Brainwave

I visited Britex a few weeks ago to check out their purse and bag hardware. Definitely awesome and definitely expensive. I bought a couple of things, but not much and still spent a small fortune.

Time passes. Conference and annual meetings happen. I come home and hang my lanyards on the back of my closet door “until I figure out what to do with them.” At the meeting I attended last week, I saw some lanyards laying on the table of a vendor hospitality booth. My closet door flashed in my mind and I had a brainwave. I scooped up as many of the lanyards as I felt comfortable taking and put them in my bag.

When I returned, I took all of them off of the door, removed the nametag portion and set to work.

Conference Lanyards
Conference Lanyards
Cut off lanyards
Cut off lanyards

I only wanted to keep the metal hardware, so I cut off the ribbons, because I didn’t want to sew over them, I wanted to use my own fabric. I felt like a scavenger, but I was just going to toss them anyway, so I fought down the feeling.

Salvaged Parts
Salvaged Parts

I wasn’t able to salvage everything, but I salvaged several parts and pieces.

Notice the different shapes and sizes used for the D Ring (or equivalent) parts.

These aren’t the greatest pieces since sliced bread, but for lanyards, they will work fine, I think.

I also was able to save some circle rings, which are not shown and will be useful, I am sure.

Plastic ring
Plastic ring

I was not able to save the plastic loops. I didn’t want to toss them, thinking I might have another brainwave and figure out how to use them, such as covering the existing fabric with better fabric and quilting over it.

Next I set aside what I wanted and put the rest of the hardware into the tin I use to store all of my hardware. I set to work making a test lanyard. I am pleased with how the lanyard came out, especially since I didn’t buy hardware. I am not sure it is perfect for me and I may make another, which makes me even happier than I used salvaged hardware.

Lanyard with Salvaged Hardware
Lanyard with Salvaged Hardware

 

 

Author: Jaye

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.

4 thoughts on “Brainwave”

  1. I also save all my conference badge hardware, and have quite the collection now! I re-purposed one for my guild nametag using Moda-branded precut twill tape, but am contemplating swapping it out for some handmade bias tape.

    1. I really don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I have to make a new name tag because the guild issued tag is 1) boring and 2) too big for the space I allotted.

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