Make your own Personal Pin Cushion Ring! Always looking for your pin cushion while sewing? This Personal Pin Cushion may be worn while you sew---keeping your pins and needles within reach.

This recycled project is made using a soft drink or water bottle plastic cap and fabric scraps!

Great project for groups of students, Girl Scouts or beginning sewers. I have been making this easy to make Personal Pin Cushion with my middle school home ec students for several years now. The students love to wear them while hand sewing and often make extras for gifts!

Make a Fashion Statement the next time you Sew! Make and wear a Personal Pin Cushion Ring!

Step 1: SUPPLY LIST

Gather the following supplies:

-Clean plastic lid from plastic soda or water bottle
-4" Diameter template or small bowl (for tracing circle pattern onto the fabric)
-Pencil/ pen
-Ruler
-Needle and about 28" of any color thread (the thread won't be visible when the project is completed)
-Fabric scrap
-6" of small elastic cord (not beading elastic cord--it's too flimsy)
-Scissors
-About one handfull of fiberfill (may be inexpensively purchased or remove from an old pillow---Note: Do not substitute a cotton ball for the fiberfill- it will not work as well...it is too dense for the needles/pins to pass through when compressed by the fabric pin cushion top!)
-Drill (I used a manual hand drill to bore two holes in the plastic cap---if manking lots of pin cushion rings, use an electric drill and pre-drill all the caps!)
-Glue gun and glue stick

Note: All items are NOT pictured...use the list!

Step 2: PREPARE THE PLASTIC BOTTLE CAP...."Ring Base"

-Make sure that your lids are clean and dry.

-Use a drill and make two small holes in each lid.

Depending on the age of the crafters, you may want to have an adult pre-drill all the holes and have the lids ready.

Step 3: TIE THE ELASTIC CORD

-Next, lace the 6" piece of elastic cord through the holes.

Make sure that the two ends are in 'the opening of the cap.

-Now you are ready to "size your ring"...you want it to be snug but, not tight! After adjusting to the correct size, triple knot the two ends and tuck inside the cap.

Step 4: PREPARE THE FABRIC CIRCLE...Pin Cushion Top

-Use a 4" diameter template or small bowl and draw a cirlce on your fabric scrap. Next use your scissors to cut out the circle.

-Use the ruler as a guide and mark a 1/2" dashed line perimeter around the circle. This seems to help beginning sewers.

-Get your needle and thread. Cut a piece of thread that is about 28" long. Thread the needle and pull through the needle until the thread is doubled. Tie a knot at the end of the doubled thread.

-Use the Running Stitch...a long, over and under stitch and sew around the marked perimeter of the fabric circle. Make your stitches long. Don't trim your thread when you finish!

Remember that the thread color does not matter! It won't be seen when the ring is finished!

Step 5: HAND SEW THE FABRIC CIRCLE

-After sewing around the circle, don't cut your thread!

-Gently pull both ends of the thread (the knotted end and the end with the needle). This will cause the circle fabric to gather and form a "cup". Leave the cup open and begin to stuff small handfuls of fiberfill into the cup opening.

-It will take more than you think...go slowly and compress the fiberfill---it will expand once inside the fabric cup!

-Notice that that the thread is still UNCUT!

Step 6: CLOSE THE FABRIC CIRCLE

-After stuffing the Personal Pin Cushion fabric circle, pull the threads tight to close the cup opening.

-Next wrap the thread around the stem of the cup and knot. Now trim the threads!

Step 7: GLUE THE PIN CUSHION INSIDE THE LID/ RING BASE

-Next pre-heat your glue gun. Gather you plastic ring base (that has already been tied with the elastic cord) and your fabric Pin Cushion top.

-Have an adult or older child apply a generous amount of hot glue inside the lid and then carefully insert the fabric Pin Cushion "stem" into the base.

-Hold securely for about a minute to allow the glue to set.

Let the ring cool for about 5 minutes before wearing or filling with pins/needles.

Step 8: ENJOY YOUR PERSONAL PIN CUSHION RING!

-You just made your very own Personal Pin Cushion Ring!

'''''This easy project puts a smile on everyone's face! It's great for beginner sewing students and groups. '

Great way to use fabric scraps and recycle plastic bottle caps.

Turn it up a notch and make a Personal Wrist Pin Cushion using a plastic peanut butter lid!

Enjoy!