Tinkertoy Ideas

Trees

• Because Tinkertoys can be built into branching structures, they lend themselves to treelike decorations, such as for holidays. Build layers of branches by sticking rods all around spools, each layer using a different length of rod. By joining these layers with rods between them, you build a tree. Decorations can be hung from the tree for Easter and Christmas. The pieces you use to build these trees can be painted in colors appropriate to the season. You can also spray adhesive on the parts and roll them in glitter. Do not cover the ends that will be fitted into spools, since you might have a harder time getting the pieces to fit.

  You can make a gift of a Valentine's Day tree, which can later become a permanent fixture in a bedroom as a jewelry tree. Tie messages of love to the tree with ribbons. Or cut hearts from stiff stock paper, writing messages on those, and wedge them in the slits at the ends of the rods. The most important addition to this gift tree, however, is a piece of jewelry hanging from a branch.

  A free-standing family tree can be built from Tinkertoys, building up from the base, with the newest family members added as the tree grows. Names can be painted either on the rods or the spools, depending on how complex the tree is.

Home Office Helper

• The idea for Tinkertoys came from inventors watching children poking pencils into spools. That inspiration comes in handy if you need something on your desktop to hold a few of your office supplies. Any structure will do; just make sure you have a good selection of spools and rods. Slap sticky notes on the spools, thread paper clips onto rods, and wedge note cards into the rod slits. One or more rods can be designated for business cards, using threaded paper clips to hold them. Wooden Tinkertoys can be painted to match your office's decor.

  Simple, open boxes often come in useful on a desk, to hold paper, business cards and other items. Tinkertoys easily can be built into box shapes, with a lattice of rods forming the bottom. If you only complete two sides of the box, you have a small, L-shaped shelf that can keep DVDs organized.

  Keep your cords behind your desk neat by wrapping them around a series of Tinkertoy spools connected with rods. Use a length of rod that is just long enough to hold the cords and stop the rod ends with spools to keep cords snug. You can join several of these sections together to keep the cords in one place.

3-D Mapping

• Many projects, plans and ideas are best organized as trees or networks. The main idea goes in the middle as a spool, with related sub-ideas branching out on all sides. If the plan to be constructed is part of a notable event, such as a baby shower, the construction can be kept as a memento. If not, removable tape, like masking tape, can label the construction as you build it. The ideas can then be put to paper. This way of visualizing an idea or project is especially helpful for those who get hung up on outlines.