One Fancy Framed Pin Cushion

If you’ve ever done any sewing, by hand or on a machine, you know needles are a must. But so is a good pin cushion.

If you are anything like my family, you know how easily those prickly suckers get lost. Often in the most inconvenient of places. My sister and I have seen my Dad jump up off the couch in a true “Jack in the box” fashion many times. It happened often enough, that we did’t have to think twice to know that the culprit was a needle my mom left behind after mending a sock or two. Understandably, he was not happy, but talking about it makes us laugh even decades later.

So, how do we solve this problem? By using a pin cushion, of course. But not just an ordinary tomato-shaped pin cushion. We like to keep it classy around here. Here is a fun and quick project that would also make a nice gift for anyone dabbling in sewing. The result will be a classy framed pin cushion to help you keep all pins within reach and far from anyone’s behind.

You will need some supplies:

• A fun frame (or a serious one)
• Strong, but thin, cardboard and pen
• Scissors
• Half-inch piece of foam (for larger frames you might want to opt out for a 1-inch)
• Fabric of your choice
• Glue gun and glue sticks

First order of business would be choosing a frame. For best results, there are a few things to keep in mind. Save the big frames for your pet portraits and go for a smaller frame, 4×6 in or smaller would be ideal, but it will largely depend on how many pins you actually have. If you need more real estate, go ahead and break out that 8×11.

You’d want to get a frame with a thick backing that preferably can be completely removed and not hinged on one side. You will use this backing as a pattern for your cardboard. If the frame contains a glass insert, you can set it aside, because you will not need it going forward.

Then you can move onto the cardboard. Take your backing and draw a pattern on the cardboard. When you start cutting it make sure you go inside the lines. You want the cardboard cutout just a tad smaller than the opening to account for the thickness of the fabric you will be wrapping around it. Place it back into the frame and trim off a bit if needed.

Once your cardboard is cut, place your foam over it. Again, you will want to make sure that you cut the foam to follow the shape of the cardboard cutout but make it slightly smaller so the foam only sits in the space that is visible  from the front of the frame and is not adding bulkiness.

Once your foam is ready, use the glue gun to attach it to the cardboard piece. Then take your fabric, cover the foam and fold it over the edges and start gluing the fabric to the cardboard. Make sure that your fabric extends at least 2 inches on all sides. Start with opposite ends of the cardboard while making sure the you keep the fabric taut, but not too tight. Then carefully adjust and glue the other two sides and cut excess fabric.

Glue guns are usually a part of everyone’s craft kit, but if you do not have one, you can use a paper stapler. Just make sure it is heavy-duty and can go through two layers of fabric and a thick cardboard. Another thing to watch for is to staple as close to the edge as possible, so the staples don’t show.

Once the cardboard and foam are nicely under the fabric, you pop the cushion into the frame, close the frame and you are all done!

How awesome is this pin cushion?