Does anyone have a use for old wooden spools, or is there something I might be able to make with them. I only have abaout 25 but hate to throw them away since they are no longer made of wood. Any help out there would be appreciated.
Ruth from Laurel MD

If you mean the long handled ones, how about garden stakes?

Sorry, my eyes are failing me. I read post as "spoons" instead of spools.

I keep a lot of my tools and supplies in old-fashioned containers (Mason jars, anodized aluminum tumblers, a Jadeite mug) and I just have the spools scattered around as decoration. They're not useful per se, but they are pretty. :)

I love wooden spools! What would I have to do to get them?

PM sent.

I have a some dolls made from wooden spools and buttons...the head is from a round wooden ball, then the arms and legs are made with buttons strung together ending with a smaller spool for the feet and hands...the bodies are simple stuffed rectangles and/or wooden blocks...they're cute with a simple to sew dress... :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Naomi

here's my spool doll...Don't throw them away...google and I bet you'll find something to make out of them

They make nice ends glued onto dowel for hanging small quilts or wallhangings. I saw a cute sewing room window valance where she took strips of fabric, tied the top to the rod and threaded the bottom end of the strip through the spool and knotted. The strips were 12 to 18 inches and the spools were like beads on the ends. Strung together with Christmas fabric they make cute Christmas garland for the tree or on the mantle. There was a thread on this board about them earlier, try the search mode for more ideas.

These are excellent ideas. I have used large ones for the ends of dowels to hang a quilt. I wrapped embroidery floss around the spools in a color to match the quilt.

I love them and collect all I can. For one thing, if you want to make knitting Nancy's you have to have wood spools.
They also make a neat storage device for circular knitting needles.I also make a painted Santa face Christmas Ornament out of the larger ones. Please let me know, if you still have them and what you would want for them. Thanks....

I'll get in line if you ( or any one else wants to sell some!). I'm a kindergarten teacher & there's only so much you can construct with toilet paper tubes and orange can lids! :thumbup:

I saw an article in a magazine where they made Christmas (or any kind) of ornaments with them. The wrapped the flat center part with fabric and used a button on the bottom with yarn run through it and the spool in order to hang it. Use you imagination and I am sure you could make some really cute things.

I would use them in decorating....they ae such a treasure!!!

make a puffy yoyo and stuff it and glue it to the spool for a pin cushion

I have a 2qt.. Canning jar that was my grandmothers. I had some wooden spools, some with thread still on them from my great aunt. I made a lamp out of the jar with a lamp kit and put the spools in the jar. Some of the spools I wrapped fabric around, some I left plain. For the shade, I ripped strips of fabric and glued them vertically to the shade. It's very cute, but I didn't come up with the idea-saw it in an antique store. There is a picture of it somewhere on another thread. Pm me if you'd like to see it and I'll take another.

I paint on them and use them for decorations

I paint on them and use them for decorations

If they are the larger ones, you can wrap your binding around them when you are sewing your binding on a larger quilt. Smaller ones can be used for binding for smaller quilts. I've used antique ones for candle holders, and decorations.

use a spool at each end of a dowel as a finial makes a cute quilt hanger

Now I like that Idea!!!!! I've got to go see how many spools I have. Thanks for the idea.

I have seen picture frames made out of spools and a decorative wall hanging in each frame. Might want to decorate the spools or paint them first too.

Hello fellow Howard County Quilter!

Here is a cute activity to do with old thread spools [or any size spools really].

http://www.favecrafts.com/Valentines...Valentine/ml/1

I saw a post somewhere--can't find it now--that took and hot glued them together with ends open and sides together. They did several depending on the length you need. They attached a ribbon through the top spool and made a nice bow for hanging. It became a holder for your circular knitting needles. You thread one end through one hole and out the other and balance equally in spool. This way they do not get bends in them that are hard to work with when knitting.

Some people varnished them to add to the look, and some painted them and decorated with painted flowers. To each his own.

I wish I had more spool so I could make one.

I don't see why you couldn't make a quilted square to hang it from and add the ribbon too. Lots of different takes on this one.

I found and old shelf made of spools and small lengths of wood when cleaning out my parents old smoke house. It may have been made by my Dad when a child or who knows.

Its very simple-

As a base 4 large spools had a heavy piece of wire strung through them--4 corners--a loop had been made at the bottom to keep wire from sliding out-

Then what ever size shelf you want-have a piece of 1/2 x however long you want piece of plank wood, holes are drilled in spot where wire can run through-

Next-you can use as many spools as you want for the height of the shelf--low shelf use about 3-4 spools stacked--with the wire running through them. Keeping it all tight to prevent wobbling.

Continue on up for however high you want. At the top and end of wire-place another spool and again loop off the wire to secure---Then paint or paint the boards only to show off the spools

You would need to hang using long nails or brackets to hold up on the wall under one of the boards. you really cannnot sit shelf flat, unless you can figure out something.

My Dad was born in 1919-so you can imagine how old my shelf is. A little summer arts and crafts for the kids!

I just had someone give me a plastic bag full. will be looking for ideas.

I have a shelf with spools threaded
onto a metal rod for shelf deviders
made by my Grand Dad.
J J

my dad used to make these for me--using a wooden matchstick instead of a pencil. he'd carve out a washer for the side from a bar of soap, and would notch the outside edges for traction. my grandma used to have lots, and i just found more in my mom's basement. i see a project with the grandsons coming up!

Would you be able to post a picture of this?

Thank you

How about decorating a grape vine wreath with a quilters theme with: wooden spools, bows of folksy fabric, hat pins and quilting charms? You could hang it in your sewing room or on it's door. ;-)

I'm doing this with my residents and the plastic spools I've been saving! Thanks I'll attatch different fabric scraps so they look different. then we can have races :XD:

SandyB's request of pic for shelf my PaPa made.
It looks rough now, I am sanding it to repaint.
Let me know what you think of it.
J J

yes yes and yes i can use them. if you still have them plase let me know thanks ogama

I used to have a number of wooden spools, but gave them away. Now I'm sorry I did. I'd like to have some with the thread on them to photograph and use for clip art, plus have them in a glass jar in my sewing room.

SewCalGal