DIY- Jar Pincusion

What's better than a pincushion?  A pincushion that also holds other sewing or crafting necessities, that's what!

For this project, you'll need:

1. Any kind of glass jar.  I used a baby formula container in this example.
2. Ribbon
3. A square of fabric, the size depending on how big the lid of the container is.  My jar's top was 1 1/2 inches and I used a 4 x 4 piece.  If I were to use a mason jar, I would probably use an 8 x 8 square.
4. Needle and thread
5. A small amount of wool stuffing. (The wool is supposed to keep the pins sharp, but if this is more for decoration, like mine, use whatever you have, like polyfil or yarn scraps.)
6. A sharp knife or scissors

Preparation:

Before you begin this project, run your glass jar under warm to hot water and use steel wool to get the label off.  If you don't have any steel wool, I recommend you run it through the dishwasher or soak it in hot water, then use a sponge or your hands to get the label off. (Unless you would like to leave the label on the jar, then by all means leave it on)

Step 1:

Cut out a square of fabric, the size depending on the diameter of the jar lid.  For this 1 1/2 inch lid, I used a 4 x 4 square.

Step 2:

Use a needle and thread to stitch along the edges of the entire square.  Make sure that you keep the stitches wide, you'll see why pretty soon.  Don't worry about matching the colors of the thread with the fabric either; nobody is going to see this stitch.  Once Finished, do not cut off the excess thread.

Step 3:

Once you have completed step 2, pull the rest of the thread so the fabric begins to form a sack.  Stuff this sack  to your heart's content.  The more stuffing that goes in, the better the pincushion holds it's shape when it's used.  To get the maximum possible amount of stuffing in there, tighten the thread a little bit more every time you feel that the sack is full, then continue stuffing.  Stop when you feel like you've stuffed enough, and tighten the thread as much as it will go, then fasten off.

My little puppy decided she wanted to help me stuff and brought me some yarn, which she ever so thoughtfully unraveled herself!

Step 4:

Take the lid of the jar, and a sharp knife, and cut out a medium-sized hole in the lid for the pincushion to pass through.  Place the pincushion under the lid, and pull it through until it looks pretty.  Screw the lid back onto the jar.

Step 5: (Optional)

Take some ribbon and wrap it around the lid once, then glue it in place.  Follow the directions which can be found here to create a small bow with the same ribbon.  Glue the bow over the joining spot on the ribbon.

Once you're finished, fill your jar with whatever you want and stick some pins in the top!