I admit I’ve used a lot of different boxes, bins, baskets and oddball containers to hold my sewing things over the years. In my early days of sewing, I would often resort to tin coffee cans and red Solo plastic cups to hold pins, bobbins and various other sewing notions. I wouldn’t even bother making them cute or decorating them before loading them up with items.
When I’d go through an occasional sorting and cleaning of my sewing area, I’d always end up taking stock of these mismatched containers and sorting them to organize my bobbins, threads, needles, pencils, pins and whatnot. I would inevitably find things I’d long forgotten or a project I meant to use something for that was long done.
At times I would invest in a cute sewing box, pitching my up-cycled containers in favor of this newest container that promised to better suit and consolidate these things.
You can’t be taken as a serious real sewer or quilter if you don’t have an official sewing box, right?
These pretty containers would however become infrequently used and the return of my various containers would reappear over time. It’s not that I disliked those cute sewing boxes, it’s just they wouldn’t ever be the right sized space or setup that I like with my sewing things. I would get frustrated at not finding something I knew I had or the box would be too small to hold all of what I thought it should.
Luckily, I was fortunate to get to go to Harbor Freight one day with my husband and son. The thought of free flashlights and getting to hang out with these two handsome fellows was enough to have me grabbing my shoes and purse and running after them, away from sorting my mismatch containers and cleaning the sewing area.
Our family has a serious flashlight dependency and we are constantly picking up the freebies at Harbor Freight. For one Christmas I even bought multi-packs of flashlights for the stockings so everyone would be sure to have a flashlight and plenty of batteries in the coming year. Flashlights are serious thing at our house.
Our then 4-year old son and I wandered around the store seeking the coveted free flashlights while we waited for my husband to find what he needed. As we passed through the different aisles we casually talked about the tools we saw and what you would use them on. We talked about hammers and screwdrivers and he’d tell me what what he and daddy were working on that required the use of these tools. They seemed to require the use a hammer … a lot.
We wandered towards the back of the store and saw a very long row of toolboxes. There were various toolboxes and containers that any workman would need to store and carry tools. They were all sizes, shapes and materials, mostly in durable workman colors of black, gray and the occasional tan.
As we continued to stroll on, I noticed the prices and variety of these toolboxes as we neared the smaller, more portable versions on the shelf. Impressive prices for a toolbox that you know will be thrown into a truck and battered with dirt, grease and grime.
We then stopped and our son pulled his hand free to check out one of the smaller boxes that caught his eye. It was there, on the bottom shelf towards the end of the row. It was plastic and decent sized. It had multiple components and space. It was reasonably priced.
We ended up getting two of these boxes.
One for my son to hold his plastic Black and Decker tools so he could look like dad and be quickly ready to help on projects around the house. I had the happy-sad thought that day about time passing and when we’ll gradually replace those plastic tools with real ones. Oh my sweet boy.
The toolbox seemed as big as he was as he carried it to the register. We had given him money and a coupon to get his toolbox and a free flashlight. He proudly went to the cashier to pay for it himself. The cashier was sweet in helping him put his flashlight in the top of his new toolbox where he wanted it along with his small amount of coins from his change.
The other toolbox was the perfect sewing box for me. Eureka I had found it!
It was the perfect size!
It was spacious!
It contained just the right amount of compartments!
It matched my son’s toolbox which he thought was pretty cool.
It’s been almost 2 years now and I still use this toolbox for my sewing notions. It even has the original sticker still on the front of it. I have not reverted to any up-cycled containers, preferring instead to keep them in my toolbox.
It was the best $9.99 I ever invested for sewing and quilting.
How do you keep your sewing notions organized and stored?
Interested in more?
We sell many of my quilts using the threads and notions that came from this very toolbox. Visit our website dragonspitapothecary.com
I also am a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA essential oils. If you’re looking for comfort and some Peace as you watch your children grow up let me know. These oils are great for those happy-sad moments you realize they won’t be little for very long. Contact me via this blog or visit my doTERRA website at my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary.
