8 Easiest Ways to Organize Embroidery Floss
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Thank you for your kind support!
Simple Embroidery Thread Storage Methods
I’ve organized 8 of the easiest storage methods based on whether you leave your floss on the skein, or if you prefer to re-wind your floss. This is the most important determiner for how you will store your floss. Naturally, leaving floss on the skein requires the lowest amount of effort, but your storage options are more limited.
I’ve included pros and cons for each storage method, as well as a “Best for” section, which describes the type of person each style will work best for. And if you haven’t already, I suggest you first read my post, “4 Methods for Re-Winding Embroidery Floss,” before diving in.
1 —
Cabinet
PROS
The cabinet itself can be a beautiful addition to your craft room, and if you’re like me, who doesn’t love cabinets and drawers and all things organization related?!
CONS
Finding the just right cabinet may prove difficult and possibly expensive if you prefer a natural wood cabinet
If you have the entire set of DMC floss, you’ll need enough drawers to separate your floss by color group (at least 21 drawers for solid colors, plus additional drawers for specialty flosses)
Floss colors are not easily seen in one glance due to being hidden inside drawers; will need to have multiple drawers open and/or will need to sift through the drawers to find specific colors
Best For both On-Skein and Re-Wound options, depending on the depth of the cabinet drawers.
2 —
Floss Organizer Bins
PROS
Allows for a middle ground for organizing - can organize by color groups using the left and right side of the bins
Accommodates a mixture of both bobbins and skeins
Comparatively, doesn’t require as much time to re-organize floss
CONS
Depending on the brand you buy, the bins may not nestle on top of each other, which can be ever so annoying!
Best For those who want organized floss, but don’t want to overly complicate things. Best for those who work by color group rather than by pre-determined pattern colors.
3 —
Corkboard or Pegboard
PROS
Good for those who don’t mind displaying their floss collection
Works well with clothespins, in particular
CONS
Not the best option for the less tidy stitcher, as floss will be visible
Best For those who will keep up with organization to the point that it will make a display piece for their workspace. Can work with both On-Skein and Re-Winding methods, although Re-Winding will look cleaner and more organized.
4 —
DMC Hanging Storage System
PROS
All floss is visible and easy to see (although glare from the plastic may be an issue)
CONS
Holds only 120 bobbins; will need at least 4-5 to store a complete line of floss (DMC or Anchor)
Works only with floss wound onto bobbins
Each pocket only holds one bobbin comfortably
If hanging in a closet, will need overhead light to choose floss colors accurately, or will need to remove from closet
Best For Re-Wound bobbins only.
5 —
Zippered Pouches
PROS
Doesn’t require re-winding floss
This method works best for those who work from patterns and need to use specific colors according to a color chart
Works well with a mixture of both re-wound floss and skeins
CONS
Requires bins or some other second storage method for the pouches
May need several bags to hold all the skeins in a color group - The good thing is, this set comes with 2 of each color!
Best for those who are looking for a low-key, low effort organization method.
6 —
Plastic Baggies
PROS
Each bag is for one color only, so you will always know when you need to restock a specific color
CONS
Requires vigilant upkeep, as each bag can only hold one color
More difficult to handle when on a binder ring - the bags are slippery in the hand
The reflection from the bag can make seeing the true color difficult until the floss is removed
Requires a second organizing method such as bins, drawers, and/or putting on ring binders or hooks
Requires a lot of work upfront to number the bags
Bags are clear but true color is not easily seen from the outside
Best for the true anal retentive who just loooves to organize!
7 —
Stitch Bows
PROS
No need to re-wind, simply straighten out the floss skein after removing the labels, and slip onto the stitch bow
CONS
Once the floss gets used up, it becomes more difficult to keep it on the bow while using, due to the lack of notches to hold the loose ends
Requires more space due to the size of the stitch bow and the binders in which they are kept.
One of the most expensive methods
Best for those who truly hate re-winding skeins, and have ample space for storage.
8 —
Binder Sleeves
PROS
Can organize binders by color groups
Works best for those with the mantra, “A place for every bobbin, and every bobbin in its place”
CONS
Requires all floss to be re-wound onto bobbins before storing
Best For the ultra-organized individual. This method will likely not work for someone who is not going to keep up with the organization, as eventually it will become impossible to find specific colors unless there is a defined organization system in place.
Conclusion
And there you have it - all the floss organization methods described with pros and cons for each. I hope this gives you at least an educated guess as to which method will suit your organizational style.
I began my floss organization journey thinking I wanted everything super organized (I used the Floss-A-Way bags and pegboard), soon to realize that I was unwilling to keep up with re-organizing the floss once I was done with it!
Eventually I ended up with a huge pile of “to-be-organized” floss sitting there collecting dust. So I realized a less rigid storage method was best for me — one in which I could locate color groups easily, but didn’t require too much time to put away at the end of a project.
Here are a few pictures of my current floss organization method - I use floss bins which are sorted by color group. Each side of a bin houses one color group. As you can see, some of my floss is re-wound while most isn’t (for pros on cons for re-winding your floss, see my post here). It’s a constant work in progress!
I use floss organizer bins to organize my entire DMC floss collection.
The left 3 columns are for DMC color Group 1, and the right three columns are Color Group 2. Each bin is organized in the same way.
Let me know if you have had success with one or more of the methods above. How do you currently organize your floss? Send me a message on Instagram or Facebook!
