Upcycle your coffee grounds into a homemade pin cushion

Here is a wonderful idea for a personal gift which also serves as a great way to upcycle your used coffee grounds. The finished product can be used as a pincushion, a sachet, or an odor absorber. In addition to the fantastic smell, the oils in the coffee grounds can keep your needles from rusting!

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What you will need

• Approximately 6 tablespoons of coffee grounds

• Two 7-inch circular fabric scraps. (Tip: a great way to get a perfect circle is to trace around a small plate)

• One plastic or cardboard scrap cut into a 1.5-inch circle

• One 2-inch felt circle

• Embroidery thread and a needle

• A button (*optional)

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Directions

1) Dry your used coffee grounds overnight and set aside. Your grounds need to be completely dry before you begin.

2) Cut out a 2-inch circle from the felt. Then, cut a plastic or cardboard disk into an approximate 1.5-inch circle. Center your plastic on your felt circle. You can use fabric/plastic glue to affix the plastic to your felt. This will be the base for your pincushion. Set it aside.

3) Cut two 7-inch circles from your fabric.

4) Hand stitch loosely around the edges of one circle using embroidery thread. A “running stitch” is recommended. This is a series of evenly placed loose stitches, (see photo below). Tie the end off when you have completed the circle. Take a second piece of fabric and repeat the procedure.

5) Pull on the stitches to move the edges of one of your fabric circles together.

6) Tightly pack your coffee grinds inside. You can cut a hole at the end of a sandwich bag and use it as a funnel, or use a tablespoon.

7) Pull the stitches tightly to bring the edges of the fabric together. Tie the running stitch together. Stitch over it with embroidery thread.

8) Place the coffee filled cushion from step 6 inside the second fabric circle and repeat step 7.

9) Sew the felt on the outside of the cushion, covering the embroidery thread line. (Optionally you can use a dash of fabric glue between the felt and the cloth before sewing, to ensure a tight seal.)*

10) Flip it over and you have a lovely hand made cushion that can be used to hold your needles and pins or as an odor absorber!

11) Bonus tip: place a piece of Velcro on the felt bottom, and attach it to your sewing machine or craft table. This way you will always have your pincushion at the ready!

*Alternatively, sew the felt bottom on the smooth side of the outer fabric circle. Place the cushion containing the grounds with the embroidered side down on the inside of the outer fabric circle. Pull the running stitch together on the outer fabric and sew a button over the embroidery thread.

For even more great ideas on how to upcycle your coffee grounds click here.