You can go to Hobby Lobby or some place like that and buy a small bag of silica for your pin cushions...I think it's much better for your needles...when I was in Austrailia, they were making needle cases out of wool to keep their needles in....I brought some home with me and have shared with many quilters. Make the outside of the needle case with cotton scraps and then line it with the wool...Wool has natural lanolin that keeps the needles sharp and lubricated naturally. Works like a champ!