Needle Minders for Cross Stitch and Embroidery

A needle minder is a small magnetic cross stitch accessory that holds your needle in place while you're stitching, whether that's cross stitch, embroidery or hand sewing. You might also see them called needle nannies or needle keepers, but they all do the same job.

Each one comes in two parts. The decorative front has a magnet built into the back of it, and there's a second loose magnet that sits underneath your fabric. The two hold each other through the material, and the needle sticks to the front.

It sounds like a small thing, and it is. But most stitchers who try one keep using it. The alternative is parking your needle in the corner of your fabric, which works but leaves holes in the aida and can leave a rust mark if you forget about it for a few weeks. The other alternative is putting the needle down on the sofa, and anyone who has ever found a needle with their bare foot will tell you how that goes.

There's not much to it, but it's worth knowing the order you do it in.

1. Separate the two halves. The decorative piece is the front, the plain magnet is the back.
2. Hold the plain magnet underneath your fabric, roughly where you want it. Somewhere near the edge of your work usually suits, away from the area you're stitching.
3. Put the decorative front on top of the fabric so the two magnets meet. They'll snap together through the material.
4. Rest your needle on the front whenever you stop, whether you're changing thread colour, cutting a new length, or answering the door.

You can keep more than one needle on there, though they do tend to clump together. If you're parking several, lay them at different angles so you can pick out the one you want.

A few stitchers use theirs to hold a paper pattern against the fabric, or wear them on a jacket when they're not stitching. The magnets aren't strong enough for thick coat fabric, but they'll sit on a shirt or a project bag.

Every one in this collection is hard enamel rather than soft enamel. The difference is in the finish. Soft enamel sits below the raised metal edges, so you can feel the texture when you run a finger over it. Hard enamel is filled and then smoothed flat, which gives a glossy surface that resists scratches better and holds its colour.

Each one measures 2.5cm across, comes with two strong magnets, and arrives on a printed backing card, so they're ready to give as they are.

If it's your first cross stitch needle minder, pick a design you'll be pleased to look at, because it'll sit on your work for hours at a time. Beyond that, there's very little to weigh up: they all work the same way and they all hold a needle.

Plenty of our customers end up with several. Some match one to each project, some keep a seasonal one out at Christmas, and some just like them. If you're stitching something from our Christmas or Halloween ranges, there are matching designs in this collection.

One practical note. Because they're magnetic, they'll work on any fabric you can sandwich between the two halves. That covers aida, evenweave, linen and most fabrics you'd use for embroidery or sewing, so they aren't limited to cross stitch.

Use this text area to share information about your brand with yNeedle minders are one of the easier presents to buy for someone who stitches. They're small, they suit any skill level, and it's very hard to buy the wrong one because there's no sizing or thread count to get right.

They also work well for someone who already has plenty of kit. Most stitchers with a full stash still only own one or two, and they're the sort of thing people rarely buy for themselves.

Buying three at once brings the price down, and the offer applies automatically at checkout. If you'd rather let them pick, a gift card works too.our customers. Describe a product, share announcements, or welcome customers to your store.

Wipe the enamel with a dry cloth if it needs it. Avoid soaking them, as water can work its way behind the magnet over time.

Two safety points worth knowing, because the magnets are stronger than they look:

• Keep them away from small children and pets. Swallowed magnets are dangerous, particularly if more than one is swallowed, and they need urgent medical attention rather than a wait-and-see approach.
• Keep them away from pacemakers, hearing aids and other implanted medical devices, and don't store them against bank cards or hotel key cards.

None of this is cause for alarm. It's the same guidance that comes with any strong magnet, and it's worth a mention because the two halves are small enough to go astray down the side of a chair.

Have a browse through the designs above and see what takes your fancy. If you're buying for someone else and you're stuck between a few, three is the sweet spot.

Once you've got one, come and show us in our Facebook community, where collections get compared fairly regularly.