What does one do with hundreds of spools of 100% cotton thread from years of collecting and inheriting thread from a family member. It seems it breaks easy. I have every color and size and they all all mercidized 100 % cotton. I have four shoe boxes of them. It breaks easy in my sewing machine and use only poylester/cotton thread now.
So what can you do with these cotton threads?

eBay, baby! Take some pictures and sell them. Or sell them on here. That way someone will use them, and you'll have a little extra room and a little extra money!

I bite the bullet and try to use them but once I started sewing from a cone rather than a spool I can't seem to stop.
Someone who hand pieces might like to have them, the breakage may be less with hand stitching. ?. Don't know.

old quilter: Love it!

I have a box of wooden spools. Mine are the same as your they are old and break. Most of them were my grandmothers. So I got a clear lamp that you can put stuff in and dropped the spools in there. I put the lamp in the sewing room. It really adds something and I can look and imagine how my grandmother would sit and sew using those items.

I also have many needle cases. Many many years ago businesses would advertise on pin or needles paper cases. Some are big as a 4 X 5 with the logo cut out on the front. Very interesting. I have over a dozen of them. I am thinking I might frame them in the sewing room.

I use 100% cotton if it is at least 50 wt or higher for hand applique.

I did the same thing with a bunch of spools I inherited from an Aunt that passed away. I added an old tape measure wound around thru the spools and dumped a bunch of old buttons in too. It turned out to be a really cool lamp.

Framed needle cases would make neat sewing room decor!

i have a bunch of those old spools of thread too, would anybody like to have some of them? i'll just give them away. just pm me your address and say how many you want and what colors, i have lots of the small ones mostly i think.
Donna

I am looking for a vintage 40's 50's thread rack right now so I can start to fill it up with the correct thread. I have several spools of thread some dating back to the early 1900's that I have found with my machines when I bought them.

It is just something else to collect for me!!

Billy

I would use them as a collectors item, displaying them in some way. If the thread breaks easily, I would not attempt to use it.. But it sure would be pretty displayed using some of the other's suggestions :D:D:D

Sounds like the thread is rotten. Use it for a decorative purpose.