Declutter Challenge 2026 - Day 10 - Needles and Pins

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STEP 1

Before you begin today, set your timer. Choose an amount of time that feels manageable—these items are small, easy to overthink, and can be surprisingly emotional if some were passed on to you.

STEP 2

Define Your Capacity.

So Keep:

• Everyday needles you use regularly

• Specialty needles you actually use

Let go of:

• Needles with no labels

• Bent or damaged needles

• Duplicates for machines you no longer own

• Specialty needles that you’ll never use

STEP 3

Declutter What Doesn’t Serve You. 

Today's question to ask yourself is:

Do I USE This HERE?

NEEDLES:

I purchase my needles in bulk so these smaller leftover packets, i use these for everyday piecing. These for heavier sewing like quilting and bags. I use these for paper piecing. My embroidery ones are with my embroidery kit, serger ones with my serger stuff and my longarm ones are with my longarm. And these odd ones are for just in case.

I purchase my needles in bulk so smaller leftover packets, i use these for everyday piecing. These for heavier sewing like quilting and bags. I use these for paper piecing. My embroidery ones are with my embroidery kit, serger ones with my serger stuff and my longarm ones are with my longarm. And these odd ones are for just in case.

This is the time to go through your pincushions and sort what's there and transfer any pins back to where they belong. And how many pincushions do you have? How many do you need? I have one for each area of work.

Next, is PINS and PIN-ADJACENT TOOLS

Look at:

• Straight pins (lengths and thicknesses)

• Safety pins

• Clips

• Magnets

• Specialty pins

You’ve likely developed favorites as your skills evolved. And maybe you use different kinds for different types of projects. I use pins for piecing, clips for binding, magnets and clips for bag making and EPP, and these big magnets for longarming. I used to use these corsage pins for longarming. I used these pins for quilt basting but now I have a long arm I rarely use them. But I have the capacity to keep them in this drawer so for now they are safe.

Speaking of pincushions How many of those do you need?

A good rule is one per sewing area but I honestly use two in my sewing space as I have one for the right hand and one for the left. And I don’t use any with my EPP kit as the bag itself acts as a pincushion when I need one.

Now empty them. I laugh every year as I do this as I find all the needles I thought I lost. And some get lost inside and it takes a bit of manipulation to find them all. 

And, lastly, this is probably the best time to review your thimbles.

• Do you use a thimble?

• Do they fit?

• Do you have the right one for the job? The one I use to do English paper piecing is different from my sashiko and my embroidery ones?

• Are they comfortable?

• Are they stored where I hand sew?

This category might be:

• A quick win if you decluttered last year

• Or a big release if you’ve been collecting sharps for decades or have inherited a bag of miscellaneous stuff that included sharps. Do not feel any obligation to keep them. They were someone else’s decision making. Not yours. If they do not work for you Let them go.

STEP 4

Remove Anything That You Declutter

Keep a small container—like an old pill bottle—for rejects. I put a hole in the top for when I just have one but when I have more I can take off the lid. and when it fills up. I also use this old gum container which is great for both sharps and rotary blades.

Remember bent, dull, or damaged needles 

• Can develop burrs

• Can damage fabric

• Can injure you

Keep the types you reach for without thinking. Let go of the:

• Styles you never choose anymore. These straight pins without a head no longer use 

• Bent, Rusted or Pins with burrs. If it doesn’t slide easily through the fabric or pin cushion, it likely has a burr.

• I also let go of any random pin that doesn’t work with what I have.

Keep only what supports how you sew now.

STEP 5

Your turn to share. What surprised you today? What was the oddest thing you found tucked into a pincushion or drawer? Share your progress with the challenge community and inspire others.

And don’t forget to spend at least 5 Minutes on your Declutter challenge Project. I had fun altering a pattern to make a honey jar block. I think I want to make one more.

And if you want the worksheet for the daily challenge, as well as some suggested videos, for you to watch there is a link in the video notes below as well as in the daily blog. 

Take care and I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 11, as we continue creating a sewing space that truly supports you ✨