Use glass jars. They are easy to label and see through. Keep buttons in a large jar and use smaller jars for needles, chalk, seam rippers, etc.
Tin containers, especially those leftover from the holidays, can be used to keep pins. Put a piece of foam in the bottom to turn it into a pincushion. You can close the box when it is not in use.
Cover old cardboard boxes with gift wrap or fabric to coordinate with your room. Use them as attractive storage for fabric or other supplies.
You can fold fat quarters and small scraps to fit on end into a flat soda tray, then stack several of them on a shelf or in a larger box. Sort your pieces by color, so everything that is red, for example, is in the same tray.
Use a file cabinet for patterns and books.
A child size dresser can be used for storing notions, ribbons, trim, and thread.
A barrister's bookcase, with glass fronted shelves, lets you arrange flat folds of fabric and other larger supplies out of the way, yet still be able to keep them dust-free and visible.
The pockets of a hanging shoe organizer can be used to store fabric, scissors, glue guns, and other accessories flat against a wall, or out of sight in the closet.
