Jim, I have on, several occasions, got away with making a crude loop end on steel and wound strings buy just making a crude loop with a pair of pliers. These makeshift strings have taken a little bit more tuning to get to tension than a "proper" string (they slip a bit to start with) but they have held for me.

I know it's not as good as a proper tool and I don't know if it would work for you but it may be worth getting a small length of wire and trying it to see if it will work.

Jon