bird gravel makes it nice and heavy. I also like shavings from pencil sharpener but they are harder to get. The graphite is good for pins. No special techniques, just determination and holding your mouth in a contorted state.

I use coffee grounds (used and then dried) as filling for pincushions. Using a funnel to fil. They sit nice and donot roll off work service. Paula

Linda (toolgranny) I need to know how to hold my mouth. How about a picture???? Never thought about using bird gravel....not that I make that many...cept for a few thumb cushions. I think I have 6 now. @:)

SharonG/FL

Mine has either fiberfill or pulled apart scraps of batting (I can't remember which). You get it really full by leaving a small opening and stuffing it till you think it's done, then stuff it some more, then stuff it some more after that. Then you sew the small opening closed by hand.

I like wool woving because the oil but I seldom use pin cushions except for the one the I use on my finger. I hear a lot of you talk about thumb cushions but I always use mine on my ring finger. Mine is a sq. folded in half with an elastic ring. I really don't like it too full.
I use magnets mostly. Jayne

Lentils are a good thing to fill your pincushion, or sawdust.
Can someone tel lme what a thumb cushion is???? Ann

I bought three of the traditional tomato pin cushions when I found them in a 50 cent bin at Joann's. I ripped them open and stuffed my pin cushion with the lightly oiled sawdust contents of the tomatoes. I utilize the twisted mouth method too!

I used a tiny tin washtub so it was easy to stuff my fabric, then twist the fabric at the bottom until it was very tight. I wrapped a bit of craft wire around the twist to hold it. Then I put hot glue gun glue in the bottom of the washtub and stuffed the pincushion in. I glued the little strawberrys you always get with the tomato cushions to the side so I have a place to sharpen needles.

I added a couple of those little cork stick-on pads to the underside of the tin so it wouldn't slide around on my sewing table or scratch the wood tables when I do hand sewing in the family room. This is my favorite pincushion!

kate

And rightly so! It's adorable!

Love that pincushion!!

~Geraldine