Let’s get Organized!
Okay. I got to admit, I’m not the most organized person. Terry just walks into my office and shakes his head.
But it’s not really disorganization. It’s more like clutter.
Because my head is cluttered.
Therefore my office/sewing room is cluttered.
I always have two sewing projects going and strewn about in the sewing corner.
Then there are the websites to update and the community groups I’m involved with. That requires layers of paper.
Plus all those silly day to day things (like paying the bills and cleaning, fortunately since Terry retired I don’t cook anymore)
You get the idea. I’m a busy person! With stacks and stacks of stuff!
But I really want to be be clutter-free.
Especially in my head.
I got this cabinet from Ikea last year. Ikea calls it Alex. I call it Perfect!
And I love love love it.
I keep all of my necessary sewing paraphernalia in there. Like thread and feet and needles and measuring tapes and…..
it would have really been perfect if I could have stored the bobbins on top of the spools of thread. I just like to have them matched up so I can just pull them out without hunting for the right bobbin.
I had this case but the inserts weren’t long enough to put the bobbins on top.
So I told Terry what I really really NEEDED. And (after he was done cooking for a moment) he made it!
Terry cut pegboard to fit the drawer.
Then cut dowels that were long enough for both the spool of thread and the bobbin.
Figured out how far to space the dowels.
Sanded one end of the dowels down so the bobbin would fit on it. (That’s my sander although I don’t use it often anymore!)
Set the dowels up with the right spacing,
And glued them in.
Perfect!
Jack was here last week and decided that I needed some help with the thread and squeezed every spool he could find in and around the dowels. I think it’s a little better my way!
Here’s the machine with that embroidery unit! And the instruction booklet. Still need to refer to the manual!
I usually have the embroidery unit for the sewing machine here but it’s on the machine right now. It’s very big and cumbersome. Not sure where I should store it.(Jack also wanted to know why I had a dinosaur!)
Might as well reveal what’s in the drawers! The second one is regular sewing stuff. Those are the spools of thread that Jack tried to squeeze in. He’s such a big helper!
This is where I keep all the stuff that goes with the embroidery unit. There’s usually more in there but I’m using it. So much stuff with the new machine! Bobbin thread, embroidery thread, frames, stabilizer. I had NO idea!
This is where I keep things for quilting. Graph paper and colored pencils are very important for my quilting process! And yes, it really is that neat!
And here’s my “junk” drawer. Where I put those necessary sewing items that do not fit any specific area.
And I hope you noted I still had thread in two of those drawers. So I possibly need a special thread drawer for all of the embroidery thread! And one for the extra thread that didn’t fit in my special thread drawer although Jack tried really hard to cram it in.
And I JUST WENT TO IKEA YESTERDAY! A new Alex for me! More work for Terry!
Yippee!
(But my head is still cluttered!)
If you are interested in making this thread drawer, I have made a second thread drawer using golf tees which is a LOT easier! Here’s the link: https://designsbyktgreen.com/lets-get-organized-thread-drawer-part-2/
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I have searched high and low for organized thread storage and LOVE your idea! I am ordering from IKEA here in Twin Cities, Mn. asap. Thank you!!!!
I love my thread organizer, Cheryl. I tried several others but none allowed me to store the matching bobbin on top of the thread. My husband is very handy and when I told him what I wanted just made it for me!
If you put the bobbin under the spool of thread on the spindle, it will work if the drawer is deep enough. The thread just sits a little higher. You don’t have to use pegboard; which is a brilliant idea.
Thanks for the suggestion Ruth, I actually tried that on my original thread case, but the spindle was too thick for the bobbin to go to the bottom and the thread to sit on top. When we put the wooden spindles on the peg board we had to sand them down for the bobbin to fit on top. I do lose some storage in the back of the drawer but I’m okay with that.
I do quilting and machine embroidery so I have box upon box of thread. This is a fantastic idea. I have a four drawer unit I will convert for all my thread. Thank you.
Paula, I’m so glad you like it. My thread organizer has really worked well for me! I only have the one drawer but plan on turning at dedicating at least two more drawers to thread.
I bought a wooden plaque. Had my husband make holes and used 3/8 inch dowels. Painted it and hung it on the walll above my machine
That sounds like a great idea! i had considered something like that but I didn’t have a lot of wall space. Most of it is taken up by shelves, furniture and a design wall. Thanks for commenting mary.
Excellent idea to use what u have around the house,,, love it
Thanks Tammie!
I use golf tees in my thread drawers. Fitted perfectly in my peg boad liner. Hot glued into place
Thanks for your comments Sharon and Denise. Since I want to turn another of the drawers into a thread holder for my embroidery thread and this sounded much easier, I asked my husband for a couple of golf tees. He is an avid golfer and he gave me the long type of golf tee–about 2 3/4″ long. The bottom is too large to fit into the peg board so I thought about just hot-gluing it to the top of the peg board, using the holes for guidance. But even doing that method, the spool fits but the bobbin does not. There are other types of golf tees out there so I’m wondering what type you used.
Just wanted to ask “Sharon” of Jan.9, 2017 a few questions. Sharon, did you put the golf tees under the peg board & thru the holes? Or did you just glue them (upside down, of course) down right on top of the peg board holes? One more question, I don’t suppose they would hold both Thread spool & bobbin on one tee, right?
Thanks for your comments Denise, please see my reply to Sharon since I think this would be a great method but not sure how to do it.
Could you use golf tees instead of cutting dowels?
Comments didn’t show up until after I posted mine. Sorry for duplicate.
Hi Jackie, not a problem on the duplicate comment. I am doing a bit of research on the golf tee idea. I like it but I think I need longer tees. Need to get to a golf shop and see what’s available.
Brilliant idea! My husband is a keen golfer and has tees which are 3 1/4 inches – perfect for a spool and a bobbin. He’s going to make me a couple of drawers for my sewing cabinet using pegboard and the long tees.
Thanks for the comment, Sheryl. I still haven’t tried the long tee idea yet. Let me know how it works out!
I love your idea. I can’t wait to try this.
Thanks Kathi, let me know how it works out for you.
Could you tell me the dimensions of the drawers, please. My husband is building me a cabinet for my sewing/embroidery machines and I cannot decide on drawer sizes. Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Linda, These are Ikea cabinets. They are 11 1/2″ width, 20 1/2″ depth and 3 3/8″ height. Hope this helps!
Love your idea Kathy! Just wondering if the pegboard is layed inside the drawer, or did Terry use it to replace the existing drawer bottom.
Thanks for commenting Kris. Terry just laid the pegboard inside the drawer. I use the thread drawer I have now for cotton thread for quilting. I’ve had several suggestions to try using golf tees rather than dowels. Hoping to get to a golf store and find the really long tees this week. If that works, I have another drawer I’d like to put the polyester thread in. And a thread drawer for embroidery thread! So much “stuff” comes with sewing!
I just cut a piece of mat board & glued golf tees on it. I bought a similar chest from the Martha Stewart line at Home Depot. (but more expensive) I think it is taller & the drawers are deeper. I filled the whole chest with thread & still had too much. Someone gave me a bunch of serger thread.
Hi Donna, there never seems to be enough storage for thread or fabric. I recently decided to put only cotton quilting thread in the current thread drawer–which means I need to make a drawer for regular thread and another fo embroidery thread! My husband just brought me home a bag of the long 3 1/2″ tees. I still have some peg board left from the original project so I will probably use that. I like the idea of the mat board because it’s cheaper and I could cut it. But I’ll use up the peg board first. Hoping to get that finished within the next few days and put it up on my blog!
Lazy way to make pegs longer – add straws cut to needed length. You can cut slits down the straw, if needed to have a smaller spot for the bobbin. You can glue them on or just slide them over pegs.
Hi Laura, thank you for the suggestion. I’m always looking for ways to get more organized. It took a little while for me to answer this because I was doing a some research. I had two different size straws at my house. One was too narrow to go over the peg, the other was too big for the bobbin. Last week I was at a restaurant and took the straw from my drink home to check that out. It fit just fine over the drawer that has the golf pegs but didn’t fit well over the dowels in the first drawer. I have a thread tray that I take to the sewing workshop that I run. And the straw fit perfectly over those pegs so I was pretty excited. But… I have two sewing machines. An older Bernini that goes to the sewing class with me and a Baby Lock Unity that stays home. The bobbins from the Baby Lock worked just fine with the straws. But the hole in the middle of the Bernini bobbin was too small.
If you are making your own thread holder, you can also use short pegs and attach Handi-Bobs that hold the bobbins. There is some expense in buying them (25 for under $9 on eBay). Handi-bobs clip into the hole at top of thread spool and hold the bobbin. They are available on Amazon but I didn’t see the bulk pkg. I always use handi-bobs. There is another Very similar product but I can’t remember the name. I just bought thread racks that hang on the wall (and used handi-bobs) but I like the idea of keeping thread in the drawer like you have done. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lori B! I checked out the Handi-bobs at Amazon. They had a package of 18 for $8.49. They look pretty cool. Think I’ll order them for the thread box that goes to the Sew Cool! Workshop with me. Thanks for the suggestion!
A piece of foam under that peg board and you wont even need the glue and can move the pegs around as needed.
I’m not sure how that would work. If I can find another piece of the peg board in my garage, I will try it! I have plenty of foam to do a test. Thanks for reading and commenting!
I’m a little late to this post, and I read both of them. I like the idea of keeping my thread clean from dust, so I don’t care for those wall racks. The 3 1/4” tees are too long for my drawer. My total inside height must be 2 3/4” tops. If I use pegboard, which I have, that will take up part of the height, unless I put the pegs thru from underneath, like you did.
Were the shorter tees too thick for the spools, too thick for the bobbins, or just not long enough to hold them both? You might ask your husband if short tees come in a skinnier size?
What kind of saw did your husband use to cut up the dowels? (Don’t ever try to cut up tongue depressors/Craft sticks with your electric miter saw. I tried cutting a bunch held together and they shredded and flew around the room like shrapnel. Very dangerous! I only tried that once!) Just wondering if dowels need to be cut by hand?
I have a couple ideas:
1. The pegboard is available in two different hole sizes; 1/8” and 1/4”. I’m wondering how thick the dowels were that you had to sand down? If they were 1/4” dowels, (because the holes were 1/4”?) what if one used 1/8” dowels? Set the pegboard on a piece of parchment (non stick) put a squirt of hot glue in one hole at a time and put in a piece of dowel, holding for a few seconds till it sets up? The hot glue should fill up the space around the dowel, and secure it, I should think.
2. Buy pegboard with 1/8” holes and just use 1/8” dowels. (No sanding necessary.) then you can use regular glue. (Providing 1/8” doweling fits in the bobbin hole—I’ve had my thinking cap on for a few hours but haven’t measured the bobbin hole size, nor do I know which size pegboard I have.)
I also saw on Pinterest that someone mounted a thread rack inside of a wall cupboard with a glass door. It is beautiful. You get to see all the pretty colors of thread, but it is kept dust free with the door.
Thanks for taking the time to write these posts! Really great idea !
Hi Susan!
Thank you for reading my post and for commenting. You have a lot of really good questions. Some I never even thought of. Like, my husband nor I knew that there was 1/8″ pegboard. And why didn’t I use hot glue? Although I quite often burn my fingertips off, I think it holds better than wood glue.
I was headed to my husband’s golf bag to find the shorter golf tees and compare it with the long ones when he reminded me that we have an appointment. Oh. Yes. I can’t just sew, organize, and play with my computer all day? Scheesh. Anyhow.
I think I will make a post for next Tuesday and address all your questions. With photos and responses. So come back and check it out!
Hi Kathy,
Thaaank youuuuu!
I really appreciate you responding so fast, and for being willing to investigate. I don’t have anybody nearby who gulfs, so without purchasing (potentially the wrong size) tees online, I really have no way to investigate that myself.
I learned about the different size holes available in pegboard from a Family Handyman specialty magazine, where they mentioned that (I think) the hooks for the 1/8” holes stay in better (?), but there are more options and accessories available for the 1/4” size (or visa versa). After I had my thinking cap on for a couple of hours, yesterday, I suddenly remembered that little fact. And then I said, “Hmmmmm. What if we used 1/8” pegs & pegboard?“ But I didn’t know if that was the size you may have already used.
The reason I thought of hot glue, was because I thought it would be a way to make 1/8 inch dowels fit in 1/4 inch holes, because the glue would fill in around it. I’m not sure that would work or be strong enough with regular wood glue.
I did not receive any notification from your website, so thank you for emailing me.
I saw a picture of your drawer with the pegboard arrangement a while ago on Pinterest, but just yesterday I was able to follow the links to get to your website and actually read about how you did it. I would really like to give this a try! So, thank you for doing the original post, and also, thank you for doing an updated post. Considering the fact that you already made your drawers, I feel that you are going above and beyond the call of duty, here. But I really appreciate it! Thank you so much! I will watch for your new post and Tuesday!
Susan
Hi Kathy,
Thaaank youuuuu!
I really appreciate you responding so fast, and for being willing to investigate. I don’t have anybody nearby who gulfs, so without purchasing (potentially the wrong size) tees online, I really have no way to investigate that myself.
I learned about the different size holes available in pegboard from a Family Handyman specialty magazine, where they mentioned that (I think) the hooks for the 1/8” holes stay in better (?), but there are more options and accessories available for the 1/4” size (or visa versa). After I had my thinking cap on for a couple of hours, yesterday, I suddenly remembered that little fact. And then I said, “Hmmmmm. What if we used 1/8” pegs & pegboard?“ But I didn’t know if that was the size you may have already used.
The reason I thought of hot glue, was because I thought it would be a way to make 1/8 inch dowels fit in 1/4 inch holes, because the glue would fill in around it. I’m not sure that would work or be strong enough with regular wood glue.
I did not receive any notification from your website, so thank you for emailing me.
I saw a picture of your drawer with the pegboard arrangement a while ago on Pinterest, but just yesterday I was able to follow the links to get to your website and actually read about how you did it. I would really like to give this a try! So, thank you for doing the original post, and also, thank you for doing an updated post. Considering the fact that you already made your drawers, I feel that you are going above and beyond the call of duty, here. But I really appreciate it! Thank you so much! I will watch for your new post and Tuesday!
Susan