I get these wonderful shoe bag hangers for cheap at thrift shops. When I wanted to organize all the bigger skeins of yarn in my craft room, I began to save 2 liter bottles.
I then cut the bottom off, just above the fluting. You stick the skein in, feeding the tail through the soda top, and place the bottle bottom back on. If the skein is a bit too long, a bit of tape helps to keep the bottom on. Then, you simply place the soda bottles in the shoe part. You can keep them there till you need them, or work from the lower ones in the middle, moving the colors up and down that you need.
This is a simple and almost free project that will help you keep your yarn clean, organized, and handy. N-JOY!
Source: My own need to stay organized.
By Sandi/Poor But Proud from Salem OR
I have very little storage space and lots of yarn. So, I have to go almost all the way up to the ceiling. When you do that, you lose the ability to know what's in that box or basket.
When using yarn from a skein, you mostly use it from the center of the skein. That is the "norm". When you are winding yarn into a ball, use any button and tie it to the end of the yarn that becomes the middle of the ball.
When making a ball of yarn, secure a button (with a shank) or some other similar item to the end of yarn at the beginning and hold on to it while continuing to wrap the yarn.
I like to store yarn of the same color together. I use those skinny plastic newspaper bags to store yarn that is the same together. I squeeze out all the air and knot the bag.
I went to a local bar and asked for three empty liquor boxes all the same size which have dividers right in them. Then I decorated them with contact paper, and placed them on their sides on a top shelf in my craft room.
I learned this tip from my mother many years ago. Store your skeins of yarn in 2 liter soda bottles. Cut the bottom off, thread the yarn through the top, and tape the bottle back together.
I tried to keep my yarn organized and finally after trying umpteen different methods, decided "forget it!" I donated 5 large leaf bags full and still had lots of yarn left. Now the only time I buy yarn is if I have something specific in mind to make.
I store my yarn in 2 litter soda bottles. Take an empty, clean bottle and remove the lid. Take a knife or large scissors and cut it in half, near the center of the label.
I previously submitted an idea about using oversized shoe bags from thrift shops to store yarn. You can get the kind that are for shoes that are upright and usually clear plastic.
Since I am so thrifty that I purchase all my yarn at thrift stores, I don't usually get full skeins. After being disappointed by running out of yarn during a project, I finally pulled out my food scale and now I weigh my yarn to make sure I have enough for my project.
I like to ball my yarn when I get it. I always save the wrappers to go back for size of skeins, color, or washing instructions. I found though that sometimes I couldn't match up the label with the yarn I was working on until I came up with the idea of how to solve that problem.
I find the best way to keep wool skeins together, tidy, and undamaged is to store them in "under the bed" plastic containers. I lay a small length of each yarn in a zip-lock bag, which I tape to the side of the container to show what is inside.
I keep my supplies of knitting and crochet yarn in the large click zip bags usually used for food storage. I write the ply and date on the white label, and because they are see through I do not have any trouble seeing what is inside, making it easy to select what I need.