I just LOVE a good weeding hack, and, friends, this is one of my favorites! When I am weeding an intricately cut design, I have found that using a sharp tool allows for extreme precision and makes weeding so much easier!

You can make this weeding tool in about one minute! And the best part is, you probably have most — if not all — of the materials to make it!

Here is what you’ll need to make your own DIY Retractable Weeding Tool to use with your Cricut

• Mechanical Pencil with a removable tip (I have found that the Pentel Quick Cilck brand works well)
• Sewing Needle (the diameter of the needle should equal the diameter of the pencil lead. You may want to get an assortment of needles and test out a few different sizes to see which needle best fits the opening of your pencil)
• Hair tie or rubber band

That’s all you need! Alright, now let’s get started!

The first step is to click your pencil until you completely eject the lead that is found inside. You want to start with an empty pencil.

Next, unscrew the tip of the pencil.

Now locate a needle that will fit in place of the pencil lead. As I said before, the diameter of the needle should match that of the pencil lead. I recommend having an assortment of needles on hand to test out various sizes. This will help you determine which needle best fits the opening of your pencil.

Once you’ve found the correct needle size, take your hair tie or rubber band and firmly tie it around the clicker of the pencil so that it remains in the depressed position. You want the clicker to be pressed down and using the hair tie or rubber band will free up your hand so that you can put the needle in place.

Note: This next part is going to be easy to do, but challenging to explain… so please stick with me! I really recommend watching the video to see a demonstration of what to do.

Inside of the barrel of the pencil is a mechanism that grips the pencil lead. Around that piece is a spring-loaded ring that can be pulled down. When the ring is pushed down, the grip expands and opens wide like an alligator’s mouth. Once it is opened, you can insert the eye of the needle into this grip. Now you release the ring, closing the grip back up and if done right, you should be able to tug on the needle and it will be securely held by the grip.

Now all you have to do is screw the tip back on and you can start weeding! Use the clicker to extend or retract the needle in the same way that you would use a regular mechanical pencil!

Note: if the needle slides in and out, then your needle may be too small. Try using a needle with a wider diameter.