Tatting Tuesday - Upcycled Tatting Shuttle

Yes, I've finally lost my mind.  I took an age old art form and decided to upcycle it. I hope my fellow tatters can forgive me this attempt.


I'm not sure what came over me.  After seeing some blog posts by people who have created their own tatting shuttles, I really really wanted to try making one of my own.  Being the kind of crafter who doesn't mind playing with trash, I decided to make the shuttle from materials I had around the house.

I used a regular sewing machine bobbin for the inside of the shuttle.  For the outer parts, I cut pieces out of a convenience store soda cup.  You'll probably notice that it's from the same convenience store as some of my previous upcycling projects (Maverik).  To enhance the curve of the plastic, I heated it up over the burner of my electric stove.  This also helped round out the edges so they wouldn't catch on the thread.  Gluing everything together wasn't as smooth as I hoped.  I tried a couple different types of glue and I'm still not confident that it won't fall apart on me at some time.

Once the glue was dry, it was time to test this experimental shuttle.  I was able to tat with it just fine.  The plastic is still flimsier than the usual shuttle, making it awkward to hold at times.  It really wasn't much better than just using the bobbin by itself.  I come up with plenty of ideas on what I'd like to have as a very special tatting shuttle, but it looks like it will take a lot more work (and practice).