Sunday, August 16, 2009

Backpack ID Tags Take Two


My kids start school next week, so the past several weeks I've been trying to get all their things ready to go. Today I finished their backpack ID tags.

Last year I posted the tags I made for them here, but this year I've changed them a little. The first thing I did differently was to create the tag itself in my Creative Memories digital scrapbooking program. I also laminated the ID tags with my laminator instead of using the plastic badge holders. The tags feel more durable this way, but time will tell.

I'm not sure that our family is the best for stress testing the tags since we have girls. I say this because I see what boys do to their backpacks. They use them as shot puts, they use them as sleds (with or without snow), and all sorts of crazy things. Boys are rough on backpacks. And everything else.

Stinkerbell's backpack has been through two years with Zoe and it's about to start its second year with Stinkerbell. That's what I'm talking about.

Here's what Zoe's tag looked like when I was making it in my software program. After I printed it, I cut it right down the middle and used the right side for the back of the tag and the left side for the front of the tag.

I feel like I should mention that the Creative Memories software is not Mac compatible. You see it on my Mac because I'm running it through windows with a Boot Camp partition blah de blah, gobbledy-gook. The Rocket Scientist set it up for me and it works, that's all I know and it's all I care about.

Once I cut the tag in half, I mounted each side on a piece of card stock. It makes the tag a little more sturdy and it looks nicer that way.


Then I ran it through my BFF, the laminator. I'm thinking for Halloween I need to come up with a Laminator costume. Sort of a parody on The Terminator. I haven't figured out the logistics yet, but I think a cape is involved. Maybe some kind of laminated paper cape. Hmmmm.

You can see here that the tag still needs to be trimmed. I trimmed it, leaving a little excess at the top so I can beribbon it. That's important, you know.

Here are the lunchbox ID tags. They're about half the size of the backpack tags.

Once all the tags are trimmed to the size I want, I round the corners with my corner rounder. We're accident prone in this house, so I want to get rid of sharp corners.

Plus I don't want Stinkerbell putting someone's eye out when she lets them have it with her backpack.

I used my Crop-a-Dile to punch holes in the tags, and then I slipped a split ring through each tag. Split rings are simply key chain loop thingies. The size I used were 20 mm.

For the backpack ID tag, I punched some extra holes along the top to tie ribbon to. I didn't do it on the lunchbox tags because lunchboxes are hard enough to keep clean without adding ribbon to them.

The final step is to seal the ribbon with heat so that it doesn't fray. I just use a lighter and swoop in real quick. Any longer and your ribbon will catch on fire. Take my word for it.

I also have a lobster clasp attached to this keyring. It makes it easier to clip to the backpack zipper, and I can take it off a lot quicker if I need to wash the backpack. You don't have to have the lobster clasp though. They keyring alone is enough.

I'm starting to think these would make cute luggage tags too. Oh the possibilities.

Here are the lunchboxes.

I love the Dora lunchbox.

But I think the Hannah Box is going to meet with tragedy. I had a dream that it got run over by a bus.

Hey, it could happen.

25 comments:

  1. Love, love, love, the tags!!! I need to get me a laminator, I think. I have the Story Book Creator (can't wait for September 1 to upgrade!!!). Too bad Renee homeschools... no backpack, no lunchbox... and Desiree is at an age where tags on your backpack aren't cool anymore :( ... she's a sophomore after all... But maybe with some of those new papers geared towards teenagers... and matching it to the design of her cool new backpack... it might be worth a try...lol

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  2. These are REALLY cute!!!

    but . . . are you not worried about strangers knowing your children's name?

    I've always heard that you are not to have your children's names easily visible . . . you know stranger-danger stuff.

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  3. I cracked up when yo started talking about a Laminator costume...here you are making the tags...just a chit chattin' about life... I can just about here you demonstrating at your Crops and talking about random things!

    The tags are adorable!

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  4. I love this idea! My daughter started kindergarten last week, and at her school, you can only have mesh or plastic backpacks. And the only place that carries mesh backpacks around here is Wal-Mart. So, when the kids come out in the afternoon, all you see on the girls is a sea of the exact same pink mesh backpack! This would certainly curb a lot of confusion!

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  5. Very very cute - I just can't get myself into paper crafts, though.

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  6. I did something similar, but not so cute last school year for my boys...Yes, my boys. I should have made at least three for each boy-but I didn't think ahead! They both lost the cute tags I slaved over!!!
    Boys and cute, cute tags-not a match here...if only my girl would be one to carry a backpack...but she is a cockapoo...arf!

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  7. You are so funny! A bus...:-)

    I love how handy you are:-)

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  8. you are funny AND smart.....I wish you were my neighbor!! :)

    suzanne

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  9. I love those! I wonder if it would be redundant to put them on my girls backpacks, even though I had my sister monogram them?!?

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  10. You have your own laminator? Oh, how I would love my own laminator!

    (I think I might have told you that before, but oh well...)

    So did you get a teaching job yet or are you just going to sub?

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  11. Those are so cute. What digital scrapbook program do you have and do you like it? I have been wnating to buy one. Thanks so much.

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  12. I love em! Great idea!

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  13. Those are SOOO cute! I am all jealous! I have been wanting/meaning to make Burkley a couple tags but with living in a
    5th wheel, crafting is a little hard. I just cheated and bought some name holders at Walmart. Now I wish I would have taken the time and made up some cute ones!!!

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  14. Again, Love it! Those are awsome...

    I'm excited for next year when my Doodle starts kindergarten... I love school supply shopping. Honestly. i took an extra course at University so I could school supply shop for myself. I'm a nerd.

    I'll keep my fingers crossed for your dream to come true. Not that I want you to have to get another lunch box, but because, well, HM. :-P

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  15. I made some tags for the kids, but of course came nowhere close to your quality. I got my laminator as an early birhtday present, and am now in search of more things that need tags... just so I can heat more things up.........

    RS is glad your computer system is still working well.

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  16. I just wanted to let you know that I used your tutorial to make some magnets. I did a post about it on my blog today and linked to your blog. Thanks for your help, I love the way they turned out. Next I'm going to try these bag tags.

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  17. I just found your blog. . .I LOVE IT! School starts here tomorrow and now I have projects that I am going to have to get done tonight because they are fabulous! Thanks for sharing!

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  18. You are hilarious! And creative.

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  19. Those tags are really neat! I will have to try to make some too.

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  20. So stinking cute! You always come up with the cutest stuff girl! This is also on my list to get done this week since my guys start next week with parent's day out. :) You have inspired me once again!

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  21. Those are adorable, what a fantastic idea!

    How about a clear, vinyl tablecloth for The Laminator's cape? :)

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  22. I love those! Coincidentally I was thinking about making tags for our kids today! Thanks for the inspiration! I'm going to get on it!

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  23. Love the tags, I am going to give this a try for Miss Maddy-pants.
    I also really like the laminator costume idea. In the book The Librarian from the Black Lagoon the librarian is believed to laminate kids who misbehave in the library.
    :-)

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  24. Do you not realize, that although these are super cute, you will have to redo them now that you made them look like boys???? No one will ever recognize the girls with curls in the pictures and the boys, I mean girls with no curls carrying the backpacks.

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