Marge L.

I use the new pizza boxes for finished quilt blocks until I get around to using them. Use 1 box for any extra blocks. SOME DAY I will put this assortment of blocks together in a sort of sampler quilt. Notice I said SOME DAY. LOL Marge L.

cherrio

I have 4 dogs and 2 cats. the lids from the large plastic coffee "cans" are good size for feeding them soft food. they get competitive when soft food is served (1 time a day) and need to be separated. lol. I use the large plastic container that pretzels come in to stand my scissors in. there is a felt pad on the bottom. love this thread! I am jotting down favorites as I read. like someone else said-clean pizza boxes are great for extra and "practiced" blocks

cherrio

looks like a long "bead" that elementary teacher could use along with empty spools

patimint

Love this thread, so many new ideas along with some I already use and some I have read about before, but have forgotten. This one is a keeper. Thanks, everyone for all you great ideas.

Beachbumquilter

My daughter use to be a waitress at a diner and got me a couple of the large pickle jars, love them for spools of threads and best for buttons, they really hold a lot of buttons, keeps the dust off and all in one spot not to mention fun to look at.

TanyaL

I use those large gallon jars to store our Christmas tree balls in. They are easy to find each season, one color per gallon. Also use them to store some dry food stuffs in.

Ramona Byrd

I'm getting some old sewing books out to give to a friend, and of course had
to read them first. Old ones I didn't remember. Threads is a marvelous
one, with lots of hints. One lady wrote in to say she used metal cake decorating
tips for making seam binding tape. Different sizes made different sizes of tape.

Another one wrote that she always had a strawberry huller beside her machine
to pick out stitches. Said it looked like two fingernails, and saved hers when
removing a lot of stitches. (Personally, I've never seen one like that,)

In our garage I helped my late husband quickly see what was in each old coffee
tin. On each I taped a 3x5 card, then, again with 2 inch clear tape, covered a
sample nail, screw, etc, that was in the cans. One glance and it could be found.

I use an old tiny metal set of shelves he had for screws and nuts and bolts, now
repainted and I use it for sewing aids. Each drawer is labeled and now I can
FIND those tiny things I need right now!! It has well over 50 small drawers, big
enough for those thousand and one things we lose every time we want them.

I have masses of large, heavy books that I love and will keep, but they fall over
when my cat strolls past them. So to keep in with my window seat and pillows,
I use the same extremely heavy, rough cream old bedspread that I made them
from and added it to some new, dry bricks. Hand sewed them and they can
be laid two or three layers high, looks nice. I've had several folks wonder where
they can buy them.

I hunt for cat litter plastic containers that have a sturdy lid that removes
completely. The ones I get are white, about knee high and have paper labels that come
right off. I use them for storing lots of stuff, and can label them easily with typing paper
and 2 inch clear tape, on the lid and sides. Just clean out well, it's not hard to do. They will
even hold a blanket or small quilt for storage, smells best when an opened bar of Irish
Spring cake soap is added before closing the lid.

Cathleen Colson

I use a 2 tiered spice rack, round, on a lazy susan base to keep track of marking pens/pencils, long needles, tracing wheels, seam rippers, etc. I left the bottles in the rack but took the tops off. It has a larger center opening that holds scissors, a plastic chop stick for turning points, bodkins, etc. I use terra cotta flower pots and saucers to hold stuff in the sewing room and kitchen. They are heavy enough to stay put with heavy scissors or spoons and spatulas in them. I use one pot for garlic with the saucer turned over on top for a lid. I have a couple of really big terra cotta saucers that i use as pizza stones in the oven!

cousinpenny

I use a CPAP machine so I always have plenty of gallon water jugs. I've been able to cut out a triangle of plastic and use it to dip into the bird food bag to fill the feeders. There's enough weight to make the corner opposite the handle the perfect filling spout. Also, if you just want to put out small holes and you can make your own feeders for birds (squirrels will tear them apart). You can make a hole for a stick/branch for the birds to perch and one for them to grab the seed through.

I make handmade gifts to have at Christmas and they are well received. Tins make the perfect traveling sewing kit if you know the receipent, you can customize the fabric. A couple of pre-threaded needles, clear buttons, and basic color threads and you have a great gift. A small tin for work or travel people and or a pencil box/case for a college bound student.

I've been reusing my tissue boxes to hold my orts and snips. I hang some pieces in an onion bag near the shrubs to provide birds nesting materials.

I am just like the group.....reuse, reduce, recycle. I have plenty more ideas and will enter more later.

MrsBeasley

I had a friend drill a small hole in the plastic end of my stitch ripper, and fastened it with a ring to the plastic 'bungy' cord that I got from the casino. I wear it around my neck when I'm sewing, and I use the ripper a LOT! Saves patting down the whole table when it's covered with all my sewing!