I’m starting a series of posts where I introduce or review tools. Mostly, it will be positive reviews of tools I love, but occasionally I plan to write about things that are absolutely not worth spending money on. These will probably come up at random as I’m making a project, but I’ll try to go back occasionally and link to any project where I used the featured tool. For the most part, I try to use what I have and not constantly buy new things, but sometimes you just need the right tool for the job. Many times the things I find most useful aren’t too expensive, so hopefully you can build your toolbox along the way without spending a fortune.
One of the most useful tools I have found is only a couple of dollars. I was introduced to this tool in college during a bookbinding class, and I found mine at a drug store for $2. Introducing, the curved needle. I would suggest the heavy duty needle combo pack, because a lot of these needles come in handy for other stuff too, and it’s affordable.
When you see it at a store, you might think, what could it possibly be used for?! Most recently, I made a papier-mache hanging. When it came time to actually hang the piece, I realized how difficult it would be to get a string through the top. That’s where the curved needle comes in. Punch through the top with the needle to get the space right, and then send the needle down into the papier-mache piece and out it comes the other hole. Basically anytime you don’t have access to the inside of something, a curved needle is your new pal. It can reach around and in spots that straight needles just don’t work for.