Stelmo

Hello everyone! I'm so glad I discovered this site. I've inherited a basket full of my grandmother's wooden spools and have some crafty ideas of what to do with them (Christmas ornaments, garland, etc.), but I have a question. This open basket of spools was stashed on a basement shelf and has accumulated years of dust, and probably mouse droppings before I received it. Any ideas on how to clean them?
Thanks a bunch!

J Carol

Welcome from Adrian, MI

Pat M.

Drop them in warm soapy water, it shouldn't hurt them. Swish around and rub off the dirt. Rinse and dry.

Tartan

Welcome from Ontario, Canada. Are they empty spools or still have thread on them? You can just wash them with a little antibacterial soap water if they are empty. If they have dusty thread, I would remove the thread and then wash. If you want to clean them and preserve the thread, I have no idea how to best do that.

kathdavis

My daughter made me this wreath for Christmas this year. I have it hanging on my sewing room door. She got many of the wooden spools on ebay.

yel

i put some long screws in them and screwed them to the wall ....great place to hang stuff...

Nammie to 7

Welcome from South Dakota. I was at a rummage sale and came across a basket of thread - all on wooden spools. When I paid for the items they didn't charge for the spools as they didn't have much thread! Was I lucky!

SueDor

Hi from Ohio! I agree with Pat M. and put them in soapy water.

Sue Fish

Clever and cute

sewmom

I had some wooden spools that I found in my Aunt's house. I obtained a 2 qt. canning jar that was my Grandmother's and made a lamp. dH modified a lamp kit purchased at the hardware store, and a lampshade. Ta da- vintage lamp. Some of the spools still had thread on them and others were empty. I put torn strips of fabric around the empty ones. The shade was covered with verticle strips of torn fabric also. It's very cute for a sewing area and I saw one in an antique store.
As for washing the, the empty spools would be easy. If there is not much thread on them, I would treat them as empty. But I think if there is a lot of thread on them, they might get musty-smelling if dried slow. I wonder if you could dry them outside in the sunshine?