amberblissthis I’m the type of crocheter that doesn’t even want to move when I get in the Cro-Zone (crochet- zone, that is!) So, I’ve been known to use strips of paper or plastic, yarn ends, paper clips or whatever I can reach from where I am located! BUT, now that I’ve discovered the fun of making my own stitch markers, I’ve got little piles of these cuties just EVERYWHERE. If you’d love a fun non-yarn activity to do that IS yarn-related, I think you’re going to like this! I highly recommend doing this with friends. It’s a great crafternoon activity or even an activity to get your kids involved in!
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First off, the Supplies!
I used supplies from around my house as well as those I’ve ordered off of Amazon. I’ve linked to Amazon in the supply list below!
- Shrinky dink plastic sheets
- Metal safety pin style stitch markers
- Decorative punch- 1 3/4″ circle (recommend shapes that are 1 1/2″ to 2 1/2″ in size)
- Hole punch (1/4″)
- Colored pencils or ultra-fine point permanent markers
- Parchment paper
Additionally, you could just use craft scissors and shapes to trace around and cut out (like jar lids, small boxes, etc) or even just create your design and cut it out after drawing.
The Steps
Here are the steps I followed to make my shrinky-dink stitch markers.
- Use the decorative punches to punch out the shapes in the shrinky-dink sheets. I’ve heard that if your punches are getting dull, you can punch some aluminum foil to sharpen them up. I did that, but I could not honestly tell you if it sharpened them or if it did nothing.
- Use your colored pencils or ultra-fine point markers to draw or color a design onto your punched out shapes. I made a whole set of markers that just had the number “25” on them to use as row/stitch counters. You could also write hook sizes on them to attach to your projects so that you never forget which hook you were using. I made a few “Bliss This” themed markers. A yarn ball was a fun one for the round punches. Get creative. don’t limit yourself. Play around with color, words, designs! If you have pigment ink pads and stamps, you could also use these to decorate them.
- Use the 1/4″ punch to punch a hole in the shape near the top. You’ll need this hole to attach the stitch marker.
- Lay the shapes out flat on parchment paper in a baking tray or dish. Warm up the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t crowd your shapes and don’t bake too many at one time. I found that between 4 and 10 is a good amount. Additionally, I don’t recommend baking shapes that are very different in size as the small shapes will shrink faster than the larger shapes.
- Place in the oven. Turn on the oven light and watch them shrink. Most of mine took between 2 and 4 minutes. Keep your eye on them and remove them when they shrink and are mostly flat.
- You may have to press them with a dish towel or spatula while warm if they aren’t completely flat. Let them cool down before touching.
- Attach the safety-pin style stitch markers and amaze everyone with your adorable handmade stitch markers!
A Video in Case that Helps
Here’s a video of me talking through the steps above in case you prefer to learn audibly or visually.
What’s Next?
Next, wrap these up as gifts for your favorite crocheting or knitting friends! Scatter them around your house so you’ve got a stitch marker everywhere you might need one. And experiment with making new shapes, sizes, and other fun ideas! These would make great magnets, keychains, attachments to backpacks/purses. The possibilities are really endless. My daughter made some really beautiful artistic ones that are quite sophisticated! Don’t be afraid of your creativity! And if you don’t feel creative, you can simplify: dots, lines, repeated shapes, contrasting colors…all of these ideas will work!
OTHER TUTORIALS
Check out the tutorial on adding a lining to a crocheted tote bag HERE.
Check out the tutorial on adding a motif to a baseball style cap HERE.
