If you are like me, you love to knit! Which means you are always knitting something new every month or so. Which means, after a year or two, there is a lot of leftover yarn hanging around!

I will just bet that more often than not, you take those loose yarns, and put them away; into storage bins, or closets, or even as adornments in a pretty basket, bookshelf, or container. As time goes by, though, you are running out of room, am I right?

We all love to collect things, only too much yarn equals too much mess. But, there is hope! Following, are 5 tips for using all that leftover yarn in very innovative ways!

#1 - Fringe a favorite lamp. Pick a brilliant color and tie beads to the ends of each strand, then, go ahead, and attach those strands to the lamp. Add as many fringe elements as you please, as long or as short as desired. When finished, you will have a new lamp, not to mention less yarn!

#2 - Knit pockets for items you already have. Long vests, sweaters that came without pockets, even scarves benefit from the addition of pockets. Knit them in the same color or use contrasting colors. You will be surprised at the results.

#3 - Use leftover yarn as gift wrap "ribbon". Use separate yarns, or combine colors for truly creative ways to make a gift more unique! Then, create yarn "bows", too. What, with all the beautiful textured yarns you have stashed away, there are endless combinations of good ideas for gift wrapping! Be creative.

#4 - Knit small bags for all the young daughters, nieces, grand-daughters, and other girls you know. Find those electric blue and hot pink yarns, then add a row or two of fun fur around the top, crochet a long handle, and you have just created a very popular item! Add beads, if you please, or clasps, or old jewelry pins as adornments. You just can't go wrong. Trust me, the minute girls see these items, they want one!

#5 - Organize all those single skeins, and see what colors you come up with. Then, knit up some baby blankets or table runners or bed throws. They may not be as large as traditional afghans, yet they add an extra glow to a room, especially when colors are used in sublime arrangements.

All yarns come in subtle shades that differ from one another; when combining these yarns into a single project, the results can be spectacular! Look for ways to bring colors and yarn texture together in ways you haven't tried before. All those best-selling knitting books....those authors have done exactly that!

So, there you have it! The 5 best tips for using up your leftover yarn! Now, never again will your oddballs be lonely!