What to do with empty thread spools?
Recently, I've been sewing and sewing.
I bought a new machine last autumn after suffering for over 30 years with an inexpensive but somewhat faulty machine that had been a wedding gift from 3 of my old girl friends from college. I was too sentimental to part with it regardless that it had a terrible tendency to mangle stitches into an unrecognizable form. Finally, I decided I really wanted a machine I could actually use, especially after seeing what 20, 000 yen (about US $200) gets you these days. I knew that was less than my friends had paid so long ago for a simple machine that could straight stitch, zig zag, and make a button hole. My new machine has some 27 stitches but is still considered a rather simple machine as it doesn't have computer controlled options! I've been going through spool after spool now that I've got some fancy action to work with but a trip to the store shocked me with what thread sells for in today's Japan. I came away with a small bag of a few spools and was the equivalent of about $40 lighter in pocket! Wow! Well, gee, I don't even feel like throwing away empty plastic spools if that is what thread goes for these days.
Back in the 1970s, thread cost about 50 cents per spool or 5 for a $1 on sale in the USA!
So, how to re-purpose rather boring old spools that are mostly plastic?
Back in the 1970s, thread cost about 50 cents per spool or 5 for a $1 on sale in the USA!
So, how to re-purpose rather boring old spools that are mostly plastic?
I have 2 small granddaughters so maybe I could make some toys for them. Spool snakes are a classic. But, well, I hate snakes and I found a dehydrated mamushi pit viper out in my car park a few days ago. Yuck. Nope, don't want to think about snakes by making one!
Hmmm... Maybe I could make something decorative... I tried adding some patterned tape, some stamps, some beads, some patterned washi paper but they still looked sort of boring and rather just like what they'd started out as -- empty spools.
Many Japanese people love wind chimes in the summer. But, I find them annoying. Bing, bing, bing... Just as I try to snooze the noise irritates my senses as do the whining of the summer cicadas. I'm glad none of my neighbors have hung a wind chime this season. But something that moves in what little breeze there is could make me feel a sense of swirling air, light-hearted coolness, relaxed ... So how about making a mobile that looks like Japanese lanterns? Certainly my first attempts at re-purposing my spools looked a bit like lanterns, I thought. Over the past few days I've been experimenting with my idea. Here is what I came up with. How do you like it?
Hmmm... Maybe I could make something decorative... I tried adding some patterned tape, some stamps, some beads, some patterned washi paper but they still looked sort of boring and rather just like what they'd started out as -- empty spools.
Many Japanese people love wind chimes in the summer. But, I find them annoying. Bing, bing, bing... Just as I try to snooze the noise irritates my senses as do the whining of the summer cicadas. I'm glad none of my neighbors have hung a wind chime this season. But something that moves in what little breeze there is could make me feel a sense of swirling air, light-hearted coolness, relaxed ... So how about making a mobile that looks like Japanese lanterns? Certainly my first attempts at re-purposing my spools looked a bit like lanterns, I thought. Over the past few days I've been experimenting with my idea. Here is what I came up with. How do you like it?
