10 Amazing Sewing Hacks To Try Today!

Hey darls! Wow I miss blogging. ;( Summer has been rocking my world. Endless beach trips with my nieces, barbecue picnics at the park and some girl’s night outs. Can you tell summer is my most favorite season? lol

Couldn’t wait to get back to blogging so I just whipped up a quick post as part of the “Getting Good At Sewing Series”

If you missed some of my posts, here are they:

The art of sewing can be both a relaxing and rewarding experience. Yet there are certain tasks associated with this art that can be a hassle to do and can frustrate you to the point where you need to take a break from this great hobby.

Before you close and lock your sewing room for a few weeks, consider using these 10 amazing sewing hacks that we gathered to make your craft tasks easier. You may find tips and tricks here that you never heard about yet will try out today.

And don’t forget to pass on these tips to your sewing community and friends who love to sew projects 😉

1. Tin foil and sandpaper can sharpen scissors

Do you have dull scissors? Most of us don’t have the money in the budget to buy a special scissor sharpening tool. Well you don’t have to buy one. You can use tin foil or sandpaper to sharpen your scissors. Just cut the sandpaper and foil with the scissors and you will get a nice sharp edge.

2. Create a quick sew allowance with two pencils

You need to make a sewing allowance to the pattern you are currently working on? Grab two pencils from your pencil holder mug and a rubber band from your desk drawer. Join the two pencils together with the rubber band and you will have a makeshift seam allowance tool for your patterns.

3. Store bobbins in toe separators

Toe separators can be used for more than just your toes. These nifty items are the perfect size for your bobbins as they are nifty storage tools.

4. Use penny rolls as pattern weights

When you need to hold a pattern in place on the fabric but run out of pins, you can instead use penny rolls. Seriously, when are you actually going to stand in line at the bank and cash those pennies in? Never. So just use them in your sewing room.

5. Use a piece of silicone pot holder to press hems

While there are now silicone hem holders out on the market, you may have a few metal ones that you use with the iron when pressing hems. Unfortunately, that metal can get extremely hot for your fingers as it absorbs the heat from your iron. If you have an old silicone pot holder that is destined for the trash bin, you can re-purpose it by cutting it into different hem guide sizes. Then use the piece of the pot holder as a hem guide.

6. Hairspray can help thread a needle

Threading hand sewing needles is a pain. If you can’t find your needle threader tool (or broke it by pulling the two metal ends out of the holder like a certain someone did a few weeks ago), you can spray a bit of hairspray on the end of the thread. The hairspray stiffens the thread so it will go through the needle’s eye more easily.

7. Remove basting stitches with a crochet hook

Whenever you have basting stitches that you need to remove before putting in more permanent stitching, you can remove the cut thread by using a crochet hook. The crochet hook has the perfect end to snag the thread and pull it free easily.

8. Use magnets to find spare pins

Safety pins and needles can roll and drop into some strange places. Or worse, you drop a small box of pins on the floor as you now have to play the 52 Pickup game. Make the cleaning task easier, or find needles that your eyes can’s seem to find, by using magnets. If you have small magnets or your pins rolled underneath a bookshelf, stick the magnets on a long length of tape for easier handling.

9. Keep buttons in place with nail polish

Sometimes thread just loves to pull out of buttons on your garments. To keep the threads from moving, you can use a bit of clear fingernail polish. Just a small drop of polish on the top of the button will stop the thread from shifting about.

10. Binder clips can hold binding on quilts

When you are making quilts, you can have multiple layers that need to be sewn together. Then you need to put the binding around the edges before sewing it on. Instead of using pins, you can instead place on binder clips to hold the binding. The clips stay in place and won’t easily slip off until you want to remove them.

Make your sewing life a bit easier with these awesome 10 hacks. These tips and tricks allow you to use items you have on hand to create easier ways to make your sewing crafts and projects. You will be amazed by how much money you can save by using these easy hacks.

If you are a total novice seamstress, remember to check my round-up post about sewing machines for beginners. That post will help you choose the perfect model for your skills and budget. 😉