How to Make Your Own Stitch Markers on the Cheap

I always struggle to find great crafts to involve my kids in. They enjoy painting, but it's messy and not my favorite thing to clean up. I decided to let them play with beads while I tried to do a real project.

Vance is three and Shepard is nine. I was surprised to see how well coordinated Vance was. I gave him a piece of wire and he did great! But, guess who cried the most when it was time to put the beads away. Yep, playing with beads is pretty fun in his world.

Shepard got to play with the real jewelry pins (whatever you call those things). He even enjoyed it. It's really hard to find something a 3 year old and 9 year old can both enjoy. :)

While they were playing, I made real life stitch markers. The idea for these markers is to help forgetful people like me remember what hook size I am (or was) using.

Take this scarf for example. It's due around Christmas.  I have been working on it off and on for a little while now, but I recently got super busy and had to set it aside to work on some other orders. I don't want to come back to it in a week or two and wonder what size hook I was using. Usually, that results in frogging. Eek!!

So here's a brief howto and let's keep in mind that I am not a professional jewelry maker.

Supplies List:

Alphabet Beads

Misc. beads of your choice

*Jewelry Pins

*Jump Rings

*Crimper beads (optional)

*Lobster clasp

Needlenose pliers 

*A nearby superstore has a jewelry kit for $3.00 that comes with jewelry pins, jump rings, crimper beads and clasps. The only problem is that this pack didn't come with enough of the clasps. I need to buy more, so make sure you buy a few extras, too.

Total Cost of Project:  Under $10.00

How to do it

Take the jewelry pin and place your alphabet bead on there.

Place your other decorative beads on the jewelry pin.

Thread the crimper bead onto the jewelry pin. (I'm not a jeweler, so don't expect professional results.)

Take the pliers and bend the jewelry pin at a ninety degree angle. Then, I made the pliers bend the rest around into a circle and cut-off the excess.

Then, I slipped the crimper bead over the icky end of the jewelry pin. I flattened it closed with the pliers.

Then, I took a jump ring and opened it. To properly open the jump ring, hold it in front of you so that you see a circle with a hole in the middle and the space where the two ends meet is at the top. With your pliers, take one side of the top and push it to the back to create a gap.

Thread the jewelry pin and the lobster claw on there.

Close the gap in the jump ring and you're done.