12 Repurpose Ideas for Common Sewing Items

Go into any antique mall or thrift shop and you're bound to find a variety of sewing notions ready for repurposing.  Here's just a few quick projects to get you inspired and thinking outside the box.  

I don't have the heart to cut an old sewing machine in half but I really love this idea.  So cute!

phantasticphinds

What a great idea.  You'll find jars and jars full of spools here at #TheFrog.

sadieseasongoods.com

Thimbles are one of my favorite finds.  So many jewelry options with them.  

thechirpingfrog

Measuring tapes also have so many applications.  Cute as a bracelet, shorter lengths for charms or pendants.   

From thehappyhomester

Never would of thought to use flower frogs to store scissors.  How cute is that?  

xszemkozt

Sewing baskets always have a variety of bobbins perfect for jewelry making.

earthangelsstudios

I tend to gravitate towards jewelry applications.... obviously.  These are just adorable!

mysalvagedtreasures

Such a cute idea for a teapot... pin cushion in the lid and storage for supplies and notions in the pot.  Love it!

sadieseasongoods

People are so creative.  I never would of thought to use a butter dish for a sewing kit.  How cute is that?  Might have to make me one of these, you know, for all the sewing I do.

todolwen

Another great pin cushion idea using a jar.  What a great idea.

Found on pinterest

Great travel sewing kit from an eyeglass case.  I've got quite a few of these.  Great repurpose idea.

brightside.me/inspiration-tips-and-tricks

One more creative pincushion idea.  So many beautiful teacups that'd make gorgeous pincushions.  Recently found more Pinterest posts using jello molds and the like.  Such cute ideas.

etsy.com

Have you done anything fun with sewing items?  Would love to see your creativity.  Inspire us!

Coral Doughnut Wire Wrapped Pendant

Last year I took a tag-along trip with my husband to Memphis, TN.  He had work to do but my days consisted of beading and lazing around the hotel room until dinner.  It really was a great couple days.  I didn't get a whole lot completed, but multiple projects got started.  Today I'd like to show you a completed project- finally!

This is what my husband came home to every night.  I also had an ironing board on the left of the bed with more supplies.  It was everywhere, I pretty much took over the space.

 In years past I'd purchased a couple of these beautiful red doughnuts and have been waiting for the chance to work on one, here's that chance. 

I made the bail by using two separate pieces of 18 gauge wire, sending them through the center hole and wire wrapping them with a loop at the top for attachment to a chain.  Then I began to wire wrap them together.

Got the front portion wrapped.

 Moving on to the back part of the bail.

 I added a couple dangles for a little extra bling and that's where my Memphis trip came to an end.

It's been waiting for me to find the time to finish it up ever since.  One day last winter I was able to make the chain for this pendant and add another element to complete the look.  Here's what I came up with.

I love making my own chain, time-consuming, but well worth it.  I tend to do a 1x2 pattern, varying the size of the rings, it adds a tad of interest without going too crazy.  Stay tuned, I'll have a tutorial coming soon on how to do this.  It's really not hard and it gives you the freedom to design a variety of chain patterns to fit your needs and design aesthetic.

 Another shot of the finished look. 

Have you made any jewelry?  Would love to see some of your finished work.  I really wish I had more time to spend working on my jewelry creations, it's so relaxing and such a great creative outlet.

Hoping to get some jewelry making classes going at the new shop, The Chirping Frog, can't wait to get things up and running.  

Easy Thimble Pendant Necklace with Wire-Wrapped Bead Dangles

My mom spent a week with me the end of June that coincided beautifully with a broken toe, giving me plenty of play time for my many crafty endeavors.  I got a lot of things started and very little finished, par for the course, right!  

One of the projects I started was this thimble pendant necklace using wire-wrapped beads left over from previous projects.  Gotta use up them leftovers!

 I started by drilling a hole thru the center of the thimble.  Using a length of 18 gauge wire (roughly 4") I made a loop at one end, adding varying lengths of chain with wire-wrapped bead dangles.  The wire then got threaded thru the inside of the thimble and out the top.   

I finished it off by forming a large loop at the top and wire wrapping excessively down to the thimble.  I really love that look.

I finished it off by adding a long length of chain.  Easy peasy!

I am considering adding an assortment of chain dangles since most of my beads have loops at the base (might as well use them, eh).

I'm always on the lookout for thimbles and other trinkets to use in my jewelry projects.  I've got a great assortment of bottle caps, corks, games pieces, etc.  Now I just need to find some time to be creative and get something done.  

Have you made anything using thimbles?  Do share, I'd love to see your creativity at work.

"Believe in Yourself" Mini Journal Pendant Necklace

Shortly after Christmas I spent a week with my mom crafting and thrifting, boy did we have fun.  One of the projects I worked on was this mini journal that I planned to turn into a pendant.  It's taken me a long time to get back to it but finally, here it is:

I started with a candy box cut to size, covered in cardstock and a greeting card.  I cut the card in half and glued it onto the front and back of my cover (pay attention, the first one I did, you can see it in the background, I ran the wrong direction, oops.)

I then used some scrap papers to make two small signatures.

I added grommets to attach the necklace and sewed the signatures with hemp cord.

I found a necklace at a local antique mall that I cut apart and used portions of for the chain, with a few wire-wrapped beads and a key mixed in.

Still need to add some decorative touches to the pages and a closure.  I've "finished" multiple journals but not a single one of them has a closure.  Just not sure what I want to do.  I could go with a button and ribbon or stretchy cord but that's just too expected.... think I need a trip into town to visit the hardware store and see what I can come up with.

I call it "Believe in Yourself, That's the Key!"  

How to Easily Turn A Tin into Multiple Pieces of Jewelry

I am a hoarder of beautiful tins, I admit it, I can't pass them up.  Many times they're not usable for my purposes but they're beautiful so I must have them.  This particular tin I have found a couple times and it's perfect!  Wait till you see how many projects I've made so far and there's still plenty left to work with.

I forgot to take a picture of the tin before I started cutting but look at all those lovely pieces I have to work with.

I decided to make a bracelet and earring set for my first project.  I'd love to teach a class at the new shop for this, so easy and you leave with completed jewelry.

I started by cutting down my pieces so they are a better fit on the wrist.  I used the block to hammer them relatively flat (when cutting them up they tend to get bent in the corners, amongst other things).

I used a file to sand down any rough edges and round the corners.  Then, using canned food I hammered each piece giving it a slightly rounded finish, you can see what I mean in the next picture.

I marked the pieces where I wanted the eyelets and started punching holes with my crop-a-dile, love that thing....

 ... and added my eyelets.

Using four of my matching tin pieces I linked them together.   I haven't added the closure yet, I started to make one but the wire just wasn't sturdy enough for my liking so I need to get into Michael's sometime and pick one up.  Also, if I'm teaching this for a class we will have limited time, making closures might not be an option, especially if we're making earrings too.

Of course we are.  Again I used ear wires from Michael's that match the wire and eyelets, making the earrings a really easy project.  Simply prep the smaller pieces of tin with a little sanding, mark and punch your hole and attach your ear wire with a ring.  It's as easy as that and you've got yourself an adorable new bracelet and earring set.

Oh but why stop there?  You could continue on and add a necklace quite simply.  I used a different color piece from the same tin for this project.  Simply cut it out and make random hole punches around the outer edge.  I then took some wire and strung it through the holes, leaving a tail at the bottom on both sides.

I strung a few decorative beads sporadically throughout as well...

... and used the "tails" at the bottom to make a ring to add a little bling.

Another quick project for a class that requires very little jewelry making experience yet you leave with a beautiful pendant necklace that you made yourself.

Mom's Inspiring Art Dolls

A few years ago I had a little bit of a cancer scare.  I think it freaked my mom out more than me, but it was a scare none-the-less.  I had a small spot on my face, near my eye that wouldn't heal.  It was dry and rough, kept splitting open, healing up, then repeating the process.  It took me much longer than it should have to go to the doctor.  Sure enough, skin cancer.  Not the bad, scary stuff that spreads and requires more extravagant treatments, but the C word! 

My first treatment was just to have it removed.  I went to a plastic surgeon recommended by the dermatologist and he removed it.  I had a black eye for a little bit but I wear glasses so it was really not too noticeable.  I had a little scar (a tiny pucker in the corner) but nothing that bothered me or again, was very noticeable.  I healed quickly with no problems.  Or so I thought.

Not quite a year later, it was back.  Had a biopsy done to be sure and again, the C word!  This time they sent me over to St. Louis and I had the MOHS procedure done.  I was much more nervous for this one, they basically cut it out in layers, testing each layer to see if there's any cancer cells left.  It could be an all day process.  I only had to have two.  Much better than I thought.  Then I was sent to the hospital to have it closed up.  My mom was with me, and a nervous wreck I might add.  It went very well, the surgeon was spectacular.  I had a hole the size of a quarter and my mom was shocked how deep it was, he closed it up without skin grafts and the scarring is so minimal.  Again, glasses and hair pretty much hide all of it. 

I say all that to show you what mom made me for my second procedure.  Obviously she was nervous for me and needed to artistically express that.  She is quite an inspiration to me, always teaching me new stuff and getting me started on new artsy endeavors (much to the chagrin of my husband).

 It's been a couple years since my surgery, it usually takes me about that long to get on board with mom's newest creative endeavors (well, new to me).  Yesterday, I got this book in the mail.  We are planning to go to Bead N Button this year and I was telling mom I'd like to play around with people using tin.  How great is that?  Moms, gotta love 'em!

Here's some links to see more of her artwork (she's finally getting some of it up on Pinterest), check out her Art Dolls and some jewelry.   She also loves Altered Books and Art Journaling.  She does some really amazing stuff, very little of which she's gotten on Pinterest.  I'll keep on her about that. 

Hope you are finding some time to be creative and learn something new.