Lanyards and ID Cards

My youngest is a runner. She is turning 2 in May, and she doesn't hesitate to run from us. It could be worse, I know. I've heard of kids that are much faster and more prone to running than she is, but she does like to take off, and she did so while we were at the Children's Museum last month. Fortunately, we noticed right away. Unfortunately, there were tons of kids running around and lots of crowds. We found her surrounded by nice museum employees, kneeling on the ground and talking to her. They were also speaking into radios, and I assume preparing to call for the irresponsible parents of the cutie in front of them over the museum speakers. 

We are heading to DisneyWorld in June, and while I'm sure nothing terrible will happen, I want to be prepared. So, I made them some lanyards for them to wear to carry their information around with them. Most lanyards are too long for them, so I sewed some up using Disney ribbon and attached clasps to them. 

I bought the clasps at JoAnn's for less than $3 for a pack of two. The ribbon I bought at Hobby Lobby ages ago, while it was 50% off. So these little lanyards cost less then $2.50 a piece, which was nice. I already had some little waterproof, zip-up pouches for their ID cards, but you could also laminate your cards as well. 

I probably don't have to explain how to make these, but I will anyway. 

I wanted their lanyards to be sturdy, so I sewed two pieces of ribbon together, cut to their length. Put the pieces face to face to start, and sew across each end. Now, when you flip it right side out, you will have pretty ends when it comes time to attach the clasp. 

Sew up the edge of your ribbon on each side. Now fold them over, wrap both of your ends through your clasp and sew them up nice and neat! Tadaa! If  you have velcro, which I did but opted out of using it, sew only one side through the clasp. Then sew your velcro onto each end, so your lanyard is easier to remove. 

Each card has their name on front, and on the back has their full name, age, a list of known allergies and conditions, who they are in the park with, followed by cell phone numbers. Now they have lanyards to put some Disney Pins on, too! (Those pin lanyards aren't cheap either, so it's nice to save money where you can!)

Another item to check off my list of things to prepare for our trip! 

Drawstring Backpack

First, let me start by saying that my mom cannot stand when I make something without using a pattern. Every time I paint, make, crochet, or sew something without doing it directly from a picture or pattern, she gets this frustrated look on her face. And when I sewed up these bags, and went to show her one, I predicted her response. Exactly. I even told my husband exactly how she would respond.

As soon as I handed a finished bag over to my mom, she got that look on her face, and Brian and I both started laughing. Sure enough, that look was followed by exasperated disbelief and the words, "I can't believe you did this without a pattern!"

My mom is super creative. And very talented. People say that my artistic talents are from her. I don't know how much that is genetic, but she definitely raised me to be crafty. (She also raised me to hold on to random supplies and fabrics, never knowing when I'd be able to use them in a project down the road. My husband is thrilled.) What she couldn't teach me, though, was how to follow a pattern. That is why I've avoided sewing so long. I can't follow those directions to save my life. Not exactly, anyway. And in sewing, that kind of thing needs to be a bit more exact than what I'm capable of. Otherwise, those little triangle marks don't match up, and sleeves end up different lengths, and pants become capris....

 So ANYhow, this bag is something I wanted to take on our vacation to DisneyWorld in June. I like drawstring backpacks for stuff like this. Diaper bags that go over the shoulder are too cumbersome. I found some nice waterproof nylon-type material on clearance at Jo-Ann's and thought, "Weeee! Backpack time!"

This is the final product. (For a Disney touch, I made some Mickey buttons out of clay!) And the best part? It's all straight lines. Which explains why I could sew it. Seriously...I'm terrible at sewing. But with enough practice, maybe one day I, too, can sew a curve, or a zipper, or even a buttonhole!

****A money-saving tip: The cord can get very pricey! I recently found an excellent, very cheap option! 550 Parachute cord. People are making a lot of corded bracelets out of this stuff right now. I found lots of it at JoAnn's, for around $3.50 for 16ft!! It is just slightly thinner than the decorative cord I used the first few bags, but infinitely cheaper, and just as strong. You can also order it online from numerous sites.

Drawstring Backpack PDF instructions