Spindle Ornaments | Repurposed Chess Pieces

There is something fun about turning a classic game piece into Christmas decor. These old wooden chess pieces had been tucked away for years, just waiting for a new purpose. With a bit of hot glue, paint, and glitter, they became one-of-a-kind spindle ornaments that add a touch of handmade charm to the tree.

Spindle ornaments out of repurposed chess pieces? YES! I have had these old wooden chess pieces for about 10 years. If you’re a regular around here, you know I love spindle projects.

Repurposed Chess Pieces

That’s right. These guys have been waiting around for their perfect repurpose into spindle ornaments. I was going camping and knew that this would be the ideal project to work on.

 

My first step was to match up pieces that I thought would work well together.

NOTE: Some of the pieces had felt fabric on their bases. I briefly soaked them in water, and the felt came right off.

Visit the My Repurposed Life Amazon Store to shop my favorite items.

 

When I made my last crafting while camping project, I used a regular glue gun with a battery inverter. But I just ordered this Ryobi Glue Gun on Amazon, and I’m in love with it!

 Use the hot glue gun to attach the pieces. You can see the first one is already done on the picnic tablecloth. I apologize for the blurry picture.

Paint Spindle Ornaments

I really liked the darker chess pieces, but was not a fan of the lighter ones, so I painted them with a white base coat.

 After applying the blue chalky finish paint, I used a paper towel to remove some of the paint, allowing the white to show through.

 

While testing colors, I placed them on a plate to take a look. Which is your favorite?

 

Crafting While Camping

I opted to work on the “patio” of my campsite using my T.V. tray table, which I redid a few months ago.

 While I was waiting for the colorful spindle ornaments to dry, I assembled more light colored chess pieces and painted them black.

 If you camp, you may know that filling your tanks with unnecessary water can bring trouble. I’ve been using this fish cleaning table all summer for outdoor cleaning. It’s great for washing hands and dishes. I’ve also used it at home in the backyard for get-togethers. Wouldn’t it be great for potting plants, too?

So, long story short, it’s where I cleaned up all my paint brushes and messy hands.

Paint & Glitter Spindle Ornaments

After the black chess pieces dried, I added several light coats of red glitter paint. The paint is clear, so you only see the red glitter. Perhaps it would be better OVER red paint?

But seriously, the look really is growing on me.

 See? Aren’t the red glitter spindle ornaments pretty?

Seal With Mode Podge

Back at home, I wasn’t really thrilled with the sheen of the ornaments. I felt they needed just a little shine. Out came the Mod Podge. I need to start taking it with me if I’m going to craft while camping.

 Don’t you think they look better with the Mod Podge applied? It’s still a little wet in this image.

Add Screw Eyes for Hanging

The red glitter pieces were shiny enough, no Mod Podge needed. It’s time to add screw eyes for hanging. Needle-nosed pliers helped get the screw eyes started at the end of the spindle ornaments. These are so tiny — I bought them years ago for another project and never used them because they were too small.

I grabbed a fork to finish turning the screw eye into the spindle.

Christmas Spindle Ornaments—Jute or Twine?

These are the two options I had for hanging the Christmas Spindle Ornaments. I chose to use the jute (right) on the colorful ornaments, and the other twine for the glitter ones.

Spindle Ornaments Made From Chess Pieces

 My goal was to make the spindle ornaments look old. I think I pulled it off, don’t you?

 Do you like the variety? Or maybe you like the glitter red ornaments better?

 

Save & Share on Pinterest

I’m really starting to love crafty Fridays! I used to stress out when I had to do glue-gun projects — but as I get older, I’m loving them!

I am so glad I finally rescued these chess pieces from storage and turned them into colorful spindle ornaments. They were easy to make, travel-friendly for crafting while camping, and simple to customize with different paint colors and finishes. If you spot an old game set at a yard sale or thrift store, I hope you will look at it with fresh eyes and try your own version of these repurposed Christmas ornaments.

gail

I was inspired by the following:

Ornaments Made From Spindles Lolly Jane

 

Repurposed Mug Tree Ornaments Sadie Seasongoods

 

Repurposed Table Legs Repurposing Junkie