What’s in the article– You might be surprised how many inexpensive school supplies can make quilting easier. From organizing your sewing room to marking projects and keeping supplies within reach, these everyday items have earned a permanent place in many quilters’ workspaces.

Every year when the back-to-school supplies hit the shelves, I find myself wandering the aisles “just to look.” Somehow I always leave with a few things for my sewing room instead of a backpack full of school supplies.

The truth is, some of the best quilting tools aren’t found in the quilting aisle at all. School supplies are often inexpensive, easy to find, and surprisingly useful for organizing projects, marking fabric, storing notions, and keeping your sewing room running a little smoother.

I’m sharing a few of my favorite back-to-school finds that work just as well in a sewing room as they do in a classroom. They’re practical, budget-friendly, and might just save you a trip to the quilt shop.

10 Back to School Items for your Sewing Room:

1. Scissors– I love, love opening a new pair of scissors. They are sharp, no one has used them on pieces of wood, metal bars or whatever random thing they can find. They aren’t the best ones on the block,  but they are sharp. and new.
2. Mechanical pencils- click, click, click. They have lead and the eraser is new!!! I use these for tracing applique pieces on fabric, templates and much more. The tip stays sharp and they are easy to pack around without leaving marks on the inside of purses.
3. Tape– great for putting larger templates together.
4. Glue stick- I use these all the time for glueing fabric pieces in place when sewing applique. It doesn’t gunk up your sewing machine, washes out, and you can move things before it sets too much if you need.
5. Pencil Box– Great for a small sewing kit or travel sewing kit. This one slides out, is long enough for the scissors and packs a bunch of goodies inside.
6. Little notepads- keep track of what fabric you need, line, amount or patterns you are looking for inside. Great reference keeper and it is small enough to tuck inside your purse for packing around.
7. Post it Notes– Have a pile of magazines hanging around? Quickly mark your favorites, ideas, to-dos with the post it’s. You can write on the end the name or something catchy to remind you why you marked it.
8. Binder clips– Keeping your binding in place can be a little bit easier with binding clips. Keeps the pins from stabbing your fingers and you can set it down and come back to it later.
9. Composition notebook- Have something more to say then the little notebook can handle? Load up your composition book {or go for the gridded paper} with ideas, designs and whatever else.
10. Highlighters– Don’t forget another sewing hint or tip again. Mark up your books, magazines with highlighters to help you remember it all.

Why School Supplies Work So Well for Quilters

Quilters are pretty creative when it comes to finding new uses for everyday items. School supplies are designed to organize, label, sort, measure, and store—and those are exactly the kinds of jobs we do in the sewing room every day.

The best part is that many of these items are only available (or deeply discounted) during back-to-school season. It’s a great time to stock up on organizers, notebooks, storage containers, and other inexpensive tools that you’ll use all year long.

Don’t Forget to Check the Clearance Aisle

If you’re not shopping during back-to-school season, don’t worry. Many of these supplies end up on clearance once school starts. It’s a great opportunity to grab extras for future projects, organize your sewing room, or pick up a few inexpensive items to keep with your retreat supplies or travel sewing kit.

More Quilting Resources

Thrift Store Finds

The thrift store really is a great place to find additional quilting notions and supplies.

Using Vintage Bedsheets as Backing Fabric

Yes! You can use bedsheets – I do. I use this as well as a blanket for backing occassionally.