7 Ways to Make Magnetic Embroidery Needle Minders

If you do a lot of hand sewing, cross stitch, embroidery, beading, or other needle crafts, you know eventually you will play the I put my work down and where did my needle go? game.

Slipping the needle into the fabric works to keep track of your embroidery needle but can leave permanent holes in certain fabrics. In that case you can keep track of your needles with the power to science: a magnetic needle minder!

Basically, a needle minder is a magnet that holds your needle and is glued to the back of a fairly thin decorative piece on the top side of the work in your embroidery hoop that is held in place on back side by another magnet.

DIY Needle Minder Tutorial

I am hand sewing beads on a super size beading project – an Elizabethan under skirt. Since I am using a small beading needle on such a large and busy fabric, a magnetic needle minder will help me keep track of and find such a slender needle when I take a break.

Let’s make a needle minder!

 Pin this tutorial for later!

(Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience)

You will need:

Round Magnets - 1/8" x 1/4" (or approximate)

Magnets 3/8 Inch Diameter (or approximate)

E 6000 glue

Jewelry wire cutters

Buttons

Jewelry pins

Enamel pins

Badge button pins

Refrigerator magnets

Shrinky Dinks

Bottle cap decoration crafts

Whatever floats your boat!

The Step By Step How to Make this Project

1. Use the wire cutters to remove pin backs or button shanks so you have a flat surface if needed.

2. Use the E-6000 glue in a well ventilated area to glue a magnet to the back of the needle minder and allow the gllue to dry.

If you use a refrigerator magnet like I have this step is already done for you.

3. If you are using very small magnets to make your needle minder, you may want to repeat Steps 1 and 2 to create a larger magnetized back for your needle minder. You won’t want children or pets to accidently swallow small stray magnets!

 

4. Bling our your stopping space!

The fun thing about this project, is you can use just about anything to make the top of a needle minder. Your ideas are only limited by your imagination!

How to Use an embroidery  needle minder:

 

Place your hooped embroidery fabric in between the front and back magnet needle minder pieces.

I didn't cover the back magnet since it fairly large.

Attach your needle on top of the needle minder magnet or on the side depending upon the design of your needle minder.

 You can also use the magnet to organize patterns and charts with your work as well as the needle.

Here’s the finished beaded skirt. It took forever!

That's a whole lotta beads!

 If you'd rather buy than DIY, check out the following ideas - and more!- below!

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