DIY Pincushions

These little pincushions are fun to make with scraps of colorful fabrics. My friend made a trip to the local Goodwill and discovered an assortment of perfect sized jars to upcycle into these cute pincushions. In addition to the jars you can use supplies you probably already have in your sewing room.

• Thrift store jars and lids

• Scrap fabric pieces, buttons and trim

• Poly-fil

• Tulle

• Pearl cotton thread and needle

• Hot glue gun

To start, cut the fabric piece about twice the diameter of the jar. Cut a piece of tulle about the same size.

If you would like to add some hand embroidery this is the perfect time.

Next, take some poly-fil and form it into a tight ball shape about the size you want to fill the jar. As you hold the poly-fil in one hand take the tulle and wrap it around the ball. I like to use a fair amount of the poly-fil to keep the pincushion firm as you use it over time. When you are satisfied with the size and how it fits in the jar, sew the tulle closed around the bottom of the ball shape knotting it tightly.

Sew around the circle of fabric about ¼ inch from the edge with a long stitch. Take the ends of the thread and pull to gather slightly. Then insert the tulle covered ball of poly-fil and continue to gather the fabric evenly around the circle. This is a good time to pick a contrasting cotton pearl thread and a button to embellish the top.

From the bottom, pierce the needle through the center on the top and pull the needle through the button. Do this several times to firmly attach the button. To form sections, use the cotton pearl thread starting from the bottom and come up and around the outer edge and back down in the center under your button to the bottom. Repeat this several times to add sections to the top of the pincushion. Finish by knotting tightly on the bottom. For a clear glass jar cut a circle of fabric to cover the unfinished bottom for a tidy look.

Using the hot glue gun, put a bead of glue along the inner ring of the jar and glue the puff in place. To finish it off, you can glue some trim or ribbon around the edge of the jar or where the puff meets the jar.

This was a great project to use up some pretty scraps and make small gifts for my sewing friends at Cotton Cuts! It is so quick, you can make several in an afternoon.