General Information:Choosing the right jewelry pin depends on how it will be used. Head pins have a flat or decorative stop at one end and are commonly used to make bead dangles for earrings, charms, pendants, and other jewelry. Eye pins include a loop that allows beaded components to connect to chains, clasps, charms, and additional links. Bar pins and brooch pin backs provide the fastening mechanism for handmade brooches, lapel pins, badges, beadwork, cabochons, and fabric embellishments.
Consider the size, weight, finish, and construction of your project when selecting a pin. Smaller findings work well for lightweight beads and delicate designs, while longer or sturdier pins offer more support for larger components. Jewelry pins can be used for holiday brooches, awareness ribbons, floral corsages, vintage-inspired jewelry, beaded links, decorative dangles, repairs, handmade gifts, and many other jewelry-making and craft projects.
Bar Pins: Bar pins, also known as pin backs and brooch pins are an essential accessory for making jewelry, badges, brooches and more. They are probably the most common types of jewelry pins. A bar pin is a small metal pin with a loop or wheel at one end and a sharp pointed pin at the other end. They are typically made from steel or brass and come in a variety of sizes and designs. They are often used to secure items to clothing, bags, scarves, hats, jackets and other fabric items.
Bar pins are most commonly used for pinning badges, brooches, and other decorative items to clothing. They can also be used to secure buttons, patches, and other small items to bags and fabric items. The loop at one end of the bar pin is used to attach the pin to the item, while the sharp point is used to pierce through the fabric. The sharp point also helps to keep the pin in place and prevent it from slipping out.
Bead Pins: Bead pins are thin, straight pins with a head on each end. One end can be removed to add your beads and then glued or screwed back on. They can be used as dangles or even as key chains.
Eye Pins: Eye pins are a jewelry maker's staple. They are like a piece of stiff wire, with an eye on one end and a blunt ended point on the other, and come in many lengths. They are often used to add a wire element to a bead or stone so that they can be connected together in a chain like fashion.
Head Pins: Head pins are also an essential component in jewelry making and are very similar to eye pins except that they have a flat end instead of a loop. Beads are strung onto a head pin and the head of the pin prevents them from coming off. The open end can be bent and looped around another component to create a dangle or to add depth and dimension to your jewelry piece.
Hat Pins: Hat pins are long, slender pins used to hold components on hats or hats in place on the head. The often have decorative heads, allowing them to serve both a functional and fashionable purpose.
Kilt Pins:Kilt pins are somewhat like a safety pin but they are much heavier built. Some have small loops or rings on the open side of the pin for adding dangles to and others have no loops. Once used to secure a kilt to the wearer's waist, they are more commonly a popular jewelry pin base.
Stick Pin: Stick pins are commonly used to create lapel pins or brooches. One end is curved around with a flat, blank pad attached to it. This is where your decor would go. The other end of the pin is pointed so that it will go through fabric and generally have a clutch to protect one from being stuck by the pin while wearing it.
Tie Tacs: A Tie Tac is 2 pieces. One side resembles a large thumb tack and the other is a pin back, much like the back of a post earring. The pad of the tie tac can be glued to a jewelry component and worn by both men and women as a lapel decoration or to attach a tie to a shirt or jacket to prevent it from moving out of place.
