Many of you may already know that I enjoy crafts of all kinds, and like to keep a large supply of assorted craft supplies on hand. I was looking through my craft area and trying to decide what type of craft project to work on next when I came across a box of Midwest Wooden Dowels. Although these come in a variety of sizes and materials, this particular box contains 20 hardwood dowels measuring 3/8 inch in diameter by 36 inches long.

This is a nice sized hardwood dowel that can be used for a variety of craft projects. Looking around my home I see a variety of projects that we have made in the past. They can be used as one piece, using the entire three foot long rod for things like flags (think of the Forth of July parades), curtain rods (makes a fun and interesting bead curtain), wall hangings (used on the top and bottom of a small quilt or fabric hanging), or cut into appropriate lengths for smaller projects such as a stick for a pinwheel, a handmade fairy wand, and lots of other great craft projects. Just use your imagination and you can come up with all kinds of creative ideas to use these hardwood dowels for a large variety of craft ideas for all occasions.

When my children were little, we enjoyed working on this type of projects together, making all sorts of unique arts and crafts projects. We also used these for a variety of projects at the preschool where I volunteered for many years. One of the projects we did would make a great Father's Day gift. They were fun and easy for the kids to make with just a little help from an adult. The idea is to take a piece of paper or fabric of whatever size you want, have the child paint or draw a picture or message on it (sharpie markers work well), then glue a dowel to the top and bottom of their artwork. By cutting a small slit in both ends of the dowel, you can easily attach a piece of yarn or string to use as a hanger, then roll the the artwork up like a scroll. It makes an adorable wall hanging, and is something that parents can remember their child's younger days by. You could even make one of these for a small baby as a Father's Day gift for the new daddy, by making a small version with handprints and / or footprints from the tiny tot, then printing a message such as, "I Love  You Daddy" or "Happy Father's Day" on the paper before putting the scroll together. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, and can be as large or as small as you like.

If  you want to get a bit more fancy about it, you can  purchase special caps (sold separately) for a more finished look to your craft project. Either way, these Wooden Dowels work well for a variety of craft projects. I remember building a log cabin with one of my kids from these dowels as a school project years ago. With a bit of paint or varnish, you can easily adapt the dowels to whatever color scheme you like.

These dowels can be purchased individually for around 30-50 cents each, or purchased  in packages of 20 dowels, or in bulk for a better price in case you need larger quantities. I had bought a box of twenty of these unfinished wooden dowels so that I could finish them however I wanted. The dowels were all uniform size, so there was no need to sort through them to get evenly sized dowels for a project. I had no problems with any of the dowels being bent, warped or misshapen. All of them were straight and sturdy enough for use in any of my craft projects.

Using your imagination can provide many great craft ideas that will be fun for both kids and adults to make. My children, grandchildren, and I have had hours of fun creating many fun and unique projects over the years, and expect to be enjoying many more hours of crafting fun using these and other inexpensive crafting materials in my collection.

I recommend these Midwest Wooden Dowels for anyone who enjoys crafting. They will make a great addition to your craft supply collection, and can be useful in a variety of ways. I also recommend spending as much time as  you can with your children and grandchildren. They grow up so fast, and you will enjoy looking back on all the fun you had together as you grow older.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): see review
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Whole Family