My Repurposed Needlework Tool Tin

Would it be really weird to say that certain needlework accessories make me happy?

I’m a huge fan of functional, attractive, good quality accessories that help keep my work or my tools organized, that are easily transportable, that are kind of fun and out of the ordinary.

I tend to repurpose a lot of things that aren’t meant necessarily for Needlework, too. I’ve found that expandable canvas pen & pencil cases make great travel cases for whole (small) embroidery projects, for example, or for all the bits and bobs that I tote about when I’m working on my languishing hexie quilt.

Decorative tins make great storage for thread sets, they work well to keep projects contained, and I use them for art supplies, too.

Egg cups make a fabulous base for a pin cushion. Cute magnets meant for the fridge work great as needle minders. Unusual and pretty glass jars make interesting receptacles for orts (leftover thread bits). A decorative coat hook or picture hook serves as a hanger for a displayable ornament.

And on, and on…

I know I’m not the only one out there who does this! I’m sure many of us in the needlework world repurpose neat things for various purposes, and find pleasure in doing so!

This is one of my favorite little needlework tool cases.

It’s an eyeglass tin, repurposed as a tool box.

You can use any hard shell eyeglass case for this same use, without a doubt. There are even tutorials out there for covering hard shell eyeglass cases with all kinds of fabric and trim, outfitting the inside with coordinating accessories and pockets, and what-have-you. Clever and useful!

But when I first came across these eyeglass tins a while ago, I fell in love with them for a couple reasons:

1. Uhhhh…. because they’re tins and they’re pretty and I have a Thing for pretty tins. That was the first thing that attracted me to them.

2. I wear glasses – all kinds of glasses, depending on my tasks. And I like the idea of having my not-frequently-used glasses in a protective case. And I like it even better when the case is pretty, easy to see, and easy to differentiate from other glass cases. It wasn’t hard to convince myself I needed a couple of these tins.

Incidentally, if you wear readers – and if you have a lot of readers – eyeglass tins like the one above can hold several pair.

3. The size of the tin and its sturdy structure, along with its slim design and securely-closing lid, put me immediately in mind of a great way to store needlework tools, especially when toting projects hither and yon. It also put me in mind of a great way for storing drawing pencils and pens.

I had, therefore, several ready-made excuses to invest in a few of these tins in different designs, and they didn’t disappoint. I use them – a lot!

And when I realized just how useful and pretty they are, I thought it would be worth seeing if I could bring them into the shop here at Needle ‘n Thread.

So I pursued the manufacturer, which happens to be in England, and found the distributor here in the US, and ordered some.

It took a while, but they finally arrived, along with a small collection of other decorative tins that I thought folks might be interested in.

It really didn’t take much effort to outfit this tin as a needlework tool box perfect for easy tote-ability.

I happened to have a tiny pincushion with a magnet on the base. It fit in the tin perfectly, and I can stick needles into the pin cushion from the side for storage when the lid is closed. But I can also use the pincushion as a normal pincushion when the lid is open and I’m working.

If you don’t have a similar pincushion, no biggie! You can use a small needle book, you can put a thick felt pad or square in one end of the tin, or you can make your own little stuffed pincushion to fit right in there.

Inside the lid of the tin, I glued down two narrow bands of elastic (I just happened to have a coordinating color that was a good contrast to the dark lining of the tin) just along the inside lip of the lid. I made two sections in the elastic holders, by glueing the bands down about 1/3 into the tin, too, to give me a place to slide scissors and a place to slide my small laying tool.

In the base of the tin, I can add more tools. I have a couple different thimbles that are useful for the current project I’m working on. But I might also throw in tweezers, a pencil for marking, a small straight edge ruler, and the like – really, any small tools that I’d be using on my current project, that would benefit from being neatly collected and contained in one space.

Strange as it sounds, every time I reach for this little case and open it up, it is immensely satisfying. It makes me happy. I like the look of it, the feel of it, the functionality of it. It’s so easy to tuck into my tote bag. And I don’t have to worry about hunting around for stray tools when I finally settle down somewhere to stitch.

So that’s how I repurposed an eyeglass tin for needlework use. It wasn’t rocket science at all – and not really original in any way – but fun and functional, nonetheless. And I love using it!

You can find these Sandersen eyeglass tins available here in four different design options. They’re all so pretty!

If you already have a hard case for eyeglasses lying about, you won’t need a tin, of course. You can easily outfit it as a needlework tool case with a little elastic, glue, and a pincushion.

I hope you have a terrific weekend!