Things to make and do with spools

Since I've been on a sewing kick recently, I've been thinking about thread spools, and what to do with them once they're empty. I went on an internet search for the best crafts and projects to make with spools. Though pretty much all of the ideas I found use wooden, often vintage, spools, there are a few ideas in here that can be used with modern plastic ones — I'll mention it as we go. Another note: There are not a ton of little-kid projects in here, mostly because (I think) spools in and of themselves are fun to play with. You can use them as building blocks, you can thread them onto a length of string, you can roll them along the floor... Once you tire of such things, take a look at these ten ideas. 

First up are these charming and simple Halloween heads from Surviving a Teacher's Salary . I like how easy they are, and cute to boot. You could totally use a full spool of green, black, or orange thread for the witch, cat, and pumpkin, too. 

I've seen many photo or place-card holders made with spool bases, but none as easy as this: Just insert a paper clip, and you're good to go! The fun is in decorating the spool itself. The Hybrid Chick used various scrapbooking tools and techniques to get the aged paper look shown in the photo, but of course you can do whatever you want: cover with paper, yarn, fabric, paint... Even a little kid could do the decorating, and an adult insert the paperclip, for a nice homemade gift.

Super fuzzy spool animals! You can barely tell that there's a spool hiding in there (which makes this a good craft for using plastic thread spools). Wrap your empty spool with plush yarn, and add a circular felt head and butt (tee hee) to the ends. Get all the deets at Wee Wonderfuls. 

 
Oh man, spool racers! I loved making my own "toys that go" as a kid. I bet I spent more time futzing around with my rubber-band powered vehicles than I did with the battery-powered ones. These teach some interesting scientific principles, too. hello, Wonderful has the directions and a video showing the racers in action. This is another project that would work just as well with plastic spools.

Handmade Charlotte offers a free printable for these adorbs mix-and-match animals. It would be fun to make your own, too, using the printable as a template to get the sizing and spacing correct. 

Christmas isn't for a while yet (although CVS and Target seem to think it's right around the corner). This spool wish-list ornament from Honeybear Lane is an updated version of a clever project from FamilyFun that's no longer online (though the image, shown above right, remains alive via Pinterest, where it's linked to a site that's not there anymore). Have your child write their real wish list on the scroll, and it'll become a time capsule of their interests. 

---

Preteen me loved to spool knit! This simple, no-nonsense iteration of the project (from Club Chica Circle) was the same design as the one I used: Four nails banged into the end of a wooden spool. That's it!
The link above (or click on the photo) teaches you how to make the knitted cord. And if you really get into spool knitting, there's a lot you can make with the cord! Try a wrap bracelet, a flower pin and a pen cozy and a wired bracelet (three projects, one site!), or a wash cloth (could also be used as a doll's rug, or a coaster).

The message on All Free Paper Craft's  apple core spool card indicates it's for an end-of-school-year gift, but I think it works well for our current apple-filled season, with whatever message you like (a perhaps an appreciative "you're the apple of my eye").

You really need some nice-looking wooden spools for these wall hooks, made by Haylie for DesignSponge. The directions involve some exacting business with paper and tracing, but I'd skip right to the pilot hole-drilling step, because that's the way I roll. These hooks are ideal for a crafty person's room, and can hold up necklaces, small purses, scarves, hats...

This poetry-infused spool craft is more like an art piece. Strips of fabric or ribbon are unfurled to reveal a poem made using found words and phrases. Go to Ephemeral Alchemy for the complete instructions. 

​And hey, what's this? A bonus 11th craft idea! It's more of a cooking idea, really, though there's no actual heat involved — just mixing. Kid World Citizen presents the three-ingredient recipe for doodh peda, a Diwali treat that's definitely a "sometimes food." To create the flower-like shape, kids press the end of a modern plastic spool into a ball of the dough. Neato!

Got spools? Got a great project I missed? Let me know in the comments! 
​xo