Love to sew but hate pins? 6 pin-free sewing tips you’ll love!
If you love to sew but find pins a bit of a hassle, you’re not alone! While pins are an essential tool for holding fabric together, they can often get in the way or leave tiny holes.
The good news is, there are easy ways for sewing without pins - creative alternatives to pinning that could make your sewing easier and more convenient. Let me show you how to sew seams without using pins.
If you like hacks and clever workarounds, you'll also want to check out how to start hand-stitching without a knot, or see how to finish sewing the NEAT way. You'll love these!
Whether you're working on a quilt, making a bag, or creating custom garments, these 6 ideas can help you skip the pins and sew more comfortably.
How to Sew Seams Without Using Pins
As someone who loves to sew but isn’t a fan of using pins (unless when piecing a tiny quilt block!), I’ve found plenty of ways to keep fabric in place without them. Here are 6 alternatives to sewing pins:
1 - Use Fabric Clips Instead of Pins
One of the most popular alternatives to pins is fabric clips. These small, plastic clips are perfect for holding multiple layers of fabric without leaving marks. I cannot live without them, and are probably the most useful notions in my sewing room. (Right after Cindy's seam ripper, that is 🙂
They’re especially useful when working with thick bagmaking materials like denim or faux leather ! Plus, they’re quick and easy to use and don’t risk leaving marks or tiny holes, like it's the case with faux leather!
Using fabric clips also speeds up the process of adding binding to a quilt:
2 - Double Sided Tape
Double-sided fabric tape is another fantastic pin-free solution. It temporarily holds fabric layers together without leaving any residue, and it washes away easily once the project is complete.
When you hear a bagmaker say DST, it's this one for sure 🙂 Double-sided tape made my life so much easier!
Simply apply the tape along the edges of your fabric pieces, press them together, and sew as usual. This method is especially helpful for sewing bag straps, joining bulkier faux leather layers, zipper overlays, and the like. What you see in the photo above is me making a bag strap for my Nelto crossbody bag.
3 - Use Binder Clips
Don’t have sewing clips? Try using office binder clips instead! They’re a great alternative to pins, especially for holding multiple layers of fabric together, where sewing clips might not be enough. They have a firm, reliable grip.
Especially when making gusset bags, I add them in place of the regular sewing clips because they hold stronger - like on the joined binding and pocket layers where it can get bulky.
4 - Basting with Thread
Hand-basting involves sewing long, loose stitches to temporarily hold fabric pieces together. This method is ideal for delicate fabrics and ensures precise alignment, when altering a dress, for example.
Basting thread is a bulky thread, clearly visible and easy to remove. Here’s what I did when altering my black dress years ago - a bit of a rookie move, but it worked!
As for the coffee in the photo, well, I’m not sure why I included it, but with a baby and a toddler at home back then, I probably needed the caffeine to keep going! 🙂
5 - Fabric Weights
Instead of pinning pattern pieces to fabric, you can use fabric weights to keep them in place. This technique is particularly effective for lightweight or slippery fabrics. I've yet to post a diy sewing weights tutorial. (POV: when you have 400+ drafts to finish...)
6 - Washable Fabric Glue
Fabric glue is another alternative for anyone who isn’t a fan of pins. Just apply a thin layer along the edges of your fabric, press it together, and let it dry. It’s a quick fix for smaller seams and it dries clear with no residue left behind.
Beyond just basting layers together, fabric glue can even step in as a DIY alternative to needle and thread—perfect for those "McGyver moments" when you need a sewing solution on the go (hello, camping adventures! 🙂
Conclusion
Try these methods in your sewing, and you’ll find it’s easier and more fun to sew without pins - making your projects flow smoothly!
Also, I'd LOVE to hear from you if you have any secrets to avoid pins when sewing, I'll add them to the list!
More Sewing Tips And Ideas
Check out AppleGreen Cottage for more tips and tutorials on simplifying your sewing process and making your projects easier and more enjoyable. Happy sewing!
Also see how to trace a pattern on paper, it's one of my favorites, and it could become yours too, if you love sewing but not so much the pattern tracing work. How To Pin Pattern On Fabric - See how to pin a pattern to fabric and how to cut fabric using a sewing pattern. Must-know!
WANT MORE FREE TUTORIALS AND PATTERNS?
Get email updates and never miss out on new patterns, printables, and tutorials:
Or …check out the TEYA crossbody bag pattern in our shop. One of my first bag patterns with pockets both on the inside and outside - and it works great as a gadget bag too!
TEYA PATTERN UPDATED!
PATTERN UPDATED.
Join the FREE 7-part email course and make 6 beautiful items for your home! You'll love it!
Delia Stone says
As always, appreciate your tips. I love clips too. They also work well in freezer to keep bags closed. They've never broken in my freezer!
Reda Rozendal says
Clothes pins work great for closing chip bags and bread bags in the freezer or even on a shelf if used more quickly. I have not tried them for sewing, but can imagine that they would work well for large and/or bulky items.