Sewing hacks will help you save time while sewing and also give you better sewing results! In this post I am sharing 24 simple sewing hacks that you HAVE TO TRY!
These sewing hacks work for beginners to the more advanced seamstress – I hope you will learn something new to add to your sewing table and be sure to share your hacks in the comments or in the Facebook group!
Keep bobbins organized with a rubber band
If you make a bobbin for a spool of thread you definitely want to keep them together! Use a quick rubber band tie to keep them together so you are ready for all your sewing projects.
The perfect stitch spacing – draw lines on your finger
When you are binding a quilt or other hand sewing, space your stitches perfectly with a built-in ruler! Just draw two lines on your finger to guide your stitching. This is so helpful when you are sewing a ladder stitch or invisible stitch.
Use a fork for perfect pleats
The trickiest thing about pleats is getting them all the same size. Use a fork to fold your pleats so they are the perfect size!
Sewing Tips & Tricks – Tomato emery pincushion
This is a sewing secret you have to know! The tiny strawberry attached the the classic tomato pincushion is full of emery, which is a great abrasive that helps sharpen your pins.
Protect your project while you Open your buttonholes
Don’t ruin your buttonhole by tearing through it with your seam ripper! Use two pins placed right before the bars of your buttonholes to protect it! The seam ripper will stop at the pin and not cut through the whole buttonhole.
Sewing Hacks – Store Pins in Soap for Smooth Pinning
This hack involves a bar of soap! Sticking your pins in the soap coats the metal to get a nice glide when pinning.
Gather fabric with zig zag stitching
Use embroidery floss and sew it to the top of your fabric with a wide zig zag stitch. Then pull the floss to gather your fabric. This is a quicker way to gather fabric as opposed to sewing multiple lines of stitching. It’s also great for thicker fabrics. I hate sewing basting stitches only to have them break when I pull the threads and this method prevents that while also allowing you to get a more even gather!
Use washi tape as a seam guide
Use washi tape on your sewing machine to mark your seam allowance. This is a great visual that will help you keep all the seam allowances even. The tape doesn’t leave a residue and is easy to remove!
Sewing Hacks – Draw an easy circle with a bowl
Need your fabric to be cut in a circle? Raid your kitchen for a bowl and trace it with a fabric marker. Use different bowl sizes for all your DIY circle needs!
Best Sewing Hacks – Turn a tube with a Boba Straw
This is my FAVORITE sewing hack. Turning tubes and especially straps is incredibly hard but a boba straw and chopstick make it so easy and fun! This is way easier than a sewing bodkin.
Fray check button hole fraying
Use a quick stream of fray check on your finished buttonhole to protect the stitching. Fray check is a great supply to have in your sewing room – you can also use it to protect the edges of ribbon or other embellishments.
Pick up pins with a magnetic wand
Easily pick up a whole bunch of pins with a magnetic wand! I love using this to find all my spare pins. You can also use these wands to pick up safety pins.
Hold your fabric together with clothespins
Clothespins are a great stand-in if you don’t have sewing clips handy. Clips are quicker and easier to remove than pins so these are a great option for straight seams. Just remove the clothespins as you go before the presser foot gets to them.
tape under foot for sewing vinyl
If you are sewing with vinyl, oilcloth or even leather, a regular presser foot will stick to the rubbery fabric and not sew. Place a piece of regular invisible tape, such as Scotch tape, over the metal of the presser foot. Then sew! Your vinyl will slide right through for even stitches.
Iron in between buttons with flat iron
After you’ve sewn those gorgeous buttons on you might need to give the fabric a quick press! Press fabric in small spots with a hair flat iron.
hairspray for needle threading
This one sounds a little weird, but it really works! If you’re having a hard time threading your needle, spray the end of your thread with hairspray. Let it dry and then you’ll have a stiff piece of thread to get through the tiny eye of the needle. This works so great because it coats those teeny tiny fibers that often get in the way of pushing your thread through the hole!
Stuff a pincushion with steel wool for sharp pins
Use steel wool to stuff your next pincushion. It will sharpen your pins every time you stick them in!
Binder clips in place of sewing clips
Binder clips are a great way to clip a project together. Use binder clips if you don’t have sewing clips or if you want a stronger hold for projects like quilts or anything with lots of layers.
Use pedicure toe separators to hold your bobbins
This keeps them from unraveling with perfectly sized spots for bobbins.
Clear nail polish on buttons Sewing Hack
Protect your stitching with a dot of clear nail polish. This will help the stitching from coming undone or breaking.
Pipe cleaners to clean sewing machines
Use a crafting pipe cleaner to get the dust out of those tiny spots in your sewing machine. I love these for cleaning up the bobbin case as well as the presser for area.
Best sewing hacks: Rubber band seam guides
Use a rubber band to create a seam guide on your sewing machine. The best part about this is the rubber band creates a ridge that helps you get your fabric just right. The only downside is if it isn’t tight enough it could skew. So just just make sure you tighten the rubber band if needed.
Store bobbin with golf tees
Keep your bobbin with its corresponding spool of thread with a simple golf tee! Just stack the bobbin on the thread and put the tee through both holes in the middle. This works for most regular thread – the only downside is they won’t work if you keep your spools on a spool rack.
24 Viral Sewing Hacks: Notebook ring bobbin storage
Keep your unused and empty bobbins on a notebook ring. This is a quick way to store them, just make sure they don’t unravel.
Check out more sewing tricks here. Make your own pattern weights.
