Make Knitting Needles out of Bamboo Skewers

I have more than enough knitting needles as it is, but I always wanted to try to make knitting needles. Back when I was making stuff from hardware store finds, I was going to make some needles out of dowels, but I came up with something even easier when we were cleaning out the garage and found a bag of large bamboo skewers.

These are thicker than normal skewers, and they sit solidly at a size US 6/4 mm. They’re perfect to make knitting needles that are actually large enough to use.

What You’ll Need

• bamboo skewers
• knitting needle gauge to make sure you know what size you have
• extra-fine grit sandpaper
• pony beads
• glue (optional)

How to Make Knitting Needles from Bamboo Skewers

Because bamboo skewers already have a point, all you have to do is sand them down so they don’t snag your yarn.

Do the best you can, paying particular attention to the area around the points. Run your hands over the skewers and check for any remaining rough spots and smooth them out.

I slipped a pony bead on the opposite end of each “needle.” This isn’t necessary but does make them look more like knitting needles. If yours aren’t perfectly snug like mine are, add a bit of glue and allow to dry. 

The first couple of rows of knitting will allow you to find all the remaining rough spots, so knit with your sandpaper nearby.

Once you work out all the kinks they’re actually just like knitting with regular bamboo needles, and a lot cheaper.

I don’t know how well they will hold up, but it’s quick and simple to make another pair whenever you need them.

Have you ever made knitting needles before? I’d love to hear what you used and how they turned out.