Sewing Organization— Using Free Containers to Organize Your Sewing Stuff

 Are you looking for free containers to organize your sewing stuff?

I find a lot of materials for organizing sewing supplies in my recycling can. Many are free, found versions of items found in the US Container Store or the IKEA marketplace.
Examples:

Storing Patterns

The large plastic, rectangular plastic containers that leafy vegetables like spinach, arugula and kale are the perfect size for holding paper patterns. I label with paper taped to the side so I can readily see what type of patterns are in each box. They are designed for grocery store shelves, so they site very nicely and easily side by side on a shelf.

The small, flat plastic rectangular boxes that hold salad tomatoes are a great size for threads and matching wound bobbins. These are designed to be nicely stacked in the store. They are see through and stack well on my shelf. I label them with paper taped to the side of the box, so I readily know what type of thread it is: all purpose, cotton, silk, embroidery, top stitch, upholstery.

Upholstery Thread

Cardboard and plastic containers for mushrooms are great for holding snips, scissors and rotary cutters that need to be out and ready for use while working.

Flat rectangular plastic takeout containers have lids and are perfect for zippers, elastics, bra making materials, etc. Again, I put a paper label on the side and tape over it to protect the label, so it is easily known on the shelf what it is. These take out containers also stack nicely. You can put a lot of them on one shelf vertically.

Plastic round takeout soup containers are great for storing packages of needles. I usually change needles after each finished project, but lightly used needles go back in the container upside down.

Cold cream containers have screw tops that are nice for buttons recovered from old clothes and packages of yet to be used bobbins.

Altoid Tins with Pins & Clips

Altoid mint tins are great for holding safety pins, wonder clips, Bobby pins used to secure fabric to delicate for wonder or binder clips, open packages of hook and eye, reclaimed buttons, bobbins that have no more matching thread and a whole assortment of small frequently used items.

Wide mouth glass jars for vegetables, fruits and sauces are great for collecting the selvedge of fabric to be used for fabric stays. The clear glass makes it easy to see and match colors and the stay filled jars look colorful and decorative on the shelf. I keep like fabrics in jars together to make matching the perfect stay quick and easy. The jars are also great for holding rulers, marking pens, etc.

Plastic screw top containers of all types are great for sharps of all sorts. I use large white plastic glucose tablet containers, but any container that is durable, puncture proof and secures tightly is a good choice. I label the bottle sharps, store it high on a shelf out of reach from my young grandchildren and put in used needles and used rotary cutter blades. The mouth of the jar is just barely large enough to hold rotary blades, so it is very difficult for the blades to accidentally come out when disposing. Or if dropped. Not that I’ve ever done that. Since I buy blades in bulk, the used blades can’t go back into the container from which the blade came as is possible with blades sold in single packages. I write “danger: sharps” in multiple easy to see places in red sharpie on the white container and secure the top with packing tape to protect sanitation workers before disposing at a facility that accepts medical wastes and sharps.

Dove Container with Bobbins

Bottom line:
I found a cupboard with shelves on the street which I painted and use to hold all these items. Most of my sewing containers were free from recycling. I try to collect like types, so they are designed to stack together. As much as possible, I keep containers neatly stacked and labelled. To label, I type my labels on a piece of paper using my computer, print them out at an easily readable size and font, cut them out and then tape over the label onto the side of the container so the labels are protected and can easily be seen when I open the cabinet doors.

Hope this helps! Happy organizing.