5 Travel Size Craft Kits To Help You Sew On The Go
Commute schmoot! The longer the trip, the more time you have for stitching. Take it from one who knows – Homespun writer Janai Velez. She has learnt that crafting on planes and boats and trains just makes sense – and some beautiful projects, to boot!
Since I’ve started working at Homespun, my passion for portable crafts has taken off. This is partly due to being surrounded by beautiful projects, but also because it takes six hours and four trains to get me to and from those Homespun offices. And I don’t want to waste all that time with idle hands.
Over almost two years, I’ve managed to get lots of sewing done on public transport and have turned that arduous trip into a positive.
The beauty of crafting on trains is that there are few distractions, there’s plenty of good light and I have more than enough time to really settle in to my latest project.
Even while I’m staring out the window and not actually sewing, I’m mentally running over the steps for my current project, and that’s often when I’ll be struck by a fresh creative idea.
Plus, because I’m busy stitching, I don’t even notice any curious glances from fellow commuters, when they see me with a jumble of threads spilling out of my tin.
I’m sure I’m preaching to the converted, here – but for those yet to discover the joys of stitching on the go, I urge you to take advantage of wasted minutes and hours.
When next on a bus, train or plane or even doing time in a doctor’s waiting room or on the sidelines of children’s sporting fields think craftily!
All you need is a few hand sewing projects and a little tin of essential supplies to carry in your handbag. And we’ve come up with plenty of suggestions in this feature.
Who knows? You might even inspire someone else to pick up a needle and thread, too. And that’s always a good thing.
4 Tiny Travel Kits We Love!
These little kits are the perfect size to keep in your handbag and some show great ingenuity in the re-purposing of everyday items.
Check out our Monogrammed Cosmetics Wallet – perfect for travelling!
- The humble $2-store spectacles case has been given a makeover. With a beautiful floral fabric cover and matching pincushion, it becomes a compact sewing kit. Sachiko Aldous, from Tea Rose Home is the creator of this clever kit. You’ll find the step by step tutorial here.
2. Inspired by the biscuit tins that generations past used as sewing toolboxes, this clever kit is made using a little sweets/chocolate tin – still practical, but all the elements of a sewing kit are reduced in size. There’s a pincushion glued to the underside of the lid, a little piece of fabric acts as a needle holder and craft sticks are used as thread storage – the whole project costs next to nothing to make. Onellyantie Chuah, from Onelmon, is the creator of this kit. Watch the full tutorial here. You may never look at confectionery packaging in quite the same way again.
3. Birch Haberdashery & Craft kit. Scissors, 10 colours of thread, pins, a tape measure, needles, needle threader, safety pins and buttons are all packed into this handy little kit from Birch Haberdashery & Craft. This kit is particularly useful for mending when you’re out and about (as they say, “a stitch in time saves nine”), as well as those inconvenient wardrobe malfunctions. It might be a good idea to buy several to keep in each of your handbags, office desk drawer and in the glove box of your car. For more information and stockist details, go to www.birchhaby.com.au or call 1300 669 199.
There’s always time for a Quick and Easy project!
4. English Paper Piecing Kit: Paper piecing is a perfect portable craft; it only involves hand stitching, doesn’t require a lot fabric or supplies and is something that can be easily picked up from where you left off. Haley Pierson-Cox, from The Zen of Making, has come up with the perfect design to store all the necessities for this all-time favourite craft, in her English Paper Piecing Travel Kit tutorial.
And… one you can make yourself this afternoon!
When Karen Way, of Sew Many Ways (sewmanyways.blogspot.com.au) was cleaning out the drawers in her daughters’ bathroom, she found an old make-up compact. The lipstick was missing, the blush was empty and half the eyeshadow was empty, but she couldn’t bring herself to throw it out. So she upcycled the compact into a sewing kit. The added bonus of this kit is that it has a mirror on the underside on the lid – perfect for hair and make-up touch-ups in-between stitches!
Karen shares the instructions:
1. If your make-up compact is really empty, you can just wash and clean it out. Otherwise, scrape out the residue of make-up before starting on the proper cleaning process.
2. You can remove the glue with cleaning products.
3. I know that all compacts don’t look like this, with a lipstick space, but I took advantage of it by cutting a piece of foam tubing to make a pincushion.
- You can make a cute one out of fabric, but this was a quickie.
When sewing on the go, keep your important travel documents safely together with this super-cute passport folio!
5. Add pins, safety pins, extra emergency buttons, needles, thread, etc. No matter what size compact you’re using, I’m sure a few pins, a needle and some thread will fit. Remember, think twice before you throw out this handy little container.
