trolleystation

How about calling the local 'assisted living' home and see if they can use them in their crafts for the elderly. Also contact a local day care center.

Joan Dickson

I save the wood spools. I have an old table that was my
Mother's that is made with the legs of wooden spools. When we were kids, we used to make cars out of spools and rubber bands. Oh, does that make me feel OLD.

ndgirl

We have at least one teacher in our elementary school who finds uses for everything you can think of for her students for art classes, etc., so I give them to her.

mizunogirl

My Sister is an Art teacher and she often uses stuff like spools. She finds them at a local "recycle center" which has all sort of art supplies and such. She is in Providence RI. I think it would be worth contacting your local schools, public and private. With all the cuts in budgets, things like spools with instructions would be very very welcome

cpfrog

Well, heck, either do I have the room - LOL - but I do toss them into the corner of a small box of material - actually old cotton clothes that I save for "recycling" when I cannot afford new stash.

As little kids, we used to make necklaces out of the spools, threaded on shoelaces... I've seen some scarves made of them and a strip of material... but that was about 15 or so years ago...

I have also seen them as "feet" for a decorative box. I believe the plastic ones can be painted with acrylics.

Artists do create with castoffs.

mimee4

Never thought about all the things others could do with them. Thanks for asking this question and all the answers!

jljack

I toss them on the floor for the kitties to play with. After a few days they end up under the furniture, and the next time I move the furniture to clean, I pick them all up and throw them away.

cheryl rearick

someone else on the board brought this up some time ago. One lady gave to Senior citizens centers, cub / boy scouts or likes, schools, to be use. I thought that was a nice thing to do. :)

AnitaSt

I love these ideas. I have some wooden ones in a large glass jar for decoration. But usually I give them to my DH...he builds model boats (some are more than 5 feet long) and he re-shapes the spools (both plastic and wooden) into all kinds of things for his models. Around here, nothing gets thrown away until it's been assessed for "boat part" potential!

Grandma Mary

Here's some creative ideas for kids. Look to the right of the page and scroll down. Good luck!
http://www.artistshelpingchildren.or...ideaskids.html