn (Easy Step by Step)
A ball of yarn is a fun drawing for beginners because it starts with just a circle. Curved bands and a few upright strands wrapped around the ball make it look like real yarn, and a little hand, two knitting needles and a curly tail finish the scene.
- Medium
- 15 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a ball of yarn step by step
How to Draw a Ball of Yarn · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The yarn ball
Draw a big round circle in the middle of your page for the ball. Leave a small gap at the lower left, where the hand will go later.
Step 3: Two knitting needles
Behind the top right of the ball, draw two long, slanted sticks side by side. Each stick is a pair of straight lines with a small ring at the top end.
Step 4: Hand and top strands
At the lower left, draw a long, tilted sleeve shape with a rounded hand at the end, holding the ball with two little curved fingers. Then draw two short, curved lines near the top of the ball, running from the top edge downward.
Step 5: Upper yarn bands
Draw two curved lines across the top half of the ball, bending the same way as the round shape. They cross the two strands from the last step and end at the edge of the circle.
Step 6: Lower yarn bands
Add a long curved line across the middle of the ball, starting near the hand. Then draw a shorter curved line below it near the bottom of the ball.
Step 7: Two upright strands
On the lower half of the ball, draw two straight-ish lines going up and down. They cross the curved bands and make the yarn look wrapped.
Step 8: The loose tail
From the bottom of the ball, draw a long curly line that swoops down and to the right. Make one small loop and let the end trail off to the right.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your ball of yarn? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a baseball glove or how to draw a golf club and ball next.
Tips for drawing a ball of yarn
- Draw the circle slowly and keep your hand relaxed. If it looks a little lopsided, that is fine, because real yarn balls are not perfect.
- Make the curved bands bow the same way, like the lines on a globe, so the ball looks round instead of flat.
- The hand is the trickiest part. Start with the long sleeve, then add a rounded hand and two small curved fingers pressing on the ball.
Free ball of yarn coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this ball of yarn coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your ball of yarn drawing
Try soft pinks, blues or a rainbow of stripes for the yarn, and a different color for each knitting needle. You can also color the sleeve and the hand to look like a person holding the ball.
Ball of yarn fun fact for kids
Wool yarn is made from the fleece of sheep. The fleece is cut off in a kind of haircut called shearing, and then it is spun into yarn.
Questions about drawing a ball of yarn
What shapes do I need to draw a ball of yarn?
You need a circle for the ball, two long skinny sticks with small rings for the needles, and curved lines for the wrapped yarn. The hand is a rounded shape on a tilted sleeve, and the tail is one swirly line with a loop.
How do I make my yarn ball look round?
Draw each band as a curve that bends the same way as the edge of the circle and ends on the outline. Lines that bend the same way make the ball look round.
How do I make my yarn ball look cuter?
Make the loop in the tail nice and curly and color the yarn in bright, cheerful colors. You can also add a few extra bands to make the ball look fuller.
