Some ideas on how to store and organise your embroidery stash!

In this video I show you some ways that I store my embroidery stash! I go through some different ideas and when is a good idea to use what including some ideas for small storage spaces and how to keep your stash permanently neat and tidy. Check out the links below for places to buy storage items and my Instagram and Facebook pages for pictures of my storage in situ!
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00:00 - Intro
02:42 - Threads
20:39 - Fabrics
22:59 - Kits
28:11 - All the small things
30:08 - Hoops & frames
31:44 - Finished and vintage embroideries
34:34 - Books & magazines
36:53 - Odds & ends
Marie Kondo books
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying
Joy at work, Organising your professional Life
Spark Joy
Where to get storage solutions:
US
Artbin storage - www.artbin.com/
The Container Store - Baskets, boxes, shelves and loads more!
Elizabeth Ward Bead storage - Google for you rnearest stockist, available on Amazon
Michaels - Small storage ideas
UK
The Range for various plastic, card, and leather storage boxes and drawers (my green drawers came from here!).
The Works - For small plastic and wooden storage ideas
Dunhelm - Baskets, boxes and drawer units
Hobby Craft - Small storage ideas
The Plastic Box Shop - www.plasticbox...
Top of the range complete storage systems: storage4crafts...
Rest of the world
Ikea - King of storage solutions! Book shelves, drawer units desk organisers. Check the Market Place for boxes, magazine racks, baskets, drawers, pots, shelving etc. Don't forget to check out kitchen area for some good ideas too (shelf and drawer dividers are good!).
Beautiful tins! - www.tehusetjav... (Sweden)
If you have somewhere in your country that is good for storage ideas please let me know and I'll update the list!
On a budget?
Charity Shops/Goodwill Stores for tins, baskets and decorative boxes
Save boxes from deliveries, cover them with paper and decorate!
Chocolate and biscuit boxes and tins
Takeaway plastic boxes
Are you an embroidery beginner? Or thinking about how to get into the hobby? Go to the 'Beginning Embroidery' page on my website to learn more:
www.sarahhomfr...
Like this video and subscribe to the channel for more hand embroidery tutorials.
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Visit www.sarahhomfr... for your hand embroidery supplies.
Hand embroidery for beginners and experts!
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#SarahHomfrayEmbroidery #SarahHomfrayNeedlepoint #SarahHomfrayStitchLibrary #BeginnersEmbroidery #BeginnersHandEmbroidery #EmbroideryForBeginners #HandEmbroideryForBeginners #HandEmbroideryTutorial #HandEmbroidery

[@penkast1605]

Thank you for sharing your system, Sarah! Have a wonderful weekend, and don’t pay attention to people who get mad over anything you say or do. You are such a wonderful teacher and a kind soul! I’ve learned so much from you and look forward to your videos every week.

[@CFW1]

I agree. Don't let the naysayers bother you.

[@dianamikelonis7194]

​@@CFW1p]❤

[@lucihedley5568]

Hi Sara, writing to you from rural Queensland Aust. Thank you for your videos, You don't realise how much you influence people. I am over 70 and was educated in a girls college - sewing was a big thing, and I hated it. Not any longer. I look in thrift shops and pick up unfinished embroidery kits for very little. I always felt the fabric, mostly linen, around the finished cloth, such a waste. Consequently, I have always kept the larger pieces. I have even pulled threads to darn / repair some pieces for other people. However, after watching just one of your clips, I have created book covers for diaries, bibles, address books etc. Such fun. But the greatest thing - for me, was making a needle book. It has all of my needles together in one place. Now, instead of digging through my pin box looking for a needle, I have my go to little book. I will write to you again with other things I have done thanks to you. Have a happy and safe holiday period.

[@marywiggins7411]

I love it that you are organized, but not super fussy about it.

[@mojow9841]

If you want a portable container for a project- a fishing tackle box is quite good with its small compartments at the top and larger space at the bottom. I've had mine for years and find it really handy. Thanks for all the advice on storage -- thread and material seem to multiply all by themselves.

[@stevecorn7289]

I second your comment about fishing tackle boxes! They're really useful for keeping stuff together but not mixed up.

[@pearlschoice1988]

I have fished all my life, and it was easy to switch from tackle box to embroidery storage. I love the one layer Plano boxes to store #8 and #12 perle cotton balls. 12 boxes and counting. 😂

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Jonathan is a fisherman, maybe I will have to go and have a nose around his fishing supplies!

[@laracraft82]

Never thought of that brill x

[@erkschadeable]

Agreed I also use a first aid box, equally useful!

[@theagraceful]

I was born organized!! That said, I have been known to overdo it a bit. Love your stacked box idea! I have learned so much from watching your wonderful videos! Want to give a big shout out to your husband who does such a terrific job with all the filming, etc. You make a great teaching team.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Thank you Thea!

[@SdW.8]

Thanks for sharing, Sarah!!! I'm a young woman in a fly tying group and the fellas showed me that old pill boxes (the kind for each day of the week), are great for small beads, etc.

[@MichellesHandmadeCreations]

Thanks for sharing your storage system. I'm with you, I prefer clear containers for nearly everything. I love the idea to roll my fabric and set each piece on end.

[@heather4142]

Hi Sarah! Great to see another video. I love seeing how people organize their stuff. I am a serial crafter, so I have TONS of things. TONS. So, in my longest KZbin comment ever, I’d like to share what I do to keep everything as organized as possible. I’ll break it into crafting categories so that the list isn’t too crazy to understand. Embroidery/Cross-stitch: I have two of those plastic bins with the dividers and wound-up embroidery floss on the little cards. One bin is for warm tones the other cool tones. For the ones that are not wound up, I have re-useable, see through, zippered bags that have my flosses divided by color. I also have a large bag for my specialty flosses/threads, but I really need to organize those better and now that I know about the gold changing colors, I seriously need to re-do that bag! I also have a nice flat but longish tin from DMC that the sparkly threads came in. I’ve kept them in that tin. My hoops are all laid flat in a large plastic storage bin, along with my sketch book for ideas, tracing paper, iron, and my completed projects. I have small clear storage containers, inside the large one, that hold my large needles and other little things that might come in handy. Most of my stuff, that I use regularly, is stored in a black zippered bag that I got off Amazon. It holds all my stuff well. I love it. My cotton fabrics are rolled up and stored inside plastic, stackable shoe bins. The fronts are see through so I know what’s in each bin. My aida fabrics are in a small drawer, along with my cross-stitch kits that I will probably never do… I should go through those. Needle felting: I’m bringing this one up because Sarah mentioned wool thread. I needle felt and have a lot of wool. A couple things I’ve learned is that Lavender keeps the creepy crawlies away. I have a little organza bag with dried lavender in it that I tossed into my large plastic, zippered storage bag where I keep all my wools. Each wool is in a plastic bag that I try to push all the air out and throw in a little silica gel pack to soak up any moisture. I bought a bag of silica gel packs off Amazon, then a month later found them at the Dollar Store. Ugh. The last thing I will say about my needle felting organization is that I store needles in 2 ways. 1. In the little plastic tubes they came in, or 2. With their tips poked into tiny corks so that I don’t stab myself or break the needle tips. (My embroidery needles are in small, square, plastic containers.) Jewelry Making/Beads: Recently, while cleaning out my grandpa’s house, I found a fishing tackle box that had never been used. I painted it a pretty color and now I keep all my little jewelry making things in it: wire, chain, clips, hooks, clasps, earring things, etc. I bought tiny glass jars with screw on lids for my plastic earring backs from the Dollar Store in a pack of 4 or 5. I also keep little plastic bags that things come in when I order something online, and re-use them to put all my small things in. The tackle box is wonderful. I have a lot of stuff in there and it’s still not full. It latches closed and has a handle. My beads are in several of the plastic containers like my embroidery flosses, as well as bags, tubes, and Tic-Tac dispensers! Other tips or info: Children’s pencil boxes are wonderful, especially when they go on sale. I grabbed several of them (for under a dollar each!) in different colors that I’ve put my nail art tools and decorations in. Or, like Sarah found in Jonathan’s man cave, tool storage is great! There are the bins for nails/screws that have all the little drawers you can pull out. That would make a great bead storage or any little things. Maybe even embroidery floss if the drawers are long enough. Thrift shops, second-hand, yard sales, and store sales are the best times/places to buy all your stuff. Most of my embroidery threads came from a girl that had bought a lot of them for bracelet making and then got bored of it and was going to throw it away. She was much happier to give it to me for FREE!!!. Amazing. MY FAVORITE “hack” for crafting is having a small trash can on my desk. I made one out of an old food container and painted it so that it doesn’t look like a food container. I kept the lid so that I can close it if/when my cats come around and decide to investigate everything. It’s so handy to have the little trash can for tiny scraps of fabric, the ends of my threads, broken needles, whatever I need to throw away, and keep my work area clean! I’ll stop there, but I could go on for ages. I haven’t even touched on my paints, clay, pyrography, dioramas, drawing/coloring, sewing, or office supplies. I have a very small space and obviously too many arts and crafts, so organization is key. Off to read the other ideas in the comments!! :) (Not sure why the spacing came out all funny, looked fine when I wrote it and when I try to edit it.)

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Heather, you are an expert, I wish I'd asked you before I made the video!! Thank you for sharing all of your ideas. (Go through your cross stitch kits, thank them for the joy they have given you looking at them and pass them on to another loving home...)

[@JackyHeijmans]

Thank you so much for the wool tip. I had all my wool eaten by moths, including all my wool clothing. I'm in year number 3, trying to get rid of them. They ate even my cotton, be it there are only little holes in that, while the wool was just devoured.. I will cover my whole hut in lavender! Much love!

[@sherryzimmerman9220]

Had so much to say…,but so glad I read the other comments as they they pretty much hit the points I wanted to say……thank you so much for your gracious style of presentation……you have kept so many of us at different levels,budget,room availability…..from the organized to the wanna bees…..who just seem to run out of steam…..I appreciate your “all are welcomed” P.S. your nail color is perfect for this time of year….

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

If you (or anyone reading this!) are struggling to organise or it just seems overwhelming, take small steps. Just concentrate on one area at a time and once you start you will see some results of your efforts and the ball is rolling...

[@gbzrj]

Hello, Sarah! I'm leaving this comment here to let you know how much I appreciate your videos. You have a very soothing voice and teach embroidery with mastery and ease! I've been able to complete a few projects [been doing embroidery for a little bit less than a month] thanks to your educational content. Much love from Brasil!!

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Thank you for your kind comments and for watching!

[@rebeccajourney3183]

God bless you for doing this! I have watched several by other flosstubers but I jumped to see what you had to say on the subject. You are so knowledgeable and helpful Sarah! Thank you so much! I was taught to sew by my mom when I was very young. I'm so fortunate to have had such an amazing patient mother! 60 years later and I'm still stitching🪡

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Hurrah for stitching mothers!

[@Svensvensonn_]

I’ve stumbled across your channel after impulse trying embroidery and the combination of your relaxed personality, your passion for the craft and the way you explain things out in an accessible way is everything newbies like me could hope for. Sending love from Aus ❤️

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Thank you so much! Glad you are enjoying the channel and I hope you are still trying embroidery! x

[@farrenrohana]

I bought a ton of goldwork stuff and it's been in plastic bags for months. YIKES! After I got over my mini heart attack, lol, when you mentioned not keeping them in plastic I was thinking I should get them out asap and wondered if parchment paper is acid free. I Google it and it is, so I now have a project for today making bags for my goldwork stuff. Thanks so much for this tip. I have quite an expensive selection it would suck if they all tarnished. I do a lot of different arts and crafts including embroidery, crochet, polymer clay, painting on fabric and canvases, beading for jewelry making, etc etc etc. I've been trying to organize and sort for quite awhile now. My hoops are hanging on nails on the wall. 😮‍💨 😉👍

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Good job Farren, they will keep much better now!

[@nadakodsia2635]

It's always a pleasure to see you my beautiful lady, thank you for all the ideas and thoughts that you shared with us with generosity... 🌷🙏

[@katetreick1646]

This was so helpful-great ideas. I’ve recently started stitching again, so this was very timely. Thank you!

[@gracielicastro9731]

Thank you for the good ideas how to store All the things you need tor embroidery You are a good teacher ciao ❤️❤️❤️

[@handembroiderybysam]

Great sharing

[@judyhenry6276]

Thanks! I didn’t know about not keeping goldwork thread in plastic.🙂

[@VeretenoVids]

Loved the walk through your storage systems. I got lucky and scored a fantastic 1930s Caswell-Runyan sewing cabinet. It needed a bit of work and is missing the dowels for the spool holders, but it cleaned up really well, hides the detritus of my craft habits quite nicely and looks at home in the living room. My threads are well organized because I have four cats, but everything else lives in a state of chaos. Marie Kondo would be horrified. 😂I suggest looking at hardware and home improvement stores for less expensive storage options. Some of the systems meant for storing things like screws and washers work well for craft supplies and tend to be less expensive (at least in the US) because they don't have what I call the "crafter tax" (i.e., let's slap some fancy arty sticker on this and charge double).

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Yes things that aren't coloured pink are always cheaper alternatives!

[@julied5205]

Great ideas. I’m very motivated to go and sort out my supplies. Thanks.

[@poodlegirl55]

Nice video. I have a cottage core vintage style craft room. I keep all my things in vintage tins, wooden boxes and old jars. I love to play with all my supplies and curate my collection which brings out creative ideas.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Sounds beautiful!

[@robinjohnston7986]

I have and still am learning from you Sarah. You ideals are amazing and very helpful. Thank-you again.

[@anitahallam5605]

I’ve only been doing embroidery for about 6 weeks and thoroughly enjoying it with your help, and this video has just come at the right time as my collection starts to grow and I’m getting disorganised. You mentioned you are from Nottingham, so am I, I thought your accent sounded familiar.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Get orgainsed now Anita so you don't need to fix it later!!

[@loristoneback9455]

Thank you Sarah for all of the great information!!! The blue containers you should use as surprise give aways inside of it once a month and then you won’t have to deal with the dark blue thread boxes anymore but I know passing them on others would love ❤️ one each month with surprises inside!!!❤❤❤

[@susie8083]

Before watching this I hadn’t even thought of moths attacking my wool or embroidery silks so have now reorganised my stash. Although I started embroidery by being given a box of carded silks from someone who had given up the hobby, I now keep new ones in the skeins ( thanks to you again!). I thought storing them in plastic bags in colours is a good idea and whilst looking for a storage idea for the bags I found an old cantilever sewing box in an auction. It needs some restoration but I’m enjoying putting my limited creative talents to use on that.

[@marymary5494]

Thank you Sarah.

[@darrengill4765]

Hi Sarah. For identifying my cottons stored on card bobbins, I prefix the number with a letter to indicate the brand, eg, D310 for DMC Black or A403 Anchor Black. I've been Cross Stitching for about 25-30 years, but since I subscribed to your channel a few weeks ago, you have given me a lot of inspiration to try other Needlecrafts such as Needle Painting and Felt Applique, with a lot more confidence. Thank you.

[@doreen9293]

Thank you. I had no idea on how to organize the things that I inherited.

[@kajalsingh9554]

I have an old fashioned wood toolbox that I use to keep all the bits for my sewing machine. It has several compartments that are the right size for mason/canning jars. Thank you for the ideas.

[@nataliemulina8595]

Thank you Sarah! I’ve tried different ways of keeping my embroidery items🪡 The crucial criteria for me is how fast I can find smth I need, so I use clear boxes mostly. I liked your idea of using a ring to keep mouline for a particular project. ❤ P. S. I’m writing this comment having a candle near me and hoping mobile internet will be enough to send it. Your videos help to survive 🇬🇧🇺🇦

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Yes me too Natalie, I get so cross with myself if I can't find something! I spent over an hour once looking for a particular pen and then ended up buying another one! Where abouts in Ukraine are you? x

[@frommybluedesk]

Oh my gosh, I am from your area! I got rid of a lot of my craft books and took them to my local library as it happens, it was a few years ago but they were very happy to receive them. I love books and still have a few but remind myself to go to the library in the first instance if I need one, I’ve saved myself a lot of money, disappointment & clutter by doing so - Nottinghamshire library service is wonderful because we can check the catalogue and have any book from any library in the county sent to our local one for 30p, now that is value for money. Thank you for your great videos ❤

[@TisEyerish1]

I live in an apartment and had to be much more conservative with storing all my embroidery supplies. I screwed a large hook into my closet wall and that holds most of my embroidery frames. As to the floss, I use two see-through "shoeboxes" to house all of it. One for metallics and variegated skeins, and one for "regular" skeins. Each color is put in a small plastic bag, so I can reach in and grab what I need for any given project, then move those skeins to a see-through box with compartments that I keep in my embroidery bag. This box also has compartments for scissors, tweezers, and other tools needed while working, as well as a magnetic box for the various needles I'll use in a project. It's all very compact, organized, and pretty to look at, too! Of course, I don't have nearly the volume you have. If I had the space, I'd own a lot more and your storage suggestions would be put to use by me!

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

It doesn't matter what space you have it always gets filled so I think small spaces are actually good, keeps you orgainsed and focused!

[@judithhope8970]

That plaiting idea was so clever thanks for all this.

[@melanie7781]

I use my husbands old cigar boxes for storing threads lol. They are wooden and pretty.

[@user-je7di8wh3m]

Kumihimo bobbins are good for storing remnants of thread or, if the bits are quite short, you can get sewing machine bobbins in cases and they work well too. The cases fit into little slots so there's no room for the thread to unwind.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Great idea!

[@AmericanaGardens]

Genius idea, Sarah! I will have fun organizing my threads this weekend.

[@cindyadams376]

The Container Store in the US is a great place for all kinds of …… CONTAINERS! Great video, and thanks for all the suggestions.

[@janicecarole5013]

I look forward to your videos. There is always something helpful and I missed seeing Ginger cat this week.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

It was blowing a gale the day we filmed this so he was tucked up indoors on a nice warm blanket!

[@carolinarkasas26]

I hang my smaller hoops on a "rack" that hangs over the door and I have a "hose" holder/hanger that I hung on the wall in that understairs closet to hold my larger hoops. Works well for me.

[@TheKnittedRaven]

Silica packets that come in some consumer products are great for putting in jewelry boxes to address moisture/tarnish issues. Might be useful for thread storage where moisture/tarnish is a concern.

[@yarnexpress]

I'm a big fan of Martha Stewart's "if it's used together; store together". I make quilts & do embroidery both require templates or transferring stuff. Everything is in one box: pounce, chalk, staplers, tracing paper, craft or paper scissors. Need to get a bigger box so my light box fits in. I've learned that if I don't return something to its "home" then its the wrong "home". Testing your organization is critical. When you need something & it's not in the first place you look it SHOULD be. Something new to store ask yourself. where would I look for it first--that's where it needs to be.

[@chantalbourrut410]

I love all your videos. Got much info from them. Thanks.

[@inkydinkydoodle]

Hi Sarah! I’ve picked up clear glass jars in my thrift shop/ estate sale travels. I love to keep my flosses and buttons and seam binding in them. They make colorful, beautiful decor, stay shade sorted, and clean. Love your work! 😊 ~kelly

[@keishajackson4054]

Thank you for sharing. I am new to embroidery so I want to have threads organized from the start. I will be looking for a small drawer type box organizer that will work for the threads. You taught me how to pull the thread and leave it in a skein and it is working nicely. ❤

[@susiemurray5952]

Excellent organizational information. Thank you for sharing your systems for storing items.

[@cherylrosbak4092]

I've had to get rid of all my magazines several times now in order to move house, and what I do is take out any projects or articles I want to keep and store them in a folder. Then I recycle the rest.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

I'm worried if I start to look at them, there will be two weeks of my life gone!

[@annf3949]

I sometimes use different colors than what the project calls for

[@gillbennett9784]

I treat myself to a tin of M&S shortbread biscuits every Christmas and then use them to store all my skeins afterwards. They are a perfect size for this. Then I stack them on a shelf in my sewing room with a label on the end so I know what is in each one. I organise them by type of thread and by colour groups. I use glass coffee jars to organise buttons and beads which makes it easy to see what I have but is also decorative to look at. I have a set of the IKEA shelves with baskets for my fabrics, knitting wools and kits and attach a luggage label to each so I know what is in it without needing to pull it out. I also have some pretty tins that were Christmas presents that had amaretti biscuits and panettone in them. The tall ones are perfect for odds and ends of threads and tapestry wools. At the moment my panettone tin has 100s of tacked half inch hexagons that will become a rose window quilt one day.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

This is a good time of year to collect those beautiful boxes and tins Gill! Your Panatone tin with it's treausre of hexagons sounds beautiful...

[@denisehill7769]

Some great ideas, thank you! This sort of video is heaven with the door shut for me - I can easily spend hours organising instead of stitching. I am a procrastinator extraordinaire... With the kits, it's worth going through the contents to make sure the needle they usually provide is wrapped separately, not just bunged through the fabric or threads where they are bound to rust. Ask me how I know this 😶😒 Also fabrics that used to be sold on little hangers with a cardboard sleeve (not sure if anyone sells fabrics like this any more? DMC and Zweigart did) - often there's a staple or two holding the fabric secure, and while it probably doesn't matter in the selvedge, my preference is to remove them. I've recently found that things like Mill Hill beads in the little annoying packets sit well inside flossaway bags which you can keep on a ring; you can see the contents easily and if the packet opens you've not lost all your beads. I've got into decorating those cheap wooden boxes from The Works and am planning on using these for storage - nice enough to have on display but also serving a purpose.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Some great ideas, thank you for sharing Denise!

[@mafish7962]

Very interesting video, tfs, Laura ❤

[@gailmorris6302]

Arr Sarah ,I’ve learnt something from you today and I’m going to apply a few of your ideas to my Sewing/ Embroidery storage. Thank you again ,still learning ,having been sewing for best part of life at 62.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Always something to learn Gail!

[@janicechristy4650]

You are so helpful! Great tips

[@rosemaryhannah3467]

Like other sewists I have loads of stuff. I hit upon an idea for storage by chance. At the beginning of this year I turned my spare room into a sewing room and bought the Kallax unit from IKEA plus two sets of drawers to go under a table top and then a separate chest of drawers with very shallow drawers. The latter proved to be just right for my patchwork rulers and my embroidery silks etc. As the drawers are shallow I lay the skeins in one layer across the width of the drawer. Another drawer has all my hoops plus a table clamp and other pieces of equipment. One of the drawers has stuff I've got for specific projects and another drawer has silk embroidery threads plus pieces of silk organza and other fabrics plus other by-products of silk manufacture. These are for a specific project I will do one day ! All my books and magazines are in the Kallax unit along with haberdashery and dressmaking fabrics. I love my sewing room, it's definitely my happy place. ❤

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Yes I have Kallax units too 👍

[@heden1460]

It was nice to see how you store things. I use a lot of similar things for storing my floss, kits, and fabric.

[@Sjb2077]

Bought an old tall chest o drawers. Stripped off the paint and made any minor repairs, ensuring the drawers ran smooth. Painted them white and finally lined the drawers. I labelled each drawer with its contents. You can house the chest in almost any spare spot in any room but painting a suitable colour they can blend in. Additional purchases can be stored in pretty boxes etc and stacked on top of the chest and labelled. Keep in mind you find a space for books, CDs etc, so why not your mini workshop area.

[@easternangle9175]

I have every single colour of DMC threads. I store them in the plastic boxes on bobbins in number order. I store them in a foot stool/pouffe in front of my armchair. At hand and also a foot rest. I replenish when needed. I collected them over a few months and paydays 😆. Expensive to start off, but you know you can start a project from the off with all the threads you need!

[@rebeccat5738]

Well I'm beginning to wonder how I ever managed without you!.That was great, thank you Sarah, brilliant ideas, particularly liked the metal rings for the embroidery skeins, and tissue envelopes to store completed embroidery in, have just finished watching for the fourth time round to make sure I didn't miss anything!. I have got a suggestion. Once I started doing embroidery "properly", and it became clear that just keep moving and squeezing my embroidery hoop down over previously worked stitching (cringe) was not really a good idea, it was obvious I would have to embrace a slate frame, so bought a 24 inch one, but being slightly intimidated by it's size, got an 18 inch as well, then found I could get smaller sizes, so got a 15 inch and a 12 inch too. Well mine didn't come in tubes, so once unpacked they were all just sat disassembled and propped up against my bookcase, where every single time I walked past at least two of the bars would always topple over onto the floor. So I came up with the idea of making some tall, narrow, simple machine quilted drawstring bags with the size of the slate frame number appliqued on the front, it stores them really well, and they look nice too. I also did a similar thing for my hoop frames, this time a circular quilted drawstring, which fits 2 full sets of seat hoop frames and bases, and I also have two of the stalk clamps in there as well. And then getting completely carried away, made a sort of giant pencil roll to slot all the interlocking bar frames in which can then just be rolled up and stacked with the rest of the frames. Honestly, who knew doing embroidery would require the organising of such a cast of thousands!!!. Thanks for all your hints and tips

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

It is a hobby all of it's own Rebecca!! Would you mind sharing a picture of your draw string bags? I think people would like to see those (you can email them to me at [e-mail])

[@LibbyRoseEmbroidery]

Magazines can be donated to a charity which deals with books and/or craft items. :) I remember coming out of a charity shop having dropped off a whole load of mags, passed the till where a lady was buying a load that someone else had donated.

[@barrywilkins5347]

i love sorting my threads almost as much as i do sewing. i have 2 filing cabinets that we have found at recycling places and they were free .i put my threads on to bobbins in numerical order and i put them in the boxes and i store them in the cabinets ready to use. i also have room for other things as well like material and spare threads. the threads that have lost their number or just a little bit left i make cards for birthdays and christmas .nothing goes to waste

[@pollymcallister476]

I’ve just discovered you on KZbin. I’ve been a self taught embroiderer for most of my like but I find I’m learning lots of things from your pieces on KZbin. Thank you so much for sharing. Keep doing what your doing. Xx

[@annf3949]

I use floss bags they work for me

[@barbarakornacki8599]

So I guess I am an organizer of sorts; spent a lot of time organizing floss onto bobbins, the realized the creases weren't good and went to small zip lock bags with holes for binder rings and now use just one binder ring like you showed for bags sorted by color. Those fit into a clear plastic box for now. I didn't know you could separate the floss with the label still on, I will start doing that now. Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge with us!

[@helenedwards1468]

I have no system and truly had not realised the extent of my chaos until now. We have a space problem, I share a small house with my daughter and she is a paper crafter and knitter. Need I say more. I am going to seriously address this issue immediately if it is only to find a bag for the unfinished projects. Five at present and now I want to really do some embroidery. Thank you for your excellent videos.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

More reason to be organised if you have a small space Helen! 👍

[@adriennebrown7341]

I see someone has mentioned this already. I use a small fishing tackle box which has a handle and two sides that open. Each side has compartments. I keep designing stuff on one side, then turn over and have needles, pins, scissors, unpicker, etc. On the other. Works for me.

[@paulafrypaulaf2660]

Thank you Sarah, I use plastic container drawers. The drawers stack on top of each other. My problem is figuring out order. Now that my stash is getting BIGGER it’s a bit easier. Thank you for your help. P

[@belindasmith8790]

I keep all kinds of buttons to use on everything from clothing to crazy quilts and jewelry and button pictures. I use the big plastic coffee cans and put same color buttons in zip lock bags. I reuse all kinds of bags. I love your metal ring idea to keep project threads together. Great video.

[@TheKeenanno1]

"Serial kit buyer." I feel seen!

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Did that strike a nerve Keenan? :)

[@barbarahunter6375]

Hi Sarah enjoyed your video again. Here is a good idea I bought a small book with alphabet letter index and I write all the unusual threads in pencil that way I don’t double up on something and if I use the thread all up I can rub it out of the book I started doing it years ago and it saves money when you don’t buy duplicates

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Great idea Barbara!

[@leisongivangomo4478]

Excellent video! Great ideas for storage 🤩💫

[@Rosemary-go9wj]

Thank you Sarah. I have over 50 years of quilting, sewing and embroidery paraphernalia I've collected. I've begun the Swedish Death Cleaning system (even though I'm Australian :). I'll use some of your suggestions for the things that survive the culling.

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

I like Maries method because it sounds less scary Rosemary!! I think though they are the same principal?

[@Rosemary-go9wj]

@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery I've read Marie's book as well, so I most likely fuse the two together. I was thinking about your magazines. I'm also getting rid of all my quilting magazines (and I have over 20 years worth of various series!). I'm giving them to two elderly friends who like to spend their evenings browsing through the magazines. When they are finished with them they donate them to a local charity shop.

[@DMS_6482]

Down to earth practical advice! Thank you! :)

[@lisawhittaker5680]

I store my hoops on one of those coat/hat racks that fit over a door. I've got two over my craft room door, one facing either side, and hang the hoops there. Easy to reach, easy to see.

[@donnajohnson9834]

Thanks for this great video - why is it so fun to see someone’s organizing system??? Loved your info on embroidery skeins, as I am new to this craft and your ideas on keeping the skeins intact makes sense - as a knitter, I know that technique too -and using the little cards for leftovers!

[@user-qc7kt8dv9x]

Thanks for all the wonderful idea!

[@MariaMartinez-jb3zn]

I like simplicity too❣️ ooo I love the ring for like colors. Right now I don’t have a huge collection right now. I use cubby bins for my stash of current projects. My floss is in ziplock baggies with like colors now lol 😆 compared to you, Sarah, I just don’t have bunches of embroidery stuff 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve been using see through sorbet pint containers to put floss colors I’m using for what I’m working on now. See through bins are wonderful too! Thank you everyone and Sarah for all your great ideas!! 🙏🏽🙋🏻‍♀️👍🏽Mia

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

I make my living from it, that's my excuse Mia!! :) I have a couple of students who make my stash look tiny....

[@Guest-mq9de]

Thank you for all the good ideas.Very helpful. Thought came to me while watching, my husband is a fisherman, so one time I was wanting to find a little box for my sewing and I discovered that in the sporting good sections of stores, there you can find some little boxes that is for storing lures and hooks can be used for sewing also.

[@annsmith5625]

Thank you ⚾️

[@mrsmiggins6435]

Very useful video Sarah, thank you, I especially liked the plated (wrong) threads. I've always wondered how to get a single thread out lol🤪. Take care🤗

[@lindabridges445]

Especially like the quilting cotton rolls. That stash is everywhere and out of control. Wolbe giving this a try

[@laracraft82]

I found a pinic hamper at a charity shop and is a good size and put my threads with its own plastic box and fabrics it it plus my smaller sewing box 😀 great idea with the rings ❤️ I hang my hoops on my curtain hook near the windows as no curtains in my craft room lols

[@cherylrice3049]

Thank you for sharing!

[@rebeccajourney3183]

As always Sarah, immense thanks for this. I was surprised to find, I have all my floss pretty much together as you've suggested!

[@CreatingwithWinglessAngel]

Storage space is not a problem, organizing the space is. I feel it's more important to keep the threads in original wrapped paper. I really need a thread box because I have them in a forever bag for shopping 🛍 and I can not find them half the time because all my other crafting supplies are also in the same type of bags.

[@wandagrayson646]

I do a lot of different things and I keep each in their own container(s). All of my tatting shuttles, tools and threads are in a sewing box so, like you said, if I’m doing a project, I know right where to go. I also keep any unfinished projects in that box. I have the same system for my beads and bobbin lace, etc. Embroidery is so broad that I keep my goldwork supplies and equipment in a fishing tackle (same thing they sell for crafts but much, much cheaper), threads in a couple of plastic holders, etc. Having at least a broad organizational system saves so much confusion and frustration. I got some other good ideas from your video like the tin for the ends of embroidery floss. Great video, very practical and starts a really good discussion.

[@sarahjackson1475]

I always enjoy what you teach. I don’t like the cardboard bobbin method because like you said the thread has creases. I like the Anne method of attaching the embroidery skein to acrylic tab that attaches to a horizontal acrylic shaft. This shaft attaches to a file cabinet drawer file folder support or a smaller plastic box file. Thank you.

[@christinedieterich2439]

I also use the frawer system, but I use the plastic boxes of Rocher chocolates...six of them fit in each drawer! You can separate the skeins by clours of by numbers

[@bornwestcoast4355]

Magazines are so lovely, but possibly you might consider scanning a really savable article or inspiration image. Thanks for all the great ideas.

[@maryalgar8779]

Love the drawer and the tin ideas. I like to organize, but it is time taken away from stitching.

[@tracyleecornish5398]

Hi Sarah Thank You for all those great ideas! I went straight up to my Sewing Room and fixed all my hand dyed fabric in rolls they sit much better and take up less space too! I also had some Goldwork thread and again I took them all out of their plastic bags and wrapped them up into tissue paper and I also then repacked all my goldwork and metallic thread into an old biscuit tin from Christmas years ago that I kept, I also lined it with a piece of goldwork felt on the bottom of the tin now I know its all safe and will not tarnish for a bit anyway until I can get to it to sew the kite I want from your designs. Which will be very soon.I also pinched my husbands old fishing tackle box never used he said I could have it, and I used it for all my beads and bits and pieces. Loved this Video Sarah Thank You again. TLC

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

You sound very orgainsed now Tracy and ready to go! Unfortunately Jonathan reclaimed his plastic drawers! :(

[@tracyleecornish5398]

@@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery Hi Sarah Oh nooo! Maybe you can reclaim it at a later date lol I have only just started reorganising after my move year ago lol Slowly slowly I am really enjoying my sewing room which I share with my cat as well. ❤

[@judemack8604]

This was very helpful and informative. Thank you.

[@juliewarnes6750]

I've often thought that a wall mounted kitchen roll holder would be useful to store trim on, you could put the rolls of different trim on the holder and just unravel the length you need!

[@robincadwallader7426]

I've stored my ribbons like this for years. I have a small pair of scissors that hang from the rack that I use to cut the ribbon.

[@GenWivern2]

Thank you for all those ideas, Sarah. I have something I think is great - objectively it isn't really, but anyway, it's my granddad's navy issue ditty box, where all the essential little things live. It's a crude but sturdy wooden box with a shallow tray, just the right size to slide tidily under the sofa at the end by the window where the light is best. The only problem is that there's generally a slumbering cat occupying that seat, but what can you do?

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Lovely to use something that was your grandads Gen...

[@MegaLeachy]

You are amazing! So glad I found you. On vacation, dying to start some projects, get organized!😁

[@emilyhird2332]

I love your videos, as a new embroidery artist ( UK) I’m catching up on them. You’re definitely my favourite as your nice, approachable and explain things really well. Just want you to know you’re appreciated thank you -Louise and Emily ❤

[@kayrichardson6040]

Brilliant, Sarah! Thank you for all the great ideas. I love the fact that you don't care for the fiddly aspects of organizing. Me EITHER! That said, I can use many of your ideas from this video. I have all my mom's embroidery thread from when we cleaned her house upon her passing. All wound on cardboard. I do use it, and have made a bit of a dent in it, but it's frustrating because it is creased. I've thought about chucking it because I'd use those plastic boxes in a much more practical way, but guilt stops me. What would Marie Kondo say about that??!! Thanks again!

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

Marie would say 'does it spark joy when you hold it in your hands?' If not then thank it for it's years of service to your mum and pass it on via charity or goodwill shops Kay!

[@nancy-katharynmcgraw2669]

Sometimes old threads will beak easily & not hold together; just beware! 🧵🧶

[@jenl7122]

Excellent insights. I learned lots. Thank you for sharing!

[@raf571]

Sarah, that was absolutely brilliant, thanks for sharing!

[@carolinarkasas26]

I also do what Sally does, and keep it high (from the ceiling) in a closet under the stairs (just off my studio) so it shouldn't get too dusty in there.

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

Looks like you need to have some giveaways of unused or semi finished kits - I'm sure some of your followers would love them

[@SarahHomfrayEmbroidery]

That's a good idea Caroline!

[@ein1985]

Great video with lots of excellent tips and ideas. Thanks so much Sarah and to everyone who contributed. Really informative! I didn’t realize the need to store metals in a metal box, so that’s first on my to-do list. Also, I’ve got to purchase some acid free bags and organza bags (so functional AND pretty!)