4 Creative Uses for Leftover Threads

October 08, 2021

So, you’ve come to the end of your cross stitch project and you’re now left with all the small snippets of thread after tucking in the ends… surely we can get creative with these? Here are some different ways of displaying or repurposing the small bits of thread or ORTs as they're otherwise known! This is an acronym for 'Old Ratty Threads' or sometimes 'Odd Random Threads.'

ORT THREAD JARS

One of the most common uses of leftover threads is storing these in jars. Let the colours mix together and come to life as proof of the hours and sometimes months spent on your special project! Not only can these be used as a beautiful piece of decoration, but also to showcase memories of a special project and can be a lovely reminder. You could use smaller jars and pop in leftover threads from different projects or even organise these by different colours! Check out this 2019 ORT jar by u/kate479 on Reddit, displaying all of her leftover threads from the year.

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

Another beautiful way of displaying your leftover threads is by creating a Christmas ornament or as some people refer to them, a Christmas ORTament! Here’s one created by u/SpeightJenkins on Reddit. Similar to the jar, you can fill these up with your scraps of leftover threads. You could even pick out colours that match the decorations on your Christmas tree! Simply buy some clear plastic baubles which are easily fillable and these are available in packs of 5 on eBay, Hobbycraft, The Works and Amazon. Stuck for gift ideas? You could gift a Christmas ornament filled with a friend or family members favourite colours. So simple yet effective. Go one step further and grab a marker pen to write a special message, name or year on the outside. 

STUFFING SMALL CROSS STITCH PIECES

Feeling resourceful? You could always use your leftover threads as stuffing for small cross stitch finished pieces rather than using toy stuffing! Not only is this a more creative method, but better for the environment and also a fun way to reuse your ORTs. They can be used as stuffing in a range of small projects such as ornaments, mini cushions or even a pin cushion. Take a look at this biscornu tutorial by Sirithre where she shows you how to create a cross stitch pin cushion. 

FROM ORT TO ART

If you have some longer bits of leftover thread, why not stitch your own piece of patchwork art? Use the colours you have to create small squares and build them up with more leftover threads, gradually creating a beautiful array of colours. The different shades and shapes will blend together to make a stunning piece of art that you can proudly display. This can be a fun side project from your main cross stitch WIPs, enjoying the relaxing process of slowly adding a square of colour at a time. What’s more, the colours used will depend on the project that these threads have been snipped from! Here's a patchwork cross stitch project by Laura, isn’t it just mesmerising?

There really are endless possibilities when it comes to repurposing your leftover threads! We would love to see if you have used your leftover threads in any projects, do tag us @caterpillarcrossstitch across social media so we can take a look. Take care and come back next week for another new blog post.

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