Alphabet Straight Pins
 

The other day I asked where to find the numbered straight pins and was given a couple sites to check out. I hadn't realize just how expensive those little devils could be though. A couple folks gave me suggestions how to make my own with the flower head pins so I went online to see if WalMart had them as I have a store in my town. Yes, they carried them.....................but not in my store so would have to order them which with S&H would be kind of silly to me for a small package of pins as I couldn't find anything else I needed. So I went with Plan B.............looked for beads that someone suggested. Still couldn't find numbered beads but found a couple different alphabet sets. I really liked the wooded beads but too thick for what I wanted so settled for the small ceramic beads and larger plastic beads. Didn't know which size I'd like best so got them both. As I was running low on my straight pins with the yellow ball at the end, picked up a large box of them too.

So I pulled out 2 of each letter and strung them onto the pin, stuck them upside down on my ironing board and poured Elmer's Glue down the little hole to fill them up completely. I have the pin nozzle on my bottom of glue so this was easy. I let them dry over night and tried them out the next day. Worked like a charm for me so I'm ready when I get to the point to try out the bargello pattern.

Here's a pic of just some of my pins.

What a clever woman you are!!!!

Good Job! I will have to do this.

I did the same thing but I used the plastic bead letters and numbers found in children's crafts. I use safety pins instead (because of handling the blocks/rows multiple times) and can number/letter blocks as needed and don't have to worry about pins falling out.

Number Pins
 

You are both so clever. I was just thinking someone needs to invent these and now you made it so easy to make them. Thanks

My BFF sent me a set she'd made. What a nice surprise to get in the mail!

Clever. I just cut my scraps into small squares and I can number them with a Sharpie permanent marker.

I like to use corsage pins for these. they are longer and don't bend very easily. I found them where I get my long arm supplies- they are the pins that long armers like best to pin the quilts to the leaders. Alphabet / number beads I found at Hobby Lobby in the kids craft section. If you don't want to glue, try those rubbery backs you use on wire earrings. (they remind me of plastic tubing but with a really tiny hole) I might make these for my Christmas present to my small quilt group.

good solve!

Your msg brings up a problem I've had for a few yrs. Luckily, when I first started doing Bargello I found plastic "charms" at WalMart. They had numbers on them with loops which I could put on straight pins to mark rows. I've searched high & low for more so I could tell you all where to find them. All they carry now are alphabets. I've checked every WM as I travel up & down the west coast as well as online & they just don't seem to exist anymore. They sure make life easier as I do Bargello. They were in the craft section so maybe somebody could find them.