Quick Craft: Turn Old Thimbles Into Decorative Window Pulls!

When John and I re-did our bamboo shades in the steampunk room, we had to replace all the cording with a darker color:

 

When we did that we threw away the old wooden pulls, though, which left me brainstorming something fun to use as a replacement.

At first I thought of using antique brass plum bobs, but it turns out those are a bit too heavy, and the decorative ones are surprisingly expensive.

Finally I landed on the idea of using old metal thimbles. After a little searching, I bought this lot off Ebay for around $10:

Then it was just a matter of John drilling holes in the tops for the cording to slide through. Tie a knot underneath, and you're done!

 

Pretty, right? Beats those boring old wood pulls any day.

I'm sure some of you may be horrified at the thought of "ruining" perfectly good thimbles, but I'm pretty sure none of these were too old or too valuable. And to be honest, even if they were, I like the idea of making them useful again. This way they're still on display, but not just as decorative clutter.

You could also use these for pulls on fans, overhead lights or lamps, and even necklaces! Something to think about, if you have a stash lying around in your sewing basket.

Initially I wanted all brass thimbles, but as it turns out, I really love the tiny pops of color:

 They're quite subtle, but a nice surprise when you get closer to the windows.

And they really are the perfect size!

Hope this inspires some craftiness out there!