What to Make With Aldi Yarn: Crochet Ideas for Aldi Baby Yarn
It happened again. Aldi brought out the yarn, it was ridiculously cheap, and somehow several balls of it ended up coming home with you.
Now comes the important question: what can you actually make with Aldi Baby Yarn?
If you’ve picked up some of the chunky chenille Baby Yarn from an Aldi Specialbuys event, this page is for you. I’ll be adding crochet ideas here as I try the yarn with different patterns, so you can turn that bargain yarn haul into something suitably squishy.
Bookmark this page – I’ll add more Aldi yarn crochet ideas whenever I get my hands on new colours and put them to the test.
What Is Aldi Baby Yarn Like?
Aldi Baby Yarn is a soft, chunky chenille-style yarn. If you’re familiar with plush and blanket yarns, it has that same wonderfully squishy feel that makes this type of yarn so much fun for crochet.
And while “Baby Yarn” might immediately make you think of blankets, it certainly doesn’t have to become one.
Chunky chenille yarn can work brilliantly for amigurumi too, particularly when you want to make a larger, super-soft version of a crochet pattern.
What Can You Crochet With Aldi Baby Yarn?
There are plenty of possibilities for chunky chenille yarn, from blankets and cushions to plushies and oversized amigurumi. I’m particularly interested in that last one.
So, rather than buying the Aldi yarn and allowing it to quietly join the ever-growing yarn stash, I’m putting it to work.
Below you’ll find the projects I’ve tried using Aldi Baby Yarn, along with photos of how they turned out. I’ll keep adding new ideas as Aldi releases more yarn and I experiment with it.
1. A Giant Crochet Octopus
First up: Nautilus the Octopus.
Nautilus was already a pattern that suited plush yarn beautifully, so when I saw Aldi’s chunky Baby Yarn, he seemed like a very good candidate for an experiment.
The result is a big, floppy, wonderfully squishy octopus with long curly tentacles – exactly the sort of project that shows off a chunky chenille yarn.
I think the pale green Aldi Baby Yarn is ideal in this version, and I love how the soft pastel shade works with the oversized design.
Why this pattern works with Aldi Baby Yarn
Using a thicker yarn doesn't mean you necessarily need a pattern specifically written for that yarn. Amigurumi patterns can often be scaled up simply by changing your yarn and hook while following the same stitch counts.
With a chunky blanket-style yarn like this, Nautilus becomes much larger than a version made in a thinner yarn – without having to rewrite the pattern.
It's also a lovely choice if you bought several balls in the same colour and want a project that makes the most of that big, squishy texture.
Make your own: You can find the Nautilus the Octopus crochet pattern in the Crafty Creature Club shop.
More Aldi Yarn Crochet Ideas Coming Soon
This is only the beginning of my Aldi yarn experiments.
Whenever Aldi's yarn event rolls around and I spot a colour or yarn that looks particularly good for amigurumi, I'll be trying it with another pattern and adding the results here.
So if you currently have a bag of bargain yarn sitting beside you and absolutely no idea why you bought quite so much of it... you're in the right place.
Save or bookmark this page and check back for more things to crochet with Aldi yarn.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aldi Baby Yarn
Can you use Aldi Baby Yarn for crochet?
Yes. Aldi Baby Yarn can be crocheted as well as knitted. Its chunky chenille texture makes it particularly suited to soft, squishy projects such as blankets and plush amigurumi.
Can you use Aldi Baby Yarn for amigurumi?
Yes. Chunky chenille yarn can be a great choice for amigurumi. Using a thicker yarn can also turn a smaller amigurumi pattern into a much larger plush without changing the basic pattern.
What can I make with Aldi Baby Yarn?
Chunky chenille yarn can be used for projects including blankets, cushions, soft toys and crochet amigurumi. On this page you'll find projects I've actually tried with Aldi yarn so you can see how the finished crochet looks before choosing your next make.
Can I use Aldi Baby Yarn instead of Bernat Blanket?
Both are chunky chenille-style yarns, so Aldi Baby Yarn can be a great alternative to Bernat Blanket for many projects. However, they aren’t quite the same thickness. You can use Aldi Baby Yarn instead of Bernat Blanket, but I wouldn’t mix the two within the same project, as the difference in yarn size will be noticeable.