Make a Pin Cushion

Make this pin cushion using old coffee mugs you have in your house. I can't tell you how many times I have dropped pins on the floor when I am working on my quilts. And the number of times I have hemmed a pair of pants where once I have taken the pins out and placed them on the table they ended up rolling on the floor.

I had purchased a pin cushion, the one that had foam on the top but I found after lots of use the pins no longer stayed on the cushion.

So I began my search for a sturdy cushion that would not only hold my pins, but one that would hold my embroidery needles, my quilting pins, and my straight pins. And the best thing about the pin cushion I made was it was made from all recycled materials I had in the house, so it ended up costing me nothing to make.

Supplies you will need:
- old coffee mug (the wider the opening the better)
- plastic bag
- old material
- needle and thread
- piece of yarn (optional)
- glue gun

To assemble:

1. Using your old coffee mug, stuff the bottom of the coffee mug with a plastic bag

2. Cut a circle from old material, approx three times the size of your coffee mug opening

3. Take other old material and bunch it up. Arrange in your pre-cut circle material, position all in the mug

4. Once you are satisfied with the size, use a needle and thread and stitch the circle to your other material (by doing this stitching it holds the material in place)

5. Using a glue gun, dab some glue on the plastic bag and around the inside of the coffee mug

6. Positioned the sewn up material in the top of the coffee mug, you may have to reposition the material to get a good fit

7. You can decorate the mug any way you choose. For decoration I used a piece of heavy yarn around the top of the mug, again I used our glue gun to tack the yarn on

You can decorate the cup in many different ways use your imagination to make a creative pin cushion

I made this pin cushion in less than a half an hour. They are really quick and easy to make. If you have friends or family who sew this will make a great gift for them. You can make ones for your straight pins, for your quilting pins, for your embroidery needs, darning needles, and for any needlepoint that you do.

Below is a picture of two completed Coffee Mug Pin Cushions that I use; one for straight pins and one for safety pins.