Posts Tagged ‘customized lanyards’
Making Your Own Lanyards
Lanyards have been used throughout history for a variety of different applications. They are used to secure a variety of tools and equipment to a person’s body, or even to secure ships to docks, or horses to a post, just to name a few. Instead of risking that hatchet flying out of your hands when you use it, a lanyard can keep it secure to your wrist. If you need to keep a compass or fire starter handy when you’re out camping, a lanyard can keep these around your neck, out of the way but easy to use.
Lanyards have also been used for decoration as well as identification. The different colors or patterns on a lanyard can show what military rank or tribe they are from. Some people feel that the more intricate and elaborate a lanyard is the more they want it. They have been adorned with beads and baubles, come in a variety of different colors and sizes.
With all of this information at hand, you may want to make a lanyard yourself. There can be many reasons for this, maybe you haven’t found the right style or color in a commercially made lanyard. Maybe you are tired of materials that are not sufficient to secure a heavy item, like a hand gun or heavy knife, or you just want to make your own fashion statement. The reasons can be as varied as the person making them.
The first step is finding the right braid or weave for your lanyard. Some can be as simple as a single strand of flexible wire, the braid or weave can be as wide as you want. While most lanyards you see in retail markets are flat, you don’t have to be stuck with this, there are round and square patterns as well as many in between. If you know how to braid hair, you can make a lanyard. A standard braid is three strands, but there is no limit to how many strands can be used. They can be all the same color, or different colors. You can make lanyards that are the colors of the flag, the US flag or any flag around the world.
Making your own lanyards can also allow a person to completely customize it. They can add different colored beads to the weave, or bells or whatever can be attached to the material. Making your own lanyards also gives you the freedom to use whatever hardware you want to add as well. That clip too fragile? You can use one of those mountain climbing clips if you want instead, the possibilities are limitless.
You can find a number of lanyard kits at local craft stores in your area, or you can also go online. There are many different craft websites that can sell you the materials in bulk, and even provide instructions for making the different braids and patterns. Some of these are free, others cost.
Hand made lanyards make great gifts for friends and family, and can be given to someone any time. While they may be cheap and easy to make, for a lot of people, a hand made gift is more dear to them than the most expensive gift a person can buy. For children making them, parents and grand parents will wear them with pride. It is also something that is going to last far longer than a toy. Lanyards have many uses, so while a tie or scarf can only be used on occasion, a lanyard will be used all the time for many different things.