Trash to Sewing Room
Click on the image above or HERE to see the video on this!
Looking for a way to use what you have as sewing notions in your sewing room? In this blog, I show how I use FIVE items that are usually thrown away or recycled to upcycle or repurpose in my sewing and quilting craft room. These items will help you stay organized, save money (these items are free!), and help the environment by recycling and upcycling.
Let’s get started!
Empty Toilet Paper Tubes
These are great, versatile, and if you are in my house, seem to be plentiful! I use these these a few things in my sewing space. Here are a few uses:
Store Binding, Ribbon, or Trim: One word of caution—these are not acid free, so this is only a temporary storage solution. To keep the binding on toilet paper rolls, I cut a slit partway down one side and slide the edge of the binding into the slit. I then wrap it around the tube. This is perfect when you are adding binding to a project because it keeps it tidy and together.
Discarding Old Rotary Blades: This works really well for carefully wrapping up the rotary blades before discarding them. Simply cut open the tube, carefully wrap your old blades in the cardboard, and tape it up really well. I use painter’s tape for this. You may need more than one tube to make sure it doesn’t cut through.
Plastic Peanut Butter Lids
Of course you could use any lid for this, but personally, I love using peanut butter lids because of their size and the rim around the edge. I wash these and use the clean lids to hold any small items around my sewing room such as clips, pins, or even small pieces of fabric. These work especially well when cleaning your sewing machine and keeping all the screws, feet, and other pieces together.
Empty Tissue Boxes
These are perfect for loose threads, fabric scraps, or general trash around your sewing space. The plastic keeps all of the trash from escaping or clinging to other things, the size and shape works well on your cutting table, and you can recycle or discard the entire thing when it is full. You can also empty it and keep using it over and over until it is ready to be replaced.
Plastic Lettuce Containers
These are great for so many things! Another word of caution, however: just like the toilet paper rolls, the plastic lettuce containers are not meant for long-term storage. As for temporary uses, you can use these to gather and organize fabric for a quilt, store small pieces or blocks as you are making a quilt, keep project items contained, or anything else you want to keep altogether in one place. They are also great because you can see what is inside.
Empty Pill Bottles
I start by cleaning the pill bottles and taking off the labels. If you really want to, you can also put some pretty washi tape or even labels on them, but they also work perfectly without that. There are many uses for pill bottles, but there two ideas are my favorite:
These are PERFECT to use to discard pins and needles. And they last a long time! I have these all over my sewing room. I like to keep one in my hand-sewing kit, on my thread rack, in my sewing machine needle storage container, and in my rolling cart. Since I have an abundance of them, they take a long time to fill, but when they are filled, I throw them away. If the lid isn’t a child safety lid, I use a piece of painter’s tape over the lid to secure them and insure no one will get hurt.
Pill bottles make the perfect portable storage containers for bobbins! I love using these to organize colors, to take to workshops or retreats, or to just have in the draw to keep them all together.
I hope these ideas will help you in your own sewing space! Let me know what you upcycle in yours!
Make sure to take some time to sew.
Happy quilting,
Kris ❤️
