Up/Re-cycling ordinary items
 

http://www.quiltingboard.com/general...e-t210549.html This topic made me realize there must be a whole load of tips you ladies have for up/recycling ordinary items. I do so many it's hard to know where to start.

An empty vitamin container with a hole drilled in the lid, sealed closed with sellotape makes a safe Needle "coffin"
All of my odd bits of threads very small pieces of fabrics /wadding stuffs pillowcases for Fur-baby beds
Empty Toilet rolls get used to wind binding around to keep tidy
Till receipts to make scrappy foundation pieced piano key borders
Chopsticks as corner pokey outers
Pipe cleaners to clean my machine
Old mugs to put all my everyday used notions, like snips etc. at my side on the table


My mind has gone blank, what are yours Ladies?

Here's a thread that was countless ideas!
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...g-t152963.html

Perhaps you'd add yours too!

I recycle a small almond container to collect both used needles and blades. I have also"borrowed" my husband's
T-square. I also re-use plastic take-out containers to take a selection of threads to quilting group and variety of other little things.

I use the fat rubber bands from broccoli bunches to hold down the small sticky note pad I use to mark my accurate 1/4" seam allowance beside the presser foot.

I also use the rectangular plastic containers from our grocery's deli to hold older Dual Duty spools of thread.

I have one of those round dimply mat thingy that opens jars beside my machine to keep my seam ripper, thread scissors, and awl from rolling away.

I use clear shoe boxes to store my fabric strips cut at 1", 1.25", 1.5", 1.75", and 4" squares by color.

Jan in VA

Jan what a great idea,thanks for sharing... I am for sure saving that rubberband.

I keep the templates, small rulers, scissors, scotch tape, glue, notepads, sketches, etc., everything I'm using for each project in a handled wicker basket that travels from cutting table to the table where my sewing machine is. If that project uses it, it's in that basket - never have to wonder where I put something.

Old coffee mugs keep extra seam rippers, small scissors, small rulers, odd implements, right beside my sewing machine so I don't knock them off the table accidently and neither does my dog's tail.

I tape the small paper bag that prescription medicines come in from the pharmacy taped in front of the sewing machine and one on the edge of the ironing board and put all snipped threads, scrap pieces of fabric, etc. in it. When it is full I throw it away and replace with an empty bag. Keeps my floor clean.

Jan, I love the green band/sticky note idea. You are so crafty. Thanks for sharing.

I use an empty cube shaped klenex box next to my machine to drop thread trims and snips of fabric in.

I like the empty kleenex box idea!

I remember the tissue box idea from home ec class. Each sewing machine had its own tissue box for our threads.

Instead of a Kleenex box I have an unused Pillowcase clipped to my table and all my threads, small clippings of fabrics, wadding etc; goes into that to make a Fur-Baby bed, my one loves her's and keeps all her special toys on it :)

the round pill bottles from the pharmacy are good for taking filled bobbins to quilt class or where ever you need to bring your machine when you sew away from home.
I also use the large plastic yogurt containers for small trash cans at the sewing machine.
The salad mix boxes are great for small quilt projects.

I like to use all my depression glassware and lovely old dishes to hold everything that is small. Pins, tacks, oil bottle, screw drivers, pens, pencils, rippers. I like to have pretty things around me when I sew. Some pieces that I use are happy memory things from family and friends.

Most are yard sale finds.

A few little chintzware candy dishes hold my thimbles, hand needles and wax.

My aluminum ware platters and bowls hold projects to move around.

I make little 'pillow cases' from fabric scraps to hold UFOs, I pin a lable to each one and can pick up a package to work on and know the pattern, fabric and finished part of the quilt is all together. When I finish the top I put it back in the case untill ready to quilt.

I like to use my stuff not hide it away for 'good' or company.

peace

I throw my old sewing items ie. wooden spools, oil cans etc in old green canning jars. Also throw broken odd jewelry in those canning jars just for the jewelry. Probably have others, but cannot think of those yet.

I have to have a Chinese takeaway when I run out of small plastic boxes for bits and bobs.

Best excuse for a takeaway yet :) but I must admit the plastic containers are great they go thro' the dishwasher as well!

I love pottery....so have a shelves all around the room and filled with my sewing stuff...and a teapot fulled with bobbins

when I cut out pieces for different blocks or multiples of the same to replicate a given block several times, I store the pieces in a "baggie" and lable the "baggie" with a permanent marker. When I am finished with the project, I take the baggies, clean the permanent (not really permanent) sharpie from the baggie with rubbing alcohol and I am ready to reuse them. I was amazed to find out how many different things alcohol will remove permanent sharpie from!!

I just use some painters tape that I keep in the sewing room ... then peel off when ready to start a-new.

If you ever need a fire starter, fill the empty toilet paper roll with lint from the dryer for a great one..my niece makes them up in the winter and uses them all summer while camping and other friends use them to start the fireplace fires. Lint is VERY flammable.

empty tissue boxes area also great around the house for keeping stray coins, another for collecting used dryer sheets, etc. They're pretty so they don't look out of place anywhere you set them.

Great idea, Jan. I have one of those fat rubber bands on the slick knob on my sewing machine (the one that manually runs the machine). I don't use that knob often, but, when I do, the rubber band gives me some grip.

The Tide Pods containers are great. Clear plastic, hinged lid, and come in two sizes. I glue yo yos to hide label. I'm not the type to save and reuse many throw- aways but I like the pod containers.

I store my Pigma pens in a mug, my number 5 and 8 balls of thread in a basket and I use a square empty tissue box to coral my roll binding when I am sewing it on. I just place the box on the floor near my right foot.

Got sheets for Christmas last year. I reused the plastic zipper case they came in to hold my pineapple square while I'm making them. Got sheets for Christmas this year. Using the plastic zipper case to hold 2 1/2" squares for the quilt I'm working on now.
The fat rubberband from broccoli I keep with my hand quilting stuff. I use this when the needle gets stuck. I can pull it thru easier with that and don't have to buy those little red circles.
The heavy shoe boxes that sneakers come in, I have my cone threads in them. One box I'm using to hold the strips for the pineapple quilt. I only work on the pineapple when I don't have other things that need to be done. Taking a long time.
Have been using the case boxes from Girl Scout cookies for years to hold my patterns. Good thing it cookie time here, I need another box.