Custom Made Needle Minders

by: Jo

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If you're a needlepointer or cross-stitcher who has ever lost your needle in the couch cushions or watched it disappear into your project bag, you already know why needleminders are one of the most useful tools in your kit.

And they're as cute as they are useful! I can't stop collecting them. I love them so much that I decided to try making my own custom needleminders with my own design.

Where to get custom needleminders

I was really worried about the whole process until I talked with our friends at WizardPins for help. Working with them was so easy!

I sent them a high-res image (JPG or PNG works) to start, and they worked with me to simplify it and develop the final design that would work on a needleminder. They sent me several proofs along the way, and we tweaked things until we had it just right.

I had my choice of finish (I chose gold) and hard or soft enamel (I chose hard - more on that below). The final result was fabulous, and I couldn't be more pleased!

If you'd like to give WizardPins a try for your custom needleminders, use our special discount code of CHICAJO10 for 10% off your order.

Tips for designing a great custom needleminder

Here are some of the tips I learned from designing my own custom needleminders. They are relatively small and can be very detailed, so keeping these things in mind will help you create a successful design.

Keep the designs simple: Fine details can disappear at small sizes. Bold shapes and clear outlines translate best. (The WizardPins team worked with me to get just the right level and color detail on my design!)
Limit the color palette: Using fewer colors often produces a cleaner final result, especially with enamel designs. (WizardPins lets you include up to 8 colors in the base price.)
Choose the right size: Most needleminders fall between 1 and 2 inches wide. Smaller designs are lightweight and easy to move around a canvas, while larger designs allow more artwork detail. If you're unsure what size would work best, try printing your image at various sizes to see which one looks and feels right. (My couch design was 1.75" wide and it turned out to be the perfect size.)
Use strong magnets: Even the most beautiful needleminder won't be useful if it doesn't hold it's spot and slides around your canvas. Most high-quality needleminders use neodymium magnets, also known as rare earth magnets. You can often select between a round magnet or a rectangle, it depends on the size and style of your design which will work best.

Hard enamel vs soft enamel needleminders

One of the most important decisions when ordering custom needleminders is choosing between soft enamel pins and hard enamel pins. Both options are made using durable enamel and metal molds, but the manufacturing process makes them have a different finished effect.

Hard enamel pins

Hard enamel pins are known for their smooth, polished, jewelry-quality finish. Each color is filled into the recessed metal areas all the way to the top, and then the entire pin is polished flat. This polishing process removes the height difference between the enamel and the metal lines, leaving a completely smooth surface across the entire design. Your needle and thread are less likely to get caught on the smooth surface provided by hard enamel.

Soft enamel pins

Soft enamel pins have a textured, dimensional surface that many people love for artistic designs. In this process, the metal outlines are die-struck and remain slightly raised above the enamel color areas. The enamel is filled into the recessed sections but is not polished flat with the metal. This means you can feel the raised metal lines when you run your finger across the pin, creating a tactile surface that highlights the design.

We chose a hard enamel finish for our Golden Girls couch needleminder, and I couldn't be happier with the final result. The team at WizardPins will help you decide on the perfect finish for your design and needs.

Production time and minimum quantities

WizardPins is great to work with for small businesses, because you can order as few as only 25 needleminders for your design. Finalizing the design took about a week, and once my order was placed, the total production and shipping time was just around 3 weeks.