Today's project is a combination of a few little tools I've shown how to make before, but this time, I've used beads to make a coordinated set: needle minder, needle threader, and maid-of-all-work. A set like this would make a pretty, useful, inexpensive gift for a stitcher, but it makes a nice treat for yourself, too. These tools are all very easy to make and don't require a mess of supplies.
What you'll need:
*beads: medium to large, flattish beads work best
*large needles: size 22 is about right, and should fit most beads
*very strong magnets: I use the 6.3 mm Neodymium magnets from Michael's
*needle threaders
*32 gauge jewelry wire
*super glue of choice
There's nothing to making a needle minder or a maid-of-all-work. For a needle minder, glue a magnet on the back of whatever you're using for your minder. For a maid-of-all-work, glue a large needle into a bead. That's it. Easy.
For a needle threader, you can use this super easy method, or you can get a little fancier (but not much) by doing it the way I'm about to show. For homemade needle threaders, your best friend is the inexpensive metal threader that comes three to a package. They can be deconstructed to suit your purposes and that is a lot easier than fiddling with trying to shape a wire threader on your own. You can also use very fine nylon, but I prefer metal threaders.
Snap off the end with the threader. (Save the remainder! It makes a handy little scraper for tidying up super glue and hot glue without sacrificing your fingers!)
Remove the threader.
Raid your Mill Hill stash and slip a seed bead onto the threader to hold its shape.
Tie a knot with the jewelry wire, just above the seed bead.
Thread both ends of wire through the main bead, and through another seed bead or spacer bead, depending on the size of the holes in the main bead (some are so large a seed bead will slip through, requiring a spacer bead). Tie off the wire tightly. Trim the ends very closely and glue a slightly larger bead (like the spacer beads shown in the strings above) over the knot and wire ends.
That's all there is to it. Here are a few Stitcher's Tool Sets I made.
Back tomorrow with more!
It looks like you had a fabulous time creating and crafting, Honeybee! Your ideas are so inspiring. What fun sets you have created!
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful! Can I ask what a maid-of-all-work is? I've never heard of this tool before.
ReplyDeleteJustine, I've never heard a name for it, so I just call it a maid-of-all-work. I use it for everything (thus the name): poking around on unruly stitches to make them prettier, frogging, picking knots, counting stitches or marking centers, laying stitches, etc. It's just a large needle glued into a bead to make it easier to hold.
DeleteI love these sets and they would make such a nice gift for stitcher friends. You come up with great ideas. Thank you. RJ
ReplyDelete