10 EASY DIY Sewing Tools You Can Make This Weekend

In today’s video, I’m sharing 10 super easy DIY sewing tools you can make yourself this weekend. Most of these simple tools can be made in an hour or less (sometimes in just minutes!), and they’ll come in handy over and over again in your sewing room. Plus, they look way cuter than store bought!

*Links to tutorials*

*Video Chapters*
00:00 - Intro
00:15 - Press cloth
00:58 - Tailor's ham
01:42 - Wrist pin cushion
02:15 - Foldable pressing mat
02:55 - Thread catcher
03:31 - Wall pocket
04:14 - Non-slip pedal cushion
04:52 - Hem guide
05:25 - Sewing machine cover
05:59 - Pattern weights
06:34 - BONUS TOOL

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*ABOUT US:*
I’m Sarai, the founder of Seamwork, the community that helps you grow your sewing skills. Follow along as I create my dream wardrobe piece by piece – and reveal the best tips, tools, and techniques along the way. No matter what your skill level right now, I’ll show you that you can sew anything.

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[vinecagray]

This is great, so pleased you have connected with Cornelius, his channel is wonderful.

[maryhopkins]

Pedal Cushion!!! I just about lost my salvation the other day when the darn pedal wouldn't stay put. I'm making one this weekend. These were great suggestions. Pattern weights, tailors ham - YES!

[kathleenculver]

Man this is BRILLIANT Thank you so much!

[briangough]

I'm going to try your hem guide. Looks like a great idea.

[pamelasavard]

Always great content!! Thank you !! :)

[meacadwell]

One ironing board I use is a bamboo cutting board, no cover needed. I've been doing this for over a year now and there's been no warping on the bamboo from using steam.

[t.lucalake]

THANK YOU!!, BEAUTIFUL LADY, for the VALUABLE USEFUL information. 👍

[sandyp]

So many wonderful DIY things. I bought many of these over the years and they are all so very useful. For the wall pocket, I have a small shelf purchased at a craft fair (it was cute) and it has several pegs under the shelf. One has the wall pocket and other pegs hold my tape measure, a clip on a string to hold small pattern pieces or directions, spare ribbons, etc. That little shelf has saved my sanity. I also keep a tall mug nearby and it holds spare pens/pencils, highlighters (for highlighting things specific to the version of my project), scissors (with shield on), and my six inch ruler (the one that everyone has a dozen of because it's always off someplace else).

I have the Dritz aluminum hem guide because when steaming in a hem it won't wilt and it has a curved side for curving hems. I've scratched in a couple new marks as well.

Regarding how firm to make the DIY ham, be sure it's firm enough that if you throw it at someone (look out, hubs!) it will hurt or if you pound your fist on it, your hand will hurt. My bought one is heavy. I dropped it on the floor one time and people came running thinking I'd tripped and fallen. Be sure that the materials used can take the heat so natural are the best. When I made my full-length wool coat, I had to steam a lot of places because of top stitching. I think I used a river full of water for all that steaming but the ham held up just fine. I worried it might become misshapen. And the coat came out super. I get compliments on it still years later. Do the same to make a sleeve roll. I didn't think it would be handy but I use it more than the ham. A sleeve roll helps with cuffs or sleeve hems or even really long seams that need steaming in place. Yes, I need a new iron; it gets a lot of use when I'm sewing. The electric company probably loves me for it, too.

I might make pattern weights. They would be so much prettier than the giant washers from the hardware store.

[susanwoodcarver]

OK ... this video was a HOME RUN! Excellent. Thank you so much!!!

[fih]

With the patter weights my dad had a box of miss matched /de-threaded metal nuts. I made some straps from scrap material. I threaded the nuts on the it and tied the ends. It's great as i can make different lengths/weights and I can curve it around it the pattern needs it

[cathys]

I bought a bag of pea gravel from the hardware big box store, to fill pattern weights, beanbags, etc. The only problem with it is that it needs to be washed. So take an old kitchen colander and rinse the gravel outside. Leave it outside until dry, and store in a coffee can or recycled plastic jar with lid. Cheap as can be, and not plastic or food.

[auntiezann]

Love these ideas! I’ve been using a scrap of white linen as my press cloth, and I love it! No risk of color transfer and while not as easy to see through as silk organza, costs less! I need those patterns wights, and that fabric thread catcher!

[tanyalua]

I love these ideas! I definitely will be making a thread catcher and pattern weights.

[sandrawhitman]

These are great! Thanks and thanks for the links

[leenb.]

“DIY’s you can make this weekend”… but in less than 4 hours this weekend is over 🥴 if the weekend is completely over than all timing goes through the window so with this one I just realized that I apparently am still trying to take on the challenge for a hot second before luckily still coming to the conclusion it’s too late 😂
These are great, some I already have on my to-do list but some will now be added! Especially that non-slip sewing foot pedal pad. Why not make it fancy like this one, might also add a bit of weights from my cut-up weighted blanket that was a pure delight to sleep under but a nightmare to make up the bed each time. So I gave up the cozy sleeping comfort for the not so much pain each time sort of comfort and I dismantled it, the still good parts without the weight (which was just a lot of glass beads) are going to serve as some batting for my current and upcoming me-made vests and jacket projects and the glass pearls will come in handy as pattern weights (was still looking into designs but these triangle ones seem like it can work the best in multiple scenarios so I think I might have my design ready so now on to fabric choices) and also for the weighted roll for this non-slip pedal pad plus more future things to come.
I just upgraded my sewing machine to a non-basic model and will also need to make a sewing machine cover since the new one didn’t come with a hard plastic shell as some other machines have and my old one is too small.

[ErniK]

Great ideas! We make things; we can make tools that are more useful than the ones we might have bought. I use a piece of plastic (cut from a plastic container or milk jug) to make a stiff band for the top of the thread catcher (which has a zipper at the bottom to empty it out into the garbage). I stitched some colored trim around the edges of my organza cloth so I could SEE it better. I have made myself a variety of simple pressing tools like steam trapping wood chunks with muslin on them, up to a sleeve ham (a padded tube covered in mohair velvet. It was not cheap but it was a big alterations job that more than covered the cost, and I gave extra mohair velvet pieces to pals. I saved a piece for me to use to drop stray cut thread ends onto - eliminates the static cling the thread develops on my fingers!(though any velvet would do for this). When they pile up, I roll the threads up in a ball to throw them out.

[bennington]

I really enjoyed this video and now want to make all of these sewing tools! Thank you for all these great ideas and links to tutorials:)

[christine]

what great ideas, thank you, first thing I'm going to make is the hem guide,

[starlite]

I definitely think I need to add some of these to my sewing space!

[karenfranceslewis]

Bonus points if you make the hem guide with something that isn't sensitive to steam. I'd love know what dritz uses for their hot hemmer tools.