How to Make a Thumb or Finger Pincushion ~ a Tutorial

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Since I started my YouTube channel, I have had numerous requests to make a tutorial on the thumb pincushion I use!

There are so many types of pincushions out there – square ones, those cute apple-shaped ones, wrist pincushions, and so on. I also have quite a few pincushions, including one that sits next to my machine with a little bag for threads and scraps, and a large wrist pincushion for using on my long arm machine.

However, these mini pincushions are the ones that I always use when I am piecing on the machine – yes, I have more than one!

The Story Behind the Thumb Pincushion

Around 18 years ago, a dear friend came home from visiting her family in South Africa… her mum was an avid quilter, and she sent back a little present she had made for me – a sweet thumb pincushion, and it was the perfect gift!

When I saw it, I was so excited! I thought, now that is handy… because I was forever losing my pin cushion. What a great idea to have one that stays on your thumb and is easier to keep track of.

It did have, however, one major flaw… and that was that I kept pricking my thumb… I soon decided that I needed to improve upon the design, and I came up with the useful idea of inserting a bit of plastic to protect my poor thumb.

Dissection of an Old Thumb Pincushion

Just for the fun of it, and to show you how much pain I have saved my thumb, I thought I’d take my old one apart (it had a hole in it anyway) and see how the insides had fared over the course of 16 years….

As you can see, it was a little worse for wear!

The plastic had broken into bits, and there were quite a few holes in it… which is to be expected considering its function and age.

So… while the shape and type of pincushion is not my original idea, I have uniquely adapted it for safety purposes, lol!

I did quite an extensive search on the web to see if I could find the original pattern, but to no avail. There are quite a few tutorials on how to make them, but they all date later than when I got my original one as a gift.

These tiny pincushions are so quick and easy to make (albeit a little fiddly)! There is not a lot of sewing – the sewing machine is only needed for a small part, and the rest is hand stitching.

Oh, and while I use the pincushion on my thumb, you can also use it as a finger pincushion…..

Having said all that, let’s get on with the tutorial!

Materials Needed

One (1) 4″ square of fabric, small print looks best

One margarine/butter/takeaway lid

Polyester stuffing (hobby fill or the like)

Permanent Marker

Pencil, That Purple Thang, or a chopstick for turning the pincushion

Printer to print out the template

General sewing supplies

How to Make a Thumb or Finger Pin Cushion

Step 1

Take your 4″ square of fabric and fold it in half on the diagonal, right sides together, and press (this makes it easier to sew in the next step):

Step 2

Sew around the edges (not the folded edge), leaving a gap:

Step 3

Turn the pincushion right side out, gently using a pencil, or something like That Purple Thang to push the corners out:

Step 4

Print out the pattern and cut out the template for the plastic. Trace the template onto the plastic and cut it out:

Step 5

This is where the plastic template needs to go:

Insert the plastic template through the gap, slightly folding it in half to get it in:

Step 6

Insert the filling on TOP of the plastic:

Step 7

Hand-stitch the gap closed:

Step 8

Place the pincushion on your thumb (or finger) for size, and overlap the two narrow points on top of each other till the pincushion fits comfortably on your thumb. Stitch the two overlapped points together by hand:

And it is done!

Download the Free Instructions and Template HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY pin cushion tutorial, and let me know if you make any for yourself or as gifts! As always, if you have any questions, just leave a comment.

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