In "Household items turned quilting notions?", someone was using a dish drainrack for storing their cutting rulers. I went to Fred Meyers and bought a nice dark chromed $10 dish drainrack to store mine in. Oh my! What a wonderful idea. I can place several rulers in each slot for a dish and I store all of my little ones in the silverware tray.

Also, I have been using the plastic see thru containers that packs of Crystal Lite come in. I have one set up for my portable embroidery with the necessry threads, small scissor snips, needle and my needle threader (which I seem to need now a days. I have another one for my eraseable marker pens, tweezers, seam ripper, etc. Very handy. The snap on lid stays on quite nicely.

Oh yeah, the grip on handle on the ruler in the photo is from Harbor Freight. Really a lot less expensive than in Joanne's or Quilting shops.

I use the tops from hair spray cans, many colors and just the right size. The price is right also, and if I put a circle of rubber shelf liner on the bottom, it sits right on my sewing machine.

For my handwork at home, I use a clean tuna fish can. No lid - but then I'm not transporting it anywhere.

For my card making, quilting, cross stitching, I use the plastic baby wipes containers. They are great for holding pencils/pens, stamps, pins, markers, scissors, etc.

I save the cans from General Foods International Coffees and use them for all kinds of things.....buttons separated by colors, safety pins by size and shape, little bits of odds and ends, and they would make great little "trash cans" for thread. Thanks for that idea...

I like the plastic Gerber baby food containers that have the snap on lid I find so many uses for those in my sewing room plus they are handy to take pins, bobbins etc with you to class. Will have to really take good care of the ones I have as I have to wait to have great grandbabies my kids are done having little ones.

What a great idea-need to go and pick up some gum, I guess.

Snippit containers are sew handy. I have a fabric one I made that sits on the arm of my chair.

I use medicine bottles (washed and labels removed) for my bent and broken needles and pins. I keep one at the sewing machine, one in the basket by my chair, one in my needlework bag, and one in my quilting tote.

The Restasis containers are great too - keep my quilting safety pins in one, and use them for other sewing supplies such as elastic, rickrack, etc - the white tops make it easy to label.

Believe it or not I save those vials that urine tests are done in. The kits include specimen bottle and two vials with rubber stoppers. We throw out the vials (unused of course), soooo I save them to put used needles (sewing needles is there any other kind?) in them. RECYCLE, don't you just love it!

Okay maybe I am the only crazy one who uses empty Swiffer Sweeper containers, I use them for everything!