9 Clever Sewing Tips and Tricks from Ballpoint Pens
Image Credit: Trefa Craft via YouTube
Most of us have been using and treating pens as our trusted partners in sewing, we always use their mark and draw patterns or templates. But did you know that there are still a lot of uses with a ballpoint pen? I was surprised when I found out that even when you’ve used up all its ink, you can still put it up to good use rather than throwing them out. These tips made sewing easier for me because every single one of them works for real! So go on ahead and see how many hacks piqued your curiosity and which ones you would like to try. These clever ideas are by the ever-amazing Trefa Craft on YouTube.
Materials:
- Ballpoint Pens
- Masking tape
- Sponge
Directions:
Tip #1
Place the pen on the gap near the throat plate and use masking tape to hold it in place, insert fabrics into the clip of the pen for easier sewing. This can also keep your fabrics folded, straight, and/or in place.
Tip #2
Use the pen as a fabric turner, make a small hole on the upper side of the fabric, insert the clip through the hole then start pushing it to the end. The clip of the pen serves as the fabric’s hook.
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Tip #3
Another way of turning a fabric inside out is by using the pen’s barrel, inserting the fabric through the barrel then flipping the top of the fabric over and start scrunching the fabric while pushing the barrel. Do this until you’ve turned the fabric over.
Tip #4
If you don’t have a pincushion available for your embroidery needle. You can use the pen’s ink barrel by inserting the needle through it.
Tip #5
This method is to help you do the next hack easier. Insert yarn or embroidery thread on the needle and knot, then insert the needle through the lower barrel of the pen.
Tip #6
Once the thread is inserted on the barrel, squeeze it onto the hole in the thread take-up lever area, pull the thread over, and on the presser foot. This will make double thread sewing easier.
Tip #7
Insert ink barrels on a thick and large sponge then insert bobbins, clips, zippers, etc. on the ink barrel, so that you can find them easily.
Tip #8
If you don’t have any compass available and wants to draw perfect circle or arcs, use two ballpoint pen and hold them like you would a chopstick, open them according to the size or diameter that you want, and start using them as a compass.
Tip #9
Easily make double marks, lines, or patterns by taping two pens together.
*Thank you to Trefa Craft via YouTube for all of these images. Follow and subscribe to their channel for more.
