The Eternal Question - What Can I Do with All of this I-Cord?

Knitting i-cord can be a relaxing, almost therapeutic, pastime. Before you know it, you might be drowning in yards upon yards (okay that might be an exaggeration) of cord in varying lengths, width, and weights. What can you do with all of that gorgeous, yarny potential?

I have asked myself that question so many times that I decided I had to do some research to collect all the ideas I could, put them in one convenient place, and organize them for easy use. So that's what I did here. Whether you knit it, crochet it, make it on a knitting nancy, your fingers, a lucet or some other method, you've probably fallen in love with a yarn and wound up with extra i-cord. So I'm sharing this collection of web-based tutorials for how to use i-cord with you. I hope you find some inspiration like I did!

Each photo on this page is credited to its source. This photo of a scarf I made is my own.

Think Outside the Tinsel

Make memories this year by knitting your own (heirloom) garland. Knit lots. Load up your tree with the color(s) of your choice. Make it cute! Create a conversation piece.

Involve Children - Children can be great knitters, and they'll remember the time you all hung out and knitted that garland together.

To learn more, visit Wee Folk Art and their Tree Garland tutorial page.

And for the Other Seasons of the Year...

• Valentine's Day Heart Wreath (Sweet Yarns)
  Learn about how to create a heart-shaped frame for your i-cord to follow. This page also includes ideas for embellishments too.
• St. Patty's Four-Leaf Clovers (radmegan)
  I have never tried fork knitting, but it sounds easy and I look forward to trying it to create these quick and easy four-leaf clovers (or I might just use the old tried and true method of spool knitting).

Felted I-Cord for a Different Feel

Have you ever noticed that i-cord projects can look like i-cord projects? They can be pretty easy to pick out for people who have ever done spool knitting or anything similar. Felting changes everything!

For example, I have made spool knit necklaces with wool and loved the results. I stitched beads to the ends to dress them up and the results are lovely. I really like knitting with wool and I love the look of it when it's felted.

Another great example is Live in Art who created these beautifully felted bangles and has shared a tutorial with us that takes us through the whole process from knitting to felting. I can tell you that I will be making many of these for myself and for gifts!

• I-Cord Bracelets (Cut Out and Keep)
  Three strands of i-cord in complementary colors tied together with a clever embellishment... these are beautiful! Scroll down on the page for the full tutorial.
• Easy I-Cord Headbands (Cut Out and Keep)
  This sweet simple project will have little girls in matching headbands for a long time.
• Garment Edging (Yarnings)
  Fairly self-explanatory, this page shows how i-cord can be used for garment edging and beautiful button loops.
• Spool Knit Inifinity Scarf (AcornOakForest)
  Learn how to make an infinity scarf (like the one in the intro photo) with three possible ways to finish it.

Never Lose or Tangle Your Earbuds Again

This is more than just a craft. It's a crafty solution to a problem that anyone who has ever used earbuds has had. Tangled earbuds can be frustrating as they knot themselves up right after you set them down. The rubber coating sticks to itself making it that much harder to untangle. And that's all if you can find them.

I-cord to the rescue!!!

BeeClef, a contributor on Craftster, provides a video tutorial of how to make this earbud cover with the yarn and color(s) of your choice.

My only regret... it's a knitting needle tutorial and doesn't use a spool knitter. I may have to learn to make i-cord with knitting needles just so I can do this.

• Knitted Coaster Shapes (Salihan Crafts)
  Get outside the round for coasters! This tutorial shows you how to design your own shapes (leaves, hearts, and more) for coasters made with i-cord.
• Mug Cosy (Instructables)
  And to keep your mug warm to go with all those coasters, here's a cute and clever pattern for a mug cozy that buttons onto the handle so it stays in place. Super cute!

Better Than Store Bought

Imagine you have found pillows at a local shop and they're the perfect color, but they're still a little plain. How could you spruce them up? How could you make them pop while keeping them comfortable to use?

I-cord is the answer!

Nicky Epstein from Vogue Knitting provides three great pattern ideas to dress up plain pillows and make them really something special.

I love how these three pillows come together as accents!

• Braided i-cord rug (Simply Playing)
  Take your i-cord, braid it, and make a traditional braided rug. This tutorial will get you there with photos and brief explanations.
• Chair Pad (Leftover Knits from Morehouse Farm)
  Did you know you could knit with i-cord? Or weave with it? You could choose to do either or both to create a soft, comfortable chair pad. Check out the detailed tutorial here.

Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better (With I-Cord)

Not only do I love dragonflies, I love that this pattern sets me free in a whole new realm. What do I mean, you ask? It never occurred to me that anything I can do with paracord, I can also do with i-cord.

There are tons of patterns out there for paracord - from bracelets to things like this cool Knotted Dragonfly.

So when I'm done here, I think I'll be off to look up more patterns for paracord to make using i-cord.

• Sally the I-Cord Snake (Just Be Crafty)
  Sally the i-cord snake is cute with a flat head, bright eyes, and a little red tongue. A quick fun project!
• Caterpillar & Butterfly (Parenting Fun Everyday)
  This cute caterpillar and butterfly tutorial can also be a teaching tool for talking about the transformation of these beautiful creatures.
• Cool Lizard (Instructables)
  I think my favorite part of this i-cord project is the giant eyes. There's a lot to love about this cool lizard!

My Favorite I-Cord Knitting Tool - A Knitting Nancy

While other people may find knitting or crocheting quicker and easier, I lack the finger coordination to do either one particularly well. That's why I love my knitting nancy.

I Hope You Found Some Inspiration for What to Do with I-Cord! Let Me Know Your Ideas with a Comment.

Monica Lobenstein (author) from Western Wisconsin on September 14, 2014:

@favored, I'm so glad you found some ideas you liked. Hopefully this collection inspires some of your own too!

Fay Favored from USA on September 14, 2014:

I never thought about making crafts like this until I saw your title. The dragonfly craft is cute and I can see how you can use this idea for making tons of things.

erleneamat on July 30, 2014:

This is another neat craft that I haven't heard of. I like the use of this on pillows. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.

Jenn Dixon from PA on July 30, 2014:

I actually use them to make jewelry!

Heidi Vincent from GRENADA on July 20, 2014:

Great i-cord ideas!

Marie on July 18, 2014:

I like the idea of decorating a Christmas tree with this, great ideas :)

Susan Deppner from Arkansas USA on July 18, 2014:

Cool crafts!