Keeping an adorable magnetic needleminder with you while you cross stitch will save you a dangerous game of “Where’s Waldo” with your needle.
We all do it! There is no shame in it. Needles are tiny and easy things to drop. The saying “needle in a haystack” is popular because it is not an easy task to find a fallen needle!
Magnetic needleminders are a great partner to stitch with. Not only are they super useful, they are adorable! There are so many options, and you can never have enough of them. Trust me, one needleminder is NOT enough!
Don’t forget to pop back and check all the cross stitch goodness on my Cross Stitch World.

What are Magnetic Needleminders?
At it’s core a magnetic needleminder if very simple. It is a magnetic accessory with some form of decoration.
It is made up of two magnets (very strong magnets!) and a decoration on the front. The decoration would sit on your work and it is magnetic so you can place your needle on it while you mark off your chart, have a snack, or take a progress pictures.
Needleminders are sometimes called by a few names. Some common ones are:
- Minder
- Needle nanny
- Needle knack
- Needle magnet
- Needle holder
- Needle buddy
Needleminders are fairly tiny accessories, most of them no bigger than a few inches – it’s part of what makes them so adorable!

The Parts of a Minder
As mentioned, a magnetic needleminder is made up of three parts.
- The back magnet
- The front magnet
- The decoration
The back magnet is not glued to anything, it stands by itself on the back of your fabric.
The front magnet is glued to whichever decorative piece you have chosen. The is the side of the needleminder that you see while working on your project.
You would sandwich the fabric between the back magnet and the front decorative magnet. This will hold your minder in place.
Keep it close to your work.
To use it, you will simply place your needle near it and it will hold on tight until you are ready to use your needle again.
Where To Get Needle Nannies?
Magnetic needleminders are available all over Etsy and Facebook. There are a ton of shops with some very adorable minders.
I personally sell a large variety of them & I also custom make unique needleminders too!
Here’s a small sampling of the MANY available in my shops (I just haven’t had time to photograph each little one and post it).
If there is something specific you are looking for, I can probably “minder” it. I have an enormous selection plus ability to make very customized pieces. Feel free to contact me if you are looking for something special.
Being personally obsessed with magnetic needleminders I have shopped around many other shops to see everyone else’s creations too! There are some truly unique ones out there.
There are two magnetic needleminders on my wish list still. These are both handmade by the creator and unspeakably cute!
PS: These are both affiliate links. This does not cost you anything more, just gives me a small commission to put towards my savings to buy those two needleminders for myself.
Why a Needleminder and not just a Magnet?
In all honesty you could just use two magnets, it would serve the same purpose. BUT! It would not be as fun to look at.
You spend a ton of time working on your stitching projects. You are in that stitchy spot staring at your piece for hours, and hours.
Why have something that is JUST functional. Why not add something cute!
With the endless possibilities on the decoration aspect of magnetic needleminders, you can make it very personal to you, or just something you really like.
Here’s just a few cute ideas for needle knacks:
- Characters from your favorite movies
- Funny sayings about cross stitch
- Your favorite quote
- A picture of your fur baby
- A still from your favorite show or movie
- A “cover” of your favorite book.
- Your favorite superhero, animal, food, etc.
- An heirloom pair of earrings or pin.
The ideas are truly endless. I have had people message me with an idea, and I’ve made a minder to match it – every time!
I think I have an addition to Needleminders!
There is no need to go signing up for any Minders Anonymous classes! It is NOT a problem to be addicted to needlerminders!
There are one of those things that are “hoardable”. Once you have one, you NEED more! We will call it collecting. Like collecting stamps or coins is ok, so why not minders too!
I’ve created a Facebook group where I share all the needleminders I create, as well as when new patterns are released. If you want to fill that need for a minder, pop over and you will be one of the first to know when new minders are ready for adoption.
Need More Cross Stitch Goodies:
I’ve got an entire section of this blog dedicated to my cross stitch hobby (well to me it’s life, not just a hobby).
Make sure to check out these other great posts for more about my cross stitch world.
these are really cute!!!
I just discovered needle minders! how I ever lived without them idk
I just got my first needleminder. I am sure it is just the start of my collection.
Look forward to seeing the minders you have available.
Great cross stitch site and very helpful
I definitely have a needleminder addiction!