Welcome to Tip Tuesday! Here’s an easy tip for anyone who likes to sew on the go. It’s great for healthy teeth and gums as well (as long as you actually use the dental floss to floss your teeth before you repurpose the container for other thread).
Oral-B makes these nifty little dental floss containers.
When you’ve used up the dental floss, open the container, take out the empty floss bobbin inside, and wind the thread of your choice onto it … applique, beading, embroidery, quilting, etc. (White beading thread shown here.)
Thread it through the opening like the dental floss had been …
and snap the lid shut. You’re now ready to take the thread of your choice on the go (TSA-approved cutter included).
If your needles are not too long, you could store one inside as well. (I checked the TSA’s prohibited sharp objects list, and sewing needles are not currently on the list. You are currently allowed to bring scissors with blades less than 4 inches, but why risk losing your Gingher embroidery scissors when you’ve got a handy little cutter built right in? I’m sure many of us have forgotten and lost little things on planes, in waiting rooms, and so on.)
On a slightly related note: Look closely and you’ll see that the white beading thread I wound onto the bobbin looks a lot like dental floss. The two products are actually somewhat similar. You could technically use dental floss for beading in a pinch, although I wouldn’t recommend using the minty variety for your beadwork. Since I’m not a dental professional I will decline to comment on whether or not one should use beading thread to floss your teeth with.
Have any sew-on-the-go tips to share? I’d love to hear them! =(^_^)=
Clever idea! I use my dental floss container to cut when traveling, but never thought to reuse it by winding thread inside!
What a clever idea, thanks for sharing. The only travel tip I can think of to share is very basic, but a good idea nonetheless: always bring an extra needle (or two!).
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. Let me know how you go with your dyeing. I’ll link the post. I’m blogging about it for Dylon Australia. they will love to hear about it.
My mom has flossed with regular thread for years since her teeth are very close together.
That is a clever idea!
Cute idea!