A Few of My Favorite Sewing Notions...

We all have our favorite sewing notions that help make our lives easier. I thought I would share a few of my must haves. I would love it if you would share your favorites in the comment section too. It's great to learn about new things, especially when they are tried and true!!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Bees Wax

I've always used bees wax when I'm hand sewing. I've always had the bigger size disc, but I just found this package of 5 little minis!! They are perfect to keep with different hand sewing projects.

Bees wax coats the thread so it doesn't knot up, twist or fray. I absolutely love it for sewing my hexagon projects.

Look how tiny each one. I have a bobbin in the center to compare the size. I found them in the quilting section at Joann fabrics for $3.99.

Thread Cutter Pendant

I also use a thread cutter when I'm hand sewing and this one from Clover is my favorite!!

It's a bronze metal pendant.

and has a hole to add your own chain to hang it around your neck like a necklace.

When you have it as a necklace, you will never lose your scissors. This is especially great when hand sewing in the car or on a plane. This was in the embroidery section at Joann's...$7.99, but use a 50% coupon.

It looks like jewelry!!

Just pass the thread over any of the openings and it cuts it beautifully. The sharp blade is totally encased in the metal, so you will never cut yourself.

Seam Fix...seam ripper and fixer

Another favorite is this rubber pen seam ripper. We've all been there when we have to rip out a seam. I'm there more often than I like. Lol

This is a great seam ripper, but to remove all those loose threads...

The cap of the seam ripper is a rubber cleaner. Just run this rubber pen over the seam and it will pull out all the little threads that you have left behind from the seam ripper. It's like magic!!

Handy Storage Box...

Ok, this is chocolate, but that's not my favorite...the box is!! Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, but if I had a choice between chocolate and a bag of chips...it's salty all the way. I am a savory eater more than a sweet eater. I digress...

Back to the box. These little chocolates come in a cute metal box. I know some mints do too.

These boxes are perfect for a little sewing kit or a project holder.

Here's a little bobbin to show you the size of the box.

I keep my mini hexie projects in this box. It fits in my purse to sew anytime I have a few extra minutes in a doctors office, waiting for my daughter to get out of work or during my lunch time at work.

The box isn't a sewing "notion", but still a must have. It keeps things clean, organize and handy.

Hope you liked some of the items that I showed today. These are my own items and I wasn't paid by anyone to write this post...just wanted to share.

What are your sewing favorites or must haves?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing,
~Karen~

Ribbon and Bow Organizing with Magazine Holders...

Hi everyone! Here's an idea to use cardboard magazine holders to organize bows and ribbon that you would use for gift wrapping.

I use a china hutch, that I moved from another room, for a gift wrapping center in my sewing room. I'll post more about the whole unit later, but wanted to share this one idea to use a cardboard magazine holder to organize curly ribbons and bows.

Come on in to see...

Cute Shopping Bags are Great for Storage...

You know I love organizing. I REALLY love organizing when it's functional and cute at the same time...and cheap, that doesn't hurt either. My favorite idea that is both decorative and great for storage are those reusable bags that you find at the register of most stores.  The shopping bags are usually plastic or vinyl type, sturdy, have adorable prints and patterns, come in so many sizes and are usually only $1-$2.00.

Here are some of the bags I have and how I've used them...I bought them all at Michael's Craft store at different times, but I know they still have them.

You can use them for so many things...come on in and see.

Memory Jar Lamps…Shhh They're Christmas Gifts For My Daughters!

I have been wanting to make these memory jar lamps for both my daughters for a long time now. Courtney is living in her own apartment and Kelsie is working in Disney World, so the house is free to make things and put together gifts without anyone seeing them. I just have to keep them away from this blog and my facebook page. Lol

Do you remember this post I did a long time ago about hardware storage drawers? Click HERE if you want to visit that post. We bought these drawers for each of the girls when they were little to keep all their memorabilia and collectibles in.

Tooth Fairy money and the notes they wrote to her when they lost a tooth…

Collectibles from Disney trips and the ever popular rock and gem stone collection.

The memories in those drawers and the things I have saved for them too over the years are now in here!!!

A Memory Jar Lamp!!!

I bought both girls a fillable lamp at Target for $25.00 each. No lampshade though and boy are lampshades pricey.

Come on in a take a walk down memory lane with me…

I also have another idea if you don't want to use a lamp.

Use a Paper Towel Holder For Your Bracelets...

I was roaming through the clearance section at TJ Maxx and couldn't resist this $5.00 paper towel holder. I knew just what I was going to use it for too!!

It is perfect to hold all of my daughter Kelsie's bracelets!!

Keeps them all in one place and easy to see. The crystal knob on top adds a little bling too.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope this brings a little inspiration for other uses.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Car Visor First Aid Kit...

I think we've all had a cd organizer in one car or another. I don't use cd's in my car anymore (all the music is on my phone now), but for some reason I still have the organizers. I think it's the "I think I can use this for something else" in me.

Guess what…I did use it for something else.

A visor first aid kit…

This idea might NOT work for everyone...

IF YOU HAVE KIDS IN THE CAR...If you have little ones in the car,  I WOULD NOT have medicines where they can reach them.

IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA WITH EXTREME TEMPERATURES...that's not good for the medicines either.

This is just an idea for you to use the cd organizer and cater it to your own needs.

Come on in and see…

Bobbin Organization...

I love thrift stores, yard sales and consignment shops! You can find so many different things that you can't find in stores today. When I see something that's out of the ordinary and cheap, I pick it up and see what I can do with it beyond it's intend use.

A perfect example of that…vintage mini aluminum ring molds.

Aren't they cute? I think they may have been for Jell-O.

Any one know or have these?

I'll use 4 of them for Jell-O, but one is definitely holding my bobbins!!

Perfect size and shape.

I usually keep matching bobbin with the spool of thread, so these little pans are great for the bobbins that don't have matching spools any more.

They are also great for separating machine thread, hand sewing thread, quilting thread verses ordinary thread.

Ok, now that I'm looking at this last picture while I'm typing, the center of the pan is crying for a pincushion!!

Now I'm on a mission…

Next time you're out thrifting, look in the kitchen section. There are so many wonderful things that can be used for something else!!

Thanks for stopping by,
~Karen~

Closet Makeover…Perfect for Scrapbooking

Hi everyone! Two years ago I painted my daughter Courtney's room from her favorite hot pink when she was younger to a more neutral gray that she likes now as an adult.

Here's the before…

and after…

The sad part now is…she moved into her own apartment.

The closet is empty, I can finally paint the inside to cover the last of the hot pink!

I've kept the room as a bedroom for when they come back to visit or for guests, but I am utilizing the closet to keep ALL of the memorabilia things I have saved for years and years. All the souvenirs, tickets stubs, vacation memories, school souvenirs and so much more.

Come in to see if you can do something similar in your home…

Tips to Organize Electronics and Chargers While Traveling...

We all have electronics…smart phones, tablets, computers, cameras, kid's gaming devices etc. Keeping them organized at home is one thing, but wrangling them for traveling is another. We drove to Florida and moved Kelsie in to work at Disney. Hotels were our home for 10 days, so I wanted to share a few things I did and learned to organize all the "stuff".

These were a few things. You might have different devices, but the tips will work for anything.

Simple things to make your travels go a little smoother…

Organized Broom Closet...

Hi everyone!! This summer has been so crazy, but I think I'm back to blogging all the time now! Moving kids in, moving kids out, graduations, packing, unpacking, family reunions etc has made this the busiest summer that I can remember. For the last 10 days, we've been in Florida. We brought our daughter Kelsie down to her internship in Disney World. We drove 2 cars down, so she can have a car for the 5 months that she's there. We just drove back to Rhode Island late Saturday night…long haul going down and the worst traffic coming back. I've never seen so many cars in all my life and we've driven to Disney world several times since the girls were little. I have have a few pictures to share from our trip, but I have to organize those before I do.

Today, I have some pictures of a closet re-do that I did earlier in the summer, so I though I'd share them with you. A couple tips and tricks to organize a small hallway closet that I keep changing around.

Here's the original coat closet…I now have coat hooks on the wall of the back hallway for our coats. My family hangs things more on hooks than they do on coat hangers. I have also have a closet in that back hall for guest coats too, if needed.

For the last few years, our house has been full of people, moving in and moving out. We always needed lots of food around, so I converted the coat closet to an extra food storage pantry. It worked great for a long time. Now, Courtney and Courtland have moved into their own apartment, Kelsie has graduated from college and is in Florida and her friend Emily who lived with us, has moved back home. I really miss having them here because we love a busy house, but this much food isn't necessary for just my husband and myself.

If you'd like to visit this post for all the food storage organizing tips you can CLICK HERE.

So here is the re-do (for now, lol)…a broom closet! It's nice to have things all in one place. Before, I had things hanging on the walls going down to our basement.

Come in and see the changes and little things that might help you too!

Don't Pass Up Store Close-Out Sales...

There was a store closing in our town that sold party supplies and hardware. My husband and I stopped by just to take a quick look at what they had left. When stores are closing down, they need to sell everything even the fixtures…racks, stands and the furniture they use for displays etc.

Even if you don't need anything that the store is selling (like the party supplies), you may find something that you can use for organizing or storage from the fixture section.

Here is a rack that held signs at the store. It was only $10, so I couldn't pass it up.

Spray Painting Before and Afters…Lots of Ideas

Hi everyone! I've been collecting a box full of things that needed to be spray painted to give them a whole new life. Some things we've had for years and others are newly purchased.

It's amazing what a little spray paint and a few minutes of your time can do!! Here are some of the things I worked on this past weekend.

The before pictures!!

I just love the transformations…

Thread Organization...

Hi everyone! I've done lots of thread organizing posts in the past, but I've changed mine around again. I  have purchased one of those wooden spool holders you find in craft stores, but I have also been given some as gifts and found others in thrift stores. My collection of the racks has grown to 7-8. I have given some to my daughters to use for jewelry, but the rest I use in my sewing room.

Here is the new way I am storing my thread now…

Easy to put together, use on any door to save wall or shelf space and you don't have to use nails in the wall to hang all the racks!

Come on in and see...

DIY Under Sink Paper Towel Holder…2 Hooks and Ribbon!

Hi everyone! Cleaning the bathroom. Not much to talk about there…just one of those things we need to get done. To make it easy for me, I have cleaning supplies in each bathroom under the sink. I usually have the paper towels in a basket for a quick grab, but having it mounted to the cabinet door would be easier.

Here's my solution…and yes I match the yellow ribbon to the yellow cleaning supplies. Couldn't help it!

I did buy one of those cheap plastic paper towel holders, but I thought it was a "stick on" kind. It was a screw in type and I just couldn't do it. You know me...changing things around so much and then being left with screw holes in the cabinets…aahhh

Organization…Color Coded Storage Boxes

Hi everyone! Here's a quick and easy tip for organizing your basement, attic or garage…color code your storage boxes. You can color code them for seasonal items, for each member of the house or for each room in our home.

Here's a picture of an area in our un finished basement where we store most everything now. I moved all the seasonal items out of the attic, because the temperature change was too much and the drop down ladder up to the attic was a pain to go up and down so much.

Color Coded Storage Boxes…

Come on in and see the easy organizing tips…