If you live in or have traveled to the Carolinas, then you may know that this area has a long history in textiles. The mills still dot the landscape, with one in nearly every town- some are dilapidated, some just empty, some of have been converted into new commercial/residential use, and then there are still a few that operate to this day! So it should come as no surprise that relics of that industrial textile mill history (such as these old serger thread cones) can be found in nearly every antique store (and sometimes thrift shops!) in the region.
I find these EVERYWHERE!
I’ve wanted to repurpose/upcycle some of these vintage thread cones for a long time, but I needed a good idea first. Finally, as I seemed to gravitate towards green and red cones, I knew what I wanted to do. This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.
This is the selection I ended up with, varying in shade and hue- but with a definite Christmas theme.
Lots of potential…just need a quick sprucing up.
One is obviously not thread, but I couldn’t resist the deep scarlet yarn. But my main goal was to collect various sizes in reds and greens AND find cones that were constructed of cardboard/paperboard. I admittedly bypassed the plastic cones, even if the thread color was Christmas-y. Anyway, once I had assembled my cones, I needed to clean them up a bit…unraveling loose threads, removing tape, and snipping off ends.
After a little haircut here and there…
Decorating my serger cone Christmas trees would be simple- sequins to the rescue! But after looking at the sequin options at craft stores (blegh!), I realized that vintage sequins would be far superior. Plenty of shape and color options, and well, you know me- I’d rather use vintage/secondhand goods over new goods ANYDAY!
A bounty of sparkly goodness.
Using quick-dry craft glue (which worked perfectly), I simply started decorating the cones with sequins.
Let the tree trimming begin!
And let me tell you, this is kind of an addictive craft. I forgot how much fun (and gorgeous) sequins are. Though I do also recommend using craft tweezers/forceps with the daintier sequins- just don’t use your good tweezers!
How pretty are those?
I can’t stop making them!
And the full group together- each one is different, thanks to my gazillions of vintage sequins! Speaking of which, I hoarded WAY TOO MANY vintage sequin packages…if you’re interested in some for your own DIY crafts, head over to my Etsy shop! I have a ton available…please…I know you want some.
A very cheery collection.
So much fun…ridiculously easy to make…and I seriously adore how they look! A fun play on Christmas tree décor, with a vintage/industrial twist.
Craft on!
S
P.S.- Looking for more fun & simple holiday DIY projects? Head over to All Free Holiday Crafts for some festive inspiration!
PIN ME!
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