Home-made kilt pins

[Phogfan86]

Has anyone else made home-made kilt pins besides Big Mikey?

I wanted to make some very simple ones by just putting a bail on the back of a cabochon. So I ordered some cabochons from firemountaingems.com (tiger's eye, dalmatian jasper, malachite -- very pretty) and got some bails at Michael's.

Problem is, the stone seems almost bottom heavy, and it sort of "tips over" on my kilt. It doesn't lay flat against the material, be it an SWK thrifty, a USA casual or my tank. It just looks a mess, even thought the pin runs north and south/up and down, not side-to-side.

Any suggestions? If I'm not being clear -- and I doubt I'm describing the problem well -- I can slap up a couple of pictures.

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

[shawhighlander]

You can try using a 1/16" to 1/8" rectangular piece of leather on the under side (of your kilt), to pin it through. That should support the weight.

Slainté

[Bugbear]

Ya, it's because the bail is not holding the cabochon flush against the fabric, and the fabric doesn't have enough stiffness to hold it up. A tie tack type of pin at the top and bottom would work better because the weight of the stone would be pulling strait down on the fabric instead of pulling forward. However,I can see how putting the bail through something like a strip of leather behind the fabric could work.

[Chas]

I have collected many 'things' that I would like to have as kilt pins. What I am lacking is the pins.

Phogfan - Any chance of a link to this 'Michael's' place, for the bails?

Ted - Do you know where the tie tack type pins can be obtained?

Regards

Chas

[Bugbear]

I have collected many 'things' that I would like to have as kilt pins. What I am lacking is the pins.

Phogfan - Any chance of a link to this 'Michael's' place, for the bails?

Ted - Do you know where the tie tack type pins can be obtained?

Regards

Chas

Chas, these are stores for things like scrapbooking and arts and crafts. Not really sure if they sell things on line, but I'm sure someone will know where to get tie tack backs that you would epoxey a stone or something like that onto.

I would like to know a source too.

[Chas]

Chas, these are stores for things like scrapbooking and arts and crafts. Not really sure if they sell things on line, but I'm sure someone will know where to get tie tack backs that you would epoxey a stone or something like that onto.I would like to know a source too.

Thanks Ted - The hunt begins!

Regards

Chas

[BEEDEE]

I have collected many 'things' that I would like to have as kilt pins. What I am lacking is the pins.

Phogfan - Any chance of a link to this 'Michael's' place, for the bails?

Ted - Do you know where the tie tack type pins can be obtained?

Regards

Chas

Chas - Michaels is a US chain store. Try any craft store in the UK that sells jewelery fixings.

Brian

[Chas]

Chas - Michaels is a US chain store. Try any craft store in the UK that sells jewelery fixings.

Brian

Thanks Brian. I am sure that they must be available here in the UK, it's just a question of finding the source.

Regards

Chas

[jgcunningham]

Here's my kilt pin. It was a duplex (double-headed) framing nail before I whacked it repeatedly with a hammer and then took a grinder and file to it. There is a pin on the back that is held in place with some superglue and the black wire. It has to hang vertically or it flops over because of its own weight.

[Phogfan86]

Ted -- I like the idea of the tie tack-type pins. Now I'm on a quest. Or maybe I'll check Michael's and Hobby Lobby first. Then I'll be on a quest.

Shaw -- do you mean, say, a square of leather that both ends of the pin can go through, or two small pieces, one at the top where the pin would go through, and one at the bottom, where it goes back through again?

I'm not optimistic about the search for tie tack-type pins, so the leather may be the thing to do.