By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.
I’m not an embroiderer. Sure I pick up the odd assortment of embroidery floss now and again to add some pizzazz to knee patches or little boy ties, but on the whole, I don’t get around to a whole lot of embroidery. Which means that I don’t have a very good way of storing the thread. Instead, I tend to toss the leftovers from projects in with my ribbon and by the time I need it again, it’s such an unholy mess that I usually have to toss it out and buy more. My kids are seriously into friendship bracelets this summer and that means that, once again, I’ve had to go out and stock up on embroidery thread, but this time, I’m prepared for the onslaught of little colorful bundles of string. I’ve got clothespins. This method of storing embroidery thread is so simple and useful, you’ll wonder what you ever did without it!
Here’s what you’ll need:
1. Open the clothespin and then close it with the end of the thread on the inner part of the top, near (but not in) the smallest holes.
2. Start winding. Wrap the entire length of thread around the clothespin, keeping the thread between the spring and the large hole.
3. When you have reached the end, tug it through the end of the clothespin toward the larger hole. You can open the pin slightly iff necessary but you should be able to pull the string into place without opening the pin in most cases. The pin will hold the end in place until needed. When you want a section of thread simple pull it out from the end of the pin and unwind the length you need before refastening the new end!
Wow. You’ve solved two dilemmas at once: how to keep my embroidery floss tidy, and how to use those bags of clothes pins. Love it!
Great Idea! I love clothes pins and use them for everything..closing chip bags, bread bags (if the close gets lost), clipping Christmas cards to ribbon (I spray painted some for my parents), and of course hanging clothes up. I need to set up a line like had years ago.