This is a customizable model that makes it easy to create custom spools for winding up addressable fairy/pebble/seed LED strands and other things of similar sizes.

The central core is designed to make it easy to hand-wind them, as well as let them unwind by spinning them on your hand/arm. You can put your finger in one of the side-holes and spin the spool in your hand to in order to crank it a little.

I use this with battery-powered WLED controllers to make fun decorative lights at outdoor events.

The spool_battery*.scad files are a spool that's designed to be used with standard fairy light packs (specifically the kind that takes 3x AA batteries). You can wind the fairy lights around the spool, keep it tidy with the cover, and easily wind/unwind without tangling by holding the assembly by the cover. The battery pack is removable while the lights are wound on the spool and it uses the battery latch to hold the pack in place.

This work is copyright 2025 Steve Pomeroy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0