As the idea of “reduce, reuse and recycle” has become a part of our culture, bobbins and other textile artifacts have lent themselves to enhancing our style and decor. Milling Around has up-cycled forgotten pieces of our past into charming candlesticks, nostalgic jump ropes, as well as intriguing pens and kaleidoscopes. As our matriarch once said, “Bobbins are seasoned workers in dignified retirement.”

We are always interested to hear how our customers use bobbins beyond the ideas we have dreamed up in our workshop. A few of those creative inspirations include hat stands, peg racks, wind chimes, and Christmas tree ornaments.

Some of the retailers who purchase our products take bobbins to an artistic level. We have seen spindles used as integral parts of whimsical robot figures made from carefully selected flea market finds. Bobbins and shoe lasts have been spotted in the interesting window and shelf displays, decorating many popular clothing stores, found at mall and Main Street locations. Not long ago, an assortment of bobbins was assembled to create an elaborate sculpture, an enigmatic piece of sidewalk art, gracing the front of a downtown building. And that is just to name a few...

Over the years, Milling Around has sold its goods to small gift stores, antique and collectible shops, department stores, online catalogs, museum stores, and more. In the process of saving these antiquities from the fate of the landfill, our products have been shipped all over the world. Bobbins have been admired and enjoyed by enthusiasts from Anchorage to Melbourne and lots of places in between!