Craft 2: Cute Name Badge Reels

(If you read my blog regularly you'll notice I started a new labeling system: using "Craft" instead of "Project". I decided to use Project for things I do for the house, and Craft for random things I make in order to make it easier to find things. Ok, on to the Craft!...)

Do you work somewhere where they require you to wear a name badge? I do. It came on a little clip, but after a year the clip wore out and kept falling off. While searching for a new one I came up with an idea for a little Christmas gift for my coworkers: cute name badge reels.

Here's the final product:

Step One: Gather your supplies
What you'll need:

• Package of badge reels - I bought a pack of 4 reels for $6 on amazon.
• Button making kits - They come 3 to a pack. The starter pack is $3, the refills $2. 
• Tacky Glue - I had it on hand, but a bottle is $3
• Fabric Swatches - I used scraps left over from other projects, so free!

Badge Reels

Button Making Kit

Tacky Glue

Step Two: Pick out a fabric that matches your reel and make a button using that fabric.

If you've never made a button before, here is a quick tutorial:

Cut out a circle of fabric, using template on the back of the package.

Here are the pieces you need: fabric circle, mold, button front, button back and pushy-thingy (I'm a total pro at this!)

Place the fabric between the mold and the button front, with an even amount of fabric hanging off the button the whole way around.

Push button front down into mold, this will pull the fabric in.

Help out any fabric not in line by pulling it all in towards the center.

Put the button top on over the fabric, centering it on the mold.

Place the pushy-thingy on top and...

Push down until you feel the button snap together on every side.

Take it out of the mold - you have a button!

Step 3: Destroy your button.
Ok, that's a little over kill... but you do need to make it so instead of the back sticking out like a real button, it is smashed in. I just used brute force to get the job done.

It needs to be nice and flat so the button will sit flush on the badge reel.

Step 4: Attaching the button to the reel
So now you have a button and a real, how do you get them to stay forever friends?

 The best way to do it is to just fill that button with Tacky Glue and then stick it to the reel. The only problem with this is it took three whole days for the glue to dry because it was so thick...

So if you're like me, and you're finishing the gifts the night before you bring them to work... then you have to find something to take up all that space between the back of the button and the reel.

My solution was to cut some cording I had left over from another project.

I just cut out a little piece...

Trimmed it to fit my button

 

Add glue..

And glue that sucker into place.

Glue the back

Attach your reel

And hold for about 30 seconds before laying flat to let the glue dry overnight.

 That's it! It's pretty easy. And I think the result is pretty dang cute.

I just brought a box of reels to work and told my peeps to come pick one out, first come first serve. Multiple people asked if I'd gotten the idea from Pinterest, which made me smile. No Pinterest here, just a lot of time walking up and down the craft aisles at Hobby Lobby. I'm not claiming to be the first to think of this, but it unique to me! 

Over all it cost me about $30 for 12, which isn't bad if you ask me!