Let’s face it, having the right sewing tools makes your sewing projects go much smoother but purchasing all of them can get expensive.
I’m going to share 10 inexpensive sewing room tools/hacks you can purchase from Harbor Freight.
I really like having a magnetic pin holder for my various sewing pins. If you purchase these from Amazon or one of the many online quilt shops, you will find them costing anywhere from $7.99 on up.
At Harbor Freight you can purchase this plan metal one for the low price of $2.99. If you would like a colorful one there’s five colors to choose from at $5.99. These are great to have around your sewing machine but don’t limit them to just the sewing room. Do you work on projects while you are watching TV. Why not have one for the family room to keep track of your pins while working on your project?
Most of us use rulers and a rotary cutter in our sewing rooms and having a suction handle to help apply even pressure on your ruler as you cut fabric is very helpful. This is another item that has a price starting at $7.99 and up on Amazon. Even more expensive if purchased from a quilt store. If you’re not fussy about color or brand names you can pick these up at Harbor Freight.
A big hazard in my sewing room is needles and pins that fall on the floor. I sew in my stocking feet and the last thing I want is a pin or needle in my foot. I have carpeting in my room which often makes it hard to see one of these pokey things once they hit the floor.
I like having one of these pickup tools near my work table. It’s telescopic to I don’t have to bend over as much. Nor do I have to crawl around on my hands and knees. The pictured one is $4.99 at Harbor Freight and if you’d like one that’s flexible and has a light, you can purchase one there for $8.99.
How about rotary cutter blades . . . Did you know Harbor Freight carried them? They call them “carpet cutter replacement blades” but they are 45mm and will fit your 45mm rotary tool.
I always try to have backup blades for my cutters but it can get expensive running to my quilt store when I need them.
While checking out the aisles of your store or shopping online be sure to check into the hemostats or clamp pliers they carry.
These are handy for a number of things. I’ve used them for threading the loopers of my serger, holding the needle to insert in my sewing machine and to hold and grab the needle when I’m going through thick material and I’m having trouble getting it through.
All of us need to clean our machines from time to time. I really like Harbor Freight’s Cotton Swab assortment. The long ones are very useful for the harder to reach areas around the bobbin. I collect vintage machines and I love them for cleaning.
Need some small stubby screw drivers?
I found this handy set for my sewing room. I have a total of three machines set up in my room and I have a set for each station.
One of my sewing machines is a mid-arm. The bobbin area is located under the table. I use these small flash lights when I’m cleaning lint, putting a drop of oil in the bobbin area or checking to see if the bobbin is in correctly.
Did you know . . . you can even get a fabric at Harbor Freight? Not much choice but they do sell canvas drop clothes and you can use them for making canvas bags.
Harbor Freight has various sizes and prices and sometimes there’s even coupons for these items.
Are you a free motion quilter? Do you use quilting gloves to help grip and move the fabric while you sew?
I’ve found these work gloves to be very good for FMQing. I find them to be quite a savings at $2.19 a pair.
And for my 10th Harbor Freight item I thought I’d share their scissors package.
I will admit that I have a special group of scissors that I like to use but in my early years of quilting, I would have appreciated having a nice new group of scissors to use in my room.
There’s several other helpful things I’ve found for crafting at Harbor Freight. If you haven’t been to this store you might want to check it out. As always, I appreciate you reading my blog. Here’s the link if you would like to be a part of my Facebook group “AccuQuilt & Quilters Sewing She Shed.”
