mckwilter

For a quick and cheap present, I make pin cushions out of bars of soap. You can buy the cheapest soap on the shelf, or find one with a fragrance you (or your recipients) like. I had one friend who loved sandalwood (can't stand the smell myself) and I found individual bars in a Chinese market, along with rose and jasmine. Cut a piece of batting the width of the bar and length that will wrap around the bar with just a small overlap. Cut a strip of fabric (WOF) the width of the bar and place the bar in the center of the wrong side strip. Bring the ends up and twist, then turn the bar over. then bring the ends up again. Do this several times, spacing the twists so that they lay by the side of the previous twist. Finish off with a pretty bow, or tie a knot and tuck the edges under the fabric. You can decorate the top with ribbons, buttons, fabric flowers, etc. Then, I gently hit the pincushion with the side of a hammer to break up the soap slightly. If you try to put pins into a solid bar of soap, you get bent pins. The batting keeps the soap from leaking out. Every time you put a pin or needle into the soap, it releases a little more of the fragrance. Eventually, the soap will loose its fragrance and will break down completely.