From the page: The forgotten bottle deserves a new chapter
Idea 4
Needle and button holder
Seamstresses of the past kept buttons and needles in glass pots lined up on the shelf, because glass lets you see the contents without opening it and keeps metal from rusting in humid air. It's a solution that works to this day: small bottles with tight-fitting lids organize the hardest-to-find items in a sewing kit.
What you need
- A clean, unlabeled, thoroughly dry medicine bottle
- Warm soapy water to remove any residue from the inside
- Buttons, needles, pins, or clips to store
- Optional: a strip of fabric, ribbon, or jute twine to decorate the lid
How to make it
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1
Wash the bottle inside and out with warm soapy water, scrubbing with a soft brush, to make sure no medicine residue remains. Let it dry completely, mouth down, because moisture is the enemy of needles and pins.
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2
Remove the label by soaking the bottle for a few minutes; if glue remains, rub it with a little cooking oil and finish with soap.
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3
Sort the items by type: one bottle for small buttons, another for needles, another for clips. Sorting by function means you never have to dig through everything to find a single piece.
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4
Place the items inside carefully, without filling to the brim, so nothing blocks the lid.
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5
Close it tightly and, if you like, wrap a strip of fabric or jute twine around the lid, gluing it with white glue, for a nice finish and an easier grip.
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6
Line up several bottles on a small tray or in a little box: you create an organized set that looks like it came from a haberdashery.
Finishing touches
Write the contents on the inside of the lid with a permanent marker or glue on a small labeled piece of kraft paper — it stays easy to identify even with the bottle stored away. Needles should never be left loose: in this closed bottle, they stay safe away from children and pets.
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