homemade luggage tags

our trip tp England is getting closer & closer ... (we're leaving next Tuesday, 13th, and will be back on the 27th) Hubby'll be back home tomorrow afternoon, from his week in Corsica (for work)

I have already prepared my clothes, the boys' too. I'll make sure hubby will pack enough long sleeves tshirts, a jumper etc ... you know men as much as me, and they always forget something important. (mine often underestimate the power of chilly weather ! eheh) We'll pack everything in the suitcases & bag on Monday, but I had an idea two days ago, when I couldn't sleep in bed. Luggage tags. We don't own any, we don't travel much at all. What to use ?

... or better put, what to RE-USE ?

I didn't want to BUY luggage tags, I didn't want to use paper ones neither. (way too fragile) I had to MAKE them myself. When *pop* ! the idea of using my address rubberstamp (custom made locally two months ago) with textile ink, and also numbers rubberstamps, to stamp our cellphone number.

that's what I did. I stamped cream color cotton tape, heat set the ink. I handsew (temporarily) two of them inside my camera bag (which is supposed to NEVER leave me). But for the suitcases, I need to sew them on something else. Yes. But what ?

then *pop* ! (don't you loooove when a good idea pops in your mind ??!) another idea ! repurposing something I've kept for a couple of years : the (useless) belt of a linen trouser of mine.

I cut lenghts long enough to sew the cotton tapes on. I folded the length in two. I sewed the address & cellphone number cotton tapes on one half. Then found that it wasn't much colorful. So I grabbed scraps (in fact, squares that I had precut to make coasters, but nevermind) of red gingham, folded the edges, and sewed this piece on the other half of the cut belt length.

then I cut another length of cotton tape. This will be what will be around the luggage handle. I folded the tag in two, tucked the two ends, and inserted one end of the cotton tape length. And sewed all around.

now, I only have to handsew the other hand of the cotton tape on the tag, directly on the suitcase. Just because I didn't want the tags to be removed.

so there. I made luggage tags using & re-using what I had at home. I'm pretty satisfied, I can't tell you.

and I shared, because I thought you may need to make such tags for yourself.

now have a wonderful Friday everyone !

oxox

Sonia