Quick fix - needle minders

You know how it is when you see a handy little gizmo and think, "oh, must have one of those"?  Well, that's what I thought when I spotted some needle minders appearing on blogs and IG pics.  Very useful for your hand stitching.

These clever little pretties couldn't be that hard to make, could they?  So, for last weekend's IG #saturdaynightcraftalong I pulled my supplies and started covering buttons and gluing magnets.  It really was that easy (if a little sticky).

All you need is a metal self-cover button, a circle of fabric (and a lining fabric), two magnets and some glue.  

To make:

1.  Cover the metal button as per pack instructions. I used a 29mm button which had a shank. I just removed the shank with a pair of pliers, but I believe you can buy flat backed metal self-cover buttons if you prefer.  I also added a little fine fabric as a lining layer because sometimes the metal shines through with just a single layer of fabric.

2.  Then, glue a small magnet to the back of your button and have a second magnet ready to pair up when the glue dries.

When I posted this on IG I had a few questions from folks who, like me, hadn't really known how to use a needle minder. So here's how it works:

Pics left - right, top - bottom:
1.  The needle minder has two magnets, one glued on and one that separates.
2.  Place the button part on top of your stitching fabric.
3. Secure it in place by popping the other magnet underneath, it will hold the minder on your fabric.
4.  Your needle can rest on the pull of the magnet through your button when you break from working and not get lost or poke you in the arm because you stuck it on the side of the sofa and forgot!

If you only made one it would take all of 5 mins, but I bet if you make any at all, you won't be able to stop at one!