Nano-sized nickel oxide powders were synthesized by an organic-inorganic solution route employing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as an organic carrier. In this study, it was possible to control the physical properties of the nickel oxide powders by change of the PVA content. The experimental factors, such as the PVA content, heating temperature and time, were studied for the synthesis of nano crystalline powders. Nickel nitrate, (Ni(NO3)2, reagent grade) was used as a source of nickel cation. Once the cation source was completely dissolved in de-ionized (DI) water, 5 wt% PVA solution was added to the sol solution. The resulting gel-type precursors were completely dried and then calcined or crystallized at various temperatures in an air atmosphere in a box furnace. In the high PVA content of 2:1 mixing ratio, nano crystallite nickel oxide powders of below 5 nm in size with a high specific surface area of 151.19 m2/g were obtained at low temperature of 400 degrees C for 1 h. The PVA polymer contributed to homogeneous nickel cations in atomic scale through the fabrication process of the sol precursor. In this paper, the PVA solution technique for the fabrication of nano-sized nickel oxide powders is introduced. The effects of PVA content and heating time on the powder crystallization, morphology and specific surface area are also studied. The characterization of the synthesized powders is examined by using XRD, DTA/TG, TEM and nitrogen gas adsorption.