What do you Cuties do with pesky bobbins that keep unwinding??? Well there are pricy bobbin keeps available...but, here is a fantastic way to control those threads...who knew that clear plastic tubing was the answer??? Her is my take on bobbin keeps...and it works great...and very inexpensive...and you can make them yourselves! Buy the tubing...cut the width about 3/8" wide...snip a slit...wrap it around bobbin...20 feet for about $6.00....that wraps a ton of bobbins...voila!!!

I use book binders to hold my Bobbins

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when you want one thats in the middle of this how do u get it out without getting 19 others out to??

1 comment

by dragonflyer 08 Jan 2016

Carolyn...not sure I understand...each bobbin get its own little plastic tube guard...it does not interfere with the plastic bobbin..you pick up the bobbin just like you would normally..the little plastic tube just holds the pesky thread from unraveling..you just remove the plastic guard before you use the bobbin...

I have been struggling with this problem for so long and have come to the conclusion that this seem to be the best method if you use Bobbin cases. Which I do.

1 comment

by dragonflyer edited 09 Jan 2016

I hope it works for you...I love this for keeping the tails tidy...and the plastic tubing shapes to the amount of thread you have on the bobbin...so lots of thread or just a bit...the same piece works on all...

If you snug up the tail of thread between the spool and the thread it will stay. No need for anything else.

1 comment

by mi30kaja 08 Jan 2016

I have tried this but it doesn't always work for me.

Thank you--great idea!

Thank you so much for sharing this. I have tried several things. This looks the best I have seen-

Thanks.

Thank you Kim, good idea.

Good idea, thanks

Good idea. I've been using the small knit pony tail rings. they are the ones in a huge multi pack. They work great too.

I must be crazy but I have a love/hate relationship with my bobbins. I love how all the colors look when the end threads are sticking out and making a mess altogether. I hate trying to get a single bobbin out of the tangle. I can see where this would be a great solution for those who need it!

Hi Kim,

I also use this plastic tubing for older machine embroidery threads that have become brittle. So when I place it on the spindle the plastic keeps it from cracking further! Love Chris

1 comment

by dragonflyer 03 Mar 2015

Thanks, Chris...

What a great idea. I will definitely get some of that tubing because I have hundreds of bobbins and they do come undone.

bought my when you put this on, just don't have it cut yet! Thanks for tip!

Thank you, Great Idea

I go to the store where everything is $1, & buy those little rubber bands for hair, they are the perfect size to fit a bobbin, & you get 500 of them in a package. If one breaks, you have lots more to replace it. I have been using them for years, & they work great for me! Have a great day, everyone!!! Tammy

2 comments

by pacmp 03 Mar 2015

I like this idea too! I would not have thought to use the tiny rubber bands , thanks for the idea!

by Gcope1 edited 03 Mar 2015

I do that too! Can't believe what the dollar store has that I can use. Last year I bought a bunch of small plastic containers (2 per pack) that I use to put my buttons in.

I use a straw sometimes. works for me.

Great idea and if you buy the wider diameter tubing, make a long slit down the length of it you can store the bobbins in that. A 12" long piece stores quite a few bobbins and sits nicely in front of the sewing machine.

great ideal thanks

Thank you for the excellent idea!

Great idea! I always use the teeny tiny stretch ponytail holders.

1 comment

by pacmp 03 Mar 2015

Thank You for posting this idea as I would not have thought of using those tiny rubber bands for my bobbins and I think that I would more likely use the small bands than the small bits of clear air hose that I would surely drop or lose while using the bobbin.

Great Idea ... Thanks

Yes , this works well. I have been using it for a few years now. But one day when I searched for the little bit of tubing to put in a safe place where I could find it after the stitching finished I couldn't find it any where so I took another one out ready to use. Then when I took the bobbin out of the machine I found the plastic was still around the bobbin. Thank goodness it had not messed up the bobbin case! Cheers, Bev.

Excellent idea. You can also use corrugated tubing that comes in packs intended for keeping cords together. Slit with scissors along the length and maybe even make another cut and take a narrow strip out to make it easier to slot your bobbins into the groove. You can cut to whatever length you like so you can for example keep 10 or so bobbins with similar colours together. I keep a couple of lengths with my 'work sewing' threads and more for my 'fun sewing' threads, so I know I'm reaching for the right ones -I have black, purple, red etc for my work and also might use those colours for personal sewing, but the work ones are a bit stronger thread, so the combination of colours tells me which are my own :)

Great Idea, thanks for sharing!

Outstanding. Thanks

Thank you for posting or reposting this wonderful idea. My bobbins misbehave so badly even in their little spaces in the bobbin box! Headed for Lowes! Hopefully, no more wrestling with those unruly threads ;-)

great idea!!Suzanne

Thank you a great solution..

Very practical, but would I do it.....that's the next question!

1 comment

by asterixsew 29 Jan 2015

Oh what honesty

Great hint thank you.

Excellent idea.

Thanks, Great idea

Great idea !! Thanks for sharing.

Genius. I would never have thought to do this. Thanks for posting.

Thank you, just showed hubby the measurements so he can go to Lowes tomorrow and get some tubing for me. Love it and never knew what size to by.

Great idea brought to our attention again.Thankyou... I use the air hose for the fish tank,

4 comments

by marianb 29 Jan 2015

Didn't the fish mind.. lol Marian

by nonna57 29 Jan 2015

Hahaaaa Marian. No longer have fish, Did the tour of Sydney!!!!!!! Not.... but no longer :(

by dragonflyer 29 Jan 2015

Well, if you took their hose...no wonder you no longer have fish!!

by nonna57 29 Jan 2015

Phwaaaaa Good one Kim :)

What a great idea to hold those nasty bobbin threads. Thanks .

Great idea thanks. Arlene

Thank you.

Thanks for repeating this tip. It was posted here years ago, but it has got lost in the hundreds or thousands of posts since then.

Thanks for sharing. I will look for some and do this since I have about 30 bobbins more of matching embroidery thread than I have room for.

thank you and i am sure it will ;last forever

thanks for the info. about ready to change oxygen tubbing. gonna try it.

What a great idea. Will have to try it.

love the idea

Thanks - will have to see where I can get some and give it a try as I have thread ends that keep getting caught on another one!

1 comment

by dragonflyer 28 Jan 2015

Got mine at Home Depot...

This is a great idea, thanks for sharing.