Mason Jar Pincushion



Materials List


Mason jar/ glass canning jar
Canning ring and lid
Piece of cotton fabric about 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm) - I used a scrap piece of t-shirt material
Polyester fill/stuffing - I used some batting from my stash, you could also use cotton balls
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Paint (optional - my canning ring was used and there were a few spots of rust on it so I gave it a quick coat of off-white chalk paint)
Ribbon/trim of your choice -to hide the rough edge of the pincushion (I used ribbon)
Stickers/embellishments for your jar (I used Recollections reusable stickers specifically for mason jars from Michaels)

Note: If you are doing any painting you probably want to make that your first step.

1st Step - Make the Pincushion

Trace the outline of the canning lid on the wrong side of the fabric. I used a double thickness of the fabric because I wanted the surface to be nice and firm. Take a handful of batting and squash it into a ball shape before placing it in the circle you drew on the fabric. Pull the fabric around the batting and handsew it together, clipping away extra fabric as you go. In the end you will have a sort of ball - round on the top, flattish on the bottom.

Centre your pincushion on the lid to make sure it's not too big. The diameter should be roughly the same. Now take the lid and cover the top with hot glue. The metal will get hot so be careful to not burn your fingers! Take your pincushion set it into the hot gluePush it down to make sure it sticks and hold for 15 - 30 seconds. Set this aside. Take the canning ring and run some hot glue around the top on the inside. Do not get any on the threads. Quickly take the pincushion that is now attached to the lid and shove it through the middle of the ring as far as you possibly can and hold it there for 15 - 30 seconds. At this point, I took an extra jar (not the one I was using for the project) and screwed the lid onto it to hold everything together while the glue completely sets. Add some extra hot glue around the base of the pincushion for extra security. Next cut a piece of ribbon to hide the join between the pincushion and the lid and hot glue in place. Then take a matching piece of ribbon and tie it around the base in a bow to finish it off. Secure this with a dab of hot glue if you wish.

2nd Step - Decorate the Jar

I used stickers designed for decorating jars which had been given to me as part of a gift. I'm sure many stickers would work as long as they were flexible enough to conform to the curved surface of the jar. Arrange your stickers around all the sides of the jar in a pleasing way. If you use repositionable/reusable stickers you'll be able to move them around if you don't care for your first try.

3rd Step - Filling the Jar

At this point, you can start filling your jar with your sewing supplies. If you will be giving this as a gift, some things to include might be:
a small pair of scissors or a thread cutter
a seam ripper
handsewing needles
pins with coloured heads
thread (a few spools in neutral colours)
buttons (perhaps the kind you would use on a shirt)
a cloth tape measure
I put an ergonomic thread cutter, colour head pins, an assortment of handsewing needles, and thread in neutral colours (white, black, grey, and brown) into mine

You could make one for cross-stitch and embroidery purposes by filling the jar with skeins of colourful embroidery floss (like DMC floss), an assortment of embroidery needles, and a pair of tiny scissors. It would be very easy to customise this project for different uses.

Variations
You could use a coloured jar instead of a clear one (or paint your jar with a glass paint like Vitrea for a custom colour)
You could paint your jar with regular craft paint, chalk paint, or even blackboard paint for a different look.
Instead of using stickers, try vinyl window clings (you'll want small ones)
Another alternative to stickers is decorate your jar with decoupage (you'll need Mod Podge for this)

Tips
Decide on a theme for your jar to give it a cohesive look. I used a piece of pale aqua patterned fabric and brighter aqua ribbon to go with my birdcage and flower stickers for a springtime feel. Some other ideas might be a rustic theme using burlap, twine, and leaf decorations; victorian with chintz fabric, lots of lace and satin ribbon, and floral stickers; or country using gingham fabric, ribbon in a complementary colour, and accents featuring roosters or sunflowers. You could also decorate jars using the different seasons as your inspiration - pastels and flowers for spring, a nautical theme for summer, warm autumn colours and leaves for fall, snowmen or snowflakes for winter. The possibilities are unlimited!
You could match the colours to the room the pincushion will be used in or you could use your favourite colour. If your project is to be a gift, it is a nice touch to decorate it in the recipient's favourite colour or use accents that are associated with their profession or hobbies (books for a librarian or teacher, flowers for a gardener, etc).