DIY Teacup Pin Cushion

Vintage teacups are very easy to find at the thrift store, or you may have even acquired some from family members. While they’re beautiful, there’s only so many you can have/use for tea. I have a few from my grandmother that are beautiful, but I never really use them and I found myself putting a few on display on a shelf. The rest of them went away in storage. If you’ve got an abundance of tea cups and you’re either a needlecrafter or know someone that is, this DIY teacup pin cushion is the perfect solution!

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Supplies Needed

• 1 Teacup
• Pen
• A compass or something to trace a circle shape
• Scissors
• 1 fat quarter of printed fabric
• Sewing needle
• Thread that matches the color of the fabric
• Decorate lace or ribbon for the edge/handle
• Craft paper or a small piece of cardboard
• Hot glue gun or E6000 glue
• Rice, emery, or walnut pieces to fill the pin cushion – emery and walnut are both natural needle sharpeners so if you’re able to get your hands on some, that would be great!

Teacup Pin Cushion

Jump to the video tutorial.

Measure the diameter (length across) of the opening of the teacup. Take note of the diameter and add 1-2 inches to it. This is how big you’ll want to cut out the circles of fabric. (My teacup was 4 inches in diameter so I cut out a 5 inch diameter circle.)

Using the compass, trace two circles onto the fabric.

Cut the circles out and place the right side of the 2 pieces of fabric facing each other.

Thread your needle and tie a knot in the end. Make a running or back stitch along the outer edge of the fabric. I left about a 1/4″ margin along the edge. Leave about 1.5 -2 inches unstitched and secure the thread.

Flip the fabric so the right sides of the fabric are facing you.

Fill the cushion with rice or emery. Try to pack as much of the filling in, but leave a small amount of room so you’re able to sew the cushion closed.

Tuck the edges of the fabric into the cushion and secure the opening with some whip stitches.

Place the pin cushion into the teacup. If it sits too low in the teacup, place some cardboard or craft paper underneath the pin cushion to elevate it.

Once you’re happy with the height, set the pin cushion aside and line the edges of the teacup with decorative lace or ribbon.

Place the pin cushion back inside the teacup. Secure the ribbon and the pin cushion with E6000 or hot glue to secure it.

Video Tutorial

Then you’re ready to put some needles in it and put it to use. Enjoy!