I have empty wooden and plastic spools from thread. These are from small sewing machine thread. Does anyone know easy crafts we can do with them? We do missionary work and we try to make things out of trash.
Thanks,
Tee from Lafayette, LA
For the spools that measure the same diameter on the ends, you can simply glue these together to the height you desire for very attractive candle holders (pillars). It is nice to have 3, each a different height arranged in a group. Leave wooden and natural or paint or finish as desired. (02/05/2005)
By wannaquilt2
Stain them with a walnut or dark cherry stain. Let them dry and wax them to give them a bit of a sheen. Hot glue pine cones, nuts, and tiny ribbon bows and some small dried flowers and you'll have beautiful candle holders for Christmas Gifts.
(02/05/2005)
By Annie
In those old wooden thread spools you have a bit of history. They are conversation pieces in themselves.
As to the other ideas may I suggest depending on how many sizes of spools you have the possibility of making a miniature table and chairs. I can recall from my youth, my grandmother made a spinning top out of one. I still can see the YOYO she made me. I never got it to work well but it did work.
Oh and why not Christmas tree ornaments, a bit of paint here and a bit of glitter there. They would be unique.
You could let your children just use them as stack blocks. Maybe make a family game out of them.
The threads on the spools themselves might be woven together into some kind of design of knots.
Possibly make a picture of thread much like the pictures of wire you still find around.
How about fastening a spool to your ceiling fan chain?
Anyway these are just a few ideas. If I had a bag of spools I would probably come up with a hundred more.
Good luck. (02/06/2005)
A loop of 20 or more wooden spools hung at a doorway or on a door will keep out bad luck. (11/15/2005)
By Joe
I can't bear to throw out old wooden spools, so am saving them for just the right project. I plan to use a few as drawer pulls in my sewing room. I recall many years ago, spools cut in half lengthwise and glued onto small boxes, old cigar boxes, perhaps. However, this would destroy the historic value of both. (12/04/2005)
By Eleanor
You can get harden Aida cloth (I don't remember the name for it) and do cross stitch, then attach to the wooden spool. Add a tassel for the hook, maybe some fun ribbon, etc. to hide the seams at the top and bottom and wha-la you have a personalized ornament. I'll be doing that for Xmas in 2006 using people's names. (01/04/2006)
By Michelle
Idea 1:
One cute idea is to make dolls. Instead of beads thread the spools onto embroidery thread, string etc. using 4 strands (two folded in 1/2). Put some wool or colored tread through the top loop for hair. You can also put a longer string tied in a loop through the top loop so the doll can be hung up. Thread one bead on for the head, separate 1 thread on either side for arms and put two spools on them then make a knot. Then 2-3 for the body. Separate the two threads and put two spools on for the legs. Make a knot. Decorate the head with eyes, etc. I've seen this idea on several websites.
IDEA 2: for smaller spools. wind colored embroidery thread around each to cover. Then glue together in different patterns and when glue dries put a pin back on. (01/12/2006)
By Cindy
If they are small sewing spools, wrap a a torn strip of homespun around and tie a bow. Find a candle to fit in the center. Make a little card to attach to it saying something like: "Let your light so shine before men." Matt.5:16, or John 8:12 "I am the light of the world." or use any verse that appeals to you. May God bless you in you mission.
Crystal in SC (01/12/2006)
Have you thought about donating the spools to a nursery school, or nursing home to be painted and threaded through with yarn, and other ways to just do simple crafts for small children or elderly, and disabled folks? We have even painted them and used them to stack, or weave yarn through, and hang up for decoration. Just a thought. (01/13/2006)
By Glinda
My daughter made a photo clip out of them from school. They took the spool and they covered it with tissue paper then they inserted a piece of wire into the hole (so the wire would be standing straight up) then at the top of the wire they looped it around in a circle and they inserted a photo of themselves or a picture that they made. It was really cute! (01/16/2006)
By Kim
Several years ago, at a flea market, I bought a beautiful hand painted wooden spool that had dried flowers glued into the hole in the center. It didn't look like it was hard to do, but they certainly caught my eye as I walked by. I still have it. Hope this helps. (01/19/2006)
By Jayne Pavone
The spools could be used for wheels on a block of wood. Children love making cars or trucks.
Another toy can be made by putting a rubber band through the cotton reel on one end you have a matchstick which holds the rubber band in and on the other side a longer piece of wood which you wind up and it drags on the ground and the spool moves along under its own power.
I have seen dolls or robots made up of spools and plastic bottletops threaded together with elastic they look really good. Good luck. (01/28/2006)
I have painted a snowman face on the smaller thread spools and attached orange clay (the kind you bake) for a nose. I used jute cord running through the center to hang it from and tied a piece of homespun to the top. Cute ornament.
I've also used the spools in felted wool garlands. I felted wool sweaters and cut them into irregular 1" squares and strung them with jute cord and a yarn needle with the spools, wood beads, buttons, and jingle bells. I too love to use items I can recycle in my crafts. (06/13/2006)
By Stacy
My father, (back in the 40s) would paint them bright colors and thread them with rope or twine, for baby rattles. They seemed to love them. (02/13/2007)
By Taffy
I have just made a spare bedroom into my craft room.
I purchased (cheap) printers drawer on eBay and then I took all the wooden spools and stained the tops and bottom all the same and then painted the middles in a whole slew of colors. Then I antiqued all of them and sprayed a sealer on them. I hung the printer's drawer on the wall and then placed all the finished spools in the slots. It looks great. You would think it was real thread. I am very pleased with the results. (05/29/2007)
By baylee
I used 2 spools about 6 inches apart with a thin piece of wood on top of them as a handle on an outside door. That was 20 years ago, and the door handle is still sturdy. (06/10/2007)
By Jan
My mother used to make cars out of the round oatmeal containers (cut out area for seat). She used a straight piece of Tinkertoy for axle and attached wooden spools to end. I don't remember exactly how they were attached, but it's a great memory. (10/08/2007)
By crafty
Take a piece of homespun material, wrap it around the spool and glue it in place. Do several spools, string them on a piece of jute, tie another piece of material in a knot and put in between each spool. Then when you have the length you want make a loop at each end for hanging. These really look nice on a Christmas tree or hanging over your curtains. There's endless uses for these. I hope you like this idea. (01/08/2008)
By Connie
If you still are looking for a fun craft from wooden spools, make topsy-turvy spool dolls. The Carol Duvall show had them today. They are very easy and fun to pass out to children. You will also need 4 beads for hands, 2 large beads for heads, and jute to hold together. Scraps of material for clothes. Very cute and easy. (02/13/2008)
By Bev
Yet, another possibility you can take the wooden or plastic spools and cut them from top to bottom. Lay them lengthwise in a old cigar box creating rows, leaving a small space, then cover the rows with any fabric cast-off you like, creating a ring box. This would work especially well with smaller spools. (08/13/2008)
By em
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