DIY Stitch Markers: Make Your Own with Wire and Beads
As a knitter or crocheter, you know that stitch markers are an essential tool for keeping track of your progress and maintaining the correct stitch count. Did you know you can make your own? Making your own stitch markers is easy, affordable, and allows you to customize them to your liking. In this article, I’ll show you my method for DIY stitch markers using very basic wireworking.
I’ve always been a firm believer that you don’t need fancy tools to make wire jewelry. Or, in this case, stitch markers. All the supplies needed to make your markers can be found at your local craft store. Look for 18 gauge craft wire, needle-nose jewelry pliers, flush cutters, and pretty beads.
Tips Before You Get Started
For tools, if you’d rather not invest in jewelry pliers, you can raid your garage for needle-nose pliers and flush cutters. Just know that those household-grade tools are larger and not designed for small, precise work. If you get frustrated, it’s not your fault. You’re doing it right; the tools are the problem.
For beads, choose what makes your heart sing! But also try to look for small beads, not much larger than a pea, that are also lightweight. You don’t want your markers to weigh down your project. Faceted glass beads, small lampwork beads (shown in the tutorial), or novelty beads should do the trick.
For wire, gauge is important! Just like your knit or crochet project, if you have the wrong gauge, your project won’t turn out well. In wireworking, the larger the number the thinner the wire. For this project, my go-to gauge is 18g. It’s a Goldilocks gauge. It’s not too thick and not too thin. You can make 20-gauge wire work, but 16 gauge or thicker will be too large. Finer than 20 gauge and the wire will be too flimsy.
Related: Forgot Your Stitch Markers? Use These Instead!
I prefer to make these with craft wire, but you could substitute headpins. One of the benefits of cutting your own wire is that you can cut it longer than the size of most headpins. Having that extra length makes it easier to bend and guide the wire.
Easy Wirework DIY Stitch Markers
Supplies Needed
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18g craft wire
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Needle-nose pliers
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Flush cutter
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Emery board (optional)
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Size 11 (8 mm) knitting needle
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Small beads
Step-by-Step Instructions
Click the arrows to the right and left to scroll through the step-by-step photos.
1
Cut a piece of wire about 4” long. At one end, bend the tip of the wire back on itself with the needle-nose pliers. (Photo 1) Use the base of the pliers to squeeze the bent end, making a nice, tight loop.
2
Slide a bead onto the wire and bend the end of the wire you shaped so it sits flat against the bottom of the bead. (Photo 2)
3
About 1/8” above the bead, use your pliers to bend the wire about 45 degrees. (Photo 3)
4
Now it’s time for some fancy wireworking moves! Wrap the long tail of wire around the shaft of a size 11 knitting needle. (Photo 4)
5
Keep wrapping the wire around that 1/8” space above the bead to lock it in place. (Photo 5)
6
Trim the excess wire with flush cutters as close as you can to the wrapped area. Then, use the tip of the needle-nose pliers to squeeze and tuck in the end of wire you just cut. You can also file the end with an emery board if it’s sharp. (Photo 6)
And that’s all there is to it! Repeat these same 6 steps to make as many stitch markers as needed for a project. Make a few extra to gift to one of your knitter friends, too.
Related: Top 5 Notions You Need In Your Knitting Bag
Do you make your own stitch markers? We’d love to see them! Share a photo in the comments below.
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Serial yarn sniffer Kerry Bogert loves to spend her time knitting when she’s not collaborating with the team at Interweave or editing Interweave Knits magazine. Her passion for making things with her hands is only matched by her love for her children and a well-attenuated stout. Kerry endeavors to never stop learning, buying yarn, or collecting beads. Read her latest articles at Interweave.com.
I love making my own stitch markers, yours are an inspiration for me. Look these I made.
I make them with tiger tail wire and crimp beads
I make stitch markers from tiger tail wire, the kind used for jewellery. I stick both ends through a bead and then put a tiny crimp bead below and above the bead to keep the bigger bead in place. Trim ends closely since they can get a bit sharp. The tiger tail wire is thin and pliable but strong and keeps its shape, and can accommodate various needle sizes and doesn’t take up a lot of space in your knitting project or your notions container. You basically only need a flush wire cutter and a pair of flat pliers.
Very interesting idea. A little fancier and more complicated than the stitch markers I use — I simply make little hangman’s nooses out of a different color of waste yarn. But they would make nice gifts, and creative to the goal of accessories you can make for yourself as well as more affordable.
I make stitch holders out of wire hangers. You can make two from a regular hanger and to the size you need. It’s very simple — just cut the hanger in two places, bend at the appropriate place to make a fastener, like a giant safety pin. Use a file to smooth off the edges, done! You can make two medium holders or one large and one small out of a hanger, perhaps even three small ones.
I think there are many advantages to using yarn holders instead of wire. Let’s just say you forget to move one up. If it’s yarn you can simple cut it or untie it. A wire marker, you’re going to have to work backward to take it out.
What a creative idea! I love these .. I have a question you are using them to keep track? How would you remove them? It seems you would have to remove them buy cutting them off? Thanks again
Hey Kathy! I use these to keep track of special points in a knitted project. For example, when making a top-down raglan sweater, I’ll place them at each of the 4 raglan increase points. They are placed on the needle between stitches and I can easily slip them from one needle to the other as I come to them. They’re never attached to the fabric I’m working on, they dangle from the cable. When I bind off the project or finish with the raglan increase, I just remove them as I come to them as I work the row.