10 Pincushion Stuffing Ideas

Pins are the must have tool when you love to sew, and they need to be in a place where they are easy to take from and to put them back. Some sewers prefer to have them in a box, some on a magnetic pin holder, but the majority of sewers prefer to have them in a pincushion.

Pincushion Stuffing is something you want to think about when you love to sew, as it will help you to keep them in one place and it will also keep their points sharp.

When looking for a pincushion to have on your sewing table or right next to your sewing machine, there are a few options where you can get yours on the market.

From buying one already made, to make your own, it will be important to take a minute to learn more about the different types of stuffing for a pincushion, and what the type of stuffing you prefer to do for your pins.

10 Pincushion Stuffing Ideas

1 – Sawdust

If you can get some sawdust, it will be great to be used as pincushion stuffing.

Cons: Some type of wood might have oils and resins you might want to avoid, as someone who knows about wood and wood carving, and which type of wood would be the best to use to make a pincushion.

2 – Fabric Scraps

If you love to sew or to make quilts, I’m sure you might have one or two boxes full of scraps, and some fabrics are to pretty that we want to keep even the smallest scraps.

When sorting out your scraps, keep those tiny scraps and use them as a pincushion stuffing, it will add good weight and it will help you to pinch your pins with no problem at all.

3 – Steel Wool

Great to keep your pins sharp, buy always the fine grade, it will be easier to work with them, and it can be mixed with another stuffing.

4 – Ground Walnut Shells

They are also great to keep your pins and needles sharp, they are not expensive and you can find it in Animal Stores. They will give the right weight and they will give compact stuffing to your pincushion.

Cons – Allergies

5 – Sand

It will give the right weight and solid compaction, don’t get the finest sand, as it can get out easily on weaven fabrics.

6 – Plastic Beads

They will give the right weight to your project but not a solid compaction, they are easy to find on craft supplies stores and they are clean to use. You can mix it with some stuffing to give your project a better compaction.

Cons – Won’t help to keep your pins and needles sharp.

7 – Lavender

Dry lavender is well-known to be used as stuffing to make sachets, but it can also be used as stuffing for a cushion.

Cons: You need to like the smell of lavender.

8 – Hair

Many pincushions have been made hair, most of them with horse hair and in some cases with human hair.

If you live near a farm where they have horses, you can ask for some, farmers are always nice people and if they have some, they will give it to you.

The second option will take you to think about the next visit to the hairdresser, you can ask for your own hair, and in a couple of visits, you might have enough to make one pincushion.

9 – Wool

Wool has lanolin oil in it, and this makes of it perfect to make your pincushion as it will help you to keep your pins and needles from rusting.

If you live in the country where you can find a farm where they have some sheep, you can always ask for some wool from them.

In case where you live there is no any farm with sheep where you can get some wool from them, you always can buy a cheap ball of wool at the crafts supplies stores or at the knitting or crochet supplies stores.

Another option to use wool as a stuffing for your pincushion, is to look for an old wool sweater or piece of clothing, you don’t use anymore.

10 – Rice

Rice will be a good filling for your new pincushion and it will give it the right weight and it will allow you to pinch the pins with ease, it will absorb the moisture from the environment helping to keep pins rust free.

What To Look For When Making A New Pincushion?

When making a new pincushion to keep your pins in one place while you work on your projects, you might want to make it with the right size, not too small and not too big.

It needs to be made with the right weight that keeps in the place where you place it, if you make it too light, it might get moving as you work with the fabric on your work table.

Use the right stuffing you have on hand, so it will help you to keep pins rust free and sharp.

Make it a bright color that is easy to see wherever you place it, this will save you lots of time when working on any project.

Make it also from a fabric that will last for many years, so you don’t need to make a new one often.

Pincushion Stuffing, Closing Thoughts

When you love to sew, having a pincushion with the right stuffing on your work table or right next to your sewing machine, will help you to work with ease on any project, and get better results.

Pins are one of the must have sewing tools every sewer need to have in the sewing room, keeping them in one place, it will help you to work better and faster on any project!

We hope this list of pincushion stuffing helps you to find the one you have in hand to make a new pincushion, if you want to read a sewing tutorial to make a pincushion, you can find it here!.

More to read:

• Sewing Pins Guide and their Uses –
• Easy Pincushion Tutorial (origami)

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