Simple DIY: Recycled Sewing Kit

This post is written by contributing author Paige Ronchetti.

Maybe I'm the only one who does this, but sometimes I drag out all of my sewing stuff and get ready to roll... only to find my ivory/black/white thread isn't there. Shoot! It's in the other box of thread! And then I have to go digging around for it, wasting time and wondering why I don't just get more organized, for Pete's sake.

This happens more than I care to admit, so instead I'll focus on the solution: A big ol' sewing kit with a built-in pincushion!

Have you recycled any glass jars lately? Or made yourself fancy new sewing kit?

This is one project I'm pretty proud of. Not only did I use things I already owned, but two of the main materials (jar and fabric!) were going to be recycled.

What you'll need:

• a glass jar (mine was formerly of the pickle variety)
• pretty cloth
• ribbon
• batting
• foam board
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• craft knife

The first step is to find a good jar. This one was originally in the recycling bin, but when I got fed up with my thread-y scavenger hunts, I yanked it back out. To get it ready, soak it in warm water and peel off the label. Then run it through the dishwasher to get rid of any lingering food smells.

Next, trace the lid on your foam board and cut out the matching shape with the craft knife.

Now take your fabric and lay it face down with the batting and foam board on top of it, like this:

Isn't this retro upholstery fabric cool? I was going to donate it, but I'm glad I didn't.

Cut off the excess fabric and leave yourself about an inch all the way around. Then you're going to pull the fabric back tightly (tightly!) and glue it in place. Take a bit of fabric, pull, glue, repeat. When all of the fabric is folded and glued, you should be left with something that resembles a portobello mushroom:

Keep that hot glue handy, because now you're going to adhere the pincushion to the jar's lid. I recommend doing a little at a time, otherwise the glue might cool off quickly and not stick as well.

Finally, it's time to hide the gap. I had some ribbon leftover from a project last year, so I glued a strand of it around the edge. I might eventually replace it with something more colorful, but for now I worked with what I had.

And that's it! Slightly more involved than my usual projects, but definitely worth it for the time I'll save hunting rogue thread.

Have you recycled any glass jars lately? Or made yourself fancy new sewing kit?

 

Paige Ronchetti lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband. They have no kids and no pets, which gives them a lot of time for eating spicy food and looking for bargains. Paige's blog is Little Nostalgia is a collection of projects and pretty things. There you can find DIY tutorials, home decor inspiration, and affordable fashion ideas. When she is not blogging, Paige is working on her vintage-inspired jewelry lines, Little White Chapel and Oh Nostalgia. Connect to Paige via twitter or pinterest.