Sewing 3 Pincushions from Scrap Materials

Step 1

“Do what you can with what you have” is the motto of everyone crafting in quarantine. I ran out of sewing supplies, so today I spent some time making pincushions. Take a look at how to sew 3 pincushions from leftover fabric scraps—perhaps one of these ideas will come in handy for you.

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Step 3

The sewing technique is the same for all of them—for the base, I used a fabric square measuring 7 by 7 or 8 by 8 cm. What differs is the embellishment: cross-stitch embroidery, a crocheted motif, and a "mini-pizza" made from the tiniest fabric scraps. You will also find a chart for the crocheted square to decorate your pincushions.
How to Sew a Pincushion with Crochet Embellishment
For this pincushion, I used dark blue velour, a piece of gold brocade, and an openwork crocheted square.

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Step 5

Any fine yarn will work for the square. In my case, it was cotton darning thread and a size 2.5 crochet hook. I worked according to the following chart, but only through round 5 so that the piece would match the size of the pincushion.

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Step 7

The finished piece should be lightly steamed with a hot iron.

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Step 9

Pin and hand-sew the square onto the sewn pincushion stuffed with polyester fiberfill; I also added some seed beads and a central bead. Place a circle cut from gold brocade under the center of the crocheted piece—this creates a lovely shimmer against the dark background.

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Step 11

This pincushion turned out to be the softest and most pleasant to the touch.
How to Sew a Pincushion with Embroidery
In my stash, I found a strip of printed fabric intended for rushnyk embroidery. Cut a 7x7 cm square from it, and cut the second piece from white calico.

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Step 13

Following the printed piece, cross-stitch with red and white floss and add a contrasting outline. I embroidered the center with a silver metallic thread.

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Step 15

Place the pieces right sides together, sew by hand or machine, and turn right side out through the opening left unstitched. Stuff with fiberfill or cotton. Hand-sew the opening closed with a blind stitch.

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Step 17

How to Sew a Butterfly Pincushion in the "Mini-Pizza" Technique
For this pincushion, I needed tiny scraps. I cut the moth from a fabric scrap of a children's T-shirt, and also used a 3 by 5 cm piece of brocade and a 7 by 7 cm piece of mesh for the top.

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Step 19

Arrange the fabric scraps on the base piece (white knit fabric), cover with the mesh, and pin in place. I stitched the scraps down by hand using seed beads.

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Step 21

Assemble the pincushion just like the embroidered one. Here is what it looks like finished, and it is probably my favorite of today's little handmade creations.

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Step 23

Since all the girls in our house love crafting, the pincushions quickly found their new owners, and I hope they will brighten our mood during our creative sessions.