# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Making Stuff >  Homemade sewing needle

## rebel

I was looking for a sewing needle and thought...well, I could maybe make one.

So many items are sewn together and needles aren't always available. 

I took a 10d finish nail and flattened the end.  Then, drilled a hole for the thread.  Finally, filed both ends.  Here are the pics.  I hope it helps:

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## Icemancometh

Good improvising.  Thanks for sharing.

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## BENESSE

> I was looking for a sewing needle and thought...well, I could maybe make one.
> 
> So many items are sewn together and needles aren't always available. 
> 
> I took a 10d finish nail and flattened the end.  Then, drilled a hole for the thread.  Finally, filed both ends.  Here are the pics.  I hope it helps:


God bless you, that's ingenious and a real dedication to get it done!
I would have probably used duct tape.

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## Camp10

I like that idea!  Thanks for sharing!

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## crashdive123

Now that's a niffty idea Rebel!  Thanks for a great idea.

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## Rick

That would probably be a good strong leather or pack gear needle. Nice job!!

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## hunter63

Great Idea, and good job getting that small hole in there.
Necessity can really be a mother.

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## Pal334

> That would probably be a good strong leather or pack gear needle. Nice job!!


My thoughts exactly. Looks great for the heavy type sewing.


Thanks for sharing

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## your_comforting_company

That's awesome.. think of flattening it and sharpening it for leatherwork. I wonder if a smaller finish nail would work equally as well?

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## rebel

You could use a smaller nail and to keep the drill bit from walking I used a center punch. You could also bend and / or harden the nail.

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## Winnie

Do you know, It never ceases to amaze me the ingenuity folk show on this site, and the things I learn because of it!

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## Rick

Here are a bunch of plans for home made tools. These are larger power tools in most cases. 

http://www.green-trust.org/junkyardp...shopPlans.html

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## canid

you might try one with a chisel point as well. they work well with leather.

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## rebel

> Here are a bunch of plans for home made tools. These are larger power tools in most cases. 
> 
> http://www.green-trust.org/junkyardp...shopPlans.html


Good stuff Rick,

 "Fantastic as it may seem, an ordinary nail
can be hardened by this process so that it can
be driven through cold steel plate, while
chisels can be made out of ordinary bolts or
cold-rolled rods. It is possible to harden a
carbon-steel tool so that it will do the work
of a high-speed tool and give a carbon drill
sufficient hardness so that it will shear through
automobile spring leaf, blue spring steel and
other tough alloy metals. "

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## Rick

You could file the business end of the nail to a triangle shape. I believe a triangle can be used to sew waterproof (or water resistant) seams in leather. Am I correct on that YCC?

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## crashdive123

> Here are a bunch of plans for home made tools. These are larger power tools in most cases. 
> 
> http://www.green-trust.org/junkyardp...shopPlans.html


Cool link.  There's a whole bunch of stuff that I could hurt myself with. :Tongue Smilie:

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## rebel

I read that a pyramid shape point is stronger than conical.  Is that what you mean?

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## Pal334

If a person is not real careful around here, they may learn something  :Smile: 

Thanks all

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## your_comforting_company

In my experience the triangle shape makes a hole just large enough to run a double strand of your string (in my case sinew) through, making for a very tight stitch. I would think it to be waterproof, but buckskin soaks up water like a sham-wow so it's hard to say. It works well on the bark tan that I've treated when well oiled. Crash seals his with beeswax and would be able to tell us better but I'm not sure if he uses the triangle needle.
Hey Crash, what say you?

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## crashdive123

The triangle needle works good for hand stitching, but I pre-punch my holes for the sheaths I make.  Even with the last one I made using the deer skin, the thick leather welt made it thicker than I would want to push through.  I'll have to make a thumb thingie and give it a try though.

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## hunter63

> You could file the business end of the nail to a triangle shape. I believe a triangle can be used to sew waterproof (or water resistant) seams in leather. Am I correct on that YCC?


Not YCC but,
My understanding is that the triangle will pull closed when the sinew or thread is pulled tight.

I still like my 6" triangle needles, they seem to punch thru heavy leather better than round (sharp edges?).
The extra length gives you some thing to push with and pull thru the other side.
I also like using pig skin glove on my sewing hand, better grip.
An awl is also helpful to start the hole, also have a triangle style, but it gets big fast, so don't use it much.

Might want to look for a net makers needle, pretty big, useful for lacing, and para cord.

It has a curved flattened point, useful for starting a hole in a weave.
I'll see if my new camera with show the detail, some pic's

I really like the flattened nail needle idea, though as it's some thing that can be fabricated as needed.

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## klkak

I used to make bone sewing needles for my great grandmother.  She used them for needle point, beading and quilting.  She liked them because they were easier for her to hold onto.

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## hunter63

These are the ones I like using:

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## mystery

Hey, umm...

  Is it possible to maybe use a safety pin or a normal pin(ones w/ a colored ball at the end opposite of the sarp point)?  And R there other ways to make a hole?  I mean, I have no Idea how to drill a hole that small... :Wacko: 

Thanks,
Mystery name :Turned:

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## hunter63

Drill a hole in a safety pin?...or stick pin?
I would guess there are ways, but not a DIY that I know of.

Traditional methods are punch a hole with an awl...thread cordage thru with a piece of bone...with a hole.

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## Grimmrose69

Hello Im new and can not see the pictures 😭

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## Grimmrose69

Hello Im trying to access the pictures posted for this and I cant get to them

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## Rick

What browser are you using? You can't access them, there is no link but you should be able to see them.

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## crashdive123

I was using Chrome earlier and could not see them.  I changed to Edge and can see them fine.  Not sure why Chrome wasn't showing them.

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