Did you consider a strip of white fabric with some velcro on the ends. No fear of snapping then. Maniac Quilter is right - eventually they will snap and fly (if only from old age) and fly off where ever. Hopefully not toward your eyes but when sitting at the sewing machine they are pretty close to where the action will be. Unbelieveably, in my lifetime, I've been hit in the eye with an air born pencil (glasses were in my hand being cleaned) and a closing car door which knocked my glasses off and the corner of the door top hit my eye. No permenant damage done either time - doctors both said I was really, really lucky.