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What to do with them?..

When reading different post, I found that I am not the only one who collects the thread trimmings in one place while stitching. And you are gift givers.
Me: I have one section of my project bobbin box, where I store mine. And I came up with an idea a few years ago. I purchased the Clear Christmas tree bulbs/balls, as I finished the project, I inserted all the trimming from that one project into the bulbs, Used a colorful sharpie pen wrote the name of the project, the year and signed the bottom. As I gift wrapped my project, I would attach the Bulb/ball with ribbon as alittle extra on the outside of the package.

lol i have often wondered why i save mine i never know what to do with them at the end

I just recently started saving mine and haven't decided what I'll do with them. But I've been storing them in a little snack size ziploc baggie.

Mine go in the bin... I have thought about recycling them, however, in the compost heap... Oh, dear. I'm not getting the new zeitgeist am I?

Mine get binned too!

A friend once told me that she used hers in padding out a design...i.e she would screw them up and insert them behind a piece of fabric and then stitch over it!!!

I could never work out how or even WHY???

I like the idea of the transparent ball though!!

A lady I knew on another board, made hers into a bedspread. She sandwiched the threads between two pieces of iron on facing and joined them with plain fabrics into a patchwork. I think you would need a really good variety of colours to make this work, but I have often wanted to try it just to see.

Filling the clear Christmas globes is a super idea - clever you!! I usually save mine and use them for stuffing/padding small gift projects such as pincushions.

I started keeping mine this year. I always used to bin them, then someone on this forum mentioned that they were keeping them for some kind of contest thing. You had to fill glass jars with them. I didn't sign up for it but I've been keeping them anyways. My carpet has been much easier to clean too

I don't know what I'll use them for but its really lovely to see them building up in the jar and see the myriad of different colours and textures

When I stitch over my lunch hour in a park.. I just let them go. Assuming the birds will take them for a nest.
But when I stitch in my chair I've been saving them in an empty glass candle holder for a friend that wants them for ??? something. I have no idea but she asked that I keep my snips so I will. My snips are pretty boring though. My last 2 projects have been mostly white thread.

well i save mine as well but not on purpose we have these really cheap plastic liners that we use to refill pt water jugs (infection control rules) well I took one home to use as a thread bin since my DH is so OCD and was constantly vacuuming...he is pleased and now I guess I am a saver. I like the idea of the Christmas ornaments.

Maggie...if you would like I can mail my snips to you later on so that you can send to your friend.

I've been saving my orts since Jan last year - all squished down they are still only filling half of a 200g douwe egberts coffee jar. I have no idea why I save them, apart from the fact that I kept finding them all over the house before! I do like to see all the colours and types of threads I've used, it reminds me of past projects!

What a cute idea I'd love that but I'm not sure anyone other than a stitchy person would get it.

I started saving mine in a washed out mayonnaise jar. Don't know why but seemed like a good idea. I used to throw them, I thought, in the wastebasket, but they seemed to be all over the rugs and the floor. Anyway, they look pretty in the jar and I may give them to my creative GD if she wants to do something with them,or just save them and if anyone asks I'll say I'm an eccentric stitcher.

Carole

I bin mine. Have thought about keeping, but until my toddler learns how to distinguish between what is mummy's and what is his, I have a feeling that I would find ends scattered all over the floor if I kept them

Lessa54 wrote: Have thought about keeping, but until my toddler learns how to distinguish between what is mummy's and what is his,

Good luck with that... It's been 24 years... perhaps my boys are just slow learners...

I just started keeping mine thinking I can make some paper and use them in the paper making process, actually been thinking of marketing my pieces of thread to paper makers on Etsy haha. That would involve a lot of sorting of colors and a lot more stitching on my end to keep up with any demand. But who knows in the future, might have enough for a business venture....pay for my stitching stash with my "trash" LOL

I've been wondering whether they can be given to small pets to use as bedding, but I don't know if the dye would harm them. Does anyone know?

I love the idea of putting them in the clear Christmas ornaments! I usually save mine in a flower vase starting at the beginning of the year and toss them each January. Maybe this year I'll put them all in an ornament and label it with the year. I've got lots of pretty colors in there right now so it'll make a nice one!

I keep my clippings throughout the year and then put them outside for the birds for nesting material as it gets colder. I've managed to see a nest or two in our shrubs with pretty colors woven in from time to time.

My mother in law has this idea in mind of putting them in a see through backing of a quilt she is going to make one day in the future... So I've been saving the pieces for her..
Faith