Live Life Anchored - Part 3 Making Hat Loom Tool For Free

I have shared that we are doing a nautical theme for camp this year. One of the things we wanted to do this year for camp was a service project. 


One of the lessons I wanted to share with the girls is that there are always storms in life. On our "journey" we will have times of calm seas and times of storm.


Hopefully, during those times of storm, we will have others who will help us through the ups and downs of the swells and to hang on to us while the boat tosses us to and fro. 

At other times, we may be the one that can help others through their storms in life. 
 
I bought beanies for each of the girls for camp and I want them to feel how that hat can create warmth and comfort when they may be cold.  
 
By making hats for charities, we can help others feel comfort and warmth during their stormy times. We can donate them to homeless shelters, hospitals and to relief charities.

Due to a budget mishap, the financial situation for camp leaves us with little to spend. I'm having to be creative on making things.
 
Over the past year, I have been collecting hat looms from second hand store and yard sales. I have enough for the girls to each have one in their "beach bags." (Click here to see the post on how we made those for almost nothing.) 


I went through my yarn and pulled out some and put a loom and a skein of yarn in each beach bag. I need a tool for each girl and they cost over a dollar each. 


I made "hook" tools in Peru when we gave looms to the natives. We used large nails that I bent and flattened the tip for them to use. I didn't want to use nails as I don't think they would do well in the beach bags. 


With that, I went to the recycle place and looked around and found a few shelf racks from old appliances to cut up and try to make hooks out of for the looms.
 
I found one that worked great and already had a bend at one end. I used tin snips to cut the wires off the rack and then used my dremel with a grinding attachment to sand the edge and thin the tip so it will fit into the grooves on the hat looms.   
 
I folded a paper towel into thirds and then wrapped it tightly around the back end of the wire. I used some of the cute "anchor" duct / duck tape to wrap around the paper towel and secure it to the hook. 
 
Make the tape long enough that you can wrap it around the back end so the wire won't poke through. The front needs to be taped to the wire as well. 
 
In an emergency, I also have used a large paper clip that I bent as a tool but the wire isn't quite secure enough and is hard to hold. 

There are many ways to make the hooks. You may want to try a few different types to find out which you like the best. The ones you buy are quite sharp and can scratch the looms so making one that is more blunt at the tip may be something more functional for you.
 
I am so grateful for friends that allow me to find and use things and also for the creative ability to come up with things that are functional, cute and cheap. I am blessed!