Organization is Key! 9 of the Best Sewing Box Options to Help You Stay Organized
I don’t know about you guys, but I am a sucker for organization. I love to have my sewing supplies organized, neat, and tidy. But with all the sewing/quilting tools and notions I have, there are a few of them that I use a lot more than others, and it’s convenient to have them all in one place.
Today, we are going to discuss the best sewing box options and the importance of having one for your sewing needs. Let’s hop right into it, shall we?
What Should I Keep in My Sewing Box?
The best advice I can give to anyone who asks what they should keep in their sewing box is this: Pick 8-12 of your favorite sewing notions that you don’t want to keep in your regular sewing storage area. These will be items you always use, such as pins, seam ripper, scissors, needles, your favorite thread, etc.
The specific items you keep in your sewing box will depend on what kind of sewing you do. If you enjoy tailoring clothes, you’ll probably want the following:
- a pair of snips
- an awl
- maybe even a tailor’s clapper.
Then again, if you are a quilter, you’ll probably want the following:
- a rotary cutter
- quilting rulers
- water-soluble ink pens
- curved basting pins
I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago that outlines the best sewing notions to keep on hand for any sewist, no matter the type of sewing. You can check that post out here. That list would be a great place to start deciding what to keep in your sewing basket.
How Do You Organize a Sewing Box?
How you organize your sewing supplies will depend on how big your sewing box is and how many items you need to keep inside. I know it’s tempting to cram a bunch of things into your box, but if it’s too crowded, it defeats the purpose of organizing your sewing supplies.
There are several options for an organizer for sewing supplies, and we will discuss those in the next section. Right now, let’s figure out some simple ways we can organize our sewing boxes.
Suppose your sewing box is wide open, like a wooden sewing box without any pockets, compartments, or other divisions. In that case, you can easily add your compartments using either scrap wood (if you are comfortable enough to cut wood) or cardboard.
We all have those extra Amazon boxes lying around. Simply cut it to size and use it as a divider for your notions. This works great if your sewing box has drawers and you don’t want everything rolling around whenever you open a drawer. Be careful if you use a box cutter; those blades are sharp!
If you like to keep an array of buttons and other small notions, try using cute little jars to keep them all in your sewing box. I purchased this set of jars several years ago, and I keep different sewing machine feet and buttons in them. They’re practical and beautiful.
Your local craft store has many small storage containers that could hold your necessary tools like a seam ripper, snips, and marking pen. A small container like this can help keep those everyday tools together and ready to grab anytime. I use a metal pencil case I’ve had for years.
My biggest tip is to go through and purge your sewing box routinely. Some items you may have needed six months ago on that one project may be taking up space now, and you don’t need them anymore. It’s good to reevaluate your necessities and only keep what you need in your sewing basket.
What is the Best Sewing Basket?
I have seen people use all kinds of boxes and baskets to store their sewing supplies. Let’s look at some and figure out the best sewing box option for you.
What a fantastic idea! This vintage tackle box has been converted into a sewing box, which works great! The upper level holds everyday items such as scissors, measuring tape, and tracing tools. Then the lower level contains lots of notions and thread. This is a genius idea and shows us how we make something old new again!
This beautiful sewing box was once a small suitcase for traveling. If you look closely at the main compartment, the maker added a cloth-covered divider to keep their threads secure and away from the other notions. They also added little hoops on the suitcase lid to hold sewing tools.
Here we have an excellent example of a fully-stocked sewing basket. It used to be a picnic basket, but it’s been given new life and works perfectly as a sewing basket. The maker added a cloth lining with dividers and loops to hold jars or bottles of notions. It shows us how much stuff can be stored in a sewing box if we organize it properly.
This is a super fun free tutorial on creating a children’s sewing kit like the one pictured above. The downloadable tutorial includes template pieces for the box (which you build from fabric and chipboard) and cute plush pieces like the lady face and book. It is a well-written tutorial with illustrations that will help the creative process. This would be a fun project to do with the kid.
Here is an excellent step-by-step process of Sarah from Sadie Seasongoods making this beautiful beginner sewing kit from a vintage jewelry box. This is one of the best sewing box examples that hold necessities and nothing more. This makes me want to run to an antique store and see what I can find!
The maker purchased this gorgeous vintage sewing box at an antique store, where they found it in disrepair. The genius behind the upcycle of this box took it home and, with a lot of love and care, was able to bring it back to life. They walk you through every step, documenting everything with excellent pictures and explanations of what they’re doing. Old sewing boxes like this one have multiple tiers and levels where you can store all kinds of notions and supplies for easy access.
This Singer sewing box is one of the top-rated sewing boxes on Amazon, and I wanted to throw this in here for those who don’t want a DIY project for making or upcycling a sewing box. This pre-made box contains 224 sewing items, from thread to needles to scissors. If you are new to sewing, this would be an excellent choice since it’s from a well-respected company and comes with everything you need to get started.
Here is a fun option that looks similar to the trendy Caboodle makeup storage boxes. It comes in three colors: blue, pink, and green, and it has two tray levels and a large main compartment where you can store all the necessities for your sewing adventures. It has a strong latch that will keep the lid secure while carrying, and the handle is solid and sturdy.
These storage rack systems are popular in the crafting community and would be an excellent option for those with many notions and tools they want to keep all together. With all the levels and compartments built into this storage system, you’ll be able to organize your sewing supplies efficiently and with little effort.
Well, we looked at all kinds of fun options for the best sewing box. I’m a massive fan of upcycled sewing boxes; it’s incredible how creative and functional they are. Which was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
Have a great day, and happy stitches!
