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Home > Arts and Crafts Projects for Kids > Crafts with Wooden Thread Spools
You're done with the thread and you have a left over spool...what should you do with it? There are so many things that you can do with that spool...you can utilize its roundness. You can use the spool as a wheel or you can use it to wind string around for a motor. You can use your extra spools as beads on a necklace. Or you can even make a spool doll or even a building. Depending on what you are looking for, you should be able to find the right spool craft for you. There are tons of these crafts listed below. Have fun crafting!
Make a Pioneer's Water Well with a Thread Spool
In early days pioneers used a windlass for drawing water from a well (Here is another well craft you can try). You can make the kind of well those early settlers used. The well is made of cardboard. You can cut each side separately and tape them together on the inside. The lower part of a milk container is also good if you cut it as shown. The windlass itself is a spool. Put a stick through the holes, or put pieces of cork in to close them. On one side, fasten the windlass to the well with a tack, and bend a piece of wire into a handle for the other side. Then wind string around it and tie the string to a bucket—any fairly deep bottle top or even a thimble, with a wire handle.
Make a Spinning Top with an Empty Thread Spool
Ask your Mom or Dad to save you an empty thread spool for this craft. Take a 3" wide lid or cap and trace it on cardboard. Cut out the circle and then poke a hole in the center of the cardboard that is about the same size as the spool you will be using. Then insert a sharpened pencil into both the cardboard and spool (cardboard being at the top) and then the spinning top is ready to play and spin.
Spool and Rubberband Powered Racer Tank
Take a spool and draw a rubber band through the hole, with the end of the band sticking out on each side. Put a short stick through the band at one end and fasten it to the spool with nails or tape. Insert a longer stick through the other end of the rubber band. Put a small, dry piece of soap between the long stick and the spool. Turn the long stick twenty or thirty times until the part of the band inside the spool is wound very tightly. Now put the spool tank on the floor and let go of the end. The unwinding of the rubber band will carry the tank quickly across the floor. Why not make more than one, and have races?
How to Make Thread Spool Necklaces
To make these beautiful necklaces, you need to collect a bunch of smaller thread spools. Paint them in all different colors or leave them their natural wood color. Let the spools dry completely. You will also need 1 piece heavy cord desired length, and scissors. To start string of spools, put cord through first spool, bring it along the outside of the spool and tie at the top. (See sketch above) Then other spools may be threaded on until the string is the desired length. Same string may be used over and over. Tie the string closed.
Making Lambs or Sheep from Empty Thread Spools
A good way to recycle thread spools is to make them into all sorts of animals...such as this craft to make a lamb. Firstly, print out the lamb diagram. Now cut out the lamb's body...both front and back. Now find a piece of cardboard that will fit both the front and back of the lamb's cutouts...then paste them on the cardboard and let dry. Fold the lamb's tabs ... on the dotted lines. Now get some cotton....cover the spool with glue or paste and then stick the cotton onto the outsides of the spool. Now this will look like wool. Now you will need to glue the front and back of the figure to the spool so that the front and back tabs are aligned correctly. Let the animal dry before trying to stand him up.
Have Fun with Empty Thread Spools
Spools are fun to roll. Get several spools and roll them down the side of a board. You can imagine that they are firetrucks rushing to a fire. Or, you can pretend that they are airplanes coming in for a landing. Another fun thing to do with them is to place a spool on the floor in front of the board. Roll other spools down the board. Try to knock down the one spool. Or you can roll several spools down the board. See which one rolls the farthest. Use your creativity to think of other fun things that you can do with empty spools.
How to Make Spool Hanger Games
This is a really easy craft to make, just bend a metal clothes hanger to form a hoop, as seen in picture a. Make a kink on the opposite side of the hook part of the hanger. This kink is to make sure that the string won't slide when you attach it to the bottom. Now you can attach a spool to one end of string by tying a knot. Then tie the other end of the string to the kink that you made. Now, to play the game, hold the hook end and flip the hoop to make the thread spool pass through the center of it (sketch b). If you touch the sides of the hoop, then you are disqualified.
More Thread Spool Crafts Below
How to Make a Flying Butterfly Toy that Flies up to 15 Feet- This is an arts and crafts project to make a butterfly toy that will really fly up to 15 feet up in the air. This is for older kids as it is too difficult for younger kids to master…although they can with some supervised guidance from an adult.
How to Make Wind-Up Cardboard Carousels - Make a real working carouse/merry-go-round with cardboard boxes, spools, string, and a pencil.
Make a Working Bucket and Well with a Bobby Pin - Learn how to make this mechanical well with a cup, spool, string, and a bobby pin
Shoebox & Spools Doll Bed - Make a bed or crib for a baby doll with a spool and a shoebox.
Thread Spool Chameleons - Here is a thread spool turned into a chameleon.
Make a Real Working Mini Windmill with Spool and Tin Pan - Wouldn't it be cool to make a real working miniature windmill?
Spool Teddy Bears - Learn how to make these adorable teddy bears with an empty spool thread.
Make a Toy Birdhouse and Wax Birds - This toy miniature bird house is made out of spools, twig, cork, toothpick, and jar lid.
Toy Telescopes - Learn how to make a toy telescope with a few different sized spools.
Spool Bumblebees - Make an adorable bumblebee with a spool, some paint, googly eyes, and a pipe cleaner.
Make a Doll House Lamp with a Spool - Learn how to make this dollhouse lamp with a spool, cardboard, a lollipop stick, and paper. Your dolls will love it.
Cute Spool Beavers - Make an adorable beaver from a thread spool and some pom-poms.
Create a Cable Car Pulley Toy - Learn how to make this really cool cable car toy with a spool or bobbin,
Spool Gorillas - Use two empty spool threads and some paint to make this awesome toy gorilla.
Make Spool Dolls - Learn the basic steps to making a spool doll figurine.
Spool Chipmunks - Learn how to make these adorable chipmunks from thread spools and felt or craft foam.
Toss The Ring Game Making - Make this fun toss the ring game with spools and a block of wood.
Make Set of Cannisters as a Gift - Make Kitchen Cannisters to hold kitchen items. The Lid Pull is made with a spool.
Pull-Along Spool Donkeys - Make a pull-along donkey toy with spools, paper, string, and a few other items.
Make Spool Cows - Make this cow for your toy barnyard out of a thread spool.
Spool Crows or Ravens - Learn how to make this spool crows with a yellow hat on his head.
Spool Dolphins - Make this spool dolphin including fins and tail.
Spool Hippos - Learn how to make your very own hippo with an empty spool thread and some creativity.
Clay
Pot Crafts Are a Great Addition to your Home - Your
clay pot crafts can make a perfect container for all your treasures.
Just paint the saucer to go along with the pot and your container
will have a lid!
Craft
a Mini Totem Poles - Do
this artistic activity to teach your child about the beautiful totem
pole carvings of the Pacific Northwest Native American tribes! Use
spools and markers to create a mini totem pole detailing important
dates in your child's life. Not only will it get her thinking about
her own history, but she'll be getting a lesson on another culture,
too. You'll end up with a colorful keepsake that will harbor memories
for years to come.
How
to Make Acorn Craft Peoples -
After a few days my bowl started overflowing, and I started coming up
with ideas for acorn crafts. They really are little beauties, and
they simply scream to be transformed into cute little acorn people!
Make
a Clothespin Snowman for Your Christmas Tree - A
clothespin snowman is so easy to make and are cute characters for
your Christmas tree. You can use them for any place in the house that
you want to bring the Christmas spirit to.
May
Day Baskets -
Keep scrolling there are eight different ideas....
Mod
Ribbon Spool Display Cubbies - -
It may come as no surprise that I love reusing things that I already
have laying around the house. I don’t like to throw things away
if I don’t have to, so coming up with new uses for old
household items is always at the top of my list. I received such a
great response from my last DIY project; I decided to do another one
that is decorative yet organizational. It’s a painted ribbon
spool wall display and it is a lot of fun! Here’s the tutorial…
Piggy
Banks - Farms
aren't complete without pigs, notorious for being a very messy
animal. Our pig is actually very clean and a perfect bank for storing
loose change.
Play
with Pulleys -
How do people move pianos and heavy furniture into tall buildings?
It's easy if the thing fits inside an elevator or they can carry it
up the stairs. If not, they might use a simple machine. Show your
kids some pulley potential with this simple household exercise!
Recycle:
Ribbon Spool Flowers -
In honor of Earth Day I will be trying to come up with crafts that
reuse and re purpose items we all have in our recycle bins or in our
craft collections. I know all you crafty mamas and grand mamas out
there must have one or two of these empty ribbon spools laying
around. If not, you may want to think about saving some next time.
Recycle
your Ribbon Spools - I know we all have a lot of these…ribbon spools! When your
ribbon is used up what do you do with the empty spool? How many have
you thrown away?? Instead of throwing the next one out… try
something like this with it!
Ribbon
Spool Boxes - The
creative use of ribbon spools in making these decorative trinket
boxes is imaginative recycling at its best.
Ribbon
Spool Ornaments : How to Use Thread Spools for Making Crafts -
I hate throwing things away, especially if there's always a great way
to alter or change the purpose of an item.
Ribbon
Spool Sachets : How to Use Thread Spools for Making Crafts - This
ribbon spool sachet makes a present that will look pretty and smell
great -- what more could Mom want?
Simple
Spool Advent Calendars -
My solution this year is to make an advent calendar with notes and
clues. An advent calendar with a daily note that will lead the kids
on a hunt for their presents. Vintage wooden spools are a great way
to display these notes. Wooden spools can be found at thrift stores,
flea markets, and online.
Space
Stations - Sponge Spool Spines - Children
ages 8–13 simulate what happens to a human spine in space by
making Sponge
Spool Spine(alternating
sponge pieces and spools threaded on a pipe cleaner). This represents
a human spine on Earth, with the discs (sponges) pressed between the
spinal vertebrae (the wooden spools). The children measure the spine
length, dip it in a glass of water (simulating microgravity), and
then re-measure the spine. They will find it has expanded, just like
in space!
Spool
Angels - In
this tutorial you will learn how to make an angel out of thread
spools.
Spool
Christmas Ornaments - Start
now and make ornaments for your tree. A lovely way to use up your
empty thread spools! Works equally well with plastic or wooden
spools, big or small. Great to use as package decorations or to give
asgifts to friends/co-workers!
Spool People - Make these little people play figurines with spools and beads. These are awesome and are so much fun to play with.
Spool
Snakes -
I made Laurel a little toy yesterday. My grandma gave me one of
her craft books (which would make it vintage) and it had all kinds of
simple ideas for homemade toys. All the necessary supplies are
ordinary things that you find around your house. I just love
toys that don't have flashing lights, make beeping sounds, or have a
screen.
Spool
Snowflakes - If
you are a frugal crafty type like myself. You may have an assortment
of empty spools laying about. Even the non-wood variety are hard to
toss. Turn them into printing tools for your kidlets and watch them
make some nifty snowflakes!
The
Wooden Spool Family -
Kids and adults alike will enjoy making these little guys. I added
embellishments like the buttons, silver beads and ribbon, but you can
just add the fabric if you'd like.
Wired
Creatures - Caterpillar Bracelets - In
this tutorial you will learn how to make a caterpillar bracelet with
a wooden thread spool and other materials.