10 Ideas to Solve Your Bobbin Storage Problems
Are your sewing machine bobbins out of control? You are not alone. We want bobbins filled and ready in every imaginable color, but that means we have lots of bobbins! They are tricky to store because thread comes unspooled and tangled up if you toss them all in a container together. I’ve been sewing a long time and have tried all the different cases. Check out these clever DIY ideas to store your bobbins that will work for any sewing machine. I’ll spill all the details to help you decide which one will work best for you.
Advice from a Sewing Expert
I’m a bobbin hoarder. I admit it. Through the years, I have owned many sewing machines and collected bobbins in all the different sizes. As far as I know, I have also tried every bobbin holder or organizer on the market.
When considering each bobbin storage solution, let’s evaluate them based on these criteria:
- Cost
- Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling?
- If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere?
- Is it easy to use?
- Appearance
- Other important considerations
Plastic Case with Snap Lid
Cost: $
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? No
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? No
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Drab
Other important considerations: It’s very functional.
Acrylic Case with a Snap Lid
Cost: $
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? No.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? Yes, acrylic plastic is brittle.
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Cute.
Other important considerations: This case came with a set of bobbins that I purchased online. I like it for storing empty bobbins because there is no thread that will unspool.
Silicone Bobbin or Spool Huggers
Cost: $
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? Yes
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? No
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Cute
Other important considerations: These are not a case or organizer; the bobbins still need storage.
Silicone Ring-type Bobbin Holder
Cost: $$
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? No.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? Most likely.
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Cute.
Other important considerations: None. I enjoy using a ring bobbin holder for temporary storage next to my machine.
Plastic Spool Pins that Hold the Spool and Bobbin Together
Cost: $
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? No.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? No.
Is it easy to use? Less than most. The spool pin requires accuracy and pressure to shove it through the bobbin.
Appearance: Cute.
Other important considerations: It’s not a case or organizer; the bobbins still need storage. I do not like storing my bobbins and thread together. Thread spools require much more storage space than bobbins, so my bobbins are kept next to my sewing machine, while thread is a few feet away on a thread rack.
Acrylic Storage Bin that Comes with a Popular Thread Bundle
Cost: $$$ (unless you already purchased the thread bundle).
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? No.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? Yes – acrylic plastic is brittle.
Is it easy to use? Less so. Unfortunately, you sometimes need to remove the bobbins on top to reach one underneath.
Appearance: Cute.
Other important considerations: When choosing a bobbin, it’s easy to see almost all of them.
Plastic Case with Foam Insert
Cost: $$
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? Yes.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? No.
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Pretty with colored bobbins inside.
Other important considerations: This is my favorite bobbin storage case of all. You can buy one for each bobbin size. I keep several stacked in a drawer near each sewing machine to hold my different bobbin colors.
Cadillac Bobbin Case
Cost: $$
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? Yes.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? Not if the case is zipped up.
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Sleek and sophisticated.
Other important considerations: This isn’t really called a ‘Cadillac case,’ but if you search Amazon for ‘bobbin case,’ you’ll find it. The foam inside this case does not hold the bobbins as tightly as the previous case does, but it looks really nice zipped up.
Bobbin Tower of Terror (aka Stack and Store)
Cost: $$$
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? Yes.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? Yes, and it will break into many pieces that must be reassembled. This happened so often that I threw mine away in anger. Hence, I couldn’t take my own picture.
Is it easy to use? No.
Appearance: Pretty if you like green and yellow.
Other important considerations: It’s also very wobbly, which causes it to fall to the floor more often. I would never buy this bobbin storage solution again and recommend against it.
3-D Printed Bobbin Tray
Cost: Free, if someone you know has a 3-D printing hobby.
Does it prevent the bobbin thread from unspooling? No.
If you drop it, will the bobbins fly everywhere? Yes.
Is it easy to use? Yes.
Appearance: Cute. It will be the color of the 3D printing filament.
Other important considerations: There is no lid or way to keep the thread from unspooling, but this tray is wonderful next to my long-arm quilting machine. I can load it up with extra bobbins in the color I need, and it’s easy to grab them.
I also love it because my son printed it for me as a gift. There are free 3-D printing files for this bobbin tray and others online.
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