Is it harder to remove the pins from the magnet than from a pincushion? With a pincushion all the tops are facing up.....

I got into a mood and made a bunch of pincushions one week. The one I use everyday is the teal colored one that sits on top of a matching fabric covered tile the has a thread catcher hanging from it. I filled all mine with crushed walnut shells. It has weight to it to keep it from moving around and it supposedly sharpens the pins. The pink/green ones are the bottoms to the ones in the same picture. All but the thread catcher one were free patterns from the internet.
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I love your coordinated machine cover/pincushion/threadcatcher set! Very nicely done.

And they only cost a few bucks. You can pick them up at Harbor Freight and the home improvement stores. I have 3.DH has one at work for his paper clips. You could glue it to a flat bottom like small piece of wood.

auntanna's are gorgeous!! I also pick 'em up at estate sales. I usually only pay about $1. at most.

At first it might seem a bit awkward, but you soon get used to the difference.
You are grabbing the glass/plastic bead end point tends to go towards the magnet.

There's lots of commercially made magnetic pin cushions.
They are usually with a magnet in the centre, with a hard shell around it.
Mine is just a lot less expensive.
And I can choose my size according to what tin I put it into.

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You can't tell very well from this picture, but the pincushion with this thread catcher is actually velcroed to a 3"x6" ceramic tile (they call them subway tiles) purchased from Lowe's for less than 50 cents. I made a sleeve that the tile fits in and sewed the hook part of the velcro on it, inserted the tile and hand-stitched it closed. Then I made a rectangular pin cushion with two pieces of fabric and two pieces of batting, sewed the other part of the velcro to it, sewed three sides (left one of the short sides open, turned it right side out, filled it with crushed walnut shells and sewed the end shut. In this picture, the base is connected to the thread catcher, but I can remove the pincushion if I need to.

I have started making simple 4" square pincushions and my sister is going to crochet motifs to go around them. They will be made in the same way as above -- two pieces of fabric, two pieces of batting and walnut shells.

I bought this one about 15 or 20 years ago at a garage sale. It is my favorite for grabbing and carrying since I can't stick my fingers on pins poking out from the bottom. It is just a canning lid ring with the lid inserted. It is decorated witha velvet type fabric and has glued trim on it.

This is my obviously hand made pin cushion (baby food jar lid) and above it, the holder ( and old chap stick tube) for my seam ripper and tweezers! Both are "stuck on" using the fabulously handy Command hook tapes. Peel off easily if I want.

I sure don't have to search around on the table!

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Wow what great ideas. And beautiful pin cushions. Thanks everyone so far for posting!!