Valentine fun with pretty pincushions is a project for a rainy day. I love it when I find little silverplate sugar and creamers at the thrift store! They are usually without their mates and the more ornate, the better. The tarnish gives them great patina too.
They make ideal pincushions, as you see here in this photo. This is not a new idea, of course. The taller is the first one I made, and I have enjoyed it sooo much! This creamer came from my favorite thrift store, and the smaller sugar from an antique shop. It was reduced to 50¢ because the other handle is broken off. I love it anyway. I could cover up the stump with a button, but it’s hardly noticeable.
I’m going to show you the process of how I made this…just a few steps and very easy.
Valentine Fun with Pretty Pincushions:
You need the item you intend to use, a circle of fabric, polyfill, needle and thread or rubber band, hot glue gun.
The rule of thumb is to cut out a circle of fabric at least twice as large as the opening of your piece. I did this first, but found it was still too small, so I made it 3 times larger, which worked better.
A biscuit cutter, funnel, or bowl comes in handy to make a nice size circle on the fabric. Just draw around it with pen or pencil, or you can get techy and use a compass.
Insert husband, hovering, saying, “why don’t you use a compass?” Retired husbands tend to hover. We have had a few conversations about this. LOL.
Back to the tutorial…Cut out the circle. Iron the fabric.
Plop a dollop of polyfill down in the center. How much is determined by how full you want your pincushion. You have to play around with it some.
There are 2 ways you can close it. If you have enough fabric, you can use a rubber band. If not, I hand sew a long stitch all the way around, starting about 1/4″ from the edge. Then pull it up like a drawstring bag. When it’s tightly closed, put a knot in to hold it.
Place it in your piece to be pincushioned. Hot glue either the piece or the pincushion. I’ve done both with good results. I don’t have a photo of this step. You have to work quickly with the hot glue! I didn’t have enough hands to show the item being glued, the camera, and the glue gun!
Do you like the red fabric? I thought the bright color was a nice contrast to the dark of the container, and it’s got hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day! But it doesn’t scream Valentine’s, which makes it transitional into all-year use.
The other receptacle most often used is a teacup. I just happened to have one, and made in England! Cups made in England make better pincushions, right? Right! It has a hairline crack and a pink stain in the bottom, making it a perfect candidate for one.
Starting by gluing the saucer to the cup, using E6000, the rest of the process is the same. This time I applied the hot glue directly on the cup. I had a concern about the heat breaking it, but not a problem.
Displaying with a vintage postcard from my collection…hope you like my little Valentine vignette!!
PLEASE PIN OR SHARE!
Florence
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This is such a sweet idea. I like the idea of using the vintage silver and old teacups. I will look for these when I go thrifting. Pinned.
Thank you Debra and thanks for pinning!!
These are super sweet, Florence. They are going on my to make list for sure!! I am so glad I was able to visit you today. Sometimes when I come to say hello, all I get is a large white screen. So happy I was able to get all the way through today!! 🙂
Thank you Kim & glad you persisted. I fixed that “little” problem thankfully. Glad you liked the pincushions!
Florence this is such a cute idea. I think I have some cups that are vintagy and I’ll have to find them. I would love to try this out. Thanks for the idea.
Thank you Mary! Glad you found some inspiration & hope you find the perfect receptacle to use.
Florence, what a great project. Not only can you use an item that you love but one that may not be able to be used for it’s original purpose. I like all of these containers, especially the teacup. It seems that there’s always a few pretty cups at the thrift store. You can pick them up for a song. But I never had a purpose for them. Until now. These are adorable and the next time I see a pretty cup I’m going to grab it.
Thank you Nikki! Yes, you can get teacups at yard sales & thrift stores pretty easily. My fave is the silverplate. Hope you do follow thru & make one. They are really easy & fun.
Very cute! I’ve made some like that before and they’re really easy!
Yes they are easy Ann, and fun to make too!
Super cute, simple project! Love it!
Thank you Leanne!
Your pin cushions are just darling, Florence! Thanks for sharing the process with us at Vintage Charm 🙂
Thank you Diana!
So cute! I’ve also made pincushions with vintage teacups so of course, I LOVE these ;o) Just popping in from the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop at Katherine’s Corner to let you know that I’m featuring this article on my blog this week for the hop. Please stop by for a visit at Vintage Mama’s Cottage – hope to see you at the blog hop tomorrow! Nina @ Vintage Mama’s Cottage
Thank you Nina! I’m thrilled to be featured. I’ll certainly “hop” on over.
You are too cute! I love these pin cushions!
Maria
Thank you Maria! Thanks for dropping in.
This is such a cute idea for an upcycle. I have a few creamers that could definitely be transformed. Have a happy Monday!
Thanks Laura! I’m sure creamers would work great for transform projects! I’ve seen people use baby food jars too.
So cute Florence! Love this idea!
Thanks Kristi!