This little tool is fairly new to my stash of goodies. I have been using safety pins to feed my cords, ribbon, and elastic through casing ever since I can remember. I have heard of bodkins before, but never had the urge to buy one.
I finally did this summer and love it! As you can see above, it is like a pair of tweezers. You grab the end of your elastic/cord/ribbon and then slide the small ring towards the end. It gets nice and tight!
You feed it through the casing with the rounded head first and your elastic/cord/ribbon trailing behind.
I like how it is rounded at the end and slides through the casing nicely. I also like that it is longer than a safety pin and substantial enough to feel it through the thickest of materials.
One note, because I think this is one of the most important tips when you are feeding something through the casing. I know I said it yesterday, but I will say it again....pin the end of the item you are feeding to the edge. It will save you a lot of heartache!
There are a few brands of bodkins out there.
Some actually look like large plastic needles that you place the elastic in the hole with.
Bone Bodkins by Wm. Booth Draper |
And Clover has a twin set.
But if you have a Hobby Lobby nearby?
that's too awesome! I hate threading with a safety pin. Is it small enough for small elastic/casings?
ReplyDeleteI think it would go through as small as a 3/8-1/2 inch casing? it is definitely skinnier than most of my safety pins!
DeleteI have seen those in stores and not paid much attention because I had no idea what they were for! I hate when my elastic gets eaten by the safety pin on the way through, or once my pin opened up as it was going passed a seam, that was a pain to try to get it done up so I could get it out of there (it was stuck).
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh. Have totally been there! The worst!!!!
DeleteI was wondering what in the world you were talking about when you said bodkin, so thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI have some crappy elastic threaders but I think I'm definitely going to pick up one like yours next time I am at Hobby Lobby that looks so much easier to use!