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Clever, DIY, Home & Garden, Tips & Tricks · March 17, 2021

13 Sewing Hacks and Tricks You Have to Know

My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was a small child and I have loved to do it ever since. Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. It’s been tricky to learn the ins and outs of the craft and I have definitely gotten frustrated some of the time! Fortunately, my grandmother was always around to teach me sewing hacks and tips. Her sewing tips and tricks made it easier to get past the learning curve and truly excel as a sewer. Keep reading below for my favorite ones from my grandma and other great internet sources.

Mylistoflists.com has the best ideas to simplify your life. Find tons of tips and hacks to make everyday tasks a little bit easier. Check out these essential sewing hacks you need to know before starting on your next project!
Contents
1 Sewing Hacks And Tips
1.1 Save Money On Thread
1.2 The Best Way To Sew A Zipper
1.3 DIY Pincushion
1.4 Bobbin Toe Separator Hack
1.5 Crisp Corner Sewing Hack
1.6 Bias Tape Trick
1.7 Make Your Own Bias Tape
1.8 Fit Your Pattern To Size
1.9 Pin Your Projects Correctly
1.10 Make Your Own Shirring
1.11 Refit A Dress Shirt
1.12 Perfect Arm Holes

Sewing Hacks And Tips

Save Money On Thread

Martha Stewart recommends buying the larger spools of thread and then placing the spool in a teacup so you can use the thread as-is (otherwise it won’t fit). This is a great way to save money (large spools are more for your money) and save time (no more switching thread all the time)! Plus, who wouldn’t trust Martha Stewart’s sewing hacks?

The Best Way To Sew A Zipper

Ashley from Make It & Love It knows the best way to install a regular zipper while maintaining a lovely seam all the way down. Sews the project up, and then unpick the length of the zipper. This hack will improve the quality of all your zipper installations!

DIY Pincushion

Make your own pincushion by sewing together some old fabric scraps. Leave a corner open and then stuff the pincushion full of steel wool. The steel wool will keep your needles in place, while simultaneously sharpening them! There is not much better than that!

Sewing Hacks And Tips
Bobbin Toe Separator Hack

Manoa Road keeps her bobbins organized with the help of toe separators! This is a great way to bring some organization to your sewing room.

Crisp Corner Sewing Hack

Trim the edges of your corner seams before turning your project inside out. The corner will look much crisper because there’s less fabric in the way! This is a great way to make your sewing projects look more professional.

Bias Tape Trick

Dana from Dana Made It shows us the correct–and easy–way to sew on bias tape. With her help, you’ll be able to sew bias tape onto even the sharpest corners. I can’t believe I’ve been doing it wrong for so long!

Sew Ric Rac On

Use the tutorial from Abby at Go To Sew  to sew Ric Rac onto any project perfectly. Ric Rac is great for pillows and children’s clothes, so its crucial that you know how to sew with it.

Sewing Hacks And Tips
Make Your Own Bias Tape

Scientific Seamstress has a tutorial (and printable!) for a bias tape maker. This simple tool makes creating your own bias tape the easiest thing ever! Plus, when you make your own tape, you have so many more options for fabric & patterns! You can make tape that perfectly matches your project.

Fit Your Pattern To Size

Burda Style explains the best ways to shorten or lengthen any pattern you’re working with. If patterns never quite fit right because you’re either too tall or too short, don’t worry! Burda’s got your back. I was surprised at how easy this is! Lengthening or shortening doesn’t have to be difficult at all. This is one of the most important sewing hacks and tips!

Pin Your Projects Correctly

Andrea on Go To Sew shows us the correct way to use pins on sewing projects. If you use pins correctly, you can save loads of time on your sewing projects, and your projects will turn out a million times better. Such a simple and useful sewing hack!

Sewing Hacks And Tips
Make Your Own Shirring

Ruffles & Stuff has a tutorial that explains how to create shirring with elastic thread. I love the look of shirring, but I always thought it was really difficult to make. Turns out it’s pretty easy if you use elastic thread. I need to stock up on that stuff!

Refit A Dress Shirt

Take in a dress shirt with this tutorial from Indigo Orchid Altering clothes is a great way to get a custom fit, and it can be surprisingly easy. So if your clothes are hanging a little funny, don’t throw them away, just use this tip.

Perfect Arm Holes

The Seasoned Homemaker shares sewing hacks to edge an armhole with bias tape. This is an easy way to get a beautiful finish on your garment. It will help make your clothing 100% professional. Good luck with these hacks! I hope they make your sewing experience more enjoyable.

Sewing Hacks And Tips

I hope these sewing hacks and tips help you out! Before you go, check out my post on 6 sewing tools that will change your life!

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Comments

  1. เสื้อผ้าแฟชั่น says

    May 20, 2015 at

    Keep this going please, great job!

    Reply
  2. เช่าชุดราตรีเชียงใหม่ says

    June 13, 2015 at

    Awesome! Its really amazing piece of writing, I have got much clear idea about from this article.

    Reply
  3. Debora McFearin (VintageNeedleFinds) says

    August 25, 2015 at

    Love the hacks and several I didn’t know about. Great Job!

    Reply
  4. Matilde Eve says

    September 22, 2015 at

    Great info!

    Reply
  5. Brain cooper says

    November 10, 2015 at

    Great hacks that can help improve my sewing

    Reply
  6. JE says

    December 18, 2015 at

    Love the idea to put bobbins on toe separaters. I have been trying to think of a way to keep my cotton thread bobbins separated, this will work and I can write on the holders.

    Reply
    • BritCrit says

      September 4, 2016 at

      You can buy cheap little plastic boxes

      Reply
      • Jabberwacky says

        March 21, 2018 at

        Or use old prescription med bottles.

        Reply
    • Niki says

      March 11, 2017 at

      So glad you commented on this. The bobbin storage looked genious but the link no longer works. Would never have worked out that that’s what they were. Thanks!

      Reply
    • Bev says

      November 16, 2017 at

      Or you can buy a bobbin box. I’ve had one for years. They sell them at JoAnn Fabrics store or any sewing supply store for a couple bucks.

      Reply
  7. Arelis López says

    January 6, 2016 at

    muchas gracias por los secretos – trucos de costura . felicidades

    Reply
  8. Stacy says

    January 20, 2016 at

    re: #6 – I backstitch in both directions to reinforce the corners & then clip the edges. this allows you to clips right up to the stitching without worrying about fraying

    Reply
  9. Sarah Clark says

    February 14, 2016 at

    wow these work realy good!

    Reply
  10. Mary M Moran says

    April 18, 2016 at

    I have sewn for years and it is always so much fun to learn easier and better ways to complete your project.

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      April 27, 2018 at

      I agree, Mary. I love seeing new ideas too.

      Reply
  11. Pamela Hoffine says

    June 1, 2016 at

    Interesting and useful information. I like your lists. I wish I had time to read them now, but, I have to come back later. I am a list person. I was looking at some lists, and apps to get organized. I am also looking for something like a grocery list and weekly sales information. I want to use coupons on the sale items. It is time consuming trying to find out what is on sale at different stores and use the coupons at that time. I would appreciate it if you have information on how best to do this. In the meantime, I will keep looking for an efficient and quick way to ” marry” the coupons to sales.

    Reply
  12. Jeannie says

    July 6, 2016 at

    I have always put in zippers this way!! I learned when I was in 7th grade. I am now 63!! I love sewing.

    Reply
    • Taf Sew says

      July 18, 2016 at

      How do you sew around the pull? that is the only problem I have when inserting a zipper this way.

      Reply
      • Ferne says

        December 16, 2017 at

        You pull the zipper down to sew at the top and then close it to finish.

        Reply
  13. Alice says

    January 4, 2018 at

    The BEST way to sew a sharp corner is to stop one stitch before turning the 90° corner. With needle down, raise presser foot, rotate fabric, presser foot down and take one stitch on a 45° angle. Again with needle down, raise presser foot and turn fabric to complete the 90° turn. Presser foot down, continue sewing. Trim off excess seam allowance at corner. Turn to right side and you’ll have a sharp corner, not a rounded one.

    Reply
    • Amber says

      January 4, 2018 at

      Thank you for the tip!

      Reply
  14. iwin says

    January 24, 2018 at

    love it , its helpfull

    Reply
  15. Kim says

    June 7, 2018 at

    Wow ! I have been sewing since high school , but you can NEVER know everything ! I appreciate the pointers , thank you so much for posting this ❤️Can’t believe I didn’t know some of these ! Looking forward to trying the bias tape trick ….who knew ??? Thanks again ?

    Reply
  16. Nek says

    September 16, 2018 at

    It’s “lose” not “loose” You lose your bobbins, your clothes are loose.

    Reply
  17. Robin says

    January 6, 2019 at

    Thank you for sharing this! Awesome information,

    Reply
  18. Shirley E. Riggs says

    July 22, 2019 at

    The hack about buying the really large spool of thread is great if you’re quilting or making lots of somethings that require a lot of thread but if you’re sewing a small project, thread that sits around for a time tends to dry rot and breaks easily. I used some old thread for a baby quilt for a co-worker and the quilt came apart, except for the side where I had to purchase a new spool. Good idea, just be sure to use it.

    Reply

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