You had to have access to a spectacular number of wooden cotton reels to make a go of it in Ladybird Land Artist: Harry Wingfield (1970)

😂 At least the cereal packet creations were more practical: a couple of loo rolls or half a Sqezy bottle generally sufficed.

Lovely. But *what* is it?

Our house never had enough wooden cotton reels to meet the demand. Especially once plastic ones came in.

My main crafting issue was always lack of access to "sticky back plastic" in 1970s England. I don't know where they thought you could buy it, but it wasn't anywhere near where I lived.

Then again, you pretty much did, there was an unending supply of them from parents and grandparents (let's face it, mums and grannies) repairing stuff.

For a while they were available as a kit, I remember a kid I babysat for had one.