Our local art materials shop has sadly closed down. On their last day, I spotted a bag of little wooden cotton reels for a third of the original price. So, I bought them.
There are 3 different sizes and shapes in the bag,
and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots!
What on earth am I going to do with them all? Answers on a postcard please!
They would make great bases for little ornamental Christmas trees! Lucky you, what a great find :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear the suggestions ... because I have a similar collection just waiting for inspiration! Right now I put them all in a jar in my sewing studio.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a pile of fun!!
ReplyDeleteHere's a really cute tutorial for an advent calendar:
http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/10/simple-spool-advent-calendars.html
I've also seen adorable wooden spool dolls, where you take a wooden ball and glue it to the top for the head and paint the features and wrap fabric around the spool for clothes. Super cute.
I would make mushrooms or flowers. You chan use them then as pin cushion too.
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You can paint them or cover them in fabric and then string them together into wonderful little dolls!!! Oh, that sounds lovely! What fun!
ReplyDeleteAmy, my explaining stinks but I'll give this a try.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of a kind of fabric wrapping, tied closed with a ribbon perhaps. You could untie it and part of the pretty fabric would unwrap to expose..? hmm.. your postcard comes to mind. maybe some kind of lil love/inspiration msg embroidered down the length which was unwrapped (yet still secured).
or maybe use them to store your ribbons, roll the ribbons around them and stack, string, hang.. who knows :) (do you have ribbon? now i think about it i can't really recall ribbon being in your repertoire!!).
Paint them and glue a bit of ribbon around them. Arrange and glue them as a wreath, or decoarte a sewing room clock.
ReplyDeleteWrap your extra pieces of yarn scraps about them.
Use all three different sizes and create snowmen for Christmas gifts or decorations.
Docorate and add them to fan or blinds pulls.
Put a screw through them and create cabinet knobs.
Crib Mobile...
hmm...What a GREAT find!
Aw that's a shame about the shop.
ReplyDeleteThey look like they would make cute little doll's house tables and chairs :)
perhaps you can make some rubber stamps, and use the cotton reels as the handles?
ReplyDeleteMonda
x
little seats for little teeny stuffed animals :)
ReplyDeletehmmm, cars, trains?
ReplyDeletenecklace beads?
a. how big are they?
ReplyDeleteb. i want them!
c. if they are little i would wrap a layer of thread round the middles and make a necklace with the spools and some buttons spaced out and knotted to hold them in place with some mini scissor charms :o)
I don't think there's anything wrong with just using them as ornaments!!
ReplyDeleteLittle dolls would be very cute though!
Beautiful by themselves in a large bowl/basket and then let kids count,stack and play with them.
ReplyDeletea drop of glue, seal in a thread and wind all around. Another drop of glue to set the thread. Now make the Heartbag (by me Ü)http://www.quilt-it.nl/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=220&category_id=23&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2 and attach at the zipper end.
ReplyDeleteDone!
you could make a garland with them... perhaps with some felt balls in between, or even wrap them with fabric and make a cute mobile type thing to hang somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI have a few wooden reels and I was thinking of using them to make quirky little yo-yo's, just a thought.....
ReplyDeleteHave just read the other comments and my idea has been suggested various times - dolls but using the cotton reels as the bodies.
ReplyDeleteOr you could join cotton reels together and make a snake! haha. I'll get me coat ..........
:)
Share!!
ReplyDelete..are the holes too small for french knitters?..( you know with the nails and making the tubes ) maybe make up some kits?
ReplyDelete...or how about - decorating - then adding looped bendy wire for photo holders?
ReplyDeleteoh, I've been looking for these! I saw something a few years ago, don't remember where...
ReplyDeleteyou make a wreath with them. You can paint them. Put a spool, some green and red buttons in between,(maybe the same length as the spool) then another spool, then more buttons and a bow on the top. It was so cute. A little mini wreath as a tree ornament... can you picture it?
Sew little mushroom tops for them & they could make cute pincushions!
ReplyDeleteTurn them into drawer pulls! There's already a place for the screw!
ReplyDeletei just saw this the other day--- http://littleartycraftycrow.blogspot.com/2010/04/ghost-girl-and-friends.html i love them and might have to give them a try myself.
ReplyDeleteThese spools are wonderful as bases for birds! I made some you can see at my blog at http://suziebuttoncreations.blogspot.com/2010/04/sweet-spring.html
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you make some! Suzie
I like the variety of sizes they have. I loved reading this blog, I really enjoyed it ... could keep writing more ...
ReplyDeletesmall pet carrier.
What about spool dolls? Since they are different sizes, bigger ones for the torso, smaller ones for the arms and legs.
ReplyDeleteit's candy?
ReplyDeleteYou can give me some! :)
ReplyDelete