A Pin Cushion Made of Covered Pillow Foam

 I've had many pin cushions in my time.  Most leaked sand or sawdust, or else the cotton batting inside them became compressed and shifted.  The result - I'd get pin pricks when I picked the thing up.  I got pretty fed up.

My solution was a byproduct of major surgery.  When I left the hospital after cancer surgery, I was given two big chunks of pillow foam that had been used to support my legs comfortably while I was on the operating table.  Thick foam - measly pin cushion that shed pins and stuck me - h'm.  Am I seeing a solution here?  I grabbed some large cloth scraps and sewed the pillow foam into a marvelous pin cushion.  The pins stay inside the foam and out of my skin.

When I began to sell sewing craft items, I remembered my wonderful pin cushion and set out to produce small ones.  These are approximately 3" x 3" (anything made by hand is approximate), and I cover them with the most attractive felt and fabric scraps I can find.  They weigh less than an ounce, and you have 5 surfaces to stick in pins.

These are fun to make, and anyone who sews can do it.  I've created a few for those who want a useful, pretty gift for a crafty member of the family.