I store my safety pins in an old cottage cheese container. When I want to use some, I shake some out into an old pie plate. Then while I'm sewing, the pins go back into the pie plate. At the end of the day, the pins in the plate go back into the cottage cheese container. (Don't leave them out for the cat.) I also use the pie plate when doing hand sewing (which may do while watching TV) to hold the necessary stuff: pin cushion, needle, thread, scissors, etc -- like a tray.