Selling Leftover Yarn, Fabric and Craft Supplies: A Step-by-Step Guide
A bag of yarn from a project you never finished. Fabric folded away for a quilt. Paints, beads, scrapbook paper, sewing patterns. Many of us have a closet of craft supplies we no longer use. Other crafters are glad to buy them, and selling them could help cover a bill, perhaps a $15 streaming plan, though results vary and some supplies sell slowly.
Which supplies sell best
Supplies that are clean, new or lightly used, and clearly described tend to attract buyers. Think of what you would want to buy yourself.
- Yarn in full, labeled skeins, especially wool blends and sets of the same color.
- Fabric cut in useful pieces, sold by the yard or in a bundle.
- Sewing patterns still in the envelope, and knitting needles or crochet hooks in sets.
- Beads, buttons and trims sorted by color or type.
- Art supplies that are unopened or barely used.
Skip anything damaged, smelly or from a smoking home, and anything that looks unsafe, such as dried-out glue or old chemicals.
Step 1: Sort and group
Spread everything on a table. Make three piles: sell, give away, keep. Then group items the way a buyer would want them. Ten matching skeins sell better than ten different odds and ends. Check each item for moths, damp or fading.
Step 2: Look at what similar items sold for
Search the item on eBay and choose the filter for “Sold items.” That shows what people actually paid, which is more useful than the asking price. Prices vary a lot, so write down a range and price toward the middle.
Step 3: Choose where to sell
Local: Facebook Marketplace and community boards
Bulk lots of fabric or yarn are heavy to ship, so local pickup can work well. Our guide to safe local pickup and payment explains how to meet buyers sensibly.
Online: eBay
eBay reaches buyers across the country. According to eBay’s selling fees page, most categories carry a final value fee of 13.6% of the total sale, including shipping charged to the buyer, up to $7,500 per item. There is also a per-order fee of $0.30 on orders of $10 or less and $0.40 on orders over $10. The first 250 listings each month are free. The page does not name every category, so check the fee for your category before you list. Fees were as shown when this was written in October 2026 and can change.
For a full walk-through, see Selling on eBay for the First Time.
In person: craft fairs and guild sales
Quilting guilds, knitting groups and church bazaars often hold supply sales. Ask at your local yarn shop, who may also know of buyers.
Step 4: Photos and descriptions
Take photos in daylight near a window, on a plain background. Show the label, the color and the size. Our guide to taking listing photos with your phone can help. In the description, say the fiber content, the amount, the brand if known, and any flaws. Honest descriptions mean fewer returns.
Step 5: Pricing a bundle
Add up what similar lots sold for, then think about fees and shipping. Here is a simple example with made-up numbers, only to show the math. If a lot sells for $30 plus $8 shipping charged to the buyer, eBay’s fee applies to the whole $38, which is about $5.17 at 13.6%, plus $0.40. After fees, you would keep roughly $32.43 of the sale before paying for postage and packing. Your own numbers will differ.
Step 6: Shipping
Weigh the package and price shipping before you list. Yarn and fabric are light but bulky, so a flat-rate box may help. See Shipping a Sold Item Without the Stress.
Taxes and benefits
Selling your own used belongings for less than you paid is usually not taxable income, but selling items regularly for profit can be. The IRS has guidance on what counts as business income, and online platforms may send tax forms above certain sales levels. If you collect Social Security before full retirement age, or receive SSI, Medicaid or housing help, check how regular selling income could affect you. This is general information, so check your own situation. Our post on side income and SSI, Medicaid or housing help is a good place to begin.
Safety
- Meet buyers in a public place, in daylight, and tell someone where you are going.
- Accept payment you trust, such as cash in person. Never accept a check that pays more than the price and ask you to send back the difference.
- Lift heavy boxes of fabric with your legs, or ask a helper.
Where this could lead
If supplies sell well, some people move on to selling finished items. If that interests you, our sister site Garage Business Blueprint has guides for making and selling goods at a larger scale.
More on Replace a Bill
- Getting Ready for a Holiday Craft Fair: A Seller’s Checklist
- Holding a Yard Sale: A Simple Plan From Sorting to Cash Box
- Selling Household Items on Mercari: A Beginner’s Walk-Through
