10 Ways to Use Safety Pins
The safety pin is a very under-rated item--but it can be SEW useful in the sewing room! Here are some common--and not-so-common--ways to use them in your sewing journey.
- Goodbye static cling! You know the struggle--working with fabrics and you get a static shock each time you touch your machine, or the fabric even clings to your machine or thread while trying to sew... Simply pin a safety pin anywhere on your fabrics and the metal will divert the static electricity build-up. BAM--no more static cling.
- Thread a drawstring. This tried-and-true method is still one of the best ways to thread a drawstring without any fancy drawstring tools! Want to learn the technique? Check out this video.
- Thread elastic. As a sewist, you may often come across the need to thread elastic through a casing--maybe the end of a sleeve or even through a waistband. Threading elastic with a safety pin follows the same steps as our #2 use--threading a drawstring.
- Fix a broken zipper tab. As a sewist, you are definitely capable of replacing a broken zipper--but is that really the creative outlet that you want? Save time and get back to sewing cool, new items by fixing any zippers whose pull tabs have broken off by simply attaching a safety pin!
- Organize your button stash. Safety pins are an excellent way to keep like buttons together. Slide matching buttons onto a safety pin, and you will never find yourself digging through a bucket of buttons looking for "just one more white button" again.
- Instead of basting. Rather than using a basting stitch to hold pieces of fabric together, you can use safety pins instead! This hack will save you the hassle of removing the baste stitching later--safety pins are much easier to remove.
- To hold multiple layers of fabric together. This trick is especially useful when topstitching a project, quilting, or sewing through the main part of a project with thick batting. Instead of relying on sewing pins that poke your hands, fall out, or snag on other parts of your fabric project, safety pins can be closed and will not poke you or your fabric!
- Guide elastic, yarn, etc. under your presser foot. Do you ever adorn your creations with Ric Rac or sew skinny elastic onto your fabric to create gathers? This hack will make your life SEW much easier. View this tutorial video to learn more.
- Turning a fabric tube right-side-out. You may not have a fancy tube-turning tool--but that's alright. For years, the only tube-turning tool available was the handy safety pin. Want to learn this trick? View the video tutorial.
- When storing a half-finished project. When folding up a pinned sewing project, regular sewing pins have a tendency to fall out of the fabric. Replace these pins with safety pins while your project is in storage, and you will no longer have this worry!