How to make your own Needle
If you are interested in learning the Amish Knot, Buttonhole stitch, Swedish Weaving,
or Nalebinding rug method, this will be a necessary tool.
I highly recommend the use of safety glasses since it does involve a little snipping and cutting. These needles were originally made from an old toothbrush because they had a hole on the end for the fabric to be threaded through. And that is where the term “toothbrush rug” originated from. I purchased the Dr. Do Mor toothbrush from Walmart but please feel free to use any toothbrush that has a hole on the handle end, and the Mini Spatula can also be used again as long as there is a hole on the handle end. If you are using the Dr. Do Mor toothbrush: 1. Use your shrub clippers and carefully just snip at an angle and remove the toothbrush head. Now carefully turn it over and again snip at an angle to create a point. ***You don’t want to snip off too much on the sides, and you can make your needle as long or short (I recommend that it be at least 3 ½ inches long) 2. With your sandpaper, smooth out all the rough edges around where you snipped and try to keep it at a point just like a needle. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect. You just want it to be smooth enough that it won’t be catching on the fabric.
If you are using the Mini Spatula: 1. Carefully cut away the white portion of plastic, I just kept on snipping away at it until I could get the blue portion completely out. 2. Use your shrub clippers and carefully just snip at an angle. Now carefully turn it over and again snip at an angle to create a point. ***You don’t want to snip off too much on the sides, and you can make your needle as long or short (I recommend that it be at least 3 ½ inches long) 3. With your sandpaper, smooth out all the rough edges around where you snipped and try to keep it at a point just like a needle. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect. You just want it to be smooth enough that it won’t be catching on the fabric. You can purchase wood needles but this is the inexpensive way to make your own and to also see if you are going to like this method of rug making.
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