How to Find a Lost Sewing Needle
Posted by Jen Lopez on Sep 1st 2021
I enjoy hand sewing on the couch, especially while watching TV. It gives me a chance to socialize with the rest of the family, rather than being hunkered down over a sewing machine. But that do you do when you inevitably lose a needle? You can’t realistically just wait for it to turn up, that could have unintended consequences! Here are some tips that really work for finding a lost needle:
- Stand up – Preferably over a hard surface like a hardwood floor or linoleum floor. Then, shake your shirt gently and listen for the “plink” on the hard floor. Most of the time, your needle will be caught on your clothes somewhere and this should do the trick. Also try gently shaking out your project.
- Get down on your knees – If it’s not stuck on your clothes, a lot of times its under the couch. Why under? Because it drops on the floor and bounces or gets kicked under. Get down on your hands and knees with a flashlight and scan around. Watch for the sparkly reflection. If there is someone in the house who has better eyesight than you (like a kid!), have them do it for you.
- Big magnet – I keep one of those “science magnets” around just for this purpose, you know the kind with a handle that basically looks like a magic wand? You can buy them at museums and brainy toys stores. They are sold for kids to do science projects with. I keep one stuck to the side of my sewing table at all times – it’s also great for picking up dozens of spilled pins in a single swipe. Try sweeping the magnet through the couch cushions, around your clothes, your project and the floor.
- Vacuum – If all else fails, or if the needle appears to be lost in the carpet, stretch a piece of nylon stocking over your vacuum cleaner nozzle. Rub the nozzle all over the carpet and the couch. The needle will be sucked up against the stocking without going inside the vacuum.
If none of these tips work, you will have to wait to find that needle the old-fashioned way. In the future, always use a pincushion, even if you are just going to set the needle down for a second!
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