Sewing Bee Fabrics Tutorial
How To Make A Wall Mounted Thread Rack
Ok, so strictly speaking this isn't a sewing tutorial, but I needed some more space and my threads seem to wind themselves around each other every time I close the draw so it was time to move them!
This wall mounted thread rack will hold 42 threads and their matching bobbins.
What materials you will need:
A plank of wood (Mine was approx 14cm wide and I cut it down to 90cm length)
Wood glue
4 Wall plugs
4 Screws
42 6mm dowels
6mm wooden rod (You'll need 252cm to have all 42 as full spindles. Mine was only 240 so I just popped 2 dowels into the bottom ends).
What tools you will need:
Saw (only if you need to trim your plank of wood down).
Drill
Sandpaper
Screwdriver
Hammer
Garden secateurs
and obviously lots of thread to fill it with!!!
How to make it:
First, I trimmed my plank of wood down to 90cm
Next, I figured out how I wanted to space out my threads, so I took the widest threads I am likely to want up there and measured. I found the best for me was to mark 2cm in for each corner for a screw, then start marking where I want my thread spindles from 5cm from each edge. This leave you with 80cm in the middle.
I marked 4 lines right along the length of the plank, at 3cm, 6cm, 10cm and 13cm. On these lines, I made markings every 4cm. So, including the beginning and end point, this makes 21 marks on each line.
I used a 6mm drill bit and marked the drill with a sticky label at just over 1cm. I used this as a guide to stop drilling to make sure all holes were about the same depth and none went through the plank. Also drill holes through the plank in the corners for your screws. The hole size will depend on your screw size. Make it fit as snug as possible.
Next cut up your 6mm wooden rod into 6cm sections. I found that garden secateurs were best for this. I just made sure I cut part way then turned it to avoid squashing the end.
Next I sanded down the edges around my drilling and the edge of the rods that would be facing out with a bit of sandpaper
Apply a little glue to the end of the rod and push into the drill holes. You will want the 1st and 3rd row made up of rods and the 2nd and 4th row made up with dowels.
To get them all looking even, I used a piece of cardboard as a marker to push them all down to the same height.
For the small dowels, I just gave them a tap with the hammer with some glue already in the hole. Don't forget to wipe off any excess glue as you go.
Wait for the glue to dry then paint it
To fix it to the wall, screw the screws in so that the ends are about level with the end of the plank. Then holding it to the wall where you want it, screw the screws into the wall to leave marks. This will then be your drill guide. Screw the thread stand into place with wall plugs in place.
Now all that is left is to add your threads then look incredibly smug with yourself!
We hope you enjoy our tutorials and love hearing what you think so please leave us a comment or send me an email to linda@sewingbeefabrics.co.uk
Happy Sewing!
Iโm sorry but I donโt understand the difference between the rod and the dowels. Are the not the same thing? Is it just a length difference? I donโt see where it says to cut the dowels a shorter length.
Thanks so much.
Hi, sorry for any confusion. The dowels I had were precut and short, so I used them for the rows that held the bobbins to save myself some cutting. I used the same width wooden rod as my dowels were, but I cut them into 6cm long pieces to store my threads, as the dowels were too short and the threads got knocked off too easily trying to use them. Feel free to use whatever length suits the threads you use most or you could even make them longer to store the bobbin on the end of each thread!
This tutorial was awesome. I will be trying it soon. Just now getting my sewing room set up and organizing it in the next couple weeks.
Why not make your dowels long enough that you can sit the bobbins right on top of the thread? Then you can get a lot more thread on it……… Just a thought ..
Yep you could absolutely do that. I just didn’t want my dowels sticking out that far and was more worried about the kids knocking off all the bobbins sticking out on the ends!
I made mine in the shape of a tree for my daughter. Thank you for the depth trick to not drill too deep by placeing tape on the drill bit. My thread get dusty and my holder is square, I’ll try the canvas idea.
A tree shape sounds so much fun! I love that idea!
Just what I was looking for! Thanks!
Excellent idea, I made one very similar but I did it by hammering 5 cms long nails, and then spraying the whole thing in gold.
What a great idea! I bet it looks fab
Thank you Linda and Everyone hoping you are all very busy with all your very special projects I am still trying too crochet get so far Ohhhh nooo back almost too the begining But thats how we learn I will put My both hands up to that gigglesss as we all do.
Amazing ideas Linda Huggs to Everyone on here xxxxxxx
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Jan uk
Hi Janet. Lovely to hear you are doing so well. My crochet leaves a lot to be desired too haha. I hope you have a really lovely Christmas and a very happy New Year. Hopefully, I should have another project for you in January. Linda x
Wow how amazing such a clever idea thank you so much for sharing this
Love your idea but I will make it half the length and all the spindles with dowel rod. It will take all my sewing thread and fit neatly in a drawer, as I already have storage for my sewing machine bobbins.
Thank you so much Lynette. What a great idea to organise a draw that way. You could even stack a couple of layers that way too.
I had a thread rack about 10 years ago. Thread got dusty, so I took it down. I saw on the internet where a sewist had used the cases for match box cars for her thread, so thought I would try that. Bought a few in the toy dept at Wal-Mart for $4.99 each, and they work very well. Since then, they no longer sell them at Walmart. Jo-Ann’s sells them for $14.99. Lately sales on Plastics is 40% off, no longer 50%. Amazon sells them for Thread storage, or for match box cars, for $9.00.
Would you like to see a real involved thread rack? I can’t believe the woman has so much thread, but her husband built her a thread rack. this is a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrpGYsr5T_I
Wow! I have real thread rack envy! That’s fantastic. I love the way the stand look a bit like 2 giant thread spools themselves too! Mine doesn’t really sit still long enough to get dusty, but the best idea I saw to stop it was to put a canvas picture front hinged onto it as a lid. If the canvas picture is too shallow then just build up the edges with a little extra wood first. Otherwise I’d need A LOT of matchbox cars!!
This is a great idea, but I don’t have a sewing room. I have all of my sewing machines and fabrics in the living room of my single wide mobile home. Everything gets so dusty here so the thread would be hard to keep clean. I saw what one woman did. She built a shallow depth cabinet complete with doors. That way the dowels with thread were kept clean and out of view. I might try that someday.
Thank you for the tutorial.
Barbara
Thank you Barbara. That’s a great alternative. My favourite way I’ve seen of keeping dust off of threads kept on a rack like this, that I’m tempted to try, is to add a wooden frame around the outside that comes out from the wall the same amount as the threads. Then, put a hinge on the bottom piece of the frame. Attach a canvas picture to the hinge and a catch to the top of the frame, then you have a pretty picture when your not sewing, but you can drop the canvas down out the way while you are!
This is fantastic, my husband when alive made me one half the size of yours, now I need a larger size but after seeing your instructions it has inspired me to get my late husbands tools out and make a new thread & bobbin holder.
It is wonderful what we can do today making small items to assist in making our sewing room easier to work in.
Wonderful to see what help is available from other sewer and Pinterest.
Thank you so much Linda.
Warm regards Jean.
Thank you Jean for such a lovely comment. It’s wonderful how much information sharing there is on sewing isn’t it! I have learnt so much from other people that I figure it’s only fair to pass on what I’ve figured out too. I do hope you have fun upgrading your thread holder.
Great tutorial – must give it a try!
How about an embroidery stabiliser rack?
Thank you. That one is easy – get one (or more!) of the thicker sprung net curtain poles and fit it between your table legs!! Great for ribbons too. ๐
This is very clever and looks doable! Thanks for sharing ๐
That is beautiful!
Trying to figure out how to have angled bits, to keep them on more securely, as well as how to mount it on a concrete block wall at work.
Why did I have to read this just as I should be going to bed?
Angling your threads would be easy – just hold your drill at an angle! I’ve never had problems with them falling off without an angle though. Mounting the rack to concrete would be a bit trickier though. Maybe a no nails kind of DIY glue? I’d love to see how you get on!
My husband is making this for me, a neat way to keep my thread all in one place with matching bobbins.
That’s brilliant Jane! My only advice would be make it bigger than you think you need… I now have about 20 threads stacked on the top edge of the wood on mine! I’d love to see how it looks when it’s done ๐